Friday, March 24, 2023 - KFF Health News

Sen. Sanders Shows Fire, but Seeks Modest Goals, in His Debut Drug Hearing as Health Chair

The Vermont independent and former presidential candidate was all fire and brimstone at his first hearing on drug prices as head of the Senate HELP Committee. He also pursued a more modest goal of covid vaccine price reductions. It isn’t clear whether Sanders will succeed in even that, but he has put affordability front and center. (Arthur Allen, 3/23)

Health Providers Scramble to Keep Remaining Staff Amid Medicaid Rate Debate

The ranks of community-based behavioral health providers in Montana have diminished amid rising costs, greater need, and stagnant Medicaid reimbursement rates. Now, as state lawmakers debate solutions, providers are hoping just to cover their costs. (Keely Larson, 3/24)

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': 'What the Health?' Podcast: The Policy, and Politics, of Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, is embroiled in a growing controversy over whether insurers are being overpaid and what it would mean to reduce those payments. Meanwhile, even as maternal mortality in the U.S. continues to rise, providers of care to pregnant women say they’re leaving states with abortion bans that prevent them from treating pregnancy complications. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. (3/23)

Autism Rates Rise Again, And More Quickly For Black, Hispanic Kids

Autism cases in the U.S. continued to trend upward from 2018 to 2020, growing from 1 in 44 kids to 1 in 36. Among Black and Hispanic children, the rise was even more steep, with diagnoses surpassing white youth. News outlets note that more diagnoses may stem from better awareness and screening.

The New York Times: Autism Prevalence Rises Again, Study Finds
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in American children rose between 2018 and 2020, continuing a long-running trend, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. In 2020, an estimated one in 36 8-year-olds had autism, up from one in 44 in 2018. The prevalence was roughly 4 percent in boys and 1 percent in girls. The rise does not necessarily mean that autism has become more common among children, and it could stem from other factors, such as increased awareness and screening. (Anthes, 3/23)

USA Today: 'Public Health Crisis': Autism Rates Rise Again, With 1 In 36 Children Diagnosed
Autism rates rose again between 2018 and 2020, the most recent year data is available, up from 1 in 44 children to 1 in 36. Many factors are likely to contribute to these rising rates, including that diagnoses among children of color have been catching up to – and are now passing – white children. (Weintraub, 3/23)

AP: Autism Now More Common Among Black, Hispanic Kids In US
For the first time, autism is being diagnosed more frequently in Black and Hispanic children than in white kids in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Among all U.S. 8-year-olds, 1 in 36 had autism in 2020, the CDC estimated. That’s up from 1 in 44 two years earlier. But the rate rose faster for children of color than for white kids. The new estimates suggest that about 3% of Black, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander children have an autism diagnosis, compared with about 2% of white kids. That’s a contrast to the past, when autism was most commonly diagnosed in white kids — usually in middle- or upper-income families with the means to go to autism specialists. (Stobbe, 3/23)

Rhode Island and Nevada consider special driver's licenses for those with autism —

The Providence Journal: Bill For RI Driver's Licenses With 'Autism' Label Gets Pushback
A proposal to create special driver's licenses and car decals bearing the word "autism" is generating backlash. Advocates described the legislation introduced by two Westerly Democrats — at the request of an autistic teenager — as well-intentioned but misguided. The bill, which will probably be revised, aims to ensure that an autistic driver is not perceived as a threat during a police stop. But opponents say that it could lead to harassment and discrimination. "It is literally labeling us and putting us into a box, rather than uplifting and supporting us," said Camille Shea. (Farzan, 3/23)

Fox5 Vegas: Las Vegas Man With Autism Spectrum Disorder Says New Drivers License Bill Would Be ‘Life Changing’
Advocates are throwing their support behind a bill that would make traffic stops safer for people with disabilities. AB161 would allow drivers to indicate if they communicate differently on their driver’s licenses or registration. Anwar Allums lives his day-to-day life battling with an autism spectrum disorder. Last year, he said pulled over by police and his words would not come out. “When I get in any high-stress situation my motor functions can seize and it is hard for me to talk,” said Allums. (Masten, 3/6)

New Hampshire Protects Abortion Rights

The state's House of Representatives voted to protect abortion rights and remove civil and criminal penalties for doctors from the 24-week ban.

New Hampshire Public Radio: NH House Votes To Codify Abortion Rights, Remove Penalties From 24-Week Ban
Reproductive rights advocates won several victories Thursday in the State House, as the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to protect abortion rights under state law and remove civil and criminal penalties for doctors from the state’s 24-week ban. Lawmakers also overwhelmingly rejected bills that would have placed new restrictions on abortion. (Cuno-Booth, 3/23)

AP: Abortion-Rights Supporters Prevail In New Hampshire House
In New Hampshire, Republicans hold a 201-198 majority in the House, with one seat vacant. That has made attendance on session days extra important, as evidenced by the vote on a measure Thursday that ended in a tie. The proposal in question, backed by virtually all Democrats, would have repealed the state’s ban on abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The bill was tabled after the 192-192 tie. (Ramer, 3/23)

Abortion news from New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, and Wyoming —

Houston Chronicle: Abortion Provider That Left Texas Opens New Clinic In New Mexico
One of the largest independent abortion providers in the nation opened a new clinic in New Mexico on Thursday, nearly nine months after it shuttered its clinics in Texas after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Whole Woman’s Health of New Mexico opened its Albuquerque clinic on Thursday. The clinic is expected to see 19 patients over the next few days, with 18 of them coming from Texas. (MacDonald, 3/23)

Kansas City Star: GOP Seeks To Bar Planned Parenthood From Medicaid In MO
Despite Missouri’s sweeping abortion ban, some Republicans are still attacking Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid reimbursements. Multiple bills attempt to block funding to abortion-affiliated facilities, like Planned Parenthood, from different avenues. One would prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements and another would create a constitutional amendment to stop all Medicaid reimbursements from going to the facility, with voter approval. A third zeroes out funding for Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood in the budget. (Bond and Bayless, 3/24)

Vox: Thanks, Obama! The Hilarious Reason Why A Judge Just Blocked Wyoming’s Abortion Ban.
On Wednesday, a judge in the deep-red state of Wyoming temporarily blocked a state law that would make performing nearly any abortion in that state a felony. She relied on a 2012 amendment to the state constitution that was intended to spite then-President Barack Obama. Obama’s early years in office were marred by a scorched-earth political campaign Republicans wielded to try to thwart what became the Affordable Care Act. Obamacare’s opponents warned of a “government takeover of health care” that would strip many Americans of their ability to make their own health decisions. (Millhiser, 3/23)

Senators Slam Medicare Advantage Insurers Over 'Exorbitant Salaries'

Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley lobbed criticism in a series of letters to Humana, Centene, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna CVS Health, Molina Health, Elevance Health, and Cigna, Stat reported. Also: Medicaid news from North Carolina, Connecticut, and Montana.

Stat: Senators Blast Medicare Advantage Companies' ‘Exorbitant’ Salaries
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) slammed seven different Medicare Advantage insurers for lobbying against proposed rate cuts to the program while their executives still collected “exorbitant salaries” and gave “massive payouts” to their shareholders. (Wilkerson, 3/23)

Axios: State Public Option Plans Keep Hitting Obstacles
State efforts to control health costs through public options are stalling in the face of resistance from providers and lackluster enrollment, even as talk of a federal version recedes. The states' underwhelming attempts offer an ominous warning for lawmakers seeking to lower health costs: Insurers and providers aren't going to willingly cooperate with programs that threaten their profits and revenues. (Dreher, 3/24)

KHN: KHN's 'What The Health?': The Policy, And Politics, Of Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage, the private-sector alternative to original Medicare, now enrolls nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries. But it remains controversial because — while most of its subscribers like the extra benefits many plans provide — the program frequently costs the federal government more than if those seniors remained in the fully public program. That controversy is becoming political, as the Biden administration tries to rein in some of those payments without being accused of “cutting” Medicare. (3/23)

In Medicaid updates —

AP: NC Approves Medicaid Expansion, Reversing Long Opposition
A Medicaid expansion deal in North Carolina received final legislative approval on Thursday, capping a decade of debate over whether the closely politically divided state should accept the federal government’s coverage for hundreds of thousands of low-income adults. (Robertson, 3/24)

The CT Mirror: Boost To CT Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Could Mean More Access
On Tuesday, the human services committee passed a bill that would provide the broadest increases to the state’s Medicaid reimbursement rates for physician services in over 15 years. “This might be one of the most important things we’re talking about right now in this entire legislative session,” said Rep. Michelle Cook, D-Torrington, during the committee vote on the measure. “We’ve heard begging and pleading on the increase of rates, and if we do not increase rates, people are going to go without services, people are going to go without care that they need.” (Golvala, 3/24)

KHN: Health Providers Scramble To Keep Remaining Staff Amid Medicaid Rate Debate
Andrew Johnson lets his clients choose what music to play in the car. As an employee of Family Outreach in Helena, Montana — an organization that assists developmentally disabled people — part of his workday involves driving around, picking up clients, and taking them to work or to run errands. “What’s up, gangsta?” Johnson said as a client got in the car one day in March. The pair fist-bumped and Johnson asked what type of music the client liked. “Gangsta stuff,” came the response. Rap, mainly. (Larson, 3/24)

Appeals Court Rules Against Covid Vaccine Requirement

The covid vaccine requirement for federal workers was negated by a U.S. Appeals Court. Also, news about other covid-related legislation from Georgia and Alabama.

The Hill: US Appeals Court Walks Back COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement For Federal Employees
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a lower court decision to block the government from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine requirement on federal employees — reversing a previous ruling from a smaller panel of its own judges. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a rare en banc rehearing that a preliminary nationwide injunction on the vaccine mandate should remain in place while the case proceeds. (Shapero, 3/23)

More on the drug crisis —

VTDigger: Vermont’s 2022 Opioid Deaths Set A Record For The 3rd Straight Year
State officials recently flagged the presence of an anti-seizure medication in some opioid deaths in 2022, a year when a record-breaking 237 Vermonters died from accidental opioid overdoses. Thirty-one of the fatalities, or 13% of the total, had taken gabapentin, a prescription drug used to control convulsions and relieve nerve pain, according to a Vermont Department of Health report issued Monday. (Tan, 3/23)

The Texas Tribune: Bills Call For Texas Teachers To Administer Lifesaving Overdose Drugs To Students
As illegal opioid use rises among young people, several bills filed by state lawmakers would require Texas teachers to be trained and equipped to treat fentanyl overdoses, both on campus and at school-related events. Several bills call for educators and school staff at public, charter and private schools, as well as those at colleges and universities, to know how to reverse deadly opioid overdoses with Narcan and other overdose medications known as “opioid antagonists.” (Simpson, 3/23)

The New York Times: More New Yorkers Are Using Fentanyl Test Strips To Avoid Overdose
Deshawn Hendricks, 26, wants to check his drugs for the powerful opioid fentanyl when he can, because as a crack user, he worries it could cause a life-threatening overdose. Matthew Todd, 32, tests for another reason: As an opioid user, he has come to depend on the quick and intense high fentanyl provides, and wants to make sure what he purchased is “real.” On a sloping sidewalk that runs under the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, both men accepted fentanyl test strips from outreach workers on a recent Thursday, along with sandwiches, water and Narcan, a drug that reverses overdoses. Around them, a few people openly injected dope, as an occasional pedestrian threaded past. (Otterman, 3/24)

WHYY: Fentanyl Laced With Animal Tranquilizer Xylazine Has Philly Care Providers On High Alert
Matthew Salzman, assistant professor at Cooper University Hospital, said that nothing compares to the damage that xylazine does to the human skin. In his 20 years as an emergency medicine physician, he said, “The wounds are worse than I’ve ever seen.” “Historically, infections from injection-drug use are not uncommon,” said Salzman. “We see patients with abscesses, skin infections and HIV, hepatitis-C. But these soft-tissue wounds with xylazine are different from anything prior to just a year or two ago.” A number of his patients, Salzman adds, “are terribly malnourished,” which makes their wounds harder to heal — as do the behaviors of opioid-use disorder itself. (Biddle, 3/24)

AP: Ky Governor Stops Sale Of Drug Known As 'Gas Station Heroin'
Kentucky’s governor took emergency action Thursday to halt the sale of a drug commonly known as “gas station heroin” that he warned poses a threat in a state battling addiction and overdose problems. Gov. Andy Beshear said the emergency regulation he signed applies to products containing tianeptine, an unregulated drug that he said produces opioid-like effects. (Schreiner, 3/23)

In other news about addiction —

Stateline: States Are Learning On The Fly About Sports Betting Addiction
The states that have legalized sports betting are reporting record levels of wagering and revenues, but with that growth comes questions about gambling addiction and whether regulators and sportsbooks are doing enough to fight it. (Elliott, 3/22)

Utah Law Requires Parental Permission For Kids To Use Social Media

Utah becomes the first state to restrict use of social media by kids under 18 in an effort to address the platforms' role in the youth mental health crisis. The law requires parental consent for kids to sign up for accounts or access them overnight and provides parents with more access to their kids' messages.

The Hill: Utah Becomes First State To Require Parental Consent For Minors Using Social Media
Utah on Thursday became the first state to bar minors from using social media without consent from a parent or guardian after Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed two bills aimed at regulating how minors interact online in the state — one requiring companies to verify the age of users before they can create accounts. Cox followed through on a promise to sign the two divisive bills: Utah Senate Bill 152, which requires users to be 18 or older to open a social media account without parental permission, and Utah House Bill 311, which prohibits social media companies from “using a design or feature that causes a minor to have an addiction” to the platform. (Mueller, 3/23)

Bloomberg: Meta Sued By Its Home County Over Youth Social Media Addiction
Meta Platforms Inc. was sued by the school board in the company’s home county for allegedly addicting students to its social media platforms and contributing to a mental health crisis. (Rosenblatt, 3/24)

On gun violence and trauma —

The Trace: Guns And Domestic Violence Exact A Deadly Toll On Kids
Angela Brooks will never forget the FaceTime call from her 10-year-old granddaughter, Nie’Mae. “She said, ‘Granny, please help us. Mama’s dead,’” recalled Brooks, 58, a nurse in St. Louis. Brooks didn’t believe it. Then Nie’Mae turned the phone around to show her a body on the floor. It was Brooks’ daughter, Chasity Cooper, 40. She had been shot by her ex-boyfriend, Nie’Mae said. (Mascia, 3/23)

The Colorado Sun: Denver Public Schools Cancels All Classes Friday For Mental Health
Denver Public Schools is canceling classes across the district Friday for its staff and students to focus on mental health after a 17-year-old student shot two administrators inside Denver East High School, a spokesman for the district said Thursday. Students will return to school in April, following spring break that begins next week. (Prentzel, 3/23)

In other news about mental health and suicide —

AP: Georgia Senate Unveils New Mental Health Bill At Late Hour
An effort to make more changes to Georgia’s mental health system could stall in the closing days of the 2023 legislative session even though a Senate committee on Wednesday unveiled a rewritten bill that House sponsors and advocates found broadly acceptable. That’s because the Senate Health and Human Services Committee didn’t take a vote on House Bill 520 and didn’t schedule another meeting before a Thursday deadline for bills to advance out of Senate committees. (Amy, 3/23)

Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming’s Suicide Rate Falls For The First Time In Four Years
For the first time in four years, Wyoming’s suicide rate fell pretty substantially. In 2022, the number of suicides among Wyoming residents decreased by 21.6 percent from 2021. “We're definitely excited to see that drop. More than 20 percent drop is notable,” said Andi Summerville with the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers. She said a lot has changed in the past couple of years. (Kudelska, 3/23)

Politico: Hospitals Blame Psych Bed Reopening Delay On Suicide Precautions, Staff Shortages
Hundreds of hospital beds for psychiatric patients will remain offline past Gov. Kathy Hochul’s April 1 deadline due to staffing shortages, inadequate funding and even suicide risks, according to records obtained by POLITICO. Details of hospitals’ reopening plans, obtained through a public records request, have not been previously reported. In several cases, hospitals told the state they need more time to reconfigure areas that were converted into medical and surgical units during the pandemic and would therefore present a “ligature risk” to psychiatric patients — meaning there are portions of the facility that a patient could use to hang or strangle themselves. (Kaufman, 3/23)

Good Morning America: Suicide Can Be Contagious For Teens, Research Shows. Here’s How Parents Can Help
Rates of mental health emergencies are increasing among teenagers around the world, according to a new study from the University of Calgary. It found an increase in pediatric emergency room visits for suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and self-harm during the first year of the pandemic. It’s a particular concern because for teenagers, suicide can be contagious. (Bakshi and Linendoll, 3/23)

Houston Chronicle: UH Students Protest For Mental Health After Deaths At Agnes Arnold
Leaders of the newly formed “Student Solidarity” group rallied a crowd in front of the MD Anderson Library that alternated between reflective and angry. They held moments of silence. People booed university leaders in hoarse voices. And the sister of one of the deceased students wore a shirt broadcasting the National Suicide Hotline, 988, concluding through tears that she felt the university failed her brother. (Ketterer, 3/23)

NBC News: Abrupt Closure Of Ketamine Clinic Chain Blindsides Veterans And Others With Severe Depression And Chronic Pain
Military veterans across the country are scrambling after more than a dozen clinics that had been providing them with free ketamine treatments for severe depression, chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder suddenly closed. (Chan, 3/23)

If you are in need of help —

Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

Bills Target Trans Minors' Gender Care And Bathroom Use

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, signed bills limiting trans rights, the Hill reports: one bans gender treatment for minors, the other mandates which school bathrooms trans students can use. Trans minors' care, and participation in sports, are meanwhile targeted by Missouri bills.

The Hill: Iowa Governor Signs Transgender Bathroom Bill, Bans Gender-Affirming Care For Youth
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) on Wednesday signed into law two bills that will restrict the rights of transgender young people in the state. One of them, Senate File 538, prohibits doctors from providing gender-affirming health care, including puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries, to transgender minors. The other, Senate File 482, bars transgender students from using school restrooms or locker rooms that are consistent with their gender identity. (Migdon, 3/23)

St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Senate Blocks Transgender Youth Health Care And Sports
The Missouri Senate passed bills Thursday barring transgender minors in Missouri from receiving gender-affirming health care and competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Lawmakers voted 24-8 on the bill targeting transition-related health care and 25-8 on the transgender student athlete bill. Both bills now go to the Missouri House. (Kellogg, 3/23)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: World’s Leading Transgender Health Experts Attack Regulations Planned By Missouri AG
The world’s leading medical experts in transgender health took aim Thursday at a proposed emergency regulation that would restrict gender-affirming medical care for minors in Missouri. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s proposed rules are “based upon manipulated statistics, flawed reports, and incomplete data, and prevents the provision of medically-necessary care,” read a statement from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. (Munz, 3/23)

Axios: What States Are Restricting Transgender Health Care
Politicians in red states are placing new limits on gender-affirming care for transgender people, creating a patchwork of sanctions on health providers who offer such services and limits on access. Over 100 pieces of legislation introduced in state legislatures in 2023 focus on banning aspects of gender-affirming medical care, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union. (Gonzalez, 3/23)

The Washington Post: Transgender Patients Face Discrimination During Health Care Visits
One trans woman recalled a doctor calling her “it.” A nonbinary person was grilled about their use of “they/them” pronouns during an ultrasound. A trans-masculine person moved out of Tennessee, fearing they would lose access to hormone therapy as legislators passed bills restricting gender-affirming care. Transgender Americans often face subtle discrimination, outright hostility and ill-informed medical professionals in their interactions with the health-care system, according to a poll by The Washington Post and KFF, a nonprofit focused on national health issues. (Nirappil and Van Houten, 3/24)

From Minnesota and Florida —

Minnesota Public Radio: 'You Belong Here': Minnesota House Passes Trans Health Refuge Bill
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill early Friday by a vote of 68-62 that would prevent state courts or officials from complying with child removal requests, extraditions, arrests or subpoenas related to gender-affirming health care that a person receives in Minnesota. Physicians who practice gender-affirming care in Minnesota and families who’ve sought it out for their transgender children or teenagers said it would go a long way to ensure that they can continue to access treatment without fear of other states’ laws getting in the way. (Ferguson, 3/24)

ABC News: Florida Parents File Lawsuit Against State Transgender Youth Care Ban
Four Florida families filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court against Florida's Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, Board of Medicine, and Board of Osteopathic Medicine, over the state ban against gender-affirming care for transgender youth. (Alfonseca, 3/24)

In global news —

Axios: World Athletics Bans Trans Women From Female Sports
The World Athletics Council voted Thursday to ban athletes who are transgender women "or who have Differences of Sexual Development" from competing in elite track and field competitions. The new rule follows similar bans on transgender athletes competing in elite women's competitions, including swimming. (Falconer, 3/24)

Contaminated Water Lawsuits Stack Up For Marine Corps Camp Lejeune

A report in Roll Call explains how claims and lawsuits are piling up against the government over contaminated drinking water at the Camp, including a "growing percentage" of wrongful death suits. Separately, the UN warns over the impacts of a lack of drinking water around the world.

Roll Call: Camp Lejeune Health Claims Are Mired Despite Law Allowing Suits
As claims and lawsuits pile up against the government related to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, the number of grievous health outcomes tied to exposure to those toxic chemicals at the Marine Corps base in North Carolina is also rising. A growing percentage of cases are becoming wrongful death suits rather than damage claims for illnesses as more Marines and their family members who were sickened by the tainted water, often many years after the exposure, lose their lives, according to several people involved in the litigation. (Magner, 3/23)

In other environmental health news —

AP: Many Millions Die Without Clean Water Or Sanitation, UN Says
A lack of drinking water and healthy sanitation infrastructure is dire around the world and getting worse, United Nations experts warned in a report issued Thursday. The report finds that many millions of the world’s 7.78 billion people don’t have enough clean water or sanitation infrastructure that helps keep humans healthy by taking waste away from their homes. (Weissenstein, 3/23)

AP: Radioactive Water Leaks At Minn. Nuclear Plant For 2nd Time
Water containing a radioactive material has leaked for a second time from a nuclear plant near Minneapolis and the plant will be shut down, but there is no danger to the public, the plant’s owner said Thursday. A leak of what was believed to be hundreds of gallons of water containing tritium was discovered this week from a temporary fix at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, where 400,000 gallons (1.5 million liters) of water with tritium leaked in November, Xcel Energy said in a statement Thursday. (3/24)

AP: Missouri School To Stay Closed After Contamination Scare
A Missouri grade school that was shut down last year amid concerns of possible radioactive contamination will not reopen, the school district said Thursday. Jana Elementary School, in the St. Louis County town of Florissant, closed in October after a private study indicated the presence of contamination in classrooms, the playground and elsewhere. The study was funded by lawyers whose clients were suing over radioactive waste in Coldwater Creek, which runs near the school. (Salter, 3/23)

The Hill: ‘Cancer Alley’ Residents Say They Are Victims Of Environmental Racism In New Lawsuit
Residents of an area of Louisiana that has become known as “cancer alley” due to the prominence of pollution coming from industry there are alleging that they are the victims of environmental racism in a new lawsuit. They specifically point to a 2014 land use plan issued by their parish, the Louisiana equivalent of a county, which designated majority-black areas as places where industry could develop, according to the lawsuit. (Frazin, 3/21)

Los Angeles Times: Scientists Uncover High Amounts Of Pure DDT Off L.A. Coast
First it was the eerie images of barrels leaking on the seafloor not far from Catalina Island. Then the shocking realization that the nation’s largest manufacturer of DDT had once used the ocean as a huge dumping ground — and that as many as half a million barrels of its acid waste had been poured straight into the water. (Xia, 3/23)

'Tragedy Of Stillbirth' Report Shows US Rates 'Unacceptably High'

The National Institutes of Health report, “Working to Address the Tragedy of Stillbirth," highlights the bleak statistics of stillborn deaths in the U.S. and how it's caused by "problems at every level." Separately, a strong link between physical work and sperm counts is reported.

ProPublica: Federal Study Calls U.S. Stillbirth Rate “Unacceptably High” And Recommends Action
Federal officials have released a bleak assessment of the country’s progress in understanding and preventing stillbirths, calling the rate “unacceptably high” and issuing a series of recommendations to reduce it through research and prevention. The National Institutes of Health report, titled “Working to Address the Tragedy of Stillbirth,” mirrored findings of an investigation by ProPublica last year into the U.S. stillbirth crisis, in which more than 20,000 pregnancies every year are lost at 20 weeks or more and the expected baby is born dead. (Eldeib, 3/23)

In other news about fertility, syphilis , and HIV —

SciTechDaily: Get Fit And Fertile: Strong Link Found Between Physical Labor And Male Reproductive Health
A new study from researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, suggests that men who regularly lift heavy objects at work have higher sperm counts. The study, is part of the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) cohort, a clinical study that aims to explore how exposure to environmental chemicals and lifestyle choices affect reproductive health. (3/21)

The Colorado Sun: Pueblo County Addresses Rising Syphilis Cases From Inside Its Jail
Two days each week, a tiny room inside the Pueblo county jail transforms into a health clinic to screen, test and educate women of reproductive age for syphilis, with the hope that if and when they become pregnant, their baby is safe. Many women seated inside that room have never heard of the sexually transmitted disease — one that is preventable and easily treated with penicillin, but continues to rise among Colorado newborns after being passed on by their mothers. (Prentzel, 3/23)

The New York Times: Tennessee’s Rejection Of Federal Funds To Curb HIV Alarms Prevention Groups
After offering free H.I.V. testing at a drive-through event last year, staff members at Nashville CARES, a nonprofit sexual health clinic, made an alarming discovery: a cluster of positive tests from a single neighborhood. “There was one person who had unknowingly passed it to multiple partners, and we were able to intervene quickly before it became a full-blown outbreak,” said Lisa Binkley, who leads the clinic’s H.I.V. prevention team. (Sasani, 3/24)

E. Coli In Meat Linked To Bladder Infections

The source of some e. coli-derived UTI infections is meat products, researchers say. In other news, new advice on introducing peanuts to babies for allergy avoidance, and guidance on diabetes screening.

USA Today: UTIs, Bladder Infections May Be Linked To E. Coli In Meat, Study Finds
More than half a million urinary tract infections in the U.S. each year may be caused by E. coli strains from meat products, a new study reported Thursday. Using a new genomic approach to track the origins of E. coli infections, researchers from George Washington University estimated that 480,000 to 640,000 UTIs may be caused by the foodborne bacteria, according to the analysis published in the peer-reviewed journal One Health. (Rodriguez, 3/23)

Fox News: For Peanut Allergy Prevention, Study Suggests Babies Can Be Fed Diluted Peanut Butter At Early Age
Introducing peanut butter to babies as young as 4 months could dramatically reduce the rate of peanut allergies in infants, a new study suggests. The study, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found there was a 77% reduction in peanut allergies when the food was consumed by 4-month-old infants who had severe eczema and at 6 months for infants with mild or no eczema. (Rudy, 3/23)

Stat: Study Suggests Diabetes Screening Should Be Guided By Age, Not Weight
Current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend screening adults ages 35-70 who are considered overweight or obese (having a body mass index over 25). However, racial and ethnic minority groups, especially Asian people, tend to develop diabetes at lower BMIs, so to identify more people with the condition across groups, all adults ages 35-70 regardless of their weight should be screened, researchers said in a study Friday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (Chen, 3/24)

Axios: 42% Of Americans Living With Obesity
More than 4 in 10 U.S. adults are obese, with states in the South and Midwest showing some of the highest prevalence, a new analysis from NORC at the University of Chicago shows. Obesity is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other conditions that are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death. (Dreher, 3/23)

Fierce Healthcare: Veterans Health Administration Teams With About Fresh To Scale Up 'Food Is Medicine' Demonstration Project
About Fresh, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation’s Food is Medicine Research Initiative, is partnering with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to create a large-scale demonstration project aimed at using healthy food to improve veterans' health. About Fresh, a startup focused on integrating healthy food into the healthcare system, began bringing fresh produce to Boston food deserts in converted school buses. But Josh Trautwein founded About Fresh with no attachment to the means, but rather the ends: food is medicine overall, not necessarily food trucks as a way to get there. (Burky, 3/23)

Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed

Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week's selections include stories on burn pits, sea moss, brain plasticity, senior care, and more.

The Washington Post: U.S. Burn Pits In Iraq Leave A Toxic Legacy 20 Years After The Invasion
Though U.S. veterans prevailed recently in a long fight for government recognition of burn pit exposure, there has been no American effort to assess the local impact, let alone treat or compensate Iraqis who breathed the same air. On a recent trip to the area, Washington Post reporters interviewed more than a dozen residents who said that they had developed cancer or respiratory problems while working on the Balad base or living nearby. Most said that they been young and fit when they fell ill, without family histories of similar ailments. Their accounts are corroborated by experts who have studied burn pit exposure and by local doctors, who observed an alarming rise in illnesses consistent with such exposure in the years after the invasion. (Loveluck and Salim, 3/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Sea Moss Is The Hot New Wellness Ingredient. Does It Live Up To The Hype?
The latest “it” ingredient is sea moss—a type of red algae that has become a viral phenomenon. It is being endorsed by celebrities and online influencers who point to its supposed beauty and health benefits, and brands are rushing to introduce products such as skin-care products and nutritional supplements featuring the plant. ... But while sea moss does have nutritional benefits, some scientists say that there isn’t enough research to back up other claims about its usefulness. There isn’t sufficient scientific evidence showing that the ingredient affects your skin or hair, they say, nor that it significantly improves your health. (Raphael, 3/10)

The New York Times: The Surgeon General’s New Mission: Adolescent Mental Health
In December 2021, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a rare warning: Mental health challenges were leading to “devastating effects” among young people. His statement came as the suicide rate for young Americans ages 10 to 19 jumped by 40 percent from 2001 to 2019, while emergency room visits for self-harm rose by 88 percent. Lately, Dr. Murthy has been using his position to highlight the issue, much as Dr. C. Everett Koop, who was surgeon general in the 1980s, famously addressed the dangers associated with smoking. Dr. Murthy has been on a listening tour of sorts, speaking with students, health care workers and community groups across the country. (Richtel, 3/21)

The Washington Post: Senior Care Is Crushingly Expensive. Boomers Aren't Ready.
Beth Roper had already sold her husband Doug’s boat and his pickup truck. Her daughter sends $500 a month or more. But it was nowhere near enough to pay the $5,950-a-month bill at Doug’s assisted-living facility. So last year, Roper, 65, abandoned her own plans to retire. To the public school librarian from Poquoson, Va., it feels like a betrayal of a social contract. Doug Roper, a longtime high school history teacher and wrestling coach, has a pension and Social Security. The Ropers own a home; they have savings. Yet the expense of Doug’s residential Alzheimer’s care poses a grave threat to their middle-class nest egg. At nearly $72,000, a year in assisted living for Doug, 67, costs more than her $64,000 annual salary. (Rowland, 3/18)

KVPR: Meet The 'Glass-Half-Full Girl' Whose Brain Rewired After Losing A Hemisphere
In most people, speech and language live in the brain's left hemisphere. Mora Leeb is not most people. When she was 9 months old, surgeons removed the left side of her brain. Yet at 15, Mora plays soccer, tells jokes, gets her nails done, and, in many ways, lives the life of a typical teenager. "I can be described as a glass-half-full girl," she says, pronouncing each word carefully and without inflection. Her slow, cadence-free speech is one sign of a brain that has had to reorganize its language circuits. (Hamilton, 3/22)

The Washington Post: Four 80-Year-Old Men Finished A 100-Mile Ultramarathon. Here's How.
Finishing a 100-mile race is remarkable at any age. But in the world of ultramarathons, it’s not uncommon to see runners competing in their 60s, 70s and 80s. (Soong, 3/20)

Viewpoints: Updated TB Vaccine On The Horizon; Increased ASD Diagnosis Due To Better Understanding

Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.

Bloomberg: An Urgently Needed Tuberculosis Shot Could Democratize Vaccines
Scientists in South Africa and the US, along with the South African company Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines, have come up with a promising new strategy for a tuberculosis vaccine, and while there’s a long road ahead to bring the shots to market, a successful effort could yield an important new tool against the deadly pathogen. (Lisa Jarvis, 3/23)

Stat: The Simple Reason For The Increase In Autism Diagnosis
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced another increase in the prevalence of autism among children. In a pair of new reports — one focused on 8-year-olds and one on 4-year-olds — the CDC found that 1 out of every 36 children has autism. This is a significant increase from the 2021 estimate of 1 in 44, which was a big jump from 1 in 110 in 2006.This increase may sound scary. But as autistic adults and as parents of children with autism, we advise you to relax. There is no “epidemic of autism.” Instead, what we face is an epidemic of need. (John Elder Robison and Dena Gassner, 3/23)

The Boston Globe: Interpreters Are Necessary For Health Equity
The need for interpreters is most critical in medical settings. As a primary care physician in a health care center where over 25 percent of our patients do not speak English or speak limited English, my ability to provide safe and effective care often depends on interpreters. (Vidya Raju, 3/23)

Stat: The Iraq War's Medicine-Changing Legacy
Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war, which resulted in an estimated 110,600 deaths of Iraqis and 4,431 U.S. servicemembers killed and 31,994 wounded in action across eight years. Those stark numbers cannot truly tabulate the tragedy that countless families and servicemembers have endured. But on this anniversary, it is also worth looking at something unexpected: The terrible war has led to startling advances in medical care. (Luis Alvarez, 3/24)

Chicago Tribune: E-Cigarette Brands From Overseas Are Exploiting An FDA Loophole To Get Into Kids’ Hands
Fighting back against the dangerous new epidemic of nicotine vape addiction, our elected officials banned flavored e-cigarettes, but a more dangerous product slipped through the cracks and is getting our kids hooked. (Anthony Carothers, 3/23)

Different Takes: Oklahoma Questions Life-Saving Abortion Exemptions; Is Access To Birth Control Next To Go?

Opinion writers tackle reproductive and mental health care.

The Washington Post: Oklahoma Abortion Ruling Gives A Chilling Glimpse Of Post-Roe America
A chilling glimpse of life in post-Roe America: The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled, just barely, that a pregnant woman has the right to abortion “when necessary to preserve her life.” (Ruth Marcus, 3/23)

The Tennessean: Birth Control Is A Key Piece Of Individual Medical Freedom
Health care looks vastly different than it did before 2020. Mask mandates, vaccine requirements and an explosion in the use of telehealth all changed the way Americans not only access their health care but live their daily lives. (Courtney Joslin and Sophia Heimowitz, 3/23)

Also —

The Washington Post: Yes, Social Media Use Is Linked To Depression In Teens
Ben, a 16-year-old from New York, disputes the association. “If you want to know what’s making me anxious about the world, it’s police shootings of unarmed Black people,” he wrote. “It’s the destruction of our planet. It’s assault rifles in schools.” (Leana S. Wen, 3/23)

The New York Times: Stop Treating Adolescent Girls As Emotionally Abnormal
In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report titled the “Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021,” or Y.R.B.S. According to the C.D.C., “nearly 3 in 5 (57 percent) U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021 — double that of boys” and “the highest level reported over the past decade.” (Jessica Grose, 3/23)

Stat: New DEA Rules Will Make Telepsychiatry Very Difficult.
I am by no means telepsychiatry’s biggest fan. But since March 2020, when my practice of outpatient psychiatry changed overnight, I have adapted to it. I have learned to get up between appointments so I don’t sit in front of a computer all day and how to fit in patient visits while on a work trip. I still prefer being in the actual room with a patient, but I accept this is the way my job looks now. I accept it because it expands access and decreases barriers, two things desperately needed in mental health. (Jessica Gold, 3/24)

Miami Herald: Let Residents In Psychologists' Care Access Vital Treatment Even When They're Not In Florida
In February 2015, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Board of Directors approved the creation of a Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) to facilitate telehealth and temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries. (Liz Campbell, 3/23)

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