CNBC: White House Takes Steps To Remove Medical Bills From Credit Reports
The Biden administration wants to remove medical debt completely from consumer credit reports, so the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday outlined its proposed rules to keep unpaid medical bills from affecting patient’s credit scores. One in 5 Americans have medical debt on their credit reports, according to the CFPB. Medical debt can lead to a debt spiral for some consumers and narrow their options for housing, loans and credit cards. (Dhue, 9/21)

AP: White House Aiming To Scrub Medical Debt From People's Credit Scores, Which Could Up Ratings For Millions
The agency said in a statement that including medical debt in credit scores is problematic because “mistakes and inaccuracies in medical billing are common.” “Access to health care should be a right and not a privilege,” [Vice President Kamala] Harris told reporters in call to preview the action. “These measures will improve the credit scores of millions of Americans so that they will better be able to invest in their future.” (Boak, 9/21)

KFF Health News: Biden Administration To Ban Medical Debt From Americans’ Credit Scores
New rules would also represent one of the most significant federal actions to tackle medical debt, a problem that burdens about 100 million people and forces legions to take on extra work, give up their homes, and ration food and other essentials, a KFF Health News-NPR investigation found. ... Enacting new regulations can be a lengthy process. Administration officials said Thursday that the new rules would be developed next year.(Levey, 9/21)

The New York Times: Nearly 500,000 In U.S. Will Regain Medicaid Coverage After State Errors 
Nearly 500,000 people, many of them children, will keep Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage after state officials discovered major errors in their procedures for reviewing program eligibility, federal officials said on Thursday. After a pandemic-era policy that guaranteed Medicaid coverage lapsed in April, states began checking to see whether tens of millions of Americans covered by the programs still qualified, removing them from the rolls if their incomes had surpassed program limits, among other reasons. (Weiland, 9/21)

The Washington Post: Half A Million Children, Others Being Reinstated After Removal From Medicaid
The officials said Thursday that states are in the process of reinstating everyone who should not have been cut off from Medicaid. Daniel Tsai, the federal Medicaid director, said at least some states will be in position to resume all of their Medicaid unwinding, as the undertaking is known, by the end of this month. But he did not identify how many — or which — states are able to make rapid corrections, acknowledging that some will need months. (Goldstein, 9/21)

AP: Medicaid Coverage Restored To About A Half-Million People After Computer Errors In Many States
In late August, CMS warned that some state computer systems were flagging entire households for further information — and dropping all family members when no one responded — instead of reviewing each individual separately and automatically renewing children who remain eligible. It sent letters to all states asking them to verify their compliance with federal rules. (Lieb, 9/21)

On Medicaid expansion —

AP: Mississippi GOP Governor Says His Plan Would Aid Hospitals; Democrat Pushes For Medicaid Expansion 
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves released a proposal Thursday aimed at helping some of the state’s financially struggling hospitals, even as the Democrat who is trying to unseat him has spent months hammering Reeves for opposing Medicaid expansion in one of the poorest states in the nation. Hospitals would pay some higher taxes as a way to receive substantially more federal Medicaid money, Mississippi Medicaid director Drew Snyder said. Reeves said the changes are projected to generate $689 million, which would be split among hospitals. (Wagster Pettus, 9/21)

North Carolina Health News: State Budget Heavy On Health Care Spending
It almost seemed anti-climatic Thursday afternoon and early Friday morning when lawmakers voted on the nearly $30 billion state budget. The spending plan — flush with hundreds of millions of dollars for mental and behavioral health care, a new children’s hospital “somewhere in the Triangle,” crisis pregnancy centers, a new rural health program, enhancements to the medical examiner and autopsy system, health care workforce incentives, Medicaid expansion and more — was approved along party lines with little fanfare. To make it official, one more vote is needed by the Senate today before the bill is sent to the governor. (Blythe and Hoban, 9/22)

And in other Medicaid news —

Stat: Medicaid Pilot Uses Groceries To Boost Health, Lower Food Insecurity
Medicaid pilot program in food as medicine shows promise. Delivery service offers fresh fruits, vegetables to address diabetes, obesity, hypertension. (Yan, 9/22)

AP: Over 200 People Are Homeless After Tucson Recovery Community Closes During Medicaid Probe
A huge addiction recovery community in Tucson, Arizona, shuttered suddenly this week, leaving more than 200 people homeless as Arizona investigates widespread Medicaid fraud largely affecting Native Americans, authorities said Thursday. (Snow, 9/21)

And more news from CMS —

Politico: CMS Promises Stricter Oversight Of Medicare Advantage
A top official at CMS promised to get “tougher” on Medicare Advantage plans amid growing complaints about care denials and access. CMS Deputy Administrator Jon Blum discussed what he considers flaws in the growing program during a session Thursday at the National Association of ACOs’ fall conference in Washington. Blum’s remarks could belie CMS’ thinking on how to handle a program more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries participate in. (King, 9/21)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Nursing Home Staffing Mandate Threatens 4,000 Michigan Beds
A proposed federal rule on minimum nursing home staffing could lead to the slashing of 4,000 patient beds in the state, according to the industry. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, issued the proposed rule earlier this month, establishing the minimum amount of time certified nurse aids and registered nurses must spend daily with nursing home patients. (9/21)

The Hill: New COVID Vaccine Campaign Off To A Bumpy Start
Major health insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna and Kaiser Permanente, said they planned to cover the COVID-19 shots as routine vaccinations when reached for comment by The Hill. Providers like Cigna and Anthem did not immediately respond when reached for comment or deferred inquiries to AHIP, the health insurance trade association. “Health insurance providers are working with the federal government and pharmacy and provider partners to ensure that everyone has access to ACIP-recommended vaccines, without cost sharing,” AHIP said in a statement to The Hill. (Choi, 9/21)

CNBC: Providers Struggle To Get Latest Covid Shots Into Arms Amid Early Supply Issues
It’s déjà vu for some Americans looking for the latest Covid-19 vaccines. Certain people who were lucky enough to snag an appointment for the latest formulation are receiving cancellation notices or showing up to learn there isn’t a dose available for them. Some are being told they need to pay more than $100 out of pocket because their insurance provider isn’t covering the shots yet. (Peebles, 9/21)

AP: Booking A COVID-19 Vaccine? Some Are Reporting Canceled Appointments Or Insurance Issues
Some people seeking the newest COVID-19 vaccine are running into high demand, insurance headaches and supply delays coast to coast. Millions of the newly formulated vaccines have shipped out since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on them last week for ages 6 months and up. Cases started rising again in late summer, and experts hope that the new shots will help protect people during the upcoming fall respiratory virus season. (Shastri, 9/21)

Meanwhile, covid concerns rise as new cases do —

The Hill: COVID Concerns Tick Up In New Gallup Poll
Three in 10 Americans believe the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening, while more than 1 in 4 worry about being infected, according to a new Gallup poll. The new poll, published Thursday, found that 30 percent of respondents said the ongoing pandemic is worsening, while 41 percent think it’s getting better and 30 percent said it has stayed the same. (Oshin, 9/21)

The Boston Globe: State Officials Monitoring COVID-19 ‘Cluster’ At Holyoke Veterans’ Home As 10 Residents Test Positive
State officials are monitoring a “cluster” of COVID-19 cases at the Holyoke Veterans home as 10 residents have tested positive for the virus since last weekend, according to the state Executive Office of Veterans Services. Formerly known as the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home where a COVID outbreak killed at least 76 veterans in 2020, the facility has implemented universal masking throughout the facility and exposed staff members are being tested daily. (Stoico, 9/21)

Los Angeles Times: Bay Area Healthcare Workers Will Have To Mask As Threat Of COVID, Flu Looms
Healthcare workers in several Bay Area counties will soon be required to wear masks in patient care settings as the region contends with continued coronavirus transmission and looks ahead to the wider respiratory virus season. The mandates, which go into effect Nov. 1, require health officials in Contra Costa, Alameda, Sonoma and San Mateo counties to wear masks in hospitals and other settings where patients will be getting care indoors. (Lin, 9/21)

In other news relating to covid —

USA Today: Has Distrust In COVID Vaccines Caused Same Skepticism In Flu Shots?
Less than half of all US adults received their flu vaccine last flu season (47.4%), but that rate is slightly higher compared to the same time in March a year prior (45.4%). Vaccination is vital to protect individuals, communities and to avoid burdening already overtaxed health care systems. Last season, people vaccinated against the flu were about 40% to 70% less likely to be hospitalized because of flu illness or related complications, according to preliminary estimates from the CDC. (Chernikoff, 9/22)

The Washington Post: Covid Helped China Secure The DNA Of Millions, Spurring Arms Race Fears
Most of Europe was in lockdown in April 2020 when a plane arrived in the Serbian capital bearing a well-timed gift from the People’s Republic of China. Inside was a Chinese invention called the Fire-Eye, a sophisticated portable lab that could detect coronavirus infections from tiny genetic fragments the pathogen leaves behind. And that, as Serbians soon discovered, was the least of its capabilities. (Warrick and Brown, 9/21)

Politico: Senate Health Panel Advances $26 Billion Primary Care Bill
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday advanced legislation aimed at strengthening access to primary care in a 14-7 vote, despite tensions between committee leadership. The $26 billion package, introduced by Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), budgets billions in funding for community health centers and to bolster the doctor, nursing and dentist workforces. Three Republicans — Marshall and Sens. Mike Braun (Ind.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) — voted with every Democrat to approve the bill. (Wilson, 9/21)

Stat: Senate HELP Committee Spars Over Health Care Workforce Policies 
In a striking display of discord Thursday, leaders of the Senate’s health committee clashed over a proposal to increase the number of primary care doctors and nurses in the United States. In drafting the policy, Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) circumvented Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the Republican leader on the panel. He instead negotiated with a lower-ranked Republican on the committee to produce the legislation, which Cassidy then refused to support. The friction has consequences, as the proposal is attached to critical funding for community health centers. (Cohrs, 9/21)

The Hill: Sanders, Cassidy Clash As Senate Panel Advances Health Center Funding
However, it’s unclear if the bill has the support necessary to pass the full Senate, especially before funding expires Sept. 30. “It is a far more modest piece of legislation than I would have liked to have seen. But, if this legislation is passed, it will not only save us substantial sums of money by making our health care system more efficient and rational … but it will go a long way towards making primary health care in America more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans,” committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said. (Weixel, 9/21)

Modern Healthcare: Hospital Facility Fees Face Limitations Under Senate Bill
Hospitals face cuts for off-site and telehealth services under legislation the Senate health committee approved Thursday. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act of 2023 on a bipartisan 14 to 7 vote. ... The measure would provide funding to support a variety of programs including federally qualified health centers, teaching hospitals, the National Health Service Corps, medical and nursing schools, and rural hospitals. (McAuliff, 9/21)

On the looming shutdown —

KFF Health News' 'What The Health?' Podcast: Countdown To Shutdown
Congress appears to be careening toward a government shutdown, as a small band of House conservatives vow to block any funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 unless they win deeper cuts to health and other domestic programs. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to roil the GOP presidential primary field, this time with comments about abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too. (9/21)

On other political tug-of-wars relating to health —

Politico: Senate Dems To Agencies: Get In Alignment On Drinking Water
Senate Democrats kicked off an effort Wednesday to align agencies charged with ensuring safe drinking water access to communities. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resource Subcommittee on Water and Power, announced the effort during a hearing emphasizing the need for more data on drinking water access, which he said affects more than 2 million Americans. (Yachnin, 9/21)

Reuters: Medical Staffing Co. Says "Surprise Billing" Ban Hastened Bankruptcy
American Physician Partners, which until recently provided outsourced emergency room services to 150 U.S. hospitals, said Thursday that a ban on so-called "surprise" medical bills hastened the company's descent into bankruptcy. (Knauth, 9/21)

Politico: PhRMA Hires New Top Lobbyist
Steve Tilton, the lead lobbyist for Takeda, is being named the new top lobbyist for drugmakers’ most powerful industry group, the organization confirmed. It’s a consequential hire for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which is fighting to regain its footing following the industry’s biggest legislative loss in decades with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. (Wilson, 9/21)

Politico: Republican Senators Demand EPA Pull Back Soot Plan
Almost two dozen Republican senators have joined a late-breaking chorus of calls for EPA to scrap plans for tightening a key national standard for airborne soot. The agency's January proposal released in January "fails to consider several important factors that will make implementation of a lower annual standard extremely difficult, or in some cases impossible, to no measurable benefits to public health, the environment, or the economy," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and 22 other GOP lawmakers wrote in a letter released Thursday morning. (Reilly, 9/21)

Concerning the opioid crisis —

Stat: Senators: Long-Delayed Opioids Study Would Put Patients At Risk
Two Democratic senators are warning the Food and Drug Administration not to proceed with a controversial trial meant to measure opioids’ effectiveness as a chronic pain treatment. In a letter shared with STAT, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) warned FDA Commissioner Robert Califf against using the method in the agency’s ongoing work to evaluate whether opioids, despite their widespread use, are effective at treating chronic pain. (Facher, 9/22)

The New York Times: FTC Sues Anesthesia Group Backed By Private Equity, Claiming Antitrust
After vowing to tackle consolidation in the health care industry, the Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust lawsuit on Thursday that challenged the growing practice of private-equity firms backing companies that amass medical practices and dominate local markets. The suit targeted a large doctors’ group that operates anesthesia practices in several states, claiming the group and the private equity firm advising and financing it were consolidating doctors’ groups in Texas so they could raise prices and increase their profits. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 9/21)

Modern Healthcare: FTC Sues USAP, Private Equity Owner Alleging Anticompetitive Actions
The FTC filed a complaint Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas alleging that the company created a monopoly by buying up nearly every large anesthesia practice in Texas, made price-setting agreements with remaining independent practices and struck a deal with an unnamed competitor to keep it out of the market. The agency seeks, in part, a permanent injunction preventing any alleged anticompetitive conduct. (Kacik, 9/21)

NBC News: FTC Sues Private-Equity Backed Anesthesia Staffing Firm, Saying It Tried To Corner The Market, Drive Up Prices
“Thanks to its anticompetitive conduct, USAP has been able to extract monopoly profits while simultaneously growing its monopoly power,” the FTC said in its civil complaint, filed in federal court in the Southern District of Texas in Houston. “This conduct has resulted in egregious price increases for patients and their employers, on the order of tens of millions of dollars or more each year.” (Morgenson, 9/21)

The USAP argues the FTC doesn't understand the situation —

Politico: FTC Suit Sends Signal To Private Investors In Health Care
"The FTC’s civil complaint is based on flawed legal theories and a lack of medical understanding about anesthesia, our patient-oriented business model, and our level of care for patients in Texas,” Dr. Derek Schoppa, a practicing USAP Physician in Texas and a USAP Board member, said. Another USAP physician and board member said he was confident the company would prevail in court. Welsh, Carson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Sisco, 9/21)

Related KFF Health News Special Report: Patients for Profit How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

San Francisco Chronicle: Bonta Sues Anti-Abortion Clinics That Push Unproven Reversal Protocol
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday that his office has filed a lawsuit against two operators of so-called crisis pregnancy centers — including one with five locations in the Bay Area — alleging they are making fraudulent claims in advertising an unproven and potentially risky protocol to reverse medication abortion. ... The complaint alleges the organizations are illegally advertising “abortion pill reversal” — a protocol in which high levels of progesterone are taken within 72 hours after taking the abortion medication drug mifepristone. (Ho, 9/21)

The Hill: California Files Lawsuit Against Organizations Promoting Unproven Abortion Pill Reversal Treatment
“Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get an abortion deserve support and trustworthy guidance — not lies and misinformation,” California Attorney General Robert Bonta (D) said in a statement. “And let me be clear: the evidence shows that the vast majority of people do not regret their decision to have an abortion — more than 95% of patients who undergo an abortion later say they made the right decision. (Suter, 9/21)

On other developments relating to abortion —

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: What To Know About Issue 1, The Abortion Amendment, As Voting Begins 
Absentee voting by uniformed military service members and oversees U.S. citizens begins on Friday, ahead of the Nov. 7 election, with Issue 1, a proposed abortion rights constitutional amendment, on the ballot. There are two statewide, citizen-initiated proposals, Issues 1 and 2, that will be on the ballot. Issue 1 would generally enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution and Issue 2 would legalize recreational marijuana. (Hancock, 9/22)

Raleigh News & Observer: New Abortion Law Drives Out NC’s Scarce Supply Of Doctors
Dr. Nicole Teal was working a night shift in September 2022, when a patient came into UNC Medical Center’s labor and delivery unit with a particularly dangerous set of symptoms. Her blood pressure had suddenly spiked. Her platelets were decreasing. Liver enzymes in her blood were rising. She had the hallmarks of severe preeclampsia, one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women. “I don’t want to threaten my life,” Teal recalled the patient telling her. “I’d like an abortion.” (Rosenbluth, 9/21)

The Guardian: ‘Feels Horrible To Say No’: Abortion Funds Run Out Of Money As US Demand Surges
Laurie Bertram Roberts never expected Americans to keep forking over money to pay for other people’s abortions. But the abortion fund director didn’t think it would get this dire. When the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade last year, people donated tens of thousands of dollars to Roberts’ organization, the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, which is dedicated to helping people afford abortions and the many costs that come with it. But, in August, Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund had to stop funding abortions. It’s now closed until January 2024. (Sherman, 9/22)

The Boston Globe: FDA Advisory Panel Rejects Drug-Device Combination To Treat Type 2 Diabetes
A panel of medical advisers on Thursday unanimously dashed a Cambridge biotech’s hopes that US regulators would reconsider a twice-rejected implantable device designed for adults with uncontrolled blood sugar stemming from Type 2 diabetes. In a 19-0 vote, the panel concluded the device’s benefits were outweighed by its safety risks, including the potential for kidney and heart problems. The vote essentially upheld the Food and Drug Administration’s earlier rejections, although some members called for new clinical studies to address safety and dosing concerns. (Weisman, 9/21)

Stat: Intarcia’s Device-Drug Diabetes Therapy Shut Down By FDA Panel
An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration unanimously voted against a diabetes implant from Intarcia Therapeutics — a former biotech unicorn that faltered after the FDA rejected said implant not once, but twice. (Lawrence, 9/21)

In other drug development news —

Stat: Drug For Rare Kidney Disease Narrowly Misses Mark In Clinical Trial
Travere Therapeutics said Thursday that a study meant to confirm the benefit of its newly approved drug for a rare kidney disorder narrowly failed. (Mast, 9/21)

Reuters: AstraZeneca And Daiichi's Breast Cancer Drug Meets Goal In Study
AstraZeneca (AZN.L) said on Friday its experimental precision drug had slowed the progression of a common type of breast cancer in a late-stage trial, a boost for the company after its shares fell in July on results from a separate trial of the same drug for lung cancer. The drug, datopotamab deruxtecan, which AstraZeneca is jointly developing with Japan's Daiichi Sankyo (4568.T), is being closely watched by analysts and investors in part due to the promise of the class of drugs to which it belongs, known as antibody drug conjugates (ADC). (Fick, 9/22)

On other health industry developments —

Boston Globe: Thermo Fisher Plant For Manufacturing Gene Therapies To Expand
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s giant plant to manufacture gene therapies for drug companies is barely a year old, but executives at the maker of scientific tools are already talking about expanding. Standing inside a cavernous unfinished section of the plant, Paul Fitzgerald, vice president and general manager of the site, told a group of biotech executives, journalists, and other visitors that he’s eager to transform it into laboratories. So far, the company is only using about 290,000 of the plant’s more than 400,000 square feet. (Saltzman, 9/21)

The Wall Street Journal: Contamination Is Found At Novo Nordisk Plant In U.S. 
Novo Nordisk found bacteria in batches of the main ingredient for a diabetes pill that is a cousin to popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs and was made at a North Carolina plant earlier this year, according to a federal inspection report reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. (Loftus, 9/21)

Boston Globe: Dana-Farber Split With Brigham Adds Uncertainty For Cancer Patients
When Sarah, a mother of two, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 at the age of 43, she carefully considered where to go for care. She had been referred by her doctor to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where she received a mammogram and the cancer diagnosis. But Sarah, who asked that her last name not be used, ultimately chose the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, wanting a place that was known for cancer treatment. (Bartlett, 9/21)

On staffing matters —

Modern Healthcare: Kaiser Permanente Strike: Union Prepares For Potential Strike
Kaiser Permanente and a union representing 85,000 employees are preparing for a possible strike Oct. 1 as the two sides remain far apart on contract proposals. An overwhelming majority of the more than 77,000 members of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions who cast ballots authorized a strike if the health system and union don’t reach an agreement during what are being called final bargaining sessions this week. (Devereaux, 9/21)

Stat: Why Are Kaiser Permanente Staff Considering A Strike?
This week, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions is negotiating a new national contract with the health care giant. More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers across the country have voted to authorize a strike if Thursday and Friday’s bargaining sessions do not end in an acceptable deal. (Trang, 9/21)

The Boston Globe: Resident Union Accuses Mass General Brigham Of Unfair Labor Moves
The union for medical residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham has filed unfair labor practice charges against the state’s largest health system with the National Labor Relations Board, records show. ... “Changes to trainee benefits, which included a $10,000 stipend for residents and clinical fellows, were announced in March prior to both the petition for unionization and subsequent vote,” Mass General Brigham said in a statement. (Andersen, 9/21)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth Group To Trim Medicare Advantage Plans In 2024
UnitedHealth Group plans to trim its Medicare Advantage offerings next year, the company informed providers in a notice distributed Thursday. UnitedHealthcare is the leading Medicare Advantage insurer with a 29% market share, according to data analyzed by KFF, and expects membership to grow by more than 900,000 this year. (Tepper, 9/21)

Crain's Chicago Business: Outcome Health's Rishi Shah Spent Over $6M Fighting Fraud Charges
Outcome Health co-founder Rishi Shah spent more than $6 million on defense attorneys to fight federal fraud charges, but he wanted to spend much more. That’s why he deserves a new trial, he says in a new court filing. It’s a curious, convoluted argument that underscores how far the millionaire startup founder is going to hang onto his money and his freedom for as long as he can. (Pletz, 9/21)

Reuters: Walgreens Hit With Lawsuit After FDA Warning Over Eyedrops
Walgreens was hit with a proposed class action in Florida federal court over claims it mislabeled eyedrops for treating pink eye and misled consumers into believing the product was safe and effective. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, follows warning letters that the FDA sent to Illinois-based Walgreens and several other companies last week about selling and marketing eye care products that the agency said posed a risk to users. The FDA has not approved the products at issue. (Novak Jones, 9/22)

Modern Healthcare: Walgreens Promises More Co-Branded VillageMD Offices
Walgreens reaffirmed its commitment to becoming a fully integrated healthcare company on Wednesday, showing off its latest Village Medical at Walgreens primary care location in suburban Chicago. Walgreens moved aggressively into healthcare services under former CEO Roz Brewer, who stepped down earlier this month as the company's U.S. healthcare services segment has struggled to gain traction. A search is underway for a permanent CEO. (Eastabrook, 9/21)

Fortune: Top 100 Hospitals 2023: Fortune/PINC AI
Fifty-one of the winning hospitals appeared on last year’s list. As is the case every year, hospitals do not apply for the 100 Top Hospitals award, and winners do not pay to market this honor. This year’s study, which was based on publicly available Medicare data from 2021, showed little change from 2020 for the industry on most measures. The one exception for hospitals in the study was profit margin, which increased significantly due to COVID-19 relief dollars hospitals received that year. Those pandemic funds are gone, of course, raising the stakes for hospitals to be at the top of their game. (9/21)

CNN: Obesity Is Becoming More Common In A Growing Number Of States, CDC Data Show
Obesity is becoming more common in a growing number of states, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, 22 states had at least 35% of adults with obesity, up from 19 states in 2021. Ten years ago, CDC said, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%. (McPhillips, 9/21)

The Hill: CDC Data Shows Obesity Prevalence More Common In A Growing Number Of States
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the prevalence of obesity is rising all across the nation. The CDC data found that 22 states had a prevalence, or “proportion of adults with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30,” of obesity over 35 percent in 2022. In comparison, 17 states had a prevalence of obesity over 35 percent in 2021. (Suter, 9/21)

The 19th: Weight Discrimination In Health Care Is Prominent Among Women, Nonbinary People, Poll Finds
Women and nonbinary people are more likely than men to say they have experienced discrimination from a medical provider or been denied medical services, and the disparity is particularly acute when it comes to weight-based discrimination, according to a new 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll. (Luthra, 9/21)

On other public health matters —

Fox News: High Blood Pressure A Concern Worldwide, Leading To Death, Stroke, Heart Attack: How To Stop A ‘Silent Killer’
The World Health Organization (WHO) has just published its first report on the global impact of hypertension and how people can win the race against this "silent killer" that often presents without symptoms. "This important report from WHO shows how high blood pressure is common and growing in prevalence, but is under-detected and under-treated globally," Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, director of Mount Sinai Heart at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York City, told Fox News Digital. (Sudhakar, 9/21)

Reuters: US EPA Says No Immediate Lead Health Threats From Telecom Cables
The U.S. environmental regulator said Thursday soil sampling for lead in two Pennsylvania towns near telecommunications cables indicate "no threats to the health of people nearby that would warrant" an immediate government response, despite some findings of the pollutant. The Environmental Protection Agency testing was prompted by an investigation by the Wall Street Journal of lead covered telecommunications cables across the United States. EPA sampled soil for lead near telecommunications cables in the Pennsylvania towns of Coal Center and California. (Shepardson, 9/21)

Fox News: Melatonin Warnings: Nearly Half Of Parents Give It To Their Kids To Help Them Sleep, But Experts Urge Caution
Nearly half (46%) of parents in the U.S. have given melatonin to a child under the age of 13, and almost one-third (30%) of parents have given the supplement to a teen over the age of 13 to help him or her fall asleep, according to a recent survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Providing melatonin to children might seem like a natural solution — but a 2022 AASM health advisory warns against using it for children because melatonin is not regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (Rudy, 9/22)

CNN: Conversation: The Quickest Way To Improve Your Family’s Mental Health
The fastest and most accessible tool to improve your family’s mental health is not only effective but free: Start talking. Learning how to talk about your own mental health with your child is one of the surefire ways to improve overall family comfort and mental health, according to a new report by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. (Icard, 9/21)

AP: Appeals Court Takes Up Transgender Health Coverage Case Likely Headed To Supreme Court 
A federal appeals court is considering cases out of North Carolina and West Virginia that could have significant implications on whether individual states are required to cover health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance. The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in cases Thursday involving the coverage of gender-affirming care by North Carolina’s state employee health plan and the coverage of gender-affirming surgery by West Virginia Medicaid. (Willingham, 9/21)

Reuters: US Court Weighs Insurance Coverage For Gender Transition Treatments
A federal appeals court on Thursday appeared torn on whether state health insurance plans must cover surgeries and other treatments as part of gender transition, in a pair of appeals by North Carolina and West Virginia. The full Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not clearly indicate at oral arguments how it would rule in either case, as judges peppered both sides with questions. Of the 14 judges now on the court, eight were appointed by Democratic presidents, and six by Republicans. (Pierson, 9/21)

Gender health care seems threatened even when not directly targeted by laws —

AP: Some Providers Are Dropping Gender-Affirming Care For Kids Even In Cases Where It's Legal
As Republican-led states have rushed to ban gender-affirming for minors, some families with transgender children found a bit of solace: At least they lived in states that would allow those already receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy to continue. But in some places, including Missouri and North Dakota, the care has abruptly been halted because medical providers are wary of harsh liability provisions in those same laws — one of multiple reasons that advocates say care has become harder to access even where it remains legal. (Salter and Mulvihill, 9/22)

CIDRAP: Both Paxlovid, Molnupiravir Lower COVID Omicron Deaths, Hospitalizations, Studies Conclude
Two new studies describe the benefits of the antiviral drugs nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) and molnupiravir in reducing SARS-CoV-2 Omicron hospitalizations and death, with one finding that the former is more effective than the latter at lowering death rates. Paxlovid and molnupiravir are used to treat nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients at high risk for severe illness within 5 days after symptom onset. (Van Beusekom, 9/21)

Bloomberg: Pfizer's Covid Drug Paxlovid Found To Be Less Effective
In a real-world study of people with Covid-19, Pfizer Inc.’s antiviral Paxlovid was less effective at preventing the infection’s most serious cases than it was in initial trials. The pill was just 37% effective at preventing hospitalization or death in high-risk patients when compared to no Covid treatment at all, according to an observational study published Thursday in JAMA Network Open. In earlier studies, it cut the risk of hospitalization or death by as much as 89%. (Cattan, 9/21)

CIDRAP: Study: COVID Therapeutics Not Available Evenly Across US
Access to COVID-19 therapeutics, like almost every other facet of the pandemic, is defined by sociodemographic-based disparities, according to a new survey published in JAMA Network Open. The study was based on data taken from the COVID-19 Public Therapeutic Locator, and the researchers paired the data with county-level population to assess geospatial differences in access to COVID-19 therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies. (Soucheray, 9/21)

CIDRAP: Smallpox Vaccine Given Years Before 72% To 75% Effective Against Mpox, Data Reveal
In a research letter today in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers estimate that a smallpox vaccine dose given a median of 13 years earlier is 72% to 75% effective against mpox among US veterans. (Van Beusekom, 9/21)

CIDRAP: NYC Hospital System Reports Rise In Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Infections 
Analysis of data from a large public healthcare system in New York City shows concerning changes in the numbers and epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections since 2016. The data, published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases, show a notable increase in CRKP infections in the New York City Health and Hospitals Enterprise during the COVID-19 pandemic, more cases originating in the community, and the rise of newer resistance mechanisms that challenge first-line antibiotics. (Dall, 9/21)

On innovations relating to AI —

Reuters: Big Pharma Bets On AI To Speed Up Clinical Trials
Major drugmakers are using artificial intelligence to find patients for clinical trials quickly, or to reduce the number of people needed to test medicines, both accelerating drug development and potentially saving millions of dollars. Human studies are the most expensive and time-consuming part of drug development as it can take years to recruit patients and trial new medicines in a process that can cost over a billion dollars from the discovery of a drug to the finishing line. (Grover and Coulter, 9/22)

Axios: AI Might Be Listening During Your Next Health Appointment
Your doctor or therapist might not be the only one listening in during your next visit. Artificial intelligence may be tuning in as well. Health care is racing to incorporate generative AI and natural language processing to help wrangle patient information, provide reliable care summaries and flag health risks. But the efforts come with quality and privacy concerns that people developing these tools acknowledge. (Reed, 9/22)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: How Well People ‘Think’ They Slept Might Matter More Than How They Actually Slept
How satisfied people are with their night’s sleep has a major impact on how well they feel the next day, regardless of what a tracking device might indicate about the quality of that sleep. (Sadick, 9/21)

In news on the research-related Lasker Awards —

The New York Times: Advances In Eye Scans And Protein Structure Win 2023 Lasker Awards
The prestigious Lasker Awards were given on Thursday to scientists making advances in the diagnosis of eye disease, the prediction of cellular protein structure and the intricacies of the immune system. The awards, closely watched by researchers in biomedical fields, often foreshadow Nobel Prizes. The Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award was given to a team of three scientists, led by James G. Fujimoto, a professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who helped invent optical coherence tomography. (Weiland and Metz, 9/21)

Stat: Lasker Awards 2023: Winners In Biomedical Research
The prestigious Lasker Awards for biomedical research are sometimes referred to as “America’s Nobel,” and with good reason — about a fourth of Lasker laureates have gone on to receive the Swedish award, too. The winners of the 2023 awards, announced on Thursday in New York, distinguished themselves in AI-enabled protein modeling, groundbreaking eye test technology, and in a wide-ranging career in medical science that combined innovative discoveries with attention to mentorship and leadership. (Merelli, 9/21)

Politico: Youth In Utah Climate Case Cite Montana Win To Give Them New Life
The law firm that won a landmark climate victory in Montana is pointing to that case to argue that a similar youth-led case against the state of Utah should proceed to trial. (Clark, 9/21)

News Service of Florida: KidCare Premiums Are Covered In Counties Hit By Hurricane Idalia
The Florida Healthy Kids Corp. will cover the costs of September premiums for children who are enrolled in the KidCare health insurance program and live in 16 counties affected by Hurricane Idalia. The Florida Healthy Kids Corp. board of directors on Wednesday approved the move, which will cost an estimated $961,000. It will apply to families in 16 counties designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as eligible for federal individual assistance after the Category 3 hurricane, which made landfall Aug. 30 in Taylor County. (9/21)

The Colorado Sun: Colorado Wants To Base Its Next Overdose Prevention Centers Bill On An Untested Rhode Island Law
Colorado lawmakers plan to use an untested policy from Rhode Island as the model for a 2024 bill they are drafting that would pave the way for so-called overdose prevention centers in the state. The centers, sometimes called harm-reduction or safe-use sites, are intended to be a place where people can use illegal drugs and, if necessary, be revived from an overdose by trained staff. The sites are also meant to provide counseling and access to substance-abuse treatment services. (Wenzler, 9/20)

Axios Chicago: McHenry County Marijuana Dispensaries Must Warn Of Mental Health Risks
McHenry County state's attorney Patrick Kenneally is touting "first-in-the-country" rules that require marijuana dispensaries in his county to prominently display signs warning that "cannabis use may contribute to mental health problems." (Eng, 9/21)

WLRN: Defendants In South Florida Nursing School Scam Await Sentencing
Five people who pleaded guilty to defrauding students at a Fort Lauderdale nursing school now await sentencing. The group sold fake degrees to thousands of students across South Florida, Texas and New York. In a Fort Lauderdale federal court last week, they pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. (9/21)

The CT Mirror: CT To Hold Hearing On Killingly Schools’ ‘Reluctance’ To Address Mental Health
The state Department of Education has recommended that an official hearing in its case with the Killingly School District move forward next month, citing in part what a new report calls an “ongoing reluctance” from the local board to recognize the concerns over mental health needs of students. (Monk, 9/21)

The New York Times: You May Have This Blobby Animal To Thank For Your Nervous System 
For hundreds of millions of years, pancake-shaped animals the size of a needle tip have been roving the seas with an appetite for tasty microbes and algae. They’re called placozoans, and are among the simplest of the major animal lineages. As simple as they are, a team of researchers has found compelling evidence of neuron-like cells in placozoans. And given how long these animals have existed, it’s possible that placozoans served as the blueprint for the nervous systems in more complex animals, including humans. The work was published in the journal Cell on Tuesday. (Jones, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Elite Athletes Swear By These Extreme Treatments. Scientists Think They Could Boost Your Health, Too
Cutting-edge sports-performance therapies using infrared light, electromagnetic pulses and cold potentially have longer-term benefits, researchers say. (Murphy, 9/16)

The New York Times: How Much Do Patients Need To Know About A Potentially Risky Treatment? 
A visiting researcher at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center was startled when he read the warning from the Food and Drug Administration about a product that had been used in spine surgeries at the esteemed Manhattan hospital. The fluid, derived from umbilical cord blood, was not approved for such procedures, the agency cautioned, and its Idaho manufacturer had been cited for possible contamination problems and inadequate screening of donors, making the product potentially unsafe. (Gabler, Eder and Pitchon, 9/20)

The New York Times: South Korean Adoptions And A Nation’s Painful Past
Mia Lee Sorensen’s Danish parents used to tell her that her birth family in South Korea had put her up for adoption. According to her adoption papers, she was born prematurely in 1987 to a family that could not afford her medical bills and wished for her to have a “good future” abroad. But when Ms. Sorensen found her birth parents in South Korea last year, they could not believe she was alive. They told her that her mother had passed out during labor and that when she woke up, the clinic told her that the baby had died. (Sang-Hun, 9/17)

Politico: They Thought Their Sick Little Girl Would Be Safe In America. Then It Denied Her Family Entry
Two years since the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, the world has moved on. But one Afghan family with a very sick little girl is still waiting — and hoping — to move to the U.S. (Misra, 9/17)

The Washington Post: At Japan’s Dementia Cafes, Forgotten Orders Are All Part Of The Service
The 85-year-old server was eager to kick off his shift, welcoming customers into the restaurant with a hearty greeting: “Irasshaimase!” or “Welcome!” But when it came time to take their orders, things got a little complicated. He walked up to a table but forgot his clipboard of order forms. He gingerly delivered a piece of cake to the wrong table. One customer waited 16 minutes for a cup of water after being seated. But no one complained or made a fuss about it. Each time, patrons embraced his mix-ups and chuckled along with him. That’s the way it goes at the Orange Day Sengawa, also known as the Cafe of Mistaken Orders. (Lee and Inuma, 9/19)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Mom Rage Is A Mental Health Crisis That Shouldn't Have To Exist 
It turns out mom rage is a maternal mental health crisis that stems from a lack of good mother care. The U.S. is one of only a handful of nations that doesn’t offer paid family leave. Even surviving birth can be iffy in the U.S., which has the highest maternal mortality rate of all industrialized nations. (Minna Dubin, 9/21)

Los Angeles Times: From COVID To Climate, Scientists Need Defending 
I have devoted my life to vaccine science. During the pandemic, our team at the Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine developed a low-cost COVID vaccine that was scaled for production in India and Indonesia, where almost 100 million doses were administered. (Peter Hotez, 9/22)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Is Ending And People Are Losing Insurance 
For a parent, there are few things that can invoke more stress and worry than when their child is sick. Between fear of what may happen, figuring out where to seek care, and taking time off work, things get overwhelming quickly. This is stressful enough without having to also worry about how to pay for treatment. (Jeremy Jones, 9/22)

Newsweek: Stopping Malaria From Killing Children Is A Matter Of Urgency 
Nothing focuses the mind like visiting a ward where 24 infants with severe malaria are fighting for their lives. There is nothing like witnessing the silent desperation of a mother. No conversation has more impact than one with the overstretched doctors and nurses struggling to save these children's lives with insufficient beds, power outages, and rudimentary oxygen supplies. (Peter Sands, 9/21)

Stat: A 988 Shortcut Should Be On Every Smartphone 
At the height of the pandemic, when everything was shut down, a patient with whom I had a long-term relationship developed suicidal ideation. A male adolescent who lived in poverty, he was not able to call me on his smartphone because he had run out of minutes. And he was ashamed to use his parents’ telephone because of privacy issues. Fortunately, he was able to find help. (Mark Goldstein, 9/22)

Stat: Ukraine And A New Approach To Mental Health In War
In March 2022, one of us, Kristina, was in Ukraine, running a training on a chilly day. Several hours into the training, one of the soldiers’ faces began to crumple, close to tears. The unit had just received a combat stress management skills training, including a box breathing exercise, in the field outside of a converted military base in Chernihiv near Ukraine’s borders with Belarus and Russia. The training involved discussing common acute stress responses, including the freeze response that can stupefy people, and how breathing exercises can support emotional regulation and return to function. The soldier said, “I wish I’d known how I could help in the past, when one of my friends was captured because he was frozen like that.” (Kristina Bohdanova, Marina Weiss and Samantha Weckesser, 9/22)

The Washington Post: I Swam In A Race For Cancer Research. It Was Extraordinarily Moving. 
On Sunday, I participated in my first open water race, swimming to fundraise for cancer research as part of Swim Across America. I swam in honor of my mother, who died from breast cancer. (Leana S. Wen, 9/21)

Newsweek: For-Profit Surrogacy Dehumanizes Women
In the last two years, surrogacy has gone from a $4 billion to a $14 billion dollar industry. This is a business that profits off eggs and wombs poached from impoverished women in the U.S. and places like war-torn Ukraine, where clinics have been described as "children factories" and babies were stuck in limbo for months, without parents, during the war. (Ericka Anderson, 9/21)