Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025
KFF Health News: I’m Moving Forward And Facing The Uncertainty Of Aging
It takes a lot of courage to grow old. I’ve come to appreciate this after conversations with hundreds of older adults over the past eight years for nearly 200 “Navigating Aging” columns. Time and again, people have described what it’s like to let go of certainties they once lived with and adjust to new circumstances. These older adults’ lives are filled with change. They don’t know what the future holds except that the end is nearer than it’s ever been. (Graham, 1/15)
KFF Health News: Midwives Blame California Rules For Hampering Birth Centers Amid Maternity Care Crisis
Jessie Mazar squeezed the grab handle in her husband’s pickup and groaned as contractions struck her during the 90-minute drive from her home in rural northeastern California to the closest hospital with a maternity unit. She could have reached Plumas District Hospital, in Quincy, in just seven minutes. But it no longer delivers babies. Local officials have a plan for a birth center in Quincy, where midwives could deliver babies with backup from on-call doctors and a standby perinatal unit at the hospital, but state health officials have yet to approve it. (Cohen, 1/15)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: Small interventions at the doctor’s office, such as removing a splinter, can be billed as surgeries, and billing problems with the Indian Health Service are leaving Native American communities with significantly higher medical debt than the national average. (1/14)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Schools Suing Over Allegedly Inflated Price Of Insulin
The Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners is suing Eli Lilly and Co., UnitedHealth Group, CVS and several other drug manufacturers for allegedly colluding to inflate the cost of insulin. Baltimore City Schools offers health insurance to more than 9,000 employees and their dependents, and one of the benefits is paying a “substantial share of the purchase price of their pharmaceutical drugs, including the diabetes medication,” according to the complaint. (Karpovich, 1/15)
The Hill: Trump's Greenland Demands May Impact Ozempic Costs
President-elect Trump’s threat to tariff Denmark if it resists his acquisition plans for the island territory of Greenland could disrupt one export that is wildly popular in America: Ozempic. ... Danish multinational pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk is the sole owner of semaglutide, the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy. A month’s supply of Ozempic is close to $1,000 without insurance, though manufacturer coupons and patient assistance programs are available. Novo Nordisk was estimated to be responsible for half of Denmark’s gross domestic product growth in 2024. (Choi, 1/14)
The Hill: Nearly Half Of Americans Skeptical Trump Admin Will Lower Health Costs: Poll
Nearly half of Americans don’t believe that the incoming Trump administration will lower health costs, according to a new Gallup poll. The research, conducted after the presidential election, found 48 percent of Americans are pessimistic about the new administration’s ability to lower healthcare costs, while 45 percent feel the same about prescription drug costs. But much of the public’s opinion is colored by partisanship. The poll found 84 percent of Democrats said they think any future policy from the Trump administration on health costs is headed in the wrong direction, along with nearly half of independents. (Weixel, 1/15)
The New York Times: How A Company Makes Millions Off A Hospital Program Meant To Help The Poor
Soon after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, Virginia King sat in an outpatient clinic in Santa Fe, N.M, while a nurse injected her with a powerful drug to slow damage to her spine, where the disease had spread. Even though the drug had a list price of about $2,700, the hospital that owned the cancer center billed Mrs. King’s insurance company $22,700. Her insurer paid $10,000, but the hospital wanted more. She got a bill for over $2,500 — “more than half my take-home salary for a month,” said Mrs. King, 65. (Gabler, 1/15)
Modern Healthcare: How Medical Device Reprocessing Can Save Hospitals Millions
Beth Israel Lahey Health has found a way to save millions of dollars while being a good corporate citizen. The Boston health system reprocesses some devices used in its in-patient settings, operating rooms and labs, sending them off to be reprocessed, made like-new again and then buying back some to use. In 2023, the reprocessing program at its 14 hospitals saved Beth Israel $1.7 million, and supported its goal of keeping 80% of its waste out of landfill or incinerators by 2030. (Dubinsky, 1/14)
CBS News: More Than 1 Drink A Day Raises Risk Of Dying, New Federal Review Concludes
Consuming more than one drink a day results in a steep increase of the risk of premature death, a new federal review has concluded. The draft report was published Tuesday ahead of a major update to influential federal guidelines on how much alcohol Americans should drink. "In the United States, males and females have a 1 in 1000 risk of dying from alcohol use if they consume more than 7 drinks per week. This risk increases to 1 in 100 if they consume more than 9 drinks per week," the report's authors concluded, in a final draft published by the Department of Health and Human Services. (Gualtieri and Cohen, 1/14)
The Hill: FDA's Cigarette Warning Label Requirement Temporarily Blocked
A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from enforcing a requirement that cigarette packages include graphic warnings on the impacts of smoking. On Monday, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker in Tyler, Texas, ruled in favor of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and others, finding the FDA does not have the authority to require cigarette packaging and advertising to include one of 11 different warning labels. (O’Connell-Domenech, 1/14)
The Washington Post: Cigarettes With Ultralow Nicotine May Be Newest Weapon In Smoking War
In the heart of North Carolina tobacco country, one company manufactures cigarettes with ultralow nicotine levels designed to prevent smokers from getting addicted. Sales aren’t exactly sizzling. VLN cigarettes — the only smokable tobacco products the Food and Drug Administration allows to be marketed as lower risk for nicotine exposure — are available in about 5,100 stores in 26 states, a small fraction of the overall market for cigarettes. (Ovalle and Roubein, 1/14)
The 19th: Biden Administration Withdraws Proposal For Free Over-The-Counter Birth Control
The White House has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have ensured private health insurance plans cover birth control when it is purchased over the counter. The withdrawal will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. (Luthra, 1/14)
AP: Virginia House Passes Resolutions Protecting Abortion, Voting Rights, Marriage Equality
The Virginia House of Delegates passed resolutions on Tuesday enshrining rights to abortion, voting and marriage equality in a critical step for Democrats hoping to amend the state’s constitution next year. ... If the abortion ballot measure is ultimately successful, Virginia would become a rare southern state to join a growing trend of states putting reproductive rights-related ballot questions to voters. (Diaz, 1/14)
St. Louis Public Radio: Planned Parenthood St. Louis' Chief Medical Officer Resigns
One of the most high-profile figures in the campaign to expand abortion access in Missouri has resigned from her position at Planned Parenthood’s St. Louis-based affiliate. Dr. Colleen McNicholas, an OB-GYN, has served as the chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers since 2019. Under her leadership, the organization opened its Fairview Heights clinic in the Metro East as legal restrictions made access to abortion more difficult and eventually illegal to obtain in Missouri. (Fentem, 1/14)
CBS News: New OB/GYN Mobile Van Aims To Increase Access To Care In Underserved Pittsburgh-Area Communities
There's a new mobile health van in town, and it's ready to provide health care to women in underserved communities. On Tuesday, Allegheny Health Network unveiled the new van, which will provide OB/GYN services to communities. ... The goal is to improve maternal health outcomes in Pittsburgh-area communities. According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in 2024, the maternal mortality rate in the United States was about 10 deaths per 100,000 births. (Shinn, 1/14)
NBC News: Bird Flu Crisis: Trump, Biden Officials Begin Talks On Outbreak
Amid an escalating bird flu outbreak spreading in the United States, federal health officials have begun to brief members of the incoming Trump administration about how they’ve responded to the crisis so far. “We sent them all of the information on our work,” said a Biden administration health official familiar with transition briefings within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Lovelace Jr., Edwards and Khimm, 1/14)
CIDRAP: H5N1 Confirmed In More Cats As Probe Into Raw Pet Food Widens
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) yesterday reported three more H5 avian flu infections in pet cats after exposure to raw food or raw milk. In other avian flu developments, federal officials confirmed those and several more H5N1 detections in domestic cats from California and other states. (Schnirring, 1/14)
CBS News: Norovirus Wave Now More Than Double Last Year's Peak, In CDC's Data
This winter's wave of norovirus infections has reached levels that are now more than double last season's peak, in figures published Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracking the notorious stomach bug. Nearly 28% of norovirus tests run over the week of the New Year's holiday came back positive for the highly contagious virus, which is the leading cause of foodborne illness like vomiting and diarrhea in the U.S. (Tin, 1/14)
CIDRAP: Even Kids With Most Severe MIS-C Typically Fully Recover By 6 Months, Study Reveals
A study yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that even the kids who get most sick from an uncommon but serious condition that affects multiple organ systems after COVID-19 infections recover fully by 6 months after infection. The retrospective cohort study followed outcomes seen among pediatric patients diagnosed as having multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 infection, one of the most severe outcomes seen during the pandemic. (Soucheray, 1/14)
The Washington Post: Dr. Oz’s Medicare Leadership Team At CMS Takes Shape
President-elect Donald Trump appears poised to tap a trio of health policy experts to serve as top deputies to Mehmet Oz, his pick to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to seven people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. (Diamond, 1/14)
Politico: The Cost Of Opposing RFK Jr.
How much money is going into a campaign to convince senators to block the confirmation of President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.? More than $1 million, according to a spokesperson for the “Stop RFK War Room” initiative, helmed by the Democratic-aligned health care advocacy group Protect Our Care, POLITICO’s Daniel Payne reports. (Cirruzzo, 1/14)
ProPublica: Trump Could Drastically Reshape NIH. Here’s What’s At Stake.
Lifesaving HIV treatments. Cures for hepatitis C. New tuberculosis regimens and a vaccine for RSV. These and other major medical breakthroughs exist in large part thanks to a major division of the National Institutes of Health, the largest funder of biomedical research on the planet. (Barry-Jester, 1/15)
Stat: NIH Wants Wider Access For Medicines Based On Government-Funded Research
After years of prodding, the National Institutes of Health has adopted a new policy requiring companies seeking licenses to sell medical products invented with government research to submit plans for ensuring greater access to patients. (Silverman, 1/14)
The 19th: House Votes To Amend Title IX To Ban Trans Girls From Women’s Sports In Schools
The House on Tuesday voted 218-206 to ban transgender girls and women from girls’ sports in federally-funded schools by amending Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions. This bill, the first federal anti-trans law brought to a vote in a newly GOP-controlled Congress, is Democrats’ first test on whether they will fight an expected wave of proposed anti-trans laws under President-elect Donald Trump. (Rummler, 1/14)
PolitiFact: Medical Experts Talk Meta Policy That Allows Calling LGBTQ+ People 'Mentally Ill'
Alongside the announcement that Meta was ending its relationship with independent fact-checkers, the social media company outlined new "hateful conduct" policies. Those policies explicitly permit users to call LGBTQ+ people "mentally ill" or "abnormal" without violating platform rules. These changes are part of a larger shift in how Meta plans to moderate content and speech on its platforms, Facebook, Instagram and Threads. But these carve-outs could also allow the spread of misinformation. (Abels, 1/14)
AP: West Virginia Governor Axes DEI And Enacts Vaccine Exemptions On First Full Day In Office
Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a slew of aggressive executive orders on his first full day as West Virginia’s chief executive Tuesday, including one enabling families to receive religious exemptions from required school vaccinations — a massive departure for a state with one of the strictest vaccine policies in the nation. Another order called for the termination of all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives from state-run institutions, something Morrisey said he believes will protect West Virginians from racial and gender discrimination — especially “inappropriate” preferential treatment for certain groups over others. (Willingham, 1/14)
AP: Contaminated Drinking Water Is A Growing Concern For Cities Facing Wildfires
As fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise. A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities — with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals from those burns can get into damaged drinking water systems, and even filtering or boiling won’t help, experts say. (Peterson, 1/14)
The Guardian: Oregon Hospital Sued After Man’s Face Caught Fire Mid-Surgery
The family of a man in Oregon is demanding $900,000 from the hospital where his face caught on fire mid-surgery while he was allegedly awake. The allegations are contained in a malpractice lawsuit filed by the wife of John Michael Murdoch against Oregon Health and Science University, as reported by the Oregonian. The lawsuit maintains Murdoch’s ordeal unfolded as he was undergoing surgery in 2022 while being treated for squamous cell carcinoma – a cancer of the tongue. Medical staff failed to let alcohol swabbed on his face dry properly, and his face ignited, according to the lawsuit. (Betts, 1/14)
The New York Times: Online Therapy Boom Has Mainly Benefited Privileged Groups, Studies Find
The number of Americans receiving psychotherapy increased by 30 percent during the pandemic, as virtual sessions replaced in-person appointments — but new research dampens the hope that technology will make mental health care more available to the neediest populations. In fact, the researchers found, the shift to teletherapy has exacerbated existing disparities. (Barry, 1/15)
MedPage Today: USPSTF Unveils Final Recs For Osteoporosis Screening To Prevent Fractures
All women ages 65 and older and at-risk postmenopausal women under 65 should be screened for osteoporosis to prevent fractures, according to a final recommendation statement from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). USPSTF said with "moderate certainty" that screening for osteoporosis to prevent osteoporotic fractures has a moderate net benefit in all women 65 and older and in postmenopausal women ages 40 to 64 who have at least one risk factor for osteoporosis (both grade B recommendations). (Monaco, 1/14)
Bloomberg: Biogen, Sarepta Quick Drug Approvals Show FDA Gaps, Report Says
Approvals for drugs from Biogen Inc. and Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. show flaws in the process US drug regulators use to speed approval for drugs to fill unmet needs, federal watchdogs said in a report. Biogen’s Aduhelm, Sarepta’s Exondys 51, along with Covis Pharma’s Makena were all cleared quickly by the US Food and Drug Administration despite weak evidence and disagreements among reviewers, according to the report Tuesday from Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. In one case, documentation about key decisions was missing, the report found. (Rutherford, 1/14)
Modern Healthcare: Philips Recalls Remote Cardiac Monitoring Software After 2 Deaths
Philips is recalling its remote cardiac monitoring software, which has been associated with 109 reported injuries and two reported deaths, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The agency labeled the action a Class I recall, its most serious designation. (Dubinsky, 1/14)
