Stat: Biden Puts Drug Pricing At The Center Of His Budget
President Biden made lowering drug prices a key part of his budget with proposals to expand Medicare drug price negotiation, squeeze more rebates out of drug companies, and lower the cost of insulin for everyone with insurance. (Wilkerson, 3/9)

The Hill: White House Budget Leans Into Drug Pricing, ObamaCare Expansion
President Biden’s budget proposal focuses heavily on expanding access to health care and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. In an effort to extend the life of Medicare’s hospital trust fund, the budget proposal would increase the number of drugs that can be negotiated, and allow those negotiations to begin sooner.  (Weixel, 3/9)

The New York Times: Biden’s $6.8 Trillion Budget Proposes New Social Programs And Higher Taxes
President Biden on Thursday proposed a $6.8 trillion budget that sought to increase spending on the military and a wide range of new social programs while also reducing future budget deficits, defying Republican calls to scale back government and reasserting his economic vision before an expected re-election campaign. The budget contains some $5 trillion in proposed tax increases on high earners and corporations over a decade, much of which would offset new spending programs aimed at the middle class and the poor. It seeks to reduce budget deficits by nearly $3 trillion over that time, compared with the country’s current path. (Tankersley, 3/9)

Modern Healthcare: Biden’s Budget Proposal Highlights Healthcare Priorities
The Biden administration released details Thursday of the president's plans, which touch on Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the health insurance exchanges, the Indian Health Service, prescription drug prices, mental healthcare, rural health, HIV/AIDS, cancer and other issues. (Turner, 3/9)

The Hill: Breaking Down Biden’s Budget: Here’s What’s In It 
Biden also teased a pitch to “strengthen” Social Security, which is projected to reach insolvency by 2032, but aside from opposing attempts to “cut Social Security benefits” in the request, the administration’s proposal appears to fall short of providing a plan to shore up solvency for the program. The plan instead included a 10 percent spending boost for the Social Security Administration, or $1.4 billion, while pushing for investments in “service delivery to speed up claims processing” and ensure recipients receive promised benefits. (Folley and Gangitano, 3/9)

More on the cost of Medicare —

The Wall Street Journal: Biden’s Budget Shows The Rising Cost Of Leaving Medicare And Social Security Untouched 
When President Biden accused some Republicans during his State of the Union address last month of wanting to sunset the country’s two big elderly entitlement programs, GOP legislators booed. Mr. Biden responded: “Social Security and Medicare is off the books now, right? They’re not to be touched? All right. We’ve got unanimity.” The price of that unanimity becomes starkly clear in Mr. Biden’s budget, released Thursday. As promised, it doesn’t cut either program’s benefits. As a result, their cost continues to ratchet steadily higher. By 2033, they consume 10.5% of gross domestic product, up 2.7 percentage points from last year. (Ip, 3/9)

Fierce Healthcare: What Biden's Proposed Budget Means For Medicare Advantage
While presidential budgets don’t always get enacted word for word—especially amid a divided Congress—it does give an illustration of the administration’s priorities for the Medicare Advantage program. Here are some of the proposals that could affect MA plans. (King, 3/9)

Biden's budget plan may indicate that he's running for reelection —

Politico: 15 Budget Asks That Are Actually Biden's Reelection Pitch
While Biden hasn’t announced that he’s running again yet, his budget proposal stakes out what might as well be campaign positions on how to counter Chinese aggression, save Medicare from insolvency, tackle tax loopholes for the wealthy and more. The proposal touts trillions of dollars in spending and policies enacted on Biden’s watch, building on passage of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package and bipartisan infrastructure bill, plus Democrats’ signature tax, climate and health law. Here are 15 ways the president’s fiscal 2024 budget request frames his electoral pitch. (Scholtes and Emma, 3/9)

Axios: Biden Budget May Be A Preview Of Campaign's Health Platform
President Biden's fiscal 2024 health budget contains few bombshells. But it's a useful guide to what he sees as accomplishments to build on — and likely previews key parts of a prospective 2024 campaign platform. With a divided Congress and little chance of major legislation, Biden's best bet may be drawing contrasts with Republicans on pocketbook issues like drug costs and to portray the GOP as intent on cutting voters' health care and retirement benefits. (Bettelheim, 3/10)

More on the cost of insulin and other drugs —

Stat: Insulin For $20: Sanders Pushes Bill For Universal Price Caps On Drug
Now that Eli Lilly is cutting prices on some of its insulin products, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is seeking to build on that momentum. This week, he introduced a bill that would place a $20 cap on all insulin, a move designed to drastically lower costs for millions of Americans. (Silverman, 3/9)

Stat: Studies Show R&D Costs, Effectiveness Don't Affect Drug Prices
By law, Medicare will have to take a medication’s efficacy and its research and development costs into account when it starts to negotiate drug prices — but recent research shows pharma companies ignore those factors when they pick prices for their products. (Silberner, 3/10)

Stat: An $11 Billion White House Plan To End Hepatitis C
The Biden administration is calling on Congress to fund a more than $11 billion program to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States. It’s a significant price tag for a single line in the broader budget request; while the $11 billion ask would cover five years of the new initiative, it still dwarfs the annual budget request for the entire Food and Drug Administration, at $7.2 billion. The annual request for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also comes in below the hepatitis C topline, at $10.8 billion. (Florko, 3/9)

Los Angeles Times: Biden Seeks Billions To Stop A Killer: Hepatitis C
White House officials said the medicines can now cost roughly $20,000 per patient, but researchers have found curing patients can ultimately save money that would later be spent treating liver ailments. One recent study of the Veterans Affairs system concluded that treating each hepatitis C patient would save more than $62,000 over time, resulting in billions in savings for the system. The Biden administration argued that its plan would reduce Medicaid spending by “hundreds of millions of dollars” annually by 2032. (Alpert Reyes, 3/9)

On the cancer 'moonshot' —

AP: Biden To Seek More Than $2.8B From Congress For Cancer Fight 
President Joe Biden is asking Congress for more than $2.8 billion in the federal budget he’s sending to Capitol Hill on Thursday to help advance his cancer-fighting goals. More than half of the money, $1.7 billion, would go to the Department of Health and Human Services to support the Democratic president’s cancer initiatives across an array of departments and agencies, according to White House officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details with The Associated Press before Biden formally unveils his spending blueprint later Thursday in Philadelphia. (Superville, 3/9)

Stat: Biden Requests Big Cancer Research Spending Bump
President Biden is banking on longtime bipartisan interest in eliminating cancer deaths to secure some of his most significant health spending increases for next year. In a long-awaited 2024 budget proposal released Thursday, the president asked for a combined $3.6 billion over the next few years to be channeled to the Cancer Moonshot, a mission to end cancer that he first launched as vice president in 2016, less than a year after his son Beau’s death from brain cancer. (Owermohle, 3/9)

On pandemic funding —

Stat: Biden Requests $20B Cash Infusion To Bolster Public Health
The Biden administration is calling for a big boost for public health funding across the federal health department, but left out specific funding for Covid-19 activities. In its budget request to Congress on Thursday, the White House asked for $20 billion over five years to support pandemic preparedness efforts at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. The request aligns with the White House’s National Biodefense Plan. (Cohrs, 3/9)

On programs for children and families —

Reuters: Analysis: Why Biden's Child Programs Likely Won't Go Anywhere 
U.S. President Joe Biden's budget proposal, released on Thursday, envisions a dramatic expansion of the federal safety net for children and families. Unlike programs that benefit older Americans, it stands little chance of gaining traction. Biden's fellow Democrats widely back his family-focused proposals: Tax credits, free preschool, subsidies for child care and paid family leave. But Democrats failed to pass them into law when they controlled both chambers of Congress last year, and Republicans who now control the House of Representatives are considering steep cuts to existing family programs. (Sullivan, 3/9)

Newsweek: Biden Wants To Send Americans More Checks
Under Biden's proposed budget, the American Rescue Plan's Child Tax Credit would be restored in full to its 2021 amount. According to a fact sheet provided by the White House, the tax credit cut child poverty in half in 2021, and if approved, would expand the credit to $3,000 per child, an increase of $1,000. Parents with children under the age of 6 would see an even bigger credit, with $3,600 proposed. (Skinner, 3/9)

AP: US Requires New Info On Breast Density With All Mammograms
About half of women over age 40 have dense breasts, with less fatty tissue and more connective and glandular tissue. That tissue appears white on X-rays, the same color as growths in the breast, making mammograms harder to read. Dense breast tissue is one of the factors that can increase a woman’s chances of developing cancer. Under the new rules, women with dense breasts will receive a written memo alerting them that their status “makes it harder to find breast cancer.” Those patients will also be directed to speak with their doctor about their results. (Perrone, 3/9)

Axios: FDA Mammography Update Raises Cost Questions
The FDA is updating mammography guidelines in a move that could protect people at higher risk of developing breast cancer but also drive up demand for more tests and screenings. The agency's new rule requires mammogram providers to notify patients about breast density, which can make it harder to detect cancer and as a result, puts some at increased risk of the disease. 38 states already have such reporting requirements. (Gonzalez, 3/10)

Americans are postponing medical procedures such as mammograms —

NPR: Inflation And Money Woes Are Forcing Americans To Delay Medical Care
At a health-screening event in Sarasota, Florida, people milled around a parking lot waiting their turn for blood pressure or diabetes checks. The event was held in Sarasota's Newtown neighborhood, a historically Black community. Local resident Tracy Green, 54, joined the line outside a pink and white bus offering free mammograms. "It's a blessing, because some people, like me, are not fortunate and so this is what I needed," she said. (Columbini, 3/10)

CIDRAP: Omicron Less Likely Than Wild-Type Virus To Result In Long COVID, Study Suggests
Swiss researchers find that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is much less likely to lead to long COVID than the original, wild-type virus. The research, to be presented at next month's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark, and not peer-reviewed, found that healthcare workers (HCWs) first infected with Omicron BA.1 were no more likely to have long COVID than their never-infected peers. (Van Beusekom, 3/9)

The Hill: Diabetes Drug Proves Beneficial In Preventing Long COVID In Clinical Trials
COVID-19 patients who took the diabetes drug metformin for two weeks after a diagnosis were less likely to develop long COVID-19 symptoms, according to results from a clinical trial. The trial enrolled about a thousand participants who were symptomatic with a COVID-19 infection for less than a week. Participants were randomly selected to receive a placebo or one of three drugs: metformin, ivermectin or fluvoxamine. (Hou, 3/8)

Bloomberg: Long Covid Opens A Gender Gap With Surge In Women With Disabilities
Women are disproportionately affected by lingering effects from a Covid-19 infection, a health condition that is still little understood and manifests in persistent symptoms that can be debilitating. The emergence of long Covid coincides with an increase in women with disabilities, who have outnumbered their male peers in monthly government labor figures on a regular basis since last June. (Tanzi and Hawkins, 3/9)

NBC News: Long Covid Treatment Can Lead To Debt After Insurance Denies Claims
Several long Covid patients in the United States interviewed by NBC News say their insurance providers are declining to provide coverage related to their illness. (Lovelace Jr., 3/9)

More on the spread of covid —

The Hill: Multiple COVID Variants Found In New York Rats: Study 
Three different coronavirus variants were discovered in New York City’s rat population, according to a new study. A release from EurekAlert on Thursday states that rats were found to be infected with the alpha, delta and omicron COVID-19 variants. (Gans, 3/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: In A First, Zoo Lion Infects Its Keepers
According to a new study, an Indiana zoo lion likely transmitted COVID-19 to its zookeepers, marking the first documented case of animal-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a zoo setting. In December 2021, the unidentified African lion, who was 20 years old and required hand feeding by zoo employees at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend due to its physical limitations, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after developing a cough and showing signs of difficulty breathing. (Vaziri, 3/9)

The Boston Globe: Local Scientists Hope To Create The Ultimate COVID Vaccine
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other local universities say they’ve developed a COVID vaccine that may not only work against today’s versions of the virus, but future variants as well. A report on the new vaccine’s results in animals was released Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Immunology. Scientists at MIT, Boston University, Tufts University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Texas collaborated on the project. (Bray, 3/9)

In other pandemic news —

The Hill: Fauci Says Redfield’s Testimony Of COVID Call Was ‘Unequivocally Incorrect’ 
Anthony Fauci, who led much of the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said testimony from former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield that he was excluded from a conference call about the possible origins of the virus was “unequivocally incorrect.” Fauci told Fox News Channel’s Neil Cavuto in an interview on Thursday that he was not involved in deciding who would be involved in a call he took with a group of evolutionary virologists to discuss the “possibility” that the virus was “engineered.” (Gans, 3/9)

USA Today: 'Nano Silver' Recall: Product Misbranded As COVID Treatment, Per FDA
A dietary supplement that federal officials said was falsely marketed as a treatment for COVID-19 is being recalled, according to a company announcement published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week, years after the producer received similar backlash for a purported Ebola treatment. (Grantham-Philips, 3/9)

Politico: New York Governor, Attorney General Press Pharmacy Chains On Abortion Drug Policy 
Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Tish James are pressing three of the country’s largest pharmacy chains to dispense abortion medications in New York and across the U.S., after Walgreens said it would stop offering the drugs in states where Republican attorneys general have threatened legal action. In a letter Thursday, Hochul and James asked the CEOs of Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS to confirm in writing that the chains will offer the abortion drug mifepristone at their New York pharmacies and through the mail to patients across the state who have a doctor’s prescription. (Kaufman, 3/9)

Bay Area News Group: Walgreens Pushes Back On California Contract Cancellation Over Abortion Pill Plans
Walgreens said Thursday that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is unfairly targeting the pharmacy over plans for dispensing abortion pills in other states that it says are no different than those of its competitors. Newsom this week said California “won’t be doing business with Walgreens — or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk” after the pharmacy indicated last week it would not dispense abortion pills 21 states where attorneys general warned they would consider it illegal. (Woolfolk, 3/9)

More abortion news from New Hampshire and Colorado —

AP: New Hampshire Senate Rejects Codifying Abortion Rights 
The New Hampshire Senate on Thursday refused to affirm abortion as an explicit right, but lawmakers are still considering a slew of bills on both sides of the issue. The Republican-led Senate voted 14-10 along party lines to reject a bill that would have codified abortion in state law. Opponents said it was unnecessary because current law, which prohibits abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, is clear. (Ramer, 3/9)

The Colorado Sun: Colorado Democrats Unveil Effort To Shield Abortion, Transgender Patients From Out-Of-State Legal Consequences
Colorado Democrats on Thursday unveiled a trio of bills aimed at ensuring abortion and gender-affirming care in Colorado isn’t subject to legal action initiated in other states, as well as reshaping health insurance regulations around the procedures and prohibiting deceptive advertising by anti-abortion pregnancy centers. (Paul and Wenzler, 3/9)

In other reproductive health news —

The New York Times: These Morning-After Pills May Prevent STI’s, Researchers Say 
Sexually transmitted infections have soared in recent years in the United States, prompting an urgent search for solutions. New research suggests that a widely available antibiotic, taken after sex, may help stem the tide. A single dose of doxycycline taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex dramatically cuts the risk of a bacterial S.T.I., studies have found. The approach seems most effective for preventing chlamydia and syphilis, and slightly less so for preventing gonorrhea. (Mandavilli, 3/9)

AP: Bill Debuting 'Baby Box' Locations In West Virginia Advances 
The West Virginia Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would allow “baby box” safe surrender locations in the state. The Senate’s 32-0 vote sends the bill back to the House of Delegates to concur after a committee amendment was added and adopted. The House earlier passed the bill. (3/9)

AP: Judge Uses A Slavery Law To Rule Frozen Embryos Are Property
Frozen human embryos can legally be considered property, or “chattel,” a Virginia judge has ruled, basing his decision in part on a 19th century law governing the treatment of slaves. The preliminary opinion by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner – delivered in a long-running dispute between a divorced husband and wife – is being criticized by some for wrongly and unnecessarily delving into a time in Virginia history when it was legally permissible to own human beings. (Barakat, 3/9)

Fox News: Millennials Are Racking Up More Chronic Health Conditions Compared To Other Generations: Study
Millennials are seeking more professional help for health issues than ever, a new study revealed. Conducted by United Healthcare and Health Action Council, the study explored factors and claims data from policyholders ages 27 to 42 — a total of 126,000 individuals. It compared current data from April 2021 through March 2022 to historical data dating back to 2012. The findings were presented in the groups' sixth annual white paper. (Stabile, 3/9)

More health and wellness news —

Newsweek: Murder-Suicides Reach Record High
Though shocking, murder-suicides are far from rare: some 1,200 Americans die in such incidents each year, according to research by the nonprofit Violence Policy Center. Although there is no agency comprehensively tracking the toll of murder-suicides in the U.S., what data there is indicates that they are on the rise. According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), 2022 saw the highest number of murder-suicides using firearms on record. Some 670 occurred last year, up from 594 in 2021 and 570 the year before. As of March 9, there have have been 134 murder-suicide incidents involving guns, the GVA reports, meaning 2023 is on course to top last year's total. (Rahman, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Hepatitis B Screening Recommended For All Adults 
Federal officials recommended that all adults be tested for hepatitis B, a virus that can lead to liver damage and cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that people 18 years or older should get screened at least once for the virus, which is transmitted through contact with infected blood or body fluids. An estimated 580,000 to 2.4 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B in the U.S., the CDC said, and two-thirds might be unaware they are infected. Universal screening of adults is inexpensive and could avert liver disease and death, the agency said. (Toy, 3/9)

Politico: The Pentagon Is Funding Experiments On Animals To Recreate ‘Havana Syndrome’ 
The Defense Department is funding experiments on animals to determine if radio frequency waves could be the source of the mysterious ailment referred to as “Havana Syndrome” that has afflicted hundreds of U.S. government personnel in recent years, according to public documents and three people familiar with the effort. ... The Army in September awarded Wayne State University in Michigan a $750,000 grant to study the effects of radio frequency waves on ferrets, which have brains similar to humans, according to information on the grant posted on USASpending.gov. (Seligman, 3/9)

The 19th: Experts Call For Revisions To New AAP Guidance On Treating Childhood Obesity
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new clinical guidelines on evaluating and treating “obesity” in children, the first issued in 15 years. The guidelines have prompted a host of questions from experts on children’s general health versus the long-term effects weight stigma has on kids. That means taking into account how words like “overweight” and “obese” themselves could hurt children not just today, but in the future. (Gerson, 3/9)

KHN: Seniors With Anxiety Frequently Don’t Get Help. Here’s Why. 
Anxiety is the most common psychological disorder affecting adults in the U.S. In older people, it’s associated with considerable distress as well as ill health, diminished quality of life, and elevated rates of disability. Yet, when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent, influential panel of experts, suggested last year that adults be screened for anxiety, it left out one group — people 65 and older. (Graham, 3/10)

CNN: Calico Critters Recall: More Than 3.2 Million Toys Recalled After Deaths Of Two Children
More than 3.2 million Calico Critters toys that were sold in a set with a baby bottle and pacifier accessories are being recalled because they pose a serious choking hazard for small children, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday. Epoch Everlasting Play, based in Pine Brook, New Jersey, makes the products. It said it is aware of three incidents involving the pacifier accessory, including two deaths. (Kavilanz, 3/9)

On race and health —

KHN: Black Patients Dress Up And Modify Speech To Reduce Bias, California Survey Shows 
A young mother in California’s Antelope Valley bathes her children and dresses them in neat clothes, making sure they look their very best — at medical appointments. “I brush their teeth before they see the dentist. Just little things like that to protect myself from being treated unfairly,” she told researchers. A 72-year-old in Los Angeles, mindful that he is a Black man, tries to put providers at ease around him. “My actions will probably be looked at and applied to the whole race, especially if my actions are negative,” he said. “And especially if they are perceived as aggressive.” (Sciacca, 3/10)

Sahan Journal: Poor Sleep Hurts Black Health, Minnesota Researchers Say
Over the last two decades, researchers and policymakers have been paying more and more attention to how everything from housing to racism to pollution influences health — and how these social determinants contribute to health disparities. But newer research is finding that one thing has been missing from that list: sleep. (Eldred, 3/9)

Bloomberg: Dementia Signs Among Some US Minority Groups Highlight Screening Need 
About 17% of American Indians or Alaska Natives 45 years and older reported worsening memory loss, compared to nearly 10% among all Americans in the same age group, according to results of a telephone survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Thursday. Hispanic and Latino adults had the second-highest rate at just over 11%. (Meghjani and Peng, 3/9)

Becker's Hospital Review: Shortage Of 88% Of Local Anesthetics Sees Another Delay
The ongoing shortage of local anesthetics, including bupivacaine and lidocaine solutions, has been extended, drugmakers told the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Pharmaceutical companies have continually postponed their resupply dates, and in a March 6 update, some delayed the dates again. (Twenter, 3/9)

USA Today: The Latest Drug Shortage: Albuterol. Here's Why The Medical Community Is 'Super Concerned'
Akorn Pharmaceuticals, a Gurnee, Illinois manufacturer of liquid albuterol used in hospitals, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Feb. 23, closing its plants in Illinois, New Jersey and New York. The company had been operating under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing from 2020. (Snider, 3/9)

In other pharmaceutical updates —

Stat: AstraZeneca: Drug Extends Life In Some Early-Stage Lung Cancers
Ever since the Food and Drug Administration approved osimertinib for some early-stage lung cancer patients to take after surgery, clinicians have debated whether the evidence suggested the drug was worth the cost. The initial results of the phase 3 trial testing the drug were “phenomenal,” said Sandeep Patel, a medical oncologist at the University of California, San Diego. The issue was the overall survival analysis wasn’t done yet, what Patel called the gold standard measure for drugs in this setting. (Chen, 3/10)

Reuters: Medical Device Company Founder Arrested For Selling Fake Pain Implants
The founder of a medical device company has been charged with leading a scheme to create and sell a completely non-functional plastic implant purporting to treat chronic pain, resulting in millions of dollars of fraudulent bills to government insurance programs including Medicare. (Pierson, 3/9)

Oklahoman: OU Research On Medical Needle Placement Aims To Aid Treatments, Children
A University of Oklahoma researcher is developing technology to make medical needle placements in patients more accurate, and perhaps make shots for babies and small children less traumatic. (Dulaney, 3/9)

Axios: Health Centers Call For Discount Drug Program Changes
Community health centers are joining forces with drug manufacturers today to call for changes to the government's discount drug program and take aim at hospitals and pharmacy benefit managers they say are milking it. The health centers' involvement could amplify PhRMA's messaging with Congress by arguing they need an intervention soon to keep clinic doors open. (Dreher, 3/9)

Stat: An Unlikely 340B Alliance: PhRMA And Community Health Centers
An unusual new alliance of the brand-drug lobby PhRMA and community health centers is forming to push reforms in the 340B drug discount program, the groups announced Thursday. The groups argue that the federal drug discount program has expanded beyond its original mission to help low-income and other vulnerable populations, and instead is benefiting large, well-resourced hospitals. (Cohrs, 3/9)

New Hampshire Bulletin: NH Has Lost 11 Maternity Wards In 20 Years. Frisbie Memorial Is The Latest
Citing cost concerns, Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester has struck an agreement with the Attorney General’s Office to close its labor and delivery services two years early. It is the 11th hospital in the state to cease those services since 2000, worrying public health leaders. (Timmins, 3/9)

Becker's Hospital Review: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Want 6 Months' Notice Before A Hospital Closes
A pair of Pennsylvania state representatives have drafted legislation designed to prevent abrupt hospital closures by doubling the time in which a health system must notify state and local agencies of a planned closure. State Reps. Eddie Day Pashinski and Jennifer O'Mara's House Bill 158 doubles the time in which a system must notify state and local agencies of a planned closure from 90 to 180 days. The lawmakers pointed to specific hospital closures over the past year that, while abiding by the current state law of 90 days' notice, they deemed abrupt. (Gamble, 3/9)

The Boston Globe: ‘This Is Outrageous’: Advocates Urge State To Take Control Of Four Nursing Homes Slated To Close
Advocates for elderly and disabled nursing home residents in Western Massachusetts are urging state regulators to take control of four nursing homes slated to close this spring, saying frail residents are being abruptly forced out, with some threatened with homelessness, if they don’t leave quickly. Others are being told they will be placed in facilities more than an hour away, far from family and loved ones, if they don’t find alternative placements soon. (Lazar, 3/9)

In related news about shortages —

AP: West Virginia Lawmakers OK Hospital Expansion Rule Changes
West Virginia hospitals seeking to improve or add services would no longer be required in some circumstances to undergo a review process, under a bill that won final legislative approval Thursday. The House of Delegates voted 75-20 to pass the bill. It previously made it through the Senate. (Raby, 3/9)

The Texas Tribune: Workforce Shortages In The State’s Psychiatric Hospitals Prolong Jail Time
Ronald Singer was arrested and charged more than a year ago for the murder of his ex-wife and the kidnapping of their child. He remained in the Denton County Jail all that time, unable to be tried for the crime because a judge found that he was mentally incompetent, meaning he is unable to fully understand the charges against him and assist in his own defense. More than 2,500 mentally ill defendants are in a similar predicament. They wait in Texas county jails for months and sometimes more than a year for the kind of intense therapy and medication treatment available only through the state’s psychiatric hospital system. And while they wait, their conditions, if not treated locally, deteriorate. (Simpson, 3/10)

Roll Call: Noncompete Rule Puts Doctors, Hospitals At Odds
Hospitals and physicians are squaring off over a proposed Biden administration rule that would ban noncompete agreements — contractual clauses common in the health care industry that prevent workers from working for a competitor for a certain amount of time after leaving a company. (Hellmann, 3/9)

In other health care industry news —

Becker's Hospital Review: New Jersey Disciplines 46 Nurses Tied To Degree Sham
Forty-six nurses implicated in the fraudulent degree scandal have been ordered to stop practicing in New Jersey, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said March 9. State officials rescinded the licenses of 20 nurses allegedly involved in the scheme and demanded they stop practicing in the state. The nurses are required to notify their employers about the actions and could face further fines or penalties if they continue practicing. (Bean, 3/9)

St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis Health Care Providers To Address Language Barriers
With more people from other countries likely to arrive in the St. Louis area this year, advocates for refugees and immigrants say it’s critical for health care providers to make sure they can communicate with new arrivals. (Davis, 3/9)

Roll Call: Officials Probe DC Health Link Breach That Exposed Hill Staff Data
Lawmakers are calling for clarity Thursday after the personal information of members of Congress, their families and staff was compromised in a large-scale data breach. House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine L. Szpindor on Wednesday informed Hill enrollees of DC Health Link, the district’s Affordable Care Health marketplace that provides health insurance to members and staff, that a breach potentially exposed the information of thousands of planholders. Members did not appear to be specifically targeted, Szpindor said in a memo to those with DC Health Link coverage. (Papp, 3/9)

Modern Healthcare: How Lawsuits Targeting The No Surprises Act Could Weaken It
The No Surprises Act has taken the patient out of the middle of payment disputes between insurers and out-of-network providers, shielding more than 9 million people from unexpected bills since the law was enacted in 2022. But in the background, providers and payers are fighting over how to set appropriate reimbursement rates in a dozen lawsuits or so that could take years to resolve. (Kacik, 3/9)

Axios: Growth Of AI In Mental Health Raises Fears Of Its Ability To Run Wild
The rise of AI in mental health care has providers and researchers increasingly concerned over whether glitchy algorithms, privacy gaps and other perils could outweigh the technology's promise and lead to dangerous patient outcomes. As the Pew Research Center recently found, there's widespread skepticism over whether using AI to diagnose and treat conditions will complicate a worsening mental health crisis. (Moreno, 3/9)

AP: Mexican President To US: Fentanyl Is Your Problem 
Mexico’s president said Thursday that his country does not produce or consume fentanyl, despite enormous evidence to the contrary. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador appeared to depict the synthetic opioid epidemic largely as a U.S. problem, and said the United States should use family values to fight drug addiction. His statement came during a visit to Mexico by Liz Sherwood-Randall, the White House homeland security adviser, to discuss the fentanyl crisis. It also comes amid calls by some U.S. Republicans to use the U.S. military to attack drug labs in Mexico. (Stevenson, 3/9)

Los Angeles Times: Amid Mounting Security Tensions, Mexico’s President Says Fentanyl Is A U.S. Issue
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador lashed out at U.S. Republican lawmakers who have proposed sending troops into Mexico, telling them that the United States should concentrate on curbing its rampant appetite for illegal drugs. “Why don’t you take care of your young people? Why don’t you take care of the serious problem of social decay? Why don’t [you] temper the constant increase in drug consumption?” López Obrador asked Thursday at his daily news conference. (Linthicum, 3/9)

The Washington Post: U.S. To Fight Fentanyl Smuggling With New Equipment At Arizona Port Of Entry
The Nogales crossing is the front line of the government’s beleaguered effort to stem the flow of cheap fentanyl into the United States. The synthetic opioid is fueling the most lethal drug epidemic in U.S. history, and last year, Nogales surpassed San Diego to become the southern border’s primary gateway for fentanyl trafficking. (Miroff, 3/9)

More on the opioid crisis —

WKYT: Ky. House Passes Bill To Decriminalize Fentanyl Testing Strips
The Kentucky House passed a bill to decriminalize fentanyl testing strips on Wednesday. House Bill 353 would exclude some testing equipment, like fentanyl strips, from being considered drug paraphernalia. (Sandor, 3/9)

Fox News: Mississippi On Track To Ban 'Gas Station Heroin' With Opioid-Like Withdrawal Symptoms 
Mississippi is on track to join a growing list of states banning a pill, dubbed "gas station heroin," which can cause withdrawal symptoms similar to that of opioids. The pills have been dubbed "gas station heroin" since the substance is readily available at convenience stores and online. (Rumpf, 3/9)

CNN: Tranq Has Become A Bigger Part Of Philly's Street Fentanyl Supply. The Wounds Left Behind Are Killing People
What drug users and people who work with them in Philadelphia talk about is the smell. The smell of rotting flesh from open infected wounds. Some users say they feel ashamed of the state of their bodies, but more feel a sense of urgency. They need help. The wounds are killing them. “It is absolutely horrible. That’s the reality, though,” said James Sherman, known as Sherm around Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, where he once used drugs and where he now tries to help those still on the streets.  (Reeve, Guff and Brunswick, 3/8)

Palm Beach Post: Airbnb Sued After Toddler Dies Of Fentanyl At Florida Vacation Rental
A couple from the French island of Guadeloupe is suing the Airbnb vacation-home rental company and the owner of a South Florida property after the death of their 19-month-old daughter from a fentanyl overdose during a family vacation. ... The lawsuit alleges that the home was was not properly cleaned after being used to host a party in which fentanyl and other illicit drugs were present. (3/7)

AP: New Hampshire Senate Backs Medicaid Expansion Bill
A unanimous New Hampshire Senate gave preliminary approval Thursday to continuing the state’s expanded Medicaid program and making it permanent. The 24-0 vote to send the bill to the Finance Committee highlighted the Legislature’s evolution on what initially was a tough sell when lawmakers first considered expanding health care coverage for low-income residents. (Ramer, 3/9)

AP: Republicans Block Meningitis, Chickenpox Vaccine Mandates
Wisconsin Republicans blocked Gov. Tony Evers’ plan Thursday to require student vaccinations against meningitis and tighten student chickenpox vaccination requirements. The Legislature’s GOP-controlled rules committee voted 6-4 to block the proposal. All six of the panel’s Republican members voted to stop the policy. The vote comes two days after a lengthy public hearing on the policy changes that saw parents complain that the new requirements trample their liberties. The committee blocked the proposal last legislative session as well. (Richmond, 3/9)

More health news from across the U.S. —

KHN: Montana Considers New Wave Of Legislation To Loosen Vaccination Rules 
When Deb Horning’s youngest daughter was 5, she got her measles, mumps, and rubella shot like many other kindergartners. But unlike many other moms, Horning had to stay away from her daughter for a week after the shot. Horning, 51, was diagnosed in 2014 with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer — the five-year survival rate for those older than 20 is 27%. Horning had been through chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, which severely weakened her immune system. Because the MMR vaccine contains live virus, she couldn’t get the vaccine herself and had to temporarily avoid her vaccinated daughter. (Larson, 3/10)

Oklahoman: Psilocybin Therapy Research Program Approved By Oklahoma House
House Bill 2107 was advanced by the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Thursday and can now be heard in the Senate. Its author, state Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, said Texas already has adopted similar legislation, and it's also being considered in Montana, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Arizona. (Denwalt, 3/9)

AP: Dealers With Cancer Beg For Atlantic City Casino Smoking Ban
Tammy Brady began her career as an Atlantic City casino dealer at the age of 18. Now 55, she has stage 2 breast cancer. “While I’m not sure we will ever know the exact cause of my illness, I can’t help but wonder if it would have happened if the casinos hadn’t forced me to work in second-hand smoke,” said Brady, who works at the Borgata casino. Holly Diebler, a craps dealer at Tropicana, is undergoing chemotherapy for throat cancer. “I don’t even know how long I’m going to live,” she said. “I love my job; I don’t want to leave it. But all my oncologists have told me this is a life-and-death choice.” (Parry, 3/9)

Capitol News Illinois: Illinois Residents Concerned About Changes To Choate Facility
Families of patients at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, along with workers and community leaders, reacted with concern after the state’s announcement this week that it plans to relocate more than 120 residents from the troubled state-run facility in southern Illinois. Rita Burke, whose 53-year-old son has lived at Choate for more than 30 years, said Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Grace Hou and two other senior state officials called her on Saturday evening to inform her of their plans. (Hundsdorfer and Parker, 3/9)

Environmental health news from Ohio and Indiana —

The Washington Post: Senators Grill Norfolk Southern CEO On Toxic Ohio Train Derailment 
Norfolk Southern’s communication failures left emergency responders scrambling to prepare for a massive plume of toxic chemicals after a train operated by the company derailed and threatened to cause an explosion in East Palestine, Ohio, some witnesses and lawmakers told Congress on Thursday. Pressed by senators at a three-hour hearing on the Feb. 3 derailment, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan H. Shaw apologized for the disaster but stopped short of guaranteeing certain specific cleanup and safety measures, such as paid sick days for his employees or funding for East Palestine residents’ possible medical expenses. (McDaniel, Duncan, Wang and Dance, 3/9)

The New York Times: Health Concerns Mount In East Palestine Weeks After Ohio Train Derailment 
Medical guidance is sparse. The long-awaited state health clinic sent to East Palestine weeks after the spill at first offered only questionnaires and did not have a doctor on hand. Local primary care physicians, booked for weeks, say that without more toxicology data, they aren’t equipped to diagnose chemical poisoning, so they are simply treating symptoms with ibuprofen and ointment. (Baumgaertner, 3/9)

Indianapolis Star: Plan To Protect Firefighters From Toxic Chemical Leaves Out Others
Scientists, lawmakers and government officials across the country are trying to figure out what to do about PFAS, a toxic cancer-causing chemical. In Indiana, that focus has primarily centered on firefighters. Those in the fire service have a higher risk of exposure to the harmful chemical: It's been found in their gear as well as foam they use to put out fires. Firefighters also have higher rates of cancer, particularly some types that are linked to PFAS exposure, compared to the general population. (Bowman, 3/10)

The Washington Post: A Surprising Way To Tackle The Teen Mental Health Crisis 
Last spring, Jamie Gorman had a panic attack at the mall. The high school sophomore was with a group of friends at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J., when she began to feel overwhelmed. Her teenage friends sprang into action. “They were like, ‘Jamie, sit down.’ ‘Jamie, give me your phone — unlock it,’” Gorman recalled in a recent interview at her high school. “They immediately called my dad so he could talk to me. ... It was not just luck that gave Gorman such capable friends. They, like every sophomore at Ramsey High School in Ramsey, N.J., had just finished a training program called Teen Mental Health First Aid, designed to teach students how to recognize warning signs and help a friend through a mental health crisis. (Kamenetz, 3/3)

The Atlantic: The Crafty Logic That Accompanies Dementia
Elizabeth often met her husband, Mitch, after work at the same restaurant in Lower Manhattan. Mitch was usually there by the time she arrived, swirling his drink and joking with a waiter. Elizabeth and Mitch had been friends before becoming romantically involved and bantered back and forth without missing a beat. Anyone looking at their table might well have envied them, never suspecting that Elizabeth dreaded these pleasant get-togethers. (Kiper, 3/7)

The New York Times: Could The Next Blockbuster Drug Be Lab-Rat Free?
In 1937, an American drug company introduced a new elixir to treat strep throat — and unwittingly set off a public health disaster. The product, which had not been tested in humans or animals, contained a solvent that turned out to be toxic. More than 100 people died. The following year, Congress passed the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Safety Act, requiring pharmaceutical companies to submit safety data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before selling new medications, helping to usher in an era of animal toxicity testing. (Anthes, 3/7)

The Washington Post: After The East Palestine Train Wreck, A Decision To Move Out Or Stay 
One resident left the Ohio town. Another decided to stay. Both want answers. (Zak, 3/9)

The New York Times: Ex-Minister’s Texts Lift the Veil on U.K. Covid Policy. It Isn’t Pretty.
Britain’s top civil servant warned in October 2020 that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was a “nationally distrusted” figure who should not announce new social-distancing rules in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. The health secretary at the time, Matt Hancock, disparaged an eminent medical researcher who had publicly criticized Britain’s handling of Covid as a “complete loudmouth.” Mr. Hancock also mocked “Eat Out to Help Out,” a program to lure people back to restaurants sponsored by Rishi Sunak, referring to it as “eat out to help the virus get about.” (Landler, 3/7)

Also —

The Washington Post: At 102, She Leads Fitness Classes 4 Days A Week: ‘When I Get Old I’ll Quit’
About a dozen women have gathered for their fitness class as their instructor guides them through the moves. “Backstroke!” Jean Bailey directs from her chair, raising her arms high, as the women of Elk Ridge Village Senior Living in Omaha quickly begin arm rotations. Everyone puts in top effort, as Bailey expects. Bailey, who is 102 and lives in the facility’s independent-living quarters, has been teaching the class four times a week in the hallway of the second floor for about three years. She has no desire to slow down. (Gormly, 3/8)

Bloomberg: The Tampon Dispensing Company That's Turning Away Clients 
Globally around 500 million people suffer from period poverty, according to the World Bank, and the surging cost of living is exacerbating the situation for those struggling to afford hygiene products. The RedLocker founders want to see period-product dispensers become as normal as toilet paper in public bathrooms. RedLocker counts over a third of the companies on Sweden’s large-cap OMX Stockholm 30 index as customers, and has installed the machines in about half of Sweden’s high schools. The plan next is to embark on an international expansion, starting in the Nordic region. (Ekblom, 3/8)

The Washington Post: Sunflowers Are A Hidden Symbol For Travelers With Disabilities 
If you saw Tessa Watkins walking through the airport, you might notice the way their auburn ponytail reveals a shaved side cut, or that their 4-year-old daughter sometimes rides on a small suitcase that looks like a cartoonish dinosaur. What you’re less likely to notice is that both parent and daughter have hidden disabilities that can make traveling challenging. That’s why Watkins, who is autistic and also lives with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions, has started wearing a distinctive neck lanyard from the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program when they travel. (Schwartz, 3/9)

The New York Times: Here’s Why The Science Is Clear That Masks Work 
The debate over masks’ effectiveness in fighting the spread of the coronavirus intensified recently when a respected scientific nonprofit said its review of studies assessing measures to impede the spread of viral illnesses found it was “uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses.” (Zeynep Tufekci, 3/10)

Bloomberg: Ozempic And Wegovy Pose A Threat To WeightWatchers And Noom 
Do the new weight-loss drugs spell doom for companies like WeightWatchers? (Lisa Jarvis, 3/9)

The Washington Post: Details In Lawsuit Against Texas Abortion Ban Shock The Conscience 
The parade of horribles is precisely what women, physicians and advocates warned would result from zealots’ efforts to control women and their medical care. Sadly, lawmakers were either ignorant about medical issues or, worse, simply did not care. They are responsible for the suffering and deaths that result from these bans. There is simply no way to dictate the specifics of medical treatment in a coherent way from a state capital. Lawmakers don’t have the knowledge or foresight to assume the role of doctor. (Jennifer Rubin, 3/9)

The Mercury News: How Has American Health Care Gone So Terribly Wrong?
We all have bad weeks. Mine recently made me marvel at the astonishing dysfunction of our health care system. In calling out the system I intend no disrespect to the talented and heroic overachievers in nursing, pharmacy, medicine and the other providers who fight the system every day on behalf of our patients. Despite such efforts, the sad but undeniable fact is that our health care system — the way the U.S. distributes and pays for health care — makes it the most expensive failed enterprise in the history of human civilization. (Daniel J. Stone, 3/9)

Stat: Does Gatekeeping Affect Diversity In The Match?
For graduating medical students hoping to secure a residency training position — and that’s virtually all of them — Match Day is the most anticipated day of the year. The Match is the culmination of medical school, application preparation, interviews, and recruitment events. (Onyekachi T. Otugo, Al'ai Alvarez and Adaira I. Landry, 3/10)

The Tennessean: Faith Leaders Want To Know Why Tennessee Is Rejecting HIV/AIDS Funds
Last fall, I was inspired by Bono’s new memoir, Surrender, and his performance at the Ryman auditorium to write a retrospective opinion piece on the past 20 years and his influence on the evangelical community and its leadership in the HIV/AIDS movement. (Jenny Eaton Dyer, 3/9)

The Star Tribune: U Health Programs Are Critical To State's Well-Being
The U's Medical School, School of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, School of Public Health, School of Dentistry and College of Veterinary Medicine are some of Minnesota's most important strategic assets. They are major contributors to our quality of life. (Mark Dayton and Tim Pawlenty, 3/9)

The CT Mirror: CT Patients’ Premiums Should Pay For Dental Health
The concept driving the much-needed reform is straightforward: dental patient premium dollars ought to be spent on patient care. The formal statement of purpose in proposed legislation at the State Capitol is succinct and unambiguous:  “To establish the same medical loss ratio for dental insurers as currently applies to medical insurers.” (Dr. Bryanne Chandler and Dr. David Fried, 3/10)

The Washington Post: 8 Ideas To Help Overcome The Loneliness Epidemic
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, the nation’s top doctor, understands the danger of the loneliness epidemic. (Leana S. Wen, 3/9)