First Edition: September 10, 2018
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
The Remedy For Surprise Medical Bills May Lie In Stitching Up Federal Law
When Drew Calver had a heart attack last year, his health plan paid nearly $56,000 for the 44-year-old’s four-day emergency hospital stay at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, a hospital that was not in his insurance network. But the hospital charged Calver another $109,000. That sum — a so-called balance bill — was the difference between what the hospital and his insurer thought his care was worth. Though in-network hospitals must accept pre-contracted rates from health plans, out-of-network hospitals can try to bill as they like. (Andrews and Appleby, 9/10)
California Healthline:
As Treatable As Diabetes? Lawmakers Push New Ways To Stem Opioid Addiction
Theresa Andrews’ 21-year-old daughter, Olivia, is hooked on heroin — and struggling to get medication to help kick her addiction has only added to the “hell,” Andrews said. A few years ago, the San Diego mother called dozens of doctors before finding one who would prescribe her daughter buprenorphine, a widely used medication that quells heroin cravings. (Bartolone, 9/7)
The New York Times:
Science Does Not Support Claims That Contraceptives Are ‘Abortion-Inducing’
During his Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Thursday, Judge Brett Kavanaugh referred to some forms of birth control as “abortion-inducing drugs.” The phrase is a characterization that some anti-abortion religious groups use, but it is not supported by scientific evidence. Judge Kavanaugh used the phrase while answering questions by Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, about a 2015 dissent he wrote in a case brought by a Catholic organization over a requirement in the federal health care law that employers include contraception coverage in employee health plans. (Belluck, 9/7)
The New York Times:
Democrats Sow Disorder In The Senate Over Kavanaugh And The Court
Boorish. Rude. Disrespectful. Insulting. Grandstanding. Hyperventilating. Deranged. Ridiculous. Drivel. Those were among the words angry Senate Republicans used this week to assail the conduct of Democrats at a Supreme Court hearing that was often tense and sometimes toxic. (Hulse, 9/7)
Bloomberg:
Facing Long Odds On Kavanaugh, Democrats Make It All About Trump
Facing an uphill battle to derail Donald Trump’s second nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Senate Democrats fanned out on Sunday to cast Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation fight as a referendum on White House accountability. Liberals fear that elevating Kavanaugh to the nine-person court could create the most conservative panel since the 1930s and lead to legal reversals on precedents including women’s abortion rights. (Bain and Brody, 9/9)
Politico:
Judiciary Committee Vote Next Hurdle For Kavanaugh
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has announced that he will hold a committee on Sept. 13. Democrats can delay a panel vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination for one week. At that point, Grassley would be expected to push Kavanaugh’s nomination through his panel and onto the Senate floor, setting the stage for a big political win for President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Democrats can only slow down Kavanaugh’s nomination at that point — they can’t stop it without GOP help. Senate Republicans currently have a 51-49 majority, with the replacement for the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jon Kyl, having been sworn in on Wednesday, giving McConnell another vote to work with to get Kavanaugh through the Senate. (Bresnahan, 9/7)
The New York Times:
Manchin Counts On Health Care To Stave Off Republican Tide In West Virginia
There were the beauty queens, ages 6 to 60, riding in style in the Labor Day Parade, including Teen Miss West Virginia Coal. There was the man driving a pickup truck memorial to 29 workers killed in a 2010 mine disaster, each victim’s portrait airbrushed on metal. And there was Senator Joe Manchin, in a sky-blue shirt with the state’s craggy outline on its crest, walking the route and greeting voters who brought up his favorite issue themselves. (Gabriel, 9/8)
The New York Times:
Abortion Opposition Once Defined Marsha Blackburn. But Not In Senate Race.
Inside the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce one morning last month, a few dozen voters sipped coffee and listened for 45 minutes to Representative Marsha Blackburn tick off all the reasons that this traditionally Republican stronghold in northeastern Tennessee should support her in one of the most high-stakes Senate races this year. She praised President Trump. She warned of an invasion of liberal policies and a Democratic takeover of committees if Republicans lose the Senate. She stressed securing the border, fighting MS-13 and lowering taxes. She highlighted her work as a Republican House member to “get government off your back.” (Dias, 9/9)
The Hill:
Obama Calls 'Medicare For All' A 'Good' Idea
Former President Obama on Friday called "Medicare for all" a "good" idea during a speech in Illinois where he launched his midterm campaign efforts for Democrats. "Democrats aren't just running on good, old ideas like a higher minimum wage. They're running on good, new ideas like Medicare for all," Obama said. (Hellmann, 9/7)
Politico:
Obama Touts Medicare For All As Evidence Of Democrats’ New Ideas
“They’re sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, already cost more than 3 million Americans their health insurance,” Obama said in a wide-ranging speech that also criticized the Trump administration‘s policies. “And if they’re still in power next fall, you better believe they're coming at it again. They’ve said so.” The remarks at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign launched Obama's midterm campaigning and drew attention to calls for universal health coverage, a cause that has rallied progressives in congressional races and statewide initiatives. (Demko, 9/7)
The New York Times:
Medicaid Expansion Finds Grass-Roots Support In Conservative Utah
In this conservative state, which has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate in more than a half-century, a grass-roots campaign to expand Medicaid is building considerable momentum as Election Day approaches. If it wins approval here, it could happen almost anywhere. (Pear, 9/9)
The Hill:
Trump Administration To Consider South Carolina Proposal To Defund Planned Parenthood
The Trump administration is considering a proposal submitted by South Carolina that would cut abortion providers from the state’s Medicaid program. South Carolina is now the third state to make such a request, the latest move in the GOP’s fight to defund Planned Parenthood in the Trump era. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is already reviewing similar proposals from Texas and Tennessee. (Hellmann, 9/7)
The New York Times Fact Check:
Trump Falsely Claims He’s Saving Medicare And Social Security, Which He Says Democrats Are ‘Killing’
The president is wrong on both claims: that Democrats plan to deplete Medicare and Social Security and that the two society safety nets are “stronger” under his administration. First, not only has Mr. Trump failed to strengthen Medicare and Social Security, the financial outlook for both trusts has largely worsened. That’s at least partly the result of Mr. Trump’s tax law that is collecting fewer taxes from Americans and, in turn, investing less money into each program. (Qiu, 9/7)
McClatchy:
Medicare For All: GOP Says Single-Payer Hurts Entitlements
Two months before Election Day, some Republicans have embraced an unexpected new way to attack Democratic candidates: The party of Medicare for All, they charge, actually wants to take away Medicare from senior citizens. It’s an attack Democrats hotly contest, dismissing it as proof positive the GOP is failing to find a winning message in a challenging political climate. (Roarty and Glueck, 9/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
Why Counting Casualties After A Hurricane Is So Hard
Last week, Puerto Rico raised the official death toll of Hurricane Maria to 2,975, making it the deadliest storm in at least 50 years. But that number may also make history of a different sort—if, as expected, it includes a record number of indirect deaths. “At the moment, the largest we have is Katrina with more than 500 indirect deaths,” said Ed Rappaport, a meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center who tracks storm-related fatalities. “I’d be surprised if that number was not exceeded greatly.” (McGinty, 9/7)
Stat:
Richard Sackler, Member Of Clan Behind OxyContin, Has Patent For Opioid Treatment
A member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma — which is being sued by more than 1,000 jurisdictions for its alleged role in seeding the opioid crisis with its pain medication OxyContin — has been awarded a patent for a treatment for opioid use disorder. (Joseph, 9/7)
NPR:
In The Debate Over Safe Injection Sites, What Does The Science Say?
As drug-related deaths rise to record numbers, at least a dozen U.S. cities are considering opening supervised injection sites, where people can use illicit drugs with trained staff present, ready to respond in case of an overdose. The future of such proposals in the U.S. is uncertain. A California bill that would greenlight a pilot injection site in San Francisco awaits the governor's signature, but a representative of the Justice Department vowed to crack down on any such site in recent public statements. (Gordon, 9/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
Marijuana-Research Applications Go Nowhere At Justice Department
Two years after the Drug Enforcement Administration began accepting requests to grow marijuana for federally approved research, none have been answered, leaving more than two dozen applicants in limbo, people familiar with the process said. The future of the initiative ultimately rests with the DEA’s parent agency, the Justice Department, and officials under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime critic of marijuana use, aren’t eager to advance the applications, these people said. Mr. Sessions has stated publicly he is open to research on the drug but has offered no timeline for processing the applications. (Gurman, 9/8)
Reuters:
GSK Says U.S. FDA Wants More Information On Pulmonary Drug
GlaxoSmithKline said on Friday that U.S. health authorities had asked for more information about its Nucala drug for use in combating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). GSK said it had received a complete response letter (CRL) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its application for mepolizumab - the generic name for Nucala - as an add-on treatment to inhaled corticosteroid-based maintenance treatment. (Schomberg, 9/7)
The New York Times/ProPublica:
Top Cancer Researcher Fails To Disclose Corporate Financial Ties In Major Research Journals
One of the world’s top breast cancer doctors failed to disclose millions of dollars in payments from drug and health care companies in recent years, omitting his financial ties from dozens of research articles in prestigious publications like The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. The researcher, Dr. José Baselga, a towering figure in the cancer world, is the chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He has held board memberships or advisory roles with Roche and Bristol-Myers Squibb, among other corporations, has had a stake in start-ups testing cancer therapies, and played a key role in the development of breakthrough drugs that have revolutionized treatments for breast cancer. (Ornstein and Thomas, 9/8)
The New York Times:
MSK Cancer Center Orders Staff To ‘Do A Better Job’ Of Disclosing Industry Ties
The chief executive of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center sent an email to all staff members on Sunday saying that the institution and its faculty “need to do a better job” of disclosing their relationships with the drug and health care industries. “The matter of disclosure is serious,” wrote the executive, Dr. Craig B. Thompson, along with Kathryn Martin, the chief operating officer. (Thomas and Ornstein, 9/9)
Stat:
That Alarm About The Cancer Risks Of CRISPR? It's Still Ringing
When papers from two independent research groups reported in June that CRISPR genome editing is more likely to succeed in cells that have lost their cancer kill switch, it raised fears that edited cells used to treat patients might initiate tumors. That inference is still the subject of intense debate — including over whether Nature Medicine should even have published the studies — but one thing is beyond question: The papers sent other scientists scurrying to their labs to check their results. (Begley, 9/10)
The Washington Post:
For New Cancer Treatments, Less Is More
Tom Maguire always figured that, if he ever developed cancer, he would pursue the toughest treatment available. “You destroy yourself, and then you can come back,” he said. His view was tested earlier this year when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer that had invaded the muscle wall of the organ. The standard of care, he learned, usually involves removing the bladder. He would have the choice of permanently wearing a bag to collect his urine or having a difficult surgery to fashion a new bladder from his intestines. Both prospects filled the 63-year-old avid hiker and scuba diver with dread. (McGinley, 9/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Hospitals Step Up The War On Superbugs
During 32 years as a physician, Daniel Federman has used his stethoscope to listen to patients’ hearts and lungs. But a recent study at the West Haven, Conn., veterans’ hospital where Dr. Federman works left him aghast. After seeing an image of the bacteria accumulated on his stethoscope, he admits, “I was appalled… The basic fact is that I don’t recall cleaning my stethoscope”—ever. (Lagnado, 9/8)
The Associated Press:
Doctors Explore Lifting Barriers To Living Organ Donation
Surgeons turned down Terra Goudge for the liver transplant that was her only shot at surviving a rare cancer. Her tumor was too advanced, they said — even though Goudge had a friend ready to donate, no matter those odds. "I have a living donor — I'm not taking away from anyone. I'm trying to save my own life," she pleaded. Finally, the Los Angeles woman found a hospital on the other side of the country that let the pair try. (Neergaard, 9/10)
Stat:
New Flu Drug Shows Strong Potential, But Clinical Trial Results Also Raise Concerns
A new, fast-acting flu drug showed strong potential but also some surprising and even concerning results in two newly published clinical trials. The drug, baloxavir marboxil, cut the time people were sick with flu symptoms by a little over a day. And it dramatically reduced the amount of viruses that people with infections had in their upper respiratory tracts, suggesting they might be less likely to infect others through coughs and sneezes. (Branswell, 9/10)
NPR:
Could Alzheimer's Be An Infectious Disease?
Dr. Leslie Norins is willing to hand over $1 million of his own money to anyone who can clarify something: Is Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia worldwide, caused by a germ? By "germ" he means microbes like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. In other words, Norins, a physician turned publisher, wants to know if Alzheimer's is infectious. (Stetka, 9/9)
The Washington Post:
Sepsis Can Kill Before You Know It, So It’s Wise To Know The Symptoms
Infection can set off a chain reaction that quickly causes death. The human immune system is a wonder, an intricately constructed network of organs, cells and biological processes designed to ward off infection and disease. (Blakemore, 9/8)
Stat:
A Medical Device Giant And A Musician Redesign A Heart Monitor's Chirps
As deals struck by health care behemoths go, this was one of the stranger ones. On one side, you had a medical device giant, with a phalanx of PR professionals carefully guarding the company’s image. On the other, you had a consultant who didn’t sound much like a consultant: “I am synthetic life form ‘Yoko K.,’ assembled in the US with components made in Japan,” one of her websites explained. “I am designed to assume the role of an ‘electronic musician.’ I am one of many secret agents sent to this time to plant magical thinking in people through the use of ‘pre-22nd century nostalgia Mars pop music.’” (Boodman, 9/10)
NPR:
Tracking Down Sex Partners From Years Earlier To Stop STDs' Surge
The U.S. is in the middle of a steep and sustained increase in sexually transmitted diseases. So how are public health officials responding? In northwest Oregon's Clackamas County, health officials have decided to ask anyone who comes in with an STD who their sexual partners are — and then track those partners down. (Foden-Vencil, 9/8)
The Washington Post:
Two Gay Men Wanted A Baby And A Surrogate Helped
Christina Fenn and her husband, Brian, have driven an hour and a half to this quaint coffee shop in Monroe, Conn. Fenn sips her morning latte, skittishly glancing out the window at the parking lot. “I’m nervous,” she says, grabbing her husband’s arm. “Nervous-excited, though.” He smiles back. She’s wearing green, her lucky color. Green shirt and green jacket, green bracelets, green socks. She feels as if she needs all the luck she can get today. (Page, 9/8)
The Washington Post:
Bursting People’s Political Bubbles Could Make Them Even More Partisan
Politics is polarizing enough, especially when it's easier than ever to find a group of like-minded friends online. The antidote, then, seems obvious: pop the bubble. Step outside the echo chamber. Reach out for other points of view. For example, to combat the rampant spread of hate speech, harassment and conspiracy theories, Twitter started "experimenting with features that would promote alternative viewpoints in Twitter’s timeline to address misinformation and reduce 'echo chambers,' " The Post recently reported. (Johnson, 9/7)
The New York Times:
Smoking May Increase Dementia Risk
Yet another reason to stop smoking: It may reduce your risk for dementia. Korean researchers studied 46,140 men, 60 and older, following them for an average of eight years with periodic health examinations. Over the course of the study, 1,644 people were given a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. (Bakalar, 9/7)
The Washington Post:
‘We’re The Only Ones Who Understand Our Situation’: Wives And Girlfriends Of Men In Wheelchairs Form Unique Sisterhood
On Jan. 2, 2016, Elena Pauly traveled to Cuba with her boyfriend, Dan, on their first vacation abroad after three years together. The day before they were set to return home, Dan, dove into the shallow end of the resort pool headfirst and was immediately paralyzed. When the couple returned to their home in Vancouver, B.C., Dan, a stonemason, confronted a new life. Pauly discovered a new normal. “I would cook for him, shower him, I would turn off the lights for him, then close the door and I would just sit in my car and cry,” Pauly, 31, told The Washington Post. “I felt so alone.” From that experience, came a new group called WAGS of SCI: Wives and girlfriends of spinal cord injury. (Ferguson, 9/10)
The Washington Post:
Uterine Fibroid Weighing 61 Pounds Removed From 53-Year-Old Woman's Uterus
When a 53-year-old woman showed up at the hospital, a mass that first appeared in her uterus many years ago had grown to 61 pounds — roughly the weight of an average-size second grader. Singaporean doctors have successfully removed the abnormally large mass also known as a uterine fibroid or leiomyoma, a tumor that appears in the uterus during a woman's childbearing age and grows gradually over the years if left untreated. A uterine fibroid, a common pelvic tumor, is not cancerous, but it could be life-threatening if it grows exponentially and deforms surrounding organs, according to a report on the case recently published by the medical journal BMJ Case Reports. (Phillips, 9/8)
The Associated Press:
Convenience Shops Go Healthy As Millennials Choose Wellness
In convenience stores spawned by the wellness wave, kombucha slushies take the place of corn-syrupy treats infused with red dye, tortilla chips are made of cassava flour instead of corn and there are vegan ice cream bars and a dizzying selection of organic produce and craft beer on tap. Traditional corner markets have been notching up their healthier options in recent years, selling pre-made salads, nut milks and organic yogurts. (9/9)
The Washington Post:
‘No Pain, No Gain’ Sounds Tough, But You May Only Be Hurting Yourself
While training for a half-marathon last fall, Janet Sherman, 57, started noticing pain in her right leg and left foot. A diagnosis of a quadriceps strain and plantar fasciitis led to shoe inserts and cross-training. Before long, the Wyoming-based teacher was “just good enough” to get back to training, and so she did, although she opted to drop down to a shorter 10K race distance. (Loudin, 9/9)
The New York Times:
California Tries New Tack On Gun Violence: Ammunition Control
Sold from vending machines in Pennsylvania, feed depots in Nevada, pharmacies in Georgia and jewelry stores in Texas, ammunition is in many states easier to buy than cold medicine. But in California, which already enforces some of the nation’s most restrictive gun laws, there is a movement underway against the unfettered sale of bullets. Gun control advocates here have pushed to limit internet sales, ban large-capacity magazines, require sellers to have licenses, raise taxes on bullets, and mandate serial numbers or other traceable markings on ammunition so that the police can more easily track them. (Urbina, 9/9)
The New York Times:
A Young Man Working To Stop Chicago’s Gun Violence Loses His Life To It
He was part of a group trying to stop the gun violence that has plagued this city. But this week, Delmonte Johnson was killed by it. Mr. Johnson, 19, who was fatally shot along a South Side street on Wednesday evening, was part of a group called GoodKids MadCity, which emerged in Chicago following the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla. The group has focused on curbing gun violence by pushing to create more jobs for young people and improving mental health treatment. Mr. Johnson was often among the first to show up for events and meetings, organizers said. (Davey, 9/7)
The New York Times:
Vaccines Against H.I.V., Malaria And Tuberculosis Unlikely, Study Says
Vaccines against H.I.V., malaria and tuberculosis — three major killers of the world’s poor — are unlikely to be produced in the foreseeable future unless vastly more money is committed to finding them, a new study has concluded. Other worthy goals that appear out of reach for now include a hepatitis C vaccine, a combination vaccine against the four leading causes of deadly diarrhea, a rapid cure for people who have caught tuberculosis and new treatments for a dozen neglected diseases, such as leprosy, dengue fever and sleeping sickness. (McNeil, 9/7)
Reuters:
Ebola Fight Has New Science But Faces Old Hurdles In Restive Congo
When Esperance Nzavaki heard she was cured of Ebola after three weeks of cutting-edge care at a medical center in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, she raised her arms to the sky with joy and praised the Lord. Her recovery is testament to the effectiveness of a new treatment, which isolates patients in futuristic cube-shaped mobile units with transparent walls and gloved access, so health workers no longer need to don cumbersome protective gear. (9/10)
The Associated Press:
In Congo, A New And Less Isolating Ebola Treatment Center
Two times a day, Kasereka Mulanda comes to a new kind of Ebola treatment center to visit his wife, easing the isolation of a highly contagious disease. Stepping to the clear plastic sheeting around the cubicle where his wife is staying, he can speak with her without the need for a protective suit. In a part of Congo that faces a deadly Ebola outbreak for the first time, the contact is reassuring. (9/10)
The New York Times:
California Says Nursing Homes Abandoned Elderly During Fire
As a firestorm descended on the Northern California city of Santa Rosa in October, staff members at two nursing homes abandoned their residents, many of them unable to walk and suffering from memory problems, according to a legal complaint filed by the California Department of Social Services. The state agency is now seeking to close the facilities and strip the managers of their licenses. (Fuller, 9/7)
The Associated Press:
Hot, Dry Summer Bringing Fewer Cases Of Lyme Disease
New England's hot summer might be helping keep the ticks that carry Lyme disease at bay. The Northeastern states — which are some of the worst for Lyme in the U.S., posing a hazard to residents and vacationers alike — are still totaling the number of Lyme cases from the summer months, and there will likely be more in the fall. But preliminary indicators show the disease abating, and public health authorities are finding fewer deer ticks, state officials and researchers said. (9/9)