First Edition: Sept. 7, 2022

KHN: ‘It’s Becoming Too Expensive To Live’: Anxious Older Adults Try To Cope With Limited Budgets
Economic insecurity is upending the lives of millions of older adults as soaring housing costs and inflation diminish the value of fixed incomes. Across the country, seniors who until recently successfully managed limited budgets are growing more anxious and distressed. Some lost work during the covid-19 pandemic. Others are encountering unaffordable rent increases and the prospect of losing their homes. Still others are suffering significant sticker shock at grocery stores. (Graham, 9/7)

KHN: Organ Transplants Are Up, But The Agency In Charge Is Under Fire
For the past decade, Precious McCowan’s life has revolved around organ transplants. She’s a doctoral candidate studying human behavior in Dallas who has survived two kidney transplants. And in the midst of her end-stage renal disease, her 2-year-old son died. She chose to donate his organs in hopes they would save a life. Now her kidney function is failing again, and she’s facing the possibility of needing a third transplant. But the process of finding that lifesaving organ is rife with problems. Roughly 5,000 patients a year are dying on the waitlist — even as perfectly good donated organs end up in the trash. The agency that oversees donations and transplants is under scrutiny for how many organs are going to waste. The agency, the United Network for Organ Sharing, received a bipartisan tongue-lashing at a recent congressional hearing. (Farmer, 9/7)

KHN: ‘Science Friday’ And KHN: Examining Medicine’s Definition Of Death Informs The Abortion Debate 
There is a widespread consensus in medicine on the definition of death, and those standards have been codified into laws in nearly every U.S. state. There’s no such medical consensus on the answer to another big question: When does human life begin? With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, that question has big implications for health care. (Ashford-Grooms, 9/7)

Stat: White House Signals Most People Will Only Need Annual Covid Booster
As part of its push to encourage vaccine-weary Americans to get the updated Covid shot, the White House put forth a new selling point Tuesday: to view it as a first annual shot, akin to the annual flu shot. (Joseph, 9/6)

Fox News: White House Wants Simultaneous COVID, Flu Shots: ‘This Is Why God Gave Us Two Arms’
The Biden administration on Tuesday encouraged all Americans to get an updated COVID shot as soon as possible, even if it means getting it the same day as an annual flu shot. "The good news is you can get both your flu shot and COVID shot at the same time. It's actually a good idea," said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. "I really believe this is why God gave us two arms, one for the flu shot and the other one for the COVID shot." (Kasperowicz, 9/6)

CNBC: People Who Recently Caught Covid Can Wait To Get Omicron Booster
People who recently caught Covid can wait a few months to get a new omicron booster, White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said on Tuesday. (Kimball, 9/6)

NBC News: New Covid Boosters Look A Lot Like The Old Ones. Doctors Worry That Could Lead To Errors.
As updated Covid booster shots roll out across the nation, many experts are raising an eyebrow — and perhaps squinting at the label. That's because the new doses come in capped vials that look strikingly similar to the old ones. It's a design decision, experts say, that could result in some people mistakenly receiving the wrong dose. (Lovelace Jr., 9/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: CVS, Walgreens Are Rolling Out Omicron Boosters. Here’s How To Know You’ll Get The Updated Shot
With the omicron-specific COVID-19 booster now available, how can you ensure that the booster you sign up for is the new one and not the old one? While some pharmacy sites, like Walgreens, make it clear when you sign up for an appointment that they are offering the “updated” booster, others, like CVS, don’t specify. (Echeverria, 9/2)

USA Today: COVID Left 10.5M Children Without Parents Or Caregivers, Study Finds
Worldwide, an estimated 10.5 million children were either orphaned or lost a primary caregiver due to COVID-19, according to a study published Tuesday. The study, in JAMA Pediatrics, examined the World Health Organization's data on excess mortality as of May 2022, finding that the majority of those children – 7.5 million – were orphaned while 3 million children lost a primary caregiver. (Stanton, 9/6)

The Washington Post: 10.5 Million Children Lost A Parent Or Caregiver Because Of Covid, Study Says 
Among the countries with the highest rates of parent and caregiver deaths are Bolivia, Peru, Namibia, Egypt, Bulgaria, South Africa, Ecuador, Eswatini, Botswana and Guyana, the analysis found. Before the pandemic, there were an estimated 140 million orphaned children worldwide. Children in countries with lower vaccination rates and higher fertility rates were more likely to be affected, according to the modeling analysis, which is based on deaths that exceeded what would normally be expected in a year. (Cha, 9/6)

AP: EXPLAINER: Is COVID-19 Winding Down? Scientists Say No
Is the coronavirus on its way out? You might think so. New, updated booster shots are being rolled out to better protect against the variants circulating now. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped COVID-19 quarantine and distancing recommendations. And more people have thrown off their masks and returned to pre-pandemic activities. But scientists say no. They predict the scourge that’s already lasted longer than the 1918 flu pandemic will linger far into the future. (Ungar, 9/6)

ABC News: Mystery As To Why New COVID Variants Have Stalled In Growth
Throughout much of the pandemic, there has been a constant shifting in terms of which COVID-19 variants are most dominant, at a given time, in the U.S. However, for the last five weeks, federal data shows that there has been little to no growth in the different proportions of COVID-19 variants in the country. (Mitropoulos, 9/6)

Stat: As Masks Are Shed, Medical Offices Pose Covid Risk For Some 
In May, Sarah Fama had to get blood work done before refilling a prescription for an autoimmune disorder. Because her condition put her at high risk for Covid-19, and she lives with her parents, both in their 80s, she checked the lab’s website, which stated that masks were required inside. (Molteni, 9/7)

CIDRAP: Mobile App Detects COVID-19 Infection In People's Voices
A mobile smartphone app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately detect COVID-19 infections in people's voices, according to research presented this week at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The developers of the app said the program detected infections with more accuracy than lateral flow or rapid antigen tests, and is cheaper than a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The app was accurate in detecting infection 89% of the time. Participants provided several audio samples, which included coughing, reading a short sentence, and breathing deeply through the mouth. (9/6)

Reuters: Baylor Medicine Gets Rare Win In Covid Coverage Case Against Lloyd's
Baylor College of Medicine has broken the insurance industry’s string of wins in Covid-related business income-interruption cases with a $12 million jury verdict against several Lloyd’s of London syndicates in state court in Houston, Texas. Thousands of such cases have been filed against all-risk commercial property insurers across the country, but only a handful have gone to trial. Baylor's case is believed to be the first to result in a plaintiff’s verdict. (Grzincic, 9/6)

The Washington Post: Juul To Pay $439 Million In Settlement Over Marketing To Teens 
E-cigarette company Juul, which at the height of its success dominated the market with its sweet flavors, has agreed to pay $438.5 million in a settlement with 33 states and one territory over marketing its product to teens. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (D), who led the plaintiff effort, said in a statement Tuesday that the settlement will send millions of dollars to programs aimed at reducing tobacco use. (Beachum and McGinley, 9/6)

Reuters: Pharmacy Operators Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger Begin Opioid Trial In New Mexico
U.S. pharmacy operators Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walmart Inc and Kroger Co on Tuesday faced off against the state of New Mexico in the latest trial over their alleged role in the U.S. opioid epidemic, following recent high-profile losses for pharmacies in other lawsuits. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, in his opening statement, argued that the pharmacies were supposed to act as a "dam" against a flood of illegitimate opioid prescriptions by refusing to fill prescriptions with "red flags" that signaled abuse. (Pierson, 9/6)

Bloomberg: US Startup Choix Will Sell Abortion Pills To Patients Who Aren’t Pregnant
Choix will begin selling abortion pills to people who aren’t pregnant so they can stockpile them for future use, the reproductive health-care startup announced on Wednesday. The company will only offer the service, also known as “advanced provision,” in US states where it’s licensed to operate — California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine and New Mexico — all of which currently allow abortion. (Butler, 9/7)

Politico: South Carolina Republicans Advance Abortion Bill To Senate Floor Without Exceptions For Incest, Rape
South Carolina Republicans on Tuesday advanced a proposed abortion ban after voting to remove exceptions for incest and rape. The bill’s passage in its current form is not guaranteed. It will still need to be voted on by the full state Senate on Wednesday, though legislative observers say it is unlikely to pass without the exemptions. The more conservative House adopted a last-minute amendment last week to include such exceptions, and if the Senate’s version of the bill is different from what the House passed, it must return to the lower chamber for final approval. (Ward, 9/6)

The Washington Post: These Republicans Supporting States' Rights On Abortion Back A Federal Ban 
When the Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, which in 1973 established a nationwide right to an abortion, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion for Dobbs v. Jackson that the legality of abortion would now be up to individual states. “The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion,” Alito said. “Roe and Casey [in 1992] arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives.” Many Republican foes of abortion celebrated the ruling as a victory for states’ rights. Yet since Alito’s draft opinion was leaked on May 2, 28 lawmakers have also signed onto a proposed nationwide ban — one that would impose abortion restrictions even in Democrat-led, pro-abortion rights states. (Kessler, 9/7)

Reuters: U.S. To Expand Monkeypox Vaccine, Drug Distribution Through AmerisourceBergen Contract 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday said it will significantly expand the number of distribution locations for monkeypox vaccines and treatments through a new $20 million contract with AmerisourceBergen Corp. Under the new contract, HHS said it will be able to make up to 2,500 shipments per week of frozen doses of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos vaccine from the Strategic National Stockpile, as well as shipments of SIGA Technologies' drug TPOXX to up to 2,500 locations. (Erman, 9/6)

CIDRAP: Those With, Without HIV Have Similar Monkeypox Outcomes, Study Finds
A new study from Germany shows no major differences in the clinical picture in those with or without HIV who contract monkeypox. The study, in HIV Medicine, was based on 546 monkeypox cases in Germany, which has one of the highest monkeypox case counts in Europe. The study is published in HIV Medicine. (9/6)

Los Angeles Times: HIV/AIDS History Prompts Fears Of Racial Disparities For MPX
When Dr. Hyman Scott, medical director for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, gives presentations, he explains where MPX comes from and mentions camelpox, skunkpox, rabbitpox and chickenpox. He also said agency representatives refer to the virus as MPX at presentations “so people feel like they have space to receive that information.” The World Health Organization is calling for potential suggestions for a new name for the virus in light of criticism about the racist nature of the term “monkeypox.” (Evans, 9/6)

The Washington Post: Showdown Over Experimental ALS Drug Expected Wednesday Before FDA Advisers
On Wednesday, the FDA is holding a rare, second meeting with a panel of independent experts to discuss the treatment, and is expected to make a decision on approval by Sept. 29. ... ALS advocates hold out hope that the FDA will clear the treatment in the face of intense pressure from patients and their families. (McGinley, 9/6)

Stat: Google Debuts A New AI Tool In The Global Fight Against Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis kills 1.4 million people every year, primarily in places where poverty and deprivation conspire to make people uniquely vulnerable, and unable to get lifesaving care in time. (Ross, 9/6)

Reuters: Philips Recalls Some Masks Used With Respiratory Devices Over Safety Concerns 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that medical device maker Philips has recalled certain masks used with some of its respiratory machines due to potential risk of serious injury. The masks have magnetic headgear clips or straps which can interfere with certain implanted metallic medical devices and metallic objects in the body causing potential injuries or death, the company said. (9/6)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Plans Must Update Materials To Comply With New Law
Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors need to make their enrollee materials compliant with the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act before the next sign-up period, according to a notice the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued Tuesday. (Goldman, 9/6)

Roll Call: Doctors Lobby Congress For Medicare Payment Bump, Again
Doctors are again ramping up what has become a perennial lobbying campaign to urge Congress to increase Medicare payments in order to offset cuts scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1. (Hellmann, 9/7)

Modern Healthcare: Physician Compensation Trends Could Face Years Of Uncertainty
The clinical shutdowns experienced at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 upended traditional productivity-based physician payment models. The same year, the federal government announced significant changes to the physician fee schedule, raising reimbursement for those providing office visits while decreasing reimbursement for others. Patient volume has begun to rebound in the meantime, driving up demand for doctors. (Christ, 9/6)

Reuters: CVS Deal For Signify Seen Facing Tough Antitrust Review
CVS Health Corp's (CVS.N) plan to buy healthcare services company Signify Health for about $8 billion will face a tough U.S. antitrust review even though the two companies do not compete directly in any markets, three experts said Tuesday. High and rising healthcare prices, which have put even older drugs like insulin out of the reach of poorer people, have bedeviled U.S. presidential administrations determined to slow the rising costs. The Federal Trade Commission has long emphasized health deals in its antitrust reviews, and has continued that under new Chair Lina Khan. (Bartz, 9/6)

Modern Healthcare: After Signify Health, CVS Still Looking For More Deals
By leaning into healthcare services, the company aims to grow its adjusted earnings by $900 million over the next two years. To do that, CVS Health will need to purchase a primary care provider, Chief Financial Officer Shawn Guertin told analysts Tuesday on a call about the Signify Health deal. (Tepper and Berryman, 9/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Seeks New Trial, Citing Fresh Evidence
Elizabeth Holmes, founder of defunct blood-testing startup Theranos Inc. who was convicted of fraud, has asked a federal judge for a new trial after she said one of the prosecution’s star witnesses visited her house to express regret for his role in her trial, according to a new court filing. Ms. Holmes said in a filing Tuesday that Adam Rosendorff, a former Theranos lab director who testified for five days in her criminal-fraud trial, showed up unannounced at her home Aug. 8. During his visit, Dr. Rosendorff spoke to Ms. Holmes’s partner and said that the government had twisted his testimony that Theranos was “working so hard to do something good and meaningful,” and that he felt guilty “to the point where he had difficulty sleeping,” according to the court filing. (Somerville, 9/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Judge Strikes Down Part Of California’s Aid-In-Dying Law After Challenge From Christian Medical Group
A federal judge says part of California’s aid-in-dying law is unconstitutional because it requires physicians, regardless of personal objections, to report a terminally ill patient’s request for life-ending medication. (Egelko, 9/6)

Reuters: U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Washington State's Conversion Therapy Ban 
A U.S. federal appeals court on Tuesday unanimously upheld Washington state's ban on conversion therapy for children, rejecting a therapist's claim that it undermined his free speech and targeted him because he is Christian. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Washington's legislature acted rationally and did not violate the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment by imposing the ban to protect the "physical and psychological well-being" of children. (Stempel, 9/6)

The Boston Globe: Third Human Case Of West Nile Virus Detected In Massachusetts
A 20-year-old man has been identified as the third person in Massachusetts to be infected with West Nile virus this year, state public health officials announced on Tuesday. (Fonseca, 9/6)

CNN: Walk This Number Of Steps Each Day To Cut Your Risk Of Dementia
Want to reduce your risk for dementia? Slap on a step counter and start tallying your steps -- you'll need between 3,800 and 9,800 each day to reduce your risk of mental decline, according to a new study. (LaMotte, 9/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Nutrition Advocates Urge Front-Of-Package Labels Highlighting Fat, Sugar Levels 
Nutrition advocates and food-industry groups are revving up for a fight over whether an additional label should go on the front of many packaged-food items to more clearly indicate whether they pose a health risk. A long-running debate over what those new labels should look like—and whether they should be required—is intensifying ahead of a White House conference on hunger, nutrition and health later this month. (Peterson, 9/6)

The New York Times: A News Anchor Had Stroke Symptoms On Air. Her Colleagues Jumped Into Action
Julie Chin, a television news anchor in Oklahoma, was telling viewers about a local event connected to the now scrubbed launch of the Artemis I rocket over the weekend when, all of a sudden, she was struggling to speak. “I’m sorry,” Ms. Chin said after stumbling over her words. “Something is going on with me this morning, and I apologize to everybody.” (Oxenden, 9/6)