First Edition: Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025

KFF Health News: For Many Rural Women, Finding Maternity Care Outweighs Concerns About Abortion Access
In what has become a routine event in rural America, a hospital maternity ward closed in 2023 in this small Oregon town about an hour from the Idaho border. For Shyanne McCoy, 23, that meant the closest hospital with an obstetrician on staff when she was pregnant was a 45-mile drive away over a mountain pass. (Mongeau Hughes, 1/2)

KFF Health News: In Year 7, ‘Bill Of The Month’ Gives Patients A Voice
In 2024, our nationwide team of gumshoes set out to answer your most pressing questions about medical bills, such as: Can free preventive care really come with add-on bills for items like surgical trays? Or, why does it cost so much to treat a rattlesnake bite? Or, if it’s called an urgent care emergency center, which is it? Affording medical care continues to be among the top health concerns facing Americans today. In the seventh year of KFF Health News’ “Bill of the Month” series, readers shared their most perplexing, vexing, and downright expensive medical bills and asked us to help figure out what happened. (12/30)

Newsweek: Bird Flu Update: CDC Says It's Searching For These Pandemic Red Flags
The CDC told Newsweek Monday that while bird flu's current risk to the general public remains low, the agency is carefully monitoring for several red flags that could indicate that the virus could be on the verge of becoming a pandemic. Those red flags include any outbreaks of bird flu that are spread from person-to-person, as well as evidence that the virus has mutated, making it easier for it to spread between humans. (Parry, 12/30)

The New York Times: Bird Flu Samples From Very Ill Patient Had ‘Concerning’ Mutations 
After someone in southwest Louisiana was hospitalized with a severe case of bird flu, the first such illness reported in the United States, health workers swabbed the person’s nose and throat, looking for genetic clues about the virus. On Thursday, federal health officials reported some unsettling results. Some of the genetic samples contained mutations that in theory might help the bird flu virus, H5N1, infect people more easily. (Mueller, 12/27)

CIDRAP: New Reports Sharpen Clinical Picture Of Recent Human H5N1 Illnesses In US And Canada
Two groups of investigators today fleshed out fuller clinical understanding of North American patients recently infected with H5N1 avian influenza, one of them describing a Canadian teen who had a severe infection and the other reviewing illness features of 46 US patients, most of whom had mild infections following exposure to sick dairy cows or poultry. The teams published their reports today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). (Schnirring, 12/31)

Newsweek: Bird Flu Detected In Wastewater Of Three Arizona Cities
Possible evidence of bird flu has been detected in three cities in Maricopa County, Arizona—Phoenix, Surprise and Tempe—through wastewater sampling. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) released a statement on Monday reporting the detection of influenza A (H5) in these cities' wastewater. (Willmoth, 12/31)

The Hill: FDA Begins Testing Raw Cow's Milk Cheese For Bird Flu
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin collecting samples of raw cow’s milk cheese from across the U.S. to test for the presence of bird flu, spurred on by the ongoing outbreaks of H5N1 in multiple states. In the announcement published Monday, the FDA said the goal of testing will be two-fold: detecting the H5N1 virus and taking the necessary follow-up actions to protect consumers. (Choi, 12/31)

CIDRAP: More Avian Flu Confirmed In US Dairy Cattle And Poultry Flocks As Arizona Reports Wastewater Detections
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed 12 more H5N1 avian flu detections in dairy cattle, all from California, as more outbreaks were confirmed in poultry across four states. The newly confirmed detections in California’s dairy cattle, where outbreaks have been under way since late August, push the state’s total to 697 and the national total to 912 across 16 states. (Schnirring, 12/30)

The Hill: New Medicare Drug Price Cap Kicks In Jan. 1
A key cost-saving provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) goes into effect in the new year, limiting annual out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs to $2,000 for Medicare beneficiaries. Starting on Jan. 1, 2025, an estimated 19 million Medicare beneficiaries will see their out-of-pocket Medicare Part D spending capped at $2,000 for the year. This annual cap will be indexed to the rate of inflation every year going forward. An interim spending cap of roughly $3,500 was put in place in 2024. (Choi, 12/31)

Reuters: Drugmakers To Raise US Prices On Over 250 Medicines Starting Jan. 1
Drugmakers plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 250 branded medications including Pfizer COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, Bristol Myers Squibb's cancer cell therapies and vaccines from France's Sanofi, opens new tab at the start of 2025, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Nearly all of the drug price increases are below 10% - most well below. The median price increase of the drugs being hiked Jan. 1 is 4.5%, which is in line with the median for all price increases last year. (Erman, 12/31)

Stat: CMS Updates To Hospital Price Transparency Rules For 2025 
The new year ushered in a final slate of updates to the federal rules for how hospitals have to disclose their prices, and experts are optimistic the changes will make the data more helpful in identifying less expensive providers. (Bannow, 1/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Drug Middlemen Spared By Trump And Musk, For Now
Tucked into the bipartisan budget deal that President-elect Donald Trump’s allies torpedoed earlier this month was a rare and significant attempt to reform the mechanics of America’s drug-pricing system. Americans are broadly aware of how big pharma profits from high drug prices, but few understand the market distortions introduced by pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies that negotiate prices on behalf of employers, insurers and government programs. (Wainer, 12/30)

The Hill: Donald Trump's Tariffs Could Affect Pharmaceutical Drug Prices And Availability
President-elect Trump’s plan to enact heavy tariffs on certain imports could affect the prices and availability of pharmaceutical drugs in the U.S. Trump has floated 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, as well as expanded tariffs on Chinese imports. Economists have warned that such tariffs will drive prices up, and Trump acknowledged earlier this month he “can’t guarantee” they won’t increase costs for consumers. (Choi, 12/31)

The Hill: RFK Jr., Dr. Oz Set To Clash About Obesity Drugs In Donald Trump Administration
Two of President-elect Trump’s top health nominees are on a collision course as the incoming administration faces a crucial decision on coverage for groundbreaking anti-obesity drugs. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has extolled the benefits of anti-obesity drugs such as Ozempic, pitching them on his show and social media channels. (Weixel, 12/30)

Fortune Well: Elon Musk Admits He Takes An Ozempic-Like Weight-Loss Drug That RFK Jr. Wants To Restrict
Adorned in a Santa suit in a photo posted to X, the Tesla founder indicates he’s taking one of the widely popular weight-loss drugs, known as GLP-1s, which are prescribed for those with Type 2 diabetes and obesity under brand names such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound. ... This comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President-elect Donald Trump tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has shared his disapproval of the drugs’ popularity. (Mikhail, 12/27)

Stat: STAT's 3 To Watch: Addiction Policy Questions For 2025 
The new year and new presidential administration could mark a significant shift in the U.S. response to the opioid crisis. While drug deaths trended steadily upward under President Donald Trump, they skyrocketed during Covid-19 and in the early years of the Biden administration, reaching an annual peak of roughly 110,000 in 2023. Though overdose mortality has since begun to decline, the toxic, fentanyl-driven illicit drug supply is still killing Americans at astonishing rates. (Facher, 12/30)

Modern Healthcare: Staffing Mandate's Shaky Future Impedes Industry Preparation
The latest piece of the nursing home staffing rule is set to take effect in 2025, but nursing homes are caught between preparing for a rule that may not remain on the books and finding solutions to their immediate workforce shortages. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in April finalized an unprecedented rule setting minimum staffing levels nursing homes must maintain. To comply, facilities will need to have enough staff to provide at least 3.48 hours of nursing care per resident per day, including at least 0.55 hours from a registered nurse. (Early, 12/30)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing, Doctor Shortages May Worsen Under Stricter Visa Policies
Stricter immigration policies under the incoming Trump administration could exacerbate an already-dire workforce shortage in healthcare. Providers are increasingly turning to skilled international workers to fill in care gaps, either through direct sponsorship or third-party staffing firms, but limitations on work visas and long delays in the immigration process are already creating challenges. Industry observers say the incoming Trump administration and Republican-led Congress could make the problem worse. (Hudson, 12/30)

Politico: The Government Can’t Ensure Artificial Intelligence Is Safe. This Man Says He Can
Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize health care by predicting illnesses, speeding diagnoses, selecting effective treatments and lightening doctors’ administrative loads — but only if doctors trust that it won’t harm their patients. The government is struggling with oversight of this rapidly evolving technology. But Dr. Brian Anderson, whose experience working long hours as a family doctor for low-income immigrants in Massachusetts inspired him to work on technology to make caring for patients easier, says he can. (Reader, 1/1)

AP: What To Know About Jimmy Carter's Mission To Eradicate Guinea Worm Disease
Nobel Prize-winning peacemaker Jimmy Carter spent nearly four decades waging war to eliminate an ancient parasite plaguing the world’s poorest people. Rarely fatal but searingly painful and debilitating, Guinea worm disease infects people who drink water tainted with larvae that grow inside the body into worms as much as 3-feet-long. The noodle-thin parasites then burrow their way out, breaking through the skin in burning blisters. (Bynum and Mednick, 12/31)

The Hill: Listeria Risk Prompts Recall Of Marketside Broccoli Florets Sold At Walmart
Broccoli sold at Walmart stores in 20 states has been recalled. Braga Fresh last week issued a voluntary and precautionary advisory for 12-ounce bags of Marketside Broccoli Florets that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which posted the advisory Tuesday, the pathogen can cause “serious and sometimes fatal infections” in young children, elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. (Lee, 1/1)

The Washington Post: What To Know About Norovirus As CDC Reports Surging Number Of Cases
Cases of the illness known as norovirus — which induces miserable bouts of vomiting and diarrhea — are surging across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ninety-one outbreaks of the gastrointestinal bug were reported the week of Dec. 5, the latest period for which data is available. That’s 22 more outbreaks than in the last week of November. While sometimes referred to as the stomach flu, the disease is not caused by the influenza virus, which results in respiratory illness. (Malhi, 12/30)

Fortune Well: COVID Winter Wave Hits U.S. During 2024–25 Holiday Season
A winter wave of COVID infections is cresting as 2025 begins, one that started to swell before Christmas cookies were left out for Santa Claus and Hanukkah menorahs and Kwanzaa kinaras were lit. Nationwide test positivity was projected to be 7.5% the week ended Dec. 21, according to Dec. 30 estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Infections have ticked up consistently since the agency recorded a rate of 4.1% the week ended Nov. 16. (Leake, 12/31)

CIDRAP: CDC Surveillance Data Show Increase In US Tularemia Incidence
Although case numbers remain low, average annual US incidence of a rare bacterial zoonotic disease rose by more than half from 2011 to 2022, according to new surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a report published yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC investigators said 2,462 tularemia cases were reported over the period, ... a 56% increase compared with the previous surveillance period (2001 to 2010). (Dall, 12/31)

Stat: Top Medical Advances Of 2024: Game-Changing Medicines And Procedures
It’s easy to forget that we live in an age of medical wonders. Cancer tumors can be slowed or shrunk in ways previous generations couldn’t imagine, with everything from pills to genetically engineered white blood cells. Surgeons can transplant a face, or replace a heart valve without cracking a chest. These are outcomes that would not have been possible 20 years ago. So what changed this year? (Herper, 12/30)

Stat: Study: More Action Needed To Ensure Pulse Oximeters Work Well For All
Work by device manufacturers to improve the performance of pulse oximeters on people with darker skin has progressed little since the Food and Drug Administration asked manufacturers in 2013 to voluntarily test the devices on more diverse skin tones, according to a study published Monday in JAMA. The study and a related editorial suggest clearer guidance, enforcement, and possibly legal action may be necessary to ensure the devices work well on all skin tones. (McFarling, Lawrence and Oza, 12/30)

Axios: GLP-1 Withdrawal Can Have Lasting Health Effects
The surging popularity of GLP-1 drugs is beginning to obscure the health consequences if people stop taking them, physicians warn. While many patients can shed up to 20% of their body weight using the injectables, the cost of the drugs and side effects like nausea and vomiting lead many to quit. In most of those cases, their weight returns. (Goldman, 1/2)

Stat: Pfizer Drops Hemophilia Gene Therapy, Imperiling Partner Sangamo
Pfizer has abandoned development of a hemophilia A gene therapy it licensed from Sangamo Therapeutics, a move that could imperil Sangamo’s future. It’s a sudden turnabout for Pfizer, which had indicated it would bring the experimental treatment to regulators, albeit not one that is likely to have a significant impact on the pharma giant or patients. Another gene therapy for the rare bleeding disorder was approved last year but has mustered little interest, largely because standard-of-care is already high and gene therapies aren’t yet curative. (Mast, 12/30)

Modern Healthcare: Evernorth's Matt Perlberg Bullish On Specialty Pharmacy Market
Evernorth Health Services sees expanding opportunities in the $400 billion specialty pharmacy market, said Matt Perlberg, president of pharmacy and care delivery for the Cigna subsidiary. Cigna identified specialty pharmacy as a target for accelerated growth this year, and the future is bright as more of these high-cost drugs reach the market to meet rising patient demand, Perlberg said. (Berryman, 12/31)

Modern Healthcare: Steward Health Can Close Sharon Regional Medical, Judge Says
A federal bankruptcy judge has approved Steward Health Care’s plan to close Sharon Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania Jan. 6. Judge Christopher Lopez, of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston, signed off on the Dallas-based health system’s request to close the Pennsylvania hospital, according to a Dec. 27 court filing. Steward can sell or abandon any personal property left at Sharon Regional Medical Center, the filing said. (Tepper, 12/30)

The Wall Street Journal: UnitedHealth’s Army Of Doctors Helped It Collect Billions More From Medicare
Like most doctors, Nicholas Jones prefers to diagnose patients after examining them. When he worked for UnitedHealth Group, though, the company frequently prepared him a checklist of potential diagnoses before he ever laid eyes on them. UnitedHealth only did that with the Eugene, Ore., family physician’s Medicare Advantage recipients, he said, and its software wouldn’t let him move on to his next patient until he weighed in on each diagnosis. (Weaver, Wilde Mathews, and McGinty, 12/29)

AP: New York Employers Must Now Offer Paid Medical Leave During Pregnancy
Pregnant New Yorkers will be entitled to at least 20 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a law that took effect Wednesday. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the policy makes New York the first state in the country to offer paid leave for prenatal care. All pregnant workers in the private sector are eligible for the paid time off. Workers can schedule the paid leave for pregnancy-related medical appointments such as physical examinations, end of pregnancy care and fertility treatments, among other things. (1/1)

St. Louis Public Radio: Planned Parenthood Asks Judge To Reconsider Abortion Order
Planned Parenthood is asking a Kansas City judge to reconsider an order that left some abortion restrictions in place after she temporarily struck down a Missouri ban on the procedure. Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang earlier this month ruled several of the state’s restrictions on abortion providers were unlawful now that a constitutional right to receive an abortion in Missouri has gone into effect. But Zhang’s Dec. 20 order left other rules for providers in place, including licensing requirements that apply to abortion facilities in the state. (Fentem, 1/2)

AP: Massachusetts Lawmakers Approve Bill To Close Loopholes In Health Care Market
The Massachusetts Legislature approved a bill Monday aimed at closing loopholes in the state’s health care market regulatory process exposed by the collapse of Steward Health Care. The bill is also designed to increase financial transparency by gathering more information about hospital finances and assist in maintaining a more stable and sustainable health care system, according to legislature supporters. The measure would bolster the reporting authority of the state’s Center for Health Analysis and Information and the scope of the oversight of the Health Policy Commission by adding reporting requirements for hospitals. (12/31)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Health Department Extends Pause On Medicaid Enrollment For Some Behavioral Health Providers 
The Maryland Department of Health has extended a pause on new provider enrollments in Medicaid for certain mental health and addiction treatment facilities. The pause will now last until July 2025, a statement from the department said last week. First instituted in July, it affects four kinds of providers: Psychiatric rehabilitation programs; psychiatric rehabilitation programs, health home; Level 2.5 partial hospital program; and Level 2.1 Intensive outpatient treatment programs. (Bazos, 12/31)

The Colorado Sun: Colorado Launches New Public Health Campaign About High-THC Cannabis
In more than a decade since Colorado voters legalized recreational marijuana for adults, state officials have come up with a ton of ideas for delivering cannabis-cautious public health messages to the public. They tried stoner humor. They tried high-concept art installations. They tried … hoedown music? The results have been decidedly mixed. (Ingold, 12/31)

AP: Psychedelic Therapy Begins In Colorado
As Colorado becomes the second state to legalize psychedelic therapy this week, a clash is playing out in Colorado Springs, where conservative leaders are restricting the treatment over objections from some of the city’s 90,000 veterans, who’ve become flagbearers for psychedelic therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Colorado residents voted to legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin, the chemical compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, in a 2022 ballot measure, launching two years of rulemaking before it could be used to treat conditions such as depression and PTSD. (Bedayn, 1/1)