First Edition: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024

KFF Health News: As Nuns Disappear, Many Catholic Hospitals Look More Like Megacorporations
Inside the more than 600 Catholic hospitals across the country, not a single nun can be found occupying a chief executive suite, according to the Catholic Health Association. Nuns founded and led those hospitals in a mission to treat sick and poor people, but some were also shrewd business leaders. Sister Irene Kraus, a former chief executive of Daughters of Charity National Health System, was famous for coining the phrase “no margin, no mission.” It means hospitals must succeed — generating enough revenue to exceed expenses — to fulfill their original mission. (Liss, 11/5)

KFF Health News: A Quick Return To School And Light Exercise May Help Kids Recover From Concussions
During cheerleading practice in April, Jana Duey’s sixth grade daughter, Karter, sustained a concussion when she fell several feet headfirst onto a gym floor mat. Days after, Karter still had a headache, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and noise. Karter rested for a week and a half at home in Centennial, Colorado, then returned to school when her concussion symptoms were tolerable — initially for just half-days and with accommodations allowing her to do schoolwork on paper instead of a screen and take extra time to get to and from classes. (Ruder, 11/5)

Harvard Public Health: How The U.S. Election Has An Outsized Effect On Global Reproductive Health
In Nairobi, Kenya, Cate Nyambura is awaiting the outcome of the U.S. presidential election as if it could change her life—which it might. Nyambura is the director of programs at ATHENA Network, a global feminist collective that works primarily on reproductive health and rights, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence. “We hold our breath when the U.S. is having elections,” Nyambura says. Tuesday’s vote will have an enormous effect on how—and whether—Nyambura and countless other health workers and reproductive rights activists around the world can do their jobs. Thanks to a longstanding rule about abortion that shifts each time the White House changes political parties, every U.S. presidential election pits the American mood against other countries’ sovereignty—and the health of their women and girls. (Mungai, 11/4)

AP: Control Of Congress Is At Stake And With It A President's Agenda
Control of Congress is at stake Tuesday, with ever-tight races for the House and Senate that will determine which party holds the majority and the power to boost or block a president’s agenda, or if the White House confronts a divided Capitol Hill. (Mascaro and Jalonick, 11/5)

Side Effects Public Media: Election-Related Stress Is A Thing. Here’s What Specialists Advise To Do
Research shows an estimated 94 million Americans perceive politics as a significant source of stress. Some even lose sleep over politics and others struggle with suicidal thoughts. “The constant barrage of negativity and fear driven narratives was leaving me irritable, exhausted and anxious. Politics was killing my soul,” Rachel, an Indianapolis resident in her fifties, told Side Effects. (Gabriel, 11/4)

The Washington Post: Hypnosis? Colonoscopy? What Some People Will Do To Avoid Election Day.
Americans on how to avoid or cope with Election Day: flee to a cabin, or flee the country. Try surgery ... or psilocybin. (Judkis, 11/4)

CBS News: These States Have Abortion Laws On The Ballot For The 2024 Election
The 2024 election will not only decide who succeeds President Biden in the White House, but in 10 states, voters will also have the chance to weigh in on abortion access through ballot measures. The states are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota. (Quinn and Hubbard, 11/4)

NBC News: With Abortion On The Ballot, Reports Of Deaths Linked To Bans Emerge
Residents of 10 states will vote Tuesday on abortion-related ballot measures, half of which would overturn existing restrictions. In the weeks ahead of an election in which abortion access has been a central issue, a spate of reports have emerged about the life-threatening consequences of strict laws against it. (Bendix and Richardson, 11/4)

AP: Missouri: Voters To Decide Whether To Legalize Abortion In A State With A Near-Total Ban
Missouri voters will decide Tuesday whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and undo a near-total ban on the procedure. The measure would guarantee people’s right to make decisions about their reproductive health, such as whether to get an abortion, take birth control or get in vitro fertilization. Missouri currently allows abortions only in cases of medical emergencies. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. The amendment does not explicitly undo the law, meaning abortion-rights advocates would need to sue to overturn the ban if voters adopt the amendment. (Ballentine, 11/5)

AP: Nebraska: Competing Abortion Proposals Highlight A Record Spate Of Ballot Measures
Nebraska is the first state to feature competing abortion amendments on the same ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending the nationwide right to abortion and allowing states to decide for themselves. ...Because they’re competing and therefore cannot both be enshrined in the constitution, the one that gets the most “for” votes would be adopted, the secretary of state’s office said. (Beck, 11/5)

ABC News: Arizona: Inside The Abortion Ballot Measure Fight: One Family’s Story
Kristin and Dave Gambardella never expected the journey of growing their family to include an abortion procedure, but in summer 2023, the married couple nevertheless found themselves in a Planned Parenthood parking lot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a seven-hour drive from their home in Tucson, Arizona. A week beforehand, a routine blood test at 17 weeks into Kristin's pregnancy had come back with devastating results. A follow-up ultrasound confirmed her doctors' fears. The fetus had a severe genetic abnormality. "They told us it was really a guaranteed short life, full of pain and surgeries and constant medical care," Gambardella said. "Dave is a stoic person," she said of her husband, "and I remember he just broke down and lost it. And that's when I really felt that feeling in my gut that was like, wow, this is pretty catastrophic." (Haslett and Schulze, 11/3)

The Guardian: Florida: The Future Of Abortion Might Come Down To Men
At an early voting site in Tampa, 24-year-old Brandon McCray cited women’s rights as one of his greatest concerns in the 2024 elections. It helped convince him to vote for Harris. “Amendment 4 would just protect a lot of women,” he said. Banning abortion, he said, “is the biggest violation to a human right.” McCray may be a relative anomaly among his peers. Appalled by the triple-punch of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 election, the sexual violence exposed by the #MeToo movement in late 2017 and the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade, young women have become the most progressive cohort ever measured in US history – but young men have inched towards the right. (Sherman, 11/3)

Central Florida Public Media: Florida: Abortion Amendment Causes Split With Doctors. What Does This Mean For Patients?
The politics of abortion and Amendment 4 have shined a light on rifts among medical practitioners across the state. Amendment 4 would enshrine abortion protections into the state constitution, and physicians of varying specialties have come out both for and against the measure. “Having practiced now for over 20 years, I can't think of anything else in the past that has become so political,” said Dr. Lynda Balint, an OB-GYN who teaches ethics in medicine at Rollins College in Winter Park. (Pedersen, 11/4)

Maryland Matters: Maryland: High-Profile Fight Over Abortion Is Not A First
When Marylanders go to the polls Tuesday to decide the future of abortion rights in the state, it won’t be for the first time. More than 30 years ago, when it looked like Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that recognized a right to an abortion, was in danger of being overturned, the General Assembly passed a law codifying the protections of Roe. That law was petitioned to referendum by abortion opponents in 1992, ending a two-year fight that began with a draining and emotional filibuster that brought business to a halt in the 1990 Senate for eight days. (Rydell, 11/4)

FOX 5 New York: New York: What Is Prop 1, And What Does It Have To Do With Abortion?
This Election Day, New Yorkers are heading to the polls to decide on Proposition 1, also known as the "Equal Rights Amendment." This proposal aims to expand anti-discrimination protections in the state constitution, covering categories like ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy." Although the words "abortion" or "LGBT" don’t appear on the ballot, the measure could protect abortion rights and broaden protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. (Shivonne, 11/4)

AP: Nevada: Abortion And Open Primaries Are On The Ballot. What To Know About The Measures
It’s been more than three decades since Nevada voters overwhelmingly approved a law allowing abortions until 24 weeks of pregnancy. Now they must decide if they want to make it a constitutional right. The 2024 election is only the first test of the measure seeking to enshrine the right to an abortion until the fetus can survive outside the womb, known as “fetal viability” which doctors say is after 21 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or protect her health. Voters would again have to approve it in 2026 in order to amend the state constitution. It wouldn’t expand current abortion access in the state, but supporters and organizers of the initiative say it adds an extra layer of protection. (Yamat, 11/5)

CU Boulder Today: Colorado: On Election Eve, New Survey Gauges Where Voters Stand On Abortion Issue
The findings come from the ninth annual Colorado Political Climate Survey. This year, the survey team polled 800 Coloradans on a range of issues—from how they may vote on a suite of ballot measures to their views on abortion, the economy, immigration and more. Likely voters favored Amendment 79, which would make abortion a constitutional right—with 58% in favor, 32% opposed and 10% unsure. Because this measure would amend Colorado’s constitution, it requires 55% of the vote to pass. (Strain, 11/4)

KTVQ: Montana: Opponents, Supporters Making Final Arguments On CI-128
If passed, CI-128 would change the Montana Constitution, protecting the ability for people to have an abortion. In Billings, Bailey Desper has been standing near the intersection of Broadwater Avenue and Division Street, holding a sign in support of CI-128 for the past few days. "I just want to make it visual and just get people out to the polls," Desper said Monday morning. Desper said she believes that even just one person like herself standing on the street corner waving to traffic can make a difference. (Klepps, 11/4)

SDPB: South Dakota: FormerPlanned Parenthood Director Talks '06, '08 Abortion Ballot Question Campaigns
Kate Looby was the director of Planned Parenthood in South Dakota from 2003 to the end of 2008. During that time, voters twice rejected near total abortion bans during elections in 2006 and 2008. South Dakota voters are once again voting on abortion access, this time in the form of a Constitutional Amendment. SDPB's Lee Strubinger speaks with Looby about those campaigns and abortion advocacy in a notoriously anti-abortion state legislature. (Strubinger, 11/4)

The Washington Post: Justices Who Split On An Abortion Measure Ruling Vie To Lead Arkansas Supreme Court
Two justices who split on whether Arkansas voters should have the chance to scale back the state's abortion ban are both vying to lead the state Supreme Court, though the election won’t affect the court’s conservative tilt. Justices Rhonda Wood and Karen Baker are running to replace Chief Justice Dan Kemp in Tuesday’s election, where the state’s four congressmen are fending off challenges from Democratic candidates. (Demillo, 11/5)

AP: West Virginians' Governor Choices Stand On Opposite Sides Of The Abortion Debate
West Virginians on Tuesday will choose between a Republican candidate for governor endorsed by former President Donald Trump who has defended abortion restrictions in court and a Democratic mayor who has fought to put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide. Both Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams have played an outsized role in fighting the drug crisis in the state with the highest rate of opioid overdose deaths in the country. But their similarities are few. When it comes to abortion, the two couldn’t be more different. (Willingham, 11/5)

The Washington Post: CDC: Pertussis Case Reports 5 Times Higher Than At This Time Last Year
More than five times as many pertussis cases had been reported as of mid-October compared with the same time last year, according to provisional numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is characterized by persistent, chronic fits of coughing followed by a “whoop” sound, and is sometimes called the “100-day cough.” (McMahan, 11/4)

CIDRAP: Four Cases Of Sexually Transmitted Fungal Infection Reported In New York
A paper published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describes four US cases of an emerging, sexually transmitted fungal infection. The infections were caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII (TMVII), a sexually transmitted fungus that causes genital tinea (ringworm). TMVII infections have previously been reported in patients who had contact with sex workers in Southeast Asia and men who have sex with men (MSM) in France. The first US case was reported in June in a man who reported sexual contact with multiple men while traveling in Europe and California. (Dall, 11/4)

CIDRAP: California, Washington Report More Suspected H5 Avian Flu Cases
Two states affected by avian flu outbreaks in dairy cattle and commercial poultry reported more probable H5 avian flu infections in farm workers over the last few days, four in California and three in Washington. In other developments, federal officials reported more outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry, and in California, Los Angeles County announced that H5 has been detected in wastewater for the first time. (Schnirring, 11/4)

Axios: Less Than 1 In 6 Health Workers Got COVID Booster
Fewer than 1 in 6 health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes reported getting COVID-19 boosters during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found. The drop-off followed the expiration of a Biden administration vaccine mandate for health workers in June 2023 and the end of free access to government-funded COVID shots. (Bettelheim, 11/4)

The New York Times: Cost Of Mpox Shot Deters Americans At Risk, Critics Say
The epidemic in Africa continues to grow, prompting fears of another outbreak in the U.S. But the vaccine is no longer free, and vulnerable people are going without. (Mandavilli, 11/4)

Reuters: Britain Detects Two More Cases Of New Mpox Variant
Britain has detected two more cases of the new mpox variant clade Ib in household contacts of the first case, the country's health security agency said on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to three. The government agency that added the risk to the population remained low. The clade Ib variant is a new form of the virus that is linked to a global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in August. (11/4)

NBC News: Trump's Vaccine Stance Could Lead To Health Crisis Among Children: Experts Warn
Some pediatricians are stunned by the possibility that vaccines proven to save kids’ lives could be banned in a second Trump administration. On Sunday, former President Donald Trump told NBC News that if he wins Tuesday, he’ll “make a decision” about whether to outlaw some vaccines. ... The president doesn’t have authority to ban vaccines but can influence public health with appointments to federal agencies that can change recommendations or potentially revoke approvals. (Edwards, 11/4)

The Washington Post: Medicare Advantage Insurers Fear Losing Millions Over A Few Bad Phone Calls
As the biggest Medicare Advantage insurers see it, something as minor as a dropped phone call can now cost them hundreds of millions of dollars.Around the time Medicare open enrollment started last month, the insurance giants Humana, Centene and subsidiaries of UnitedHealthcare filed lawsuits alleging they stand to lose substantial revenue because a tiny number of unsuccessful customer service phone calls hurt their 2025 Medicare Advantage scores — costing them customers or multimillion-dollar bonuses they otherwise stood to get from the federal government. (Najmabadi, 11/4)

Stat: Private Medicare Plans Get Billions For Veterans Who Get VA Care
Under names like “Patriot Plan,” “Courage MA,” and “Honor” plan, all of the major private Medicare insurers are courting veterans directly, selling plans that their ads say complement their Veterans Affairs coverage with benefits like dental and vision. These Medicare Advantage plans are quite popular — almost 42% of all Medicare-eligible veterans had one in 2022. (Bannow, 11/4)

Roll Call: Biden Wants Medicaid Doctors To Talk To Parents About Firearms
The Biden administration wants more health care providers to talk to parents about keeping their kids safe around firearms, as data shows kids are increasingly dying by suicide, accidents and homicides involving guns. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has given states the green light to allow Medicaid providers to counsel parents and caregivers of children about firearm safety and injury prevention. (Hellmann, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: Novant Buys UCI Medical's Urgent Care, Physical Therapy Sites
Novant Health has completed its purchase of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina's UCI Medical Affiliates, a company that manages and provides administrative services for urgent care centers and physical therapy facilities. The acquisition includes 52 urgent care centers and 20 clinics across South Carolina that are part of UCI Medical subsidiaries Doctors Care and Progressive Physical Therapy, according to a news release. Financial details were not disclosed. (DeSilva, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: Pacs Group Acquires Operations Of 8 Pennsylvania Facilities
Skilled nursing facility operator Pacs Group has closed its deal to acquire the operations of eight facilities in Pennsylvania through subsidiaries. Pacs Group subsidiaries will own the real estate of four of the facilities, with the remaining four leased from real estate investment trust CareTrust REIT. The deal involves nearly 1,200 skilled nursing beds, according to a Monday news release. (DeSilva, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: Why Private Equity's Investing In Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Private equity firms are increasingly investing in hospital-owned ambulatory surgery centers, allowing the companies to bankroll a growing sector while limiting regulatory scrutiny. The sector is poised to expand as providers and patients more frequently choose the lower-cost setting over a hospital. The dynamic has attracted corporate investors for years. (Kacik, 11/4)

Crain's Detroit Business: Blue Cross-Backed Diabetes Startup Hygieia Files For Bankruptcy
Ann Arbor-based Hygieia Inc. — a company named after the Greek goddess of health — is on life support. The maker of a digital insulin management software filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Oct. 31 after 16 years of trying to commercialize their product. (Walsh, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: MD Anderson, City Of Hope, Rush Embrace Cancer Care Partnerships 
Top cancer treatment organizations are leaning into partnerships to take care delivery to the next level. The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 2 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. Healthcare leaders say collaboration among technology companies, research institutes, academic medical centers and universities allows them to combine resources and develop cutting-edge treatments more quickly — potentially at a fraction of the cost of standalone projects. (Hudson, 11/4)

CBS News: Respiratory Therapists Create Disposable Hijabs For Muslim Health Care Workers
It's a challenge facing health care workers. There's a lack of personal protective equipment for Muslim women. Now, two Minnesota respiratory therapists are breaking barriers in the health care world, by filling that need and creating disposable, hygienic hijabs. (Mitchell, 11/4)

Reuters: Walgreens Agrees To Pay $100 Mln To Resolve Lawsuit Over Generic Drug Pricing
Walgreens has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of fraudulently overcharging customers for a decade when they bought generic drugs through private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. (Pierson, 11/4)

Reuters: GoodRx, PBMs Accused Of Suppressing Reimbursements To Independent Pharmacies
Drug coupon aggregator GoodRx and pharmacy benefit managers including CVS Caremark and Express Scripts have been hit with at least three class action lawsuits accusing them of working together to suppress reimbursements to small pharmacies for generic prescription drugs. The first lawsuit was filed by Minnesota-based Keaveny Drug in federal court in Los Angeles last Wednesday, and another was filed in the same court on Friday by Michigan-based Community Care Pharmacy. A third lawsuit was filed on Friday by Pennsylvania-based Old Baltimore Pike Apothecary and Smith's Pharmacy in Providence, Rhode Island, federal court. (Pierson, 11/4)

Reuters: Hims & Hers Health Plans To Offer Generic Version Of Novo Nordisk's Diabetes Drug In 2025
Telehealth firm Hims & Hers Health said on Monday it plans to bring a generic version of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug, liraglutide, to its platform in 2025. "We have already confirmed a core supplier for this addition and over the next few months expect to finish completing test and batch validation, as well as confirming certificates of analysis," the company said. Liraglutide, used to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Victoza, belongs to the first generation of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, which curb appetite and help control blood sugar. (11/4)

CBS News: Kroger To Pay California Up To $122 Million For Its Role In The Opioid Epidemic
Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs, agreed to pay up to $122 million to California to resolve allegations that it failed to adequately monitor opioids distributed by its pharmacies. "At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to holding entities, like Kroger, accountable for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic," State Attorney General Rob Bonta said. "Today's announcement builds on our commitment in our continued fight for justice and relief." (Rodriguez, 11/4)

NBC News: Woman Falsely Claiming To Be Nurse Injected Fake Botox, Prosecutors Say
A Massachusetts woman passed herself as a nurse and dispensed thousands of doses of phony Botox and other fillers that had been smuggled into the U.S., authorities said. Rebecca Fadanelli, 38, of Stoughton, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Nov. 14 in Worcester, where she'll face allegations that she illegally imported the drugs, one count of dispensing a counterfeit drug and one count of selling or dispensing a counterfeit device, prosecutors said. (Li, 11/4)