Politico: SCOTUS Agrees To Hear Challenge To Obamacare’s Preventive Care Coverage
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a broad challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s coverage of preventive services in its upcoming term, the latest in more than a decade of battles over the health reform law. A ruling for the conservative Texas employers who filed the case would erode the coverage of tens of millions of people who get their health insurance from their employer or through Obamacare’s marketplace, removing requirements that insurers cover the full cost of everything from birth control to vaccines to mental health screenings. (Ollstein and Gerstein, 1/10)

On Medicare and Medicaid —

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Plans Would Receive 4.33% Pay Bump In 2026
Payments to Medicare Advantage plans would rise 4.33% next year under a policy the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services unveiled Friday. The advance notice, which will be finalized under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, is likely President Joe Biden's last word on Medicare Advantage after implementing significant changes to the program during his term. Medicare Advantage insurers endured a small rate cut for 2025. (Early, 1/10)

Politico: Medicaid, ACA, Climate Measures On GOP Chopping Block
House Republicans are passing around a “menu” of more than $5 trillion in cuts they could use to bankroll President-elect Donald Trump’s top priorities this year, including tax cuts and border security. The early list of potential spending offsets obtained by POLITICO includes changes to Medicare and ending Biden administration climate programs, along with slashing welfare and “reimagining” the Affordable Care Act. (Leonard, Hill and Tamborrino, 1/10)

KFF Health News: Trump’s Return Puts Medicaid On The Chopping Block
Under President Joe Biden, enrollment in Medicaid hit a record high and the uninsured rate reached a record low. Donald Trump’s return to the White House — along with a GOP-controlled Senate and House of Representatives — is expected to change that. Republicans in Washington say they plan to use funding cuts and regulatory changes to dramatically shrink Medicaid, the nearly $900-billion-a-year government health insurance program that, along with the related Children’s Health Insurance Program, serves about 79 million mostly low-income or disabled Americans. (Galewitz, 1/13)

In Medicaid news from Indiana and Idaho —

Indiana Capital Chronicle: ABA And The Medicaid Budget — What's Next For Therapy For Children With Autism 
Families seeking support for a child with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis might soon face a potential hurdle: as soon as April, Indiana’s Medicaid program could cap reimbursements for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, or ABA, at 30 hours per week for a maximum of three years. When Rep. Becky Cash — a Zionsville Republican who credits ABA intervention with saving her daughter’s life — heard about the proposal, she said that she was “horrified.” “I don’t know of any other medical therapy that we max out at three years,” Cash said. “… the potential devastation is so far reaching that it would be hard to even qualify.” (Downard, 1/13)

Public News Service: Medicaid Expansion In Play As ID Legislature Gavels In
With state lawmakers back in Boise, changes could be coming to Medicaid. Voters approved Medicaid expansion in 2018, but Republican legislators have consistently said the program is too costly for Idaho. Some are considering repealing the expanded program. However, such radical changes could hurt families the most. (Tegethoff, 1/13)

The Washington Post: Billed As Nonaddictive, New Pain Pill Could Soon Win FDA Approval
The long quest for powerful non-opioid drugs that treat pain without risk of addiction is nearing a milestone, in the form of a pill that could soon win approval from the Food and Drug Administration. If successful, the drug developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals would offer a possible alternative to potent prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, which was once heavily marketed by drug companies and fueled an epidemic of dependency and death. (Gilbert and Ovalle, 1/13)

NBC News: FDA Expected To Propose Limiting Nicotine Levels In Tobacco Cigarettes, As Biden Term Ends
In its last few days of power, the Biden administration is expected to officially propose a limit on nicotine in cigarettes. It’d be a last-minute move to push back against the tobacco industry after President Joe Biden failed to finalize a long-standing pledge to ban menthol cigarettes. The proposal, which could come as soon as Monday, is not expected to include tobacco products like e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement patches and lozenges. (Edwards, 1/10)

Axios: Hospitals Balk At Biden Cybersecurity Upgrade
A sweeping update of federal security standards to better protect patient data against cyberattacks is drawing pushback from health systems, who say it's unworkable and too expensive. With the effects of the massive Change Healthcare attack still resonating and increasingly sophisticated attacks hitting hospitals, there's concern about a one-size-fits-all approach and how smaller and financially strapped facilities can adapt. (Reed, 1/13)

On veterans' health care —

The Washington Post: Cybertruck Suicide Exposes Military’s Struggle With Mental Health Stigma
The fiery New Year’s Day suicide of an Army Green Beret exposed the Pentagon’s struggle to identify and treat brain injuries and mental health issues, raising alarm among some lawmakers, medical experts and former military personnel who question if enough is being done to improve care and prevent similar tragedies. Matthew Livelsberger, 37, a career Special Forces soldier with extensive wartime service in Afghanistan, died from a self-inflicted gunshot moments before the rented Tesla Cybertruck he was driving exploded outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, authorities have said. (Horton, 1/11)

If you need help —

Dial 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

Bloomberg: Los Angeles Wildfire Smoke Adds Billions To Healthcare Costs
Los Angeles has experienced some of the world’s worst air quality this week as smoke from massive wildfires blankets the region and threatens the health of far more people than the fires themselves. And that will end up adding to the economic toll. Almost 180,000 have been forced to flee their homes and at least 10,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged. The fires are projected to cause $20 billion in insured losses, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co analysts. That damage projection doesn’t even factor in the likely high health impacts of the smoke, which cause an estimated billions in hidden health-linked costs in the US annually. (Hirji, 1/10)

KTLA: HHS Declares Public Health Emergency For California Wildfires 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency for California on Friday to address the health impacts of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County. The declaration provides greater flexibility for Medicare and Medicaid providers and suppliers, enabling them to address emergency health needs, officials said. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra made the announcement, following President Biden’s major disaster declaration. (Schlepp, 1/10)

Modern Healthcare: LA Wildfires Force Kaiser Permanente, Providence, Others To Close Facilities
Southern California wildfires have forced health systems to close outpatient facilities throughout the area, limiting access to care. Dozens of fires surrounded Los Angeles County this week, scorching around 40,000 acres and destroying more than 10,000 homes, vehicles and businesses over a four-day span as of Friday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The largest wildfires, Palisades and Eaton, are less than 10% contained, the agency estimates. (Kacik, 1/10)

Axios: The Psychological Toll Of California's Catastrophic Fires
Entire neighborhoods in Southern California have been destroyed by deadly wildfires, displacing communities that don't know what — if anything — they'll have to return to. Researchers have linked wildfires to long-lasting anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in survivors, in addition to the well-documented physical toll. (Rubin, 1/12)

NPR: The Science Behind The Los Angeles Wildfire Smoke
Air quality in the Los Angeles region has plummeted due to smoke from the ongoing wildfires. And with all that smoke comes possible risks to human health. So what actually is smoke? Jessica Gilman, an atmospheric chemist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains what it's made of, how it behaves in the atmosphere, and smoke's role in climate change. (Kwong, Yungm and Ramirez, 1/13)

Related news about climate and health —

CBS News: Hospitals Ready To Operate Through North Texas Winter Storm
North Texas hospitals are preparing to operate in the inclement weather since medical emergencies won't wait till the winter storm passes. "We're here, and we're ready," said Debbie Boudreaux, the vice president of nursing and patient services at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. The hospital has plenty of food, medication and supplies on hand. There's also plenty of room for staff to stay on-site if needed. (Vandergriff, 1/12)

North Carolina Health News: Frontline Health Clinics Adapt To Climate Challenges With Toolkit
Despite the damage to its building and the disruption of service brought by Hurricane Debby in August, Sanford’s Helping Hand Clinic staff were better prepared to handle the chaos because of earlier guidance it had gotten for dealing with extreme weather. “We were closed for 11 days, without power for half a day and Wi-Fi and internet for nine days — it just was a whole catastrophe,” said clinic Director Gwendolyn Cooper. However, Cooper said, they were ready. (Atwater, 1/13)

AP: Earth Records Hottest Year Ever In 2024, Exceeds 1.5 C
Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold, weather monitoring agencies announced Friday. It’s the first time in recorded history that the planet was above a hoped-for limit to warming for an entire year, according to measurements from four of the six teams. Scientists say if Earth stays above the threshold long-term, it will mean increased deaths, destruction, species loss and sea level rise from the extreme weather that accompanies warming. (Borenstein, 1/10)

Stat: DOJ Seeks Interviews With Former UnitedHealth Optum Doctors 
The Justice Department is interviewing former UnitedHealth Group physicians about their experiences working at practices owned by the health care giant, two sources with knowledge of the inquiries told STAT. (Bannow, 1/12)

Stat: Top Health Insurers Bow Out Of J.P. Morgan Conference
Cigna and Centene have bowed out of this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, a possible sign that leaders of large health care companies are looking to avoid public appearances in light of the assassination of a high-profile executive last month. (Herman, 1/13)

More health industry updates —

CBS News: Prospect Medical Holdings Files For Bankruptcy After Owners Took Hundreds Of Millions In Payouts
A Los Angeles-based company that owns more than a dozen hospitals in four states filed for bankruptcy late Saturday night, the second major system acquired by private equity to collapse in less than a year. In an initial filing seeking Chapter 11 protections, Prospect Medical Holdings, which owns facilities in California, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, listed debts of more than $400 million. In a press release announcing its restructuring, the company said it would continue to operate as normal. (Kaplan, 1/12)

Modern Healthcare: Mercy Health To Acquire 10 Facilities From Greater Midwest
Mercy Health — Toledo plans to acquire 10 urgent care centers in Ohio and Michigan from Greater Midwest Urgent Cares. The nonprofit, faith-based system, part of Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health, said Friday it plans to assume ownership April 1. Financial details of the transaction, which would be through an asset purchase agreement, were not disclosed. (DeSilva, 1/10)

Modern Healthcare: Labcorp To Operate 5 Inspira Health Hospital Labs
Labcorp has entered an agreement to operate some Inspira Health hospital laboratories in New Jersey and will serve as the primary lab for health system's physician network. The company said it will operate and help staff five of six Inspira inpatient hospital labs located across Vineland, Elmer and Mullica Hill. It does not plan to acquire the labs, a Labcorp spokesperson said. Financial details were not disclosed. (DeSilva, 1/10)

Modern Healthcare: Particle Health Wants To Continue Epic Antitrust Lawsuit
Particle Health isn't giving up on its antitrust case against Epic Systems. On Thursday, Particle filed a response to Epic's request in December to get the antitrust case dismissed. The case, brought by Particle Health in September in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges Epic has used its market power to prevent products that would compete with the EHR company's payer platform. (Turner, 1/10)

KFF Health News: Can Medical Schools Funnel More Doctors Into The Primary Care Pipeline?
Throughout her childhood, Julia Lo Cascio dreamed of becoming a pediatrician. So, when applying to medical school, she was thrilled to discover a new, small school founded specifically to train primary care doctors: NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. Now in her final year at the Mineola, New York, school, Lo Cascio remains committed to primary care pediatrics. But many young doctors choose otherwise as they leave medical school for their residencies. In 2024, 252 of the nation’s 3,139 pediatric residency slots went unfilled and family medicine programs faced 636 vacant residencies out of 5,231 as students chased higher-paying specialties. (Freyer, 1/13)

AP: Largest Health Care Strike In Oregon History Begins As Thousands Picket Providence Hospitals
Some 5,000 hospital health care workers walked off the job Friday as they picketed all eight Providence hospitals in Oregon, in what the state health workers union described as the largest health care strike in Oregon history — and the first to involve doctors. Most of those participating in the open-ended strike are nurses. But in a rare move, dozens of doctors at a Portland hospital and at six women’s health clinics are also partaking, making it the state’s first physicians strike, according to the Oregon Nurses Association union. (Rush, 1/11)

St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Sees First Decrease In Drug Overdose Deaths Since 2015 
The number of drug overdose deaths in Missouri went down for the first time in nearly a decade in 2023, according to the latest data from the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services. The number of fatal drug-related deaths, mostly from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, had been going up for years and peaked in 2021 and 2022. The 1,948 overdose deaths recorded among Missourians in 2023 represented a 10% decrease from the year before. (Fentem, 1/13)

Chicago Tribune: Indiana Legislators Consider Banning Abortion Pills
Indiana legislators are considering two bills related to distributing or taking abortion pills, which Indiana University professor of law says amounts to overkill because abortion is already illegal in Indiana. (Kukulka, 1/11)

Asheville Watchdog: Mission Pharmacy Program Struggling
A Mission Hospital pharmacy program that provides and tracks patients’ medications to ensure their safety has been plagued by nearly constant turnover for years, Asheville Watchdog has learned. Despite warnings from a supervisor about dangerous errors that could result from staff departures, hospital leadership did not take significant action to recruit and retain employees, even during a hospital-wide federal investigation and resulting sanctions. (Jones, 1/11)

EdSurge: Intergenerational Care Benefits Children And Seniors. Why Is It Still So Rare?
Several times a week, teachers at Tiny Images, an early learning program in Fairmont, Nebraska, load up babies and toddlers into four- and six-seater carts and take the children on “buggy rides” through the building. They stop first to visit residents in the assisted living wing before continuing on to those in the nursing home. (Sullivan, 1/10)

The New York Times: Childhood Vaccination Rates Were Falling Even Before The Rise Of R.F.K. Jr.
After years of holding steady, American vaccination rates against once-common childhood diseases have been dropping. Nationwide, the rate of kindergartners with complete records for the measles vaccine declined from around 95 percent before the pandemic to under 93 percent last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Immunization rates against polio, whooping cough and chickenpox fell similarly. (Paris, 1/12)

MedPage Today: Growing 'Medical Freedom' Movement Poses Challenge For Public Health
The "medical freedom" movement that has gained traction in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic could continue to push public health statistics in a troubling direction, experts told MedPage Today. ... In 2024, the percentage of U.S. kindergartners with an exemption from at least one required vaccine increased to 3.3%, the highest percentage ever noted, according to the CDC. There also were more than 32,000 cases of pertussis, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, and there were 16 measles outbreaks totaling 284 cases, up from 4 outbreaks with 59 cases the year prior, CDC said. (Henderson, 1/10)

The Washington Post: HHS Chief Becerra Describes Frustrations Combating Social Media Misinformation
As they entered office at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2021, Xavier Becerra and his allies had a plan to restore Americans’ faith in the nation’s beleaguered public health agencies. ... Four years later, the pandemic has receded. But trust in America’s health agencies has not recovered. The percentage of adults who regarded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “excellent” or “good” fell from 64 percent in April 2019 to 40 percent in October 2021 — a rating that has stubbornly refused to budge in the subsequent three years, according to Gallup polls, despite the Biden administration’s efforts to rebuild confidence. (Diamond, 1/12)

On E. coli, norovirus, and salmonella —

CBS News: FDA Finds Little Handwashing, Dirty Equipment At McDonald's Supplier Linked To E. Coli Outbreak
Food and Drug Administration officials turned up dozens of violations at a McDonald's supplier linked to a deadly outbreak of E. coli that led to more than a hundred infections and a sweeping recall of onions used in the fast food chain's products, including its Quarter Pounder burgers. The violations, detailed in an inspection report released to CBS News in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, were seen during an inspection of a food production facility in Colorado run by Taylor Farms. (Tin, 1/10)

Fortune Well: Moderna Recruiting Participants For Nova 301, Norovirus MRNA Vaccine Clinical Trial
“Stomach bug,” “cruise-ship virus,” “winter vomiting disease”—all are nicknames for norovirus, the top cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the U.S. The contagious ailment typically circulates throughout the late fall, winter, and early spring, and the 2024–25 season is no exception. Nationwide test positivity was nearly 23% the week ended Dec. 28, compared to less than 11% six weeks earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Up to 21 million people contract norovirus each year in the U.S. alone, the CDC says. Though most people recover from the gastrointestinal illness within three days, norovirus is annually responsible for 465,000 emergency department visits, mostly in young children; 109,000 hospitalizations; and 900 deaths, mostly among adults 65 and older. (Leake, 1/11)

Newsweek: Life-Threatening Infections Spread By Dogs, Pet Owners Warned
Pet dogs are an important but overlooked source of salmonella infections among humans, a recent study from Penn State University (PSU) has found. Hygiene practices of dog owners, dog food safety and antibiotics given to dogs could all impact the likelihood, severity and treatability of salmonella infections in humans, the scientists concluded. (Willmoth, 1/10)

On bird flu —

CNN: California Child Is Presumed Positive For Bird Flu
A child in San Francisco who had red eyes and a fever had a probable case of H5N1 bird flu, according to the city’s Department of Public Health. The case was caught by routine surveillance. When the child developed symptoms, they were checked for RSV, Covid-19 and the flu, and they tested positive for influenza A. (Goodman, 1/10)

CIDRAP: Avian Flu Strikes More US Poultry On East Coast And In Midwest
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed more H5N1 avian flu detections in poultry from three states, including on a second commercial broiler farm in Delaware's Kent County. Also, officials confirmed an outbreak at a backyard farm in Michigan's Oakland County that has 100 birds, an event first announced by Michigan's agriculture department yesterday. (Schnirring, 1/10)

On 'Havana Syndrome' and superbugs —

AP: US Finds No 'Havana Syndrome' Link To Foreign Powers, But 2 Spy Agencies Say It's Possible
U.S. intelligence has found no evidence linking a foreign power to the mysterious “Havana syndrome” injuries reported by some U.S. diplomats and other government personnel, though two agencies now say it’s possible a foreign adversary may have developed or even deployed a weapon responsible for the injuries. The conclusion, which echoes early investigations, follows a review conducted by seven intelligence agencies or departments that examined cases of brain injuries and other symptoms reported by American diplomats and other military and government staffers. (Klepper, 1/10)

Bloomberg: Wockhardt Sees Drugs To Fight Superbugs As Next Growth Driver
Wockhardt Ltd. expects a boost to revenue from its new drug to fight pneumonia-causing superbugs in India, where rampant use of antibiotics has made the population vulnerable to antimicrobial resistance. (Sanjay, 1/12)

AP: Walgreens Tops Wall Street's Expectations As Drugstore Chain Continues Turnaround Plan
Walgreens booked a better-than-expected fiscal first quarter and gave Wall Street some positive vibes on the drugstore chain’s plan to revive its struggling business. Company shares soared Friday after leaders told analysts they have made progress improving one of the biggest concerns facing the industry, shrinking prescription reimbursement, and said their store-closing plan was progressing better than expected. (Murphy, 1/10)

Modern Healthcare: Walgreens' Tim Wentworth: VillageMD Sale Is Underway
Walgreens is making progress renegotiating contracts with pharmacy benefit managers and selling its VillageMD stake, while continuing to trim down other parts of the business. Walgreens' sale of its majority stake in primary and multispecialty care provider VillageMD is underway, and the company's "ultimate intent" to exit the investment remains unchanged, CEO Tim Wentworth said Friday on a first-quarter earnings call. (Hudson, 1/10)

More pharmaceutical news —

The New York Times: Scientists May Be Able To Make Grapefruits Compatible With Medications They Currently Interfere With
You may be among the millions of people who have seen a surprisingly specific warning like this on the labels of drugs you take: Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medication. ... But there is no such warning for other kinds of citrus, such as mandarins and other oranges. Citrus researchers at the Volcani Center in Israel reported Wednesday in the journal The New Phytologist that, by crossing mandarins and grapefruit, they’ve uncovered genes that produce furanocoumarins in some citrus fruits. It’s a finding that opens the possibility of creating grapefruit that doesn’t require a warning label. (Greenwood, 1/10)

The Washington Post: New Nasal Test Said To ID Asthma Subtypes In Kids
Asthma comes in different subtypes, but diagnosing those subtypes — also known as endotypes — has historically been difficult. Newly published research in JAMA presents an alternative: a nasal swab test that researchers say accurately diagnoses a child’s asthma subtype. ... Understanding a child’s asthma type can help target treatment, but precisely pinpointing asthma endotype has relied on an invasive procedure that can be difficult to perform on a child. (Blakemore, 1/12)

Stat: GSK To Buy IDRx For $1B, Picking Up GI Cancer Drug
Seeking to build up its cancer business, GSK said Monday it is buying the privately held U.S. biotech IDRx for $1 billion upfront. The deal, which includes another $150 million in milestone payments, gives GSK an experimental treatment for a rare gastrointestinal cancer. (Joseph, 1/13) 

The New York Times: Don't The Lives Of Women And Girls Matter?
When he returns to the White House, President-elect Trump is widely expected to slash funding for women’s health organizations around the world, and people on the left and the right alike are focused on what that means for abortions. (Nicholas Kristof, 1/11)

The New York Times: RFK Jr. Is A Vaccine Cynic, Not Skeptic. 
The news media labels Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “vaccine skeptic.” He’s not. I’m an actual vaccine skeptic. In fact, everyone who serves with me on the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee is a vaccine skeptic. Pharmaceutical companies must prove to us that a vaccine is safe, that it’s effective. Then and only then will we recommend that it be authorized or licensed for use by Americans. (Paul A. Offit, 1/13)

The New York Times: The Terrifying Realization That An Unresponsive Patient Is 'Still In There'
A provocative large study published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that at least one in four people who appear unresponsive actually are conscious enough to understand language. As a doctor who sometimes sees patients like this, these findings are, in a word, terrifying. (Daniela J. Lamas, 1/11)

Stat: Too Often, Mental Health Treatment Simply Isn’t Very Good 
Although the Biden-Harris administration is coming to an end, some of its work will continue. The administration has invested tens of billions of dollars to expand federal and state mental health and substance use services through the Safer Communities Act, the American Rescue Plan, and other legislation. In the fall, they significantly extended these efforts by finalizing rules to extend mental health parity laws. This amounts to one of the most significant federal government investments in the behavioral health sector in history. (Nick Allen, 1/13)

Stat: We Need More Research On Asthma And Allergies In Asian American Kids
At our allergy clinic a couple of years ago, we saw a 9-month-old Filipino boy whose skin was completely blanketed with eczema. Pus seeped from raw, open sores where he scratched too much. He was already diagnosed with cashew and peanut allergies, and he was seeing us after an emergency room visit for a reaction to hummus. It was difficult to console his parents. Worse still, patients like this infant are becoming increasingly common. (Charles Feng, Latha Palaniappan and Anna Chen Arroyo, 1/13)

Also —

Chicago Tribune: How Illinois Could Turn Medicaid Into A Program That Works
“You missed your appointment. Please reschedule.” My friend sighed as the telehealth system disconnected. He’d recently switched to Illinois Medicaid, and seeing a doctor now seemed harder than getting Taylor Swift tickets. His rescheduled visit? With a physician assistant who couldn’t refill his pain medication. Technical issues, they said — but I knew better. (Maria Gross Pollock, 1/13)

The Boston Globe: Mass General's Growth Comes At Expense Of Affordable Health Care
Why do health care costs keep increasing? One reason is the deliberate expansion of large health care systems, which maximizes their market power to increase bills to private insurers, Medicare, the Commonwealth, and patients. (Robert Kuttner, 1/11)