The New York Times: Trump Wants To Neutralize Democrats On Health Care. Republicans Say Let It Go.
As President Trump prepares to kick off his bid for a second term this week, he is anxiously searching for a way to counter Democrats on health care, one of their central issues, even though many of his wary Republican allies would prefer he let it go for now. Since he announced his previous run four years ago, Mr. Trump has promised to replace President Barack Obama’s health care law with “something terrific” that costs less and covers more without ever actually producing such a plan. Now he is vowing to issue the plan within a month or two, reviving a campaign promise with broad consequences for next year’s contest. If he follows through, it could help shape a presidential race that Democrats would like to focus largely on health care. (Baker, Tackett and Qiu, 6/16)

The Hill: Trump Says He Will Roll Out New Health Care Plan In Next Couple Of Months 
President Trump said he'll be rolling out a new health care plan in a couple of months, saying it will be a key focus in his 2020 reelection campaign. "We're going to produce phenomenal health care, and we already have the concept of the plan," Trump told ABC News in an interview aired Sunday night. (Klar, 6/16)

And Trump campaigned on his plans to fix the opioid crisis, but will he be able to again? —

Politico: Trump Campaigned On Defeating The Opioid Crisis. It’s Hard To Tell If He’s Winning.
President Donald Trump’s focus on the opioid crisis may strengthen his bond with poor, disaffected voters in hard-hit places like Appalachia that are a bedrock of his base. But the administration, for all its efforts, has not yet reversed the tide of the deadly epidemic. The Trump administration’s response to the crisis of painkiller addictions and overdoses poses an unusual challenge for Democrats, who otherwise have claimed the electoral advantage on health issues during the Trump era. (Ehley, 6/16)

The New York Times: On The Doorstep With A Plea: Will You Support Medicare For All?
Art Miller listened patiently as the stranger on his doorstep tried to sell him on the Medicare for All Act of 2019, the single-payer health care bill that has sharply divided Democrats in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail. The visitor, Steven Meier, was a volunteer canvasser who wanted Mr. Miller to call his congresswoman, Abby Finkenauer, the young Democrat who took a Republican’s seat last year in this closely divided district — and press her to embrace Medicare for all. Beyond congressional politics, there was the familiar role that Iowa plays as the first state to weigh in on the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination. (Goodnough, 6/15)

The Hill: Sanders On Medicare For All: 'People Don't Like Insurance Companies, They Like Their Doctors' 
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 presidential candidate, defended one of his signature policy proposals, Medicare for All, on “Fox News Sunday,” saying Medicare is “far more popular” than private insurance. “Medicare itself is far, far more popular than our private insurance,” Sanders told Fox’s Chris Wallace. “People don’t like insurance companies, they like their doctors and they like their hospitals.” (Budryk, 6/16)

Reuters: U.S. Drugmakers File Lawsuit Against Requiring Drug Prices In TV Ads
U.S. drugmakers filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging a new government regulation that would require them to disclose the list price of prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer television advertisements. The lawsuit was jointly filed by Amgen Inc, Merck & Co, Eli Lilly and Co and the Association Of National Advertisers in the U.S. district court for the district of Columbia. (6/14)

The New York Times: Drug Makers Sue To Block Requirement For Listing Prices In TV Ads
“We believe the new requirements may cause patients to decide not to seek treatment because of their perception that they cannot afford their medications, when in fact many patients do not pay anything near list price,” Merck, whose top-selling product is the pricey cancer drug Keytruda, said in a statement. Lilly, which is one of three manufacturers of insulin under scrutiny for rising list prices — said the federal government had overstepped its authority. “The impetus for the lawsuit is drug prices in TV ads, but the crux of it is H.H.S. not having the authority to mandate this action,” the company said in a statement, referring to the Department of Health and Human Services. (Thomas, 6/14)

Modern Healthcare: Manufacturers Sue Trump Administration Over Price Disclosure
"That 'list price' is not, as patients will likely infer from the context, a suggested sales price for the retail transactions contemplated in advertisements," the brief stated. "Rather, the rule requires manufacturers to use the gross price at which a prescription drug is offered to wholesalers, before rebates, discounts, or any other adjustments are applied. And the mandated price figure not only ignores such wholesale price adjustments, but also fails to account for the insurance coverage that a significant majority of Americans have for their retail purchases of prescription drugs." (Luthi, 6/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Drugmakers Sue To Block Federal Rule Requiring Drug Prices In TV Ads
The proposed rule was finalized in May by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is set to take effect in July. It is among the efforts by the Trump administration to make health care more affordable in the U.S. Officials also want to stop billions of dollars in annual rebates that drugmakers give middlemen in Medicare that are known as pharmacy-benefit managers. The government has said the proposed rule would increase transparency around prices and allow patients to make informed decisions based on cost. Government officials also have said the rule could spur drug companies to reduce prices. (Hopkins, 6/14)

Stat: Pharma Companies Sue Over Trump Policy To Require Drug Prices In TV Ads
In a supporting legal analysis, Ravi Dhar, a Yale professor and paid consultant to the plaintiffs, argued that advertisements’ inclusion of wholesale acquisition cost — a common industry pricing benchmark — is “likely to mislead consumers into overestimating their actual out-of-pocket costs and is not likely to lead to more informed choices.” Almost immediately after the Trump administration first proposed the policy, drug makers began to question the federal government’s legal standing for requiring the price disclosures. They also argued that list prices are often not effective barometers of patient expense, given the variance between insurers, providers, and patient assistance programs, among other factors. (Facher, 6/14)

Bloomberg: Drugmakers Sue Trump Administration To Halt Advertising Rule 
A court battle over the rule could hamper part of the administration’s blueprint to drive down drug prices with regulation. Congress so far has failed to pass any major legislation, despite drug prices being an issue on which Republicans and Democrats can find common ground. (Armstrong, 6/14)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Stat: Pelosi Plan Could Impact $118 Billion Worth Of Medicare Drug Spending
Progressive lawmakers this week exacted a major concession from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: a pledge for the federal government to negotiate prices for a far larger group of drugs than initially proposed. The new plan, confirmed to STAT by Democratic aides, would have the federal government negotiate for the price of at least 250 drugs covered by Medicare — compared to at least 25 drugs in the initial proposal. (Facher, 6/14)

The New York Times: New York City Allocates $250,000 For Abortions, Challenging Conservative States
New York City will spend $250,000 to help poor women who travel from other states to obtain abortions here, inserting itself into the increasingly contentious debate over access to the procedure. While the amount of money is relatively small, the allocation is a symbolic if provocative move as more conservative states take steps to all but ban abortion. The money will go to the New York Abortion Access Fund, according to City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, a Democrat from Manhattan, and Jennifer Fermino, a spokeswoman for the Council speaker, Corey Johnson. (Stewart, 6/14)

The New York Times: As Passions Flare In Abortion Debate, Many Americans Say ‘It’s Complicated’
Abortion is an issue that Lynndora Smith-Holmes goes back and forth on. “Six of one, half dozen of the other,” she said the other day as she finished her lunch break. “Does it go back to people having abortions in back alleys? Haven’t we overcome that?” she asked, questioning the restrictive laws passed recently in states like Alabama and Kentucky. At the same time, Ms. Smith-Holmes, who works for a day care center in the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh and votes Democratic, said there should be limits. And she is not comfortable with the idea of taxpayer money going to fund abortions — a position that has become almost impossible to hold in the Democratic presidential primary. “Who’s paying for these?” she wondered. (Peters, 6/15)

The Associated Press: Planned Parenthood Builds Ala. Clinic Despite Abortion Law
Planned Parenthood is building the stage for another possible fight over abortion in Alabama: a large women's clinic that's under construction despite the state's passage of a near-total ban on abortions. Located beside an interstate highway in downtown Birmingham, the 10,000-square-foot structure is now nothing but a steel frame and roof. Workers under the constant watch of security guards appear to be installing electrical wiring, plus heating and cooling units. (Reeves, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Democratic Congresswoman Chides ‘Sex-Starved Males’ Opposed To Abortion Rights
Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Calif.) chastised House colleagues who are opposed to abortion rights, saying she was tired of hearing “from so many sex-starved males” about a woman’s right to choose. Her remark Wednesday during a House debate on a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services caused a stir and immediately, Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) asked Torres if she would like to amend her remarks. Torres agreed, but not before getting the line in one more time. “If it pleases my colleague on the other side, I will withdraw my statement of sex-starved males on the floor,” she said. (Itkowitz and DeBonis, 6/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Massachusetts Lawmakers To Consider Cutting Abortion Restrictions
Abortion will take center stage at the Massachusetts State House on Monday, with lawmakers in both houses scheduled to hear a proposal to decriminalize the procedure throughout pregnancy and strip away other limits on the procedure. Dozens of Democratic Massachusetts legislators have signed on to legislation known as the “Roe Act” in reference to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling establishing a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. (Gershman, 6/16)

Boston Globe: Lawmakers Express Discomfort Over Teen Abortions Without Parental Consent
Most concerning to legislators is the proposed elimination of an age restriction that requires anyone under 18 to have a parent’s consent or a judge’s order to get an abortion. The notion that a girl as young as 12 could get an abortion without telling her parents is proving to be a tough proposition, even in liberal Massachusetts, where most lawmakers consider themselves supporters of abortion rights. (Ebbert, 6/16)

The Associated Press: Push For Public Vote On Missouri Abortion Law Hits Roadblock
Efforts to put a new Missouri law banning abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy to a public vote hit another roadblock. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by prominent Republican donor David Humphreys, who is seeking to force GOP Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to approve his referendum petition on the new law. (6/14)

Politico: Efforts To Save New Moms Clash With GOP's Medicaid Cuts
The push to address the soaring U.S. maternal morality rate is colliding with a broader, more ideological public health imperative: Republican-led efforts to scale back Medicaid. The safety net program pays for half of all births in the nation. Democrats and many public health experts see it as a natural vessel for slowing the death toll of pregnant women and new mothers, by extending care in the crucial year following childbirth. (Rayasam and Ehley, 6/14)

NH Times Union: Spreading The Word On Medicaid Work Requirement Proves Challenging
When Nancy Glynn struck up a conversation with her next-door neighbor about the new work requirements for people on the state’s expanded Medicaid program, she was surprised by the response. “She had no idea that this is even going into effect,” said Glynn. The new work or community engagement requirement kicked in as of June 1, requiring anyone covered by expanded Medicaid, known as Granite Advantage, to complete 100 hours of work or approved community activities each month to maintain medical coverage, unless they are exempt due to medical frailty or other circumstances listed in the law. (Solomon, 6/16)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Cut From Georgia Medicaid Rolls, Patients Run Into Bureaucracy
State officials have advised 17,000 Medicaid patients that it dropped from its rolls recently to reapply. But they’re not making it easy. Callers told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they reach recordings, not people. (Hart, 6/14)

The Oklahoman: Protest To Medicaid Expansion Goes Before Makeshift Supreme Court
A makeshift Oklahoma Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Tuesday about a proposed state question to expand Medicaid to cover more of Oklahoma’s uninsured. A petition filed in April to put the question on a state ballot has been stalled by a protest from a conservative think tank called the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. The court will hear from attorneys for the think tank, the group that filed the petition and the Oklahoma attorney general’s office. (Casteel, 6/16)

The Hill: Cruz, Ocasio-Cortez Efforts On Birth Control Access Face Major Obstacles
Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) offer to work with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on making birth control available without a prescription has raised hopes that conservatives and progressives may find common ground on an issue that has long divided Republicans and Democrats. But the two parties are miles apart when it comes to the cost of birth control and who pays for it -- major sticking points that will likely complicate efforts to craft a bipartisan compromise between the staunch conservative and liberal firebrand. (Hellmann, 6/16)

Stat: Inhumane Or Unavoidable? As Congress Scrutinizes An Increase In Monkey Research, Scientists Defend Its Necessity
Federally funded research labs conduct thousands of experiments that rely on monkeys and other nonhuman primates— and now, Congress is ramping up its scrutiny of that science. As part of the congressional appropriations process in the House this year, lawmakers directed both the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to produce reports detailing the ways the agency’s scientists use the thousands of nonhuman primates in their research centers. (Hailu, 6/17)

NPR: Mitch McConnell And The Tobacco Industry: Documents Show Close Ties
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says one of his "highest priorities" is to take on the leading cause of preventable death in the United States: smoking. McConnell has sponsored a bill, along with Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, that would increase the tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21. In a speech on the Senate floor last month, McConnell said, "The sad reality is that Kentucky has been the home to the highest rates of cancer in the country. We lead the entire nation in the percentage of cancer cases tied directly to smoking." (Dreisbach, 6/17)

The Hill: Ocasio-Cortez Starts Petition To Repeal Hyde Amendment
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) started a petition Saturday to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds for abortions, arguing the restriction overwhelmingly harms low-income Americans and women of color. “It’s not the 70s anymore. This is 2019, and none of our leaders should be willing to stand by a policy that disproportionately harms low income Americans and people of color just to suit the interests of anti-choice zealots,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in an email to supporters. (Axelrod, 6/15)

Politico: Jon Stewart Continues To Push Congress On Behalf Of 9/11 Victims
Jon Stewart on Sunday continued to push for extending the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund but said congressional politics was making passage “agonizingly difficult.” “I think this community is at the end of their rope,” Stewart told Chris Wallace, host of “Fox News Sunday.” “I think there’s a feeling of disbelief, that they can’t understand why they have to continually saddle up and ride down to Washington and make these appeals for something that should be simple but is somehow, through politics, made agonizingly difficult.” (Quilantan, 6/16)

The Associated Press: Court Rules Against Trump On Immigrant Teen Abortion Policy
A federal appeals court in Washington ruled Friday against a Trump administration policy it described as a "blanket ban" preventing immigrant teens in government custody from getting abortions, and it kept in place an order blocking the policy. The policy, which dates to 2017, prohibited shelters from facilitating abortions for children held in government shelters after entering the country illegally. The policy has not been in force since March 2018, when a judge blocked it, writing that the government couldn't implement a policy that strips minors of the right to make their own reproductive choices. On Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld that judge's ruling. (6/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Court Allows Undocumented Teens In U.S. Custody To Seek Abortions
“It does not even matter if her pregnancy results from rape. Regardless, the government denies her access to an abortion,” the appeals court wrote. It affirmed a trial judge’s decision from last year that blocked the policy, which was implemented by an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Thousands of undocumented minors seek to cross the southern U.S. border each year, without an adult. Unaccompanied minors who cross illegally are generally placed with family members living in the U.S, but those without family are sent to shelters under the jurisdiction of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, an agency within the HHS, while their cases are being adjudicated. (Kendall, 6/14)

Reuters: U.S. Court Rules Against Trump Administration In Immigrant Teen Abortion Case
The case involves the intersection of two divisive social issues on which Republican President Donald Trump has taken a hard line: abortion and immigration. It began with a 17-year-old girl, whose name and nationality were not disclosed and was called “Jane Doe” in legal papers. She came to the United States alone in 2017 and was placed in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which falls under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and houses immigrant children. (Rosenberg, 6/14)

CQ: Minors In Border Custody Can Obtain An Abortion, Court Affirms
As more lawsuits came up on behalf of pregnant minors, they were cobbled together in a class action. In March 2018, a district court recognized the plaintiffs as “all pregnant, unaccompanied immigrant minor children who are or will be in the legal custody of the federal government.” The district court also issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump policy, on the likelihood that the plaintiffs would succeed on the merits of their case. Specifically, it stated that the government could not interfere with access to abortion or abortion counseling. The court also stopped the government from disclosing information about any pregnancies or abortions among teens in its custody. (Misra, 6/14)

In other immigration news —

The Associated Press: US Border Center Scrutinized After Teen Found With Preemie
A U.S. Border Patrol facility in Texas came under new scrutiny Saturday after a teenage mother was found there with a premature baby. Immigrant advocates expected the facility in the U.S.-Mexico border city of McAllen to allow doctors inside to conduct health assessments, but it was not immediately clear whether those assessments took place. (6/15)

The New York Times: Groundwork Is Laid For Opioids Settlement That Would Touch Every Corner Of U.S.
Every city, town and county in the United States could receive a payout in a settlement with the largest makers, distributors and retailers of prescription opioids, if a judge approves an innovative proposal made Friday in an Ohio federal court by lawyers for hundreds of local governments. The plan, which legal experts describe as “novel” and “unorthodox,” could potentially expand the number of municipalities and counties eligible for compensation in the federal litigation from 1,650 to about 24,500 and open the way for a comprehensive national opioid settlement with the pharmaceutical industry. (Hoffman, 6/14)

Bloomberg: Opioid Makers Squeezed As Cities Try To Form Group For Talks
More than 1,500 U.S. municipalities are seeking to negotiate as a group with Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharma LP and other drug makers over the opioid epidemic, hoping that will spur the companies to pay billions of dollars to settle lawsuits. The cities and counties, which blame the drug makers and distributors for creating a national public-health crisis by illegally promoting addictive painkillers, asked U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland Friday to let them create a negotiation class. The suits were already consolidated for pre-trial exchanges of information in the so-called multidistrict litigation, or MDL. (Feeley and Harris, 6/14)

In other news on the country's drug epidemic —

Kaiser Health News: Federal Grants ‘A Lifesaver’ In Opioid Fight, But States Still Struggle To Curb Meth
In his 40 years of working with people struggling with addiction, David Crowe has seen various drugs fade in and out of popularity in Pennsylvania’s Crawford County. Methamphetamine use and distribution is a major challenge for the rural area, said Crowe, the executive director of Crawford County Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission. But opioid-related overdoses have killed at least 83 people in the county since 2015, he said. Crowe said his organization has received just over $327,300 from key federal grants designed to curb the opioid epidemic. While the money was a godsend for the county — south of Lake Erie on the Ohio state line — he said, methamphetamine is still a major problem. (Heredia Rodriguez, Lucas and Donovan-Smith, 6/17)

KQED: In California, New Drug Treatment Money Also Means New Rules
An influx of federal money is allowing counties throughout the state to get more people into treatment. But with federal money comes federal limits on how to spend it. People will only be allowed to stay in residential treatment for up to 90 days. And if they drop out of treatment, even after a few days, they only have one chance that year to try again. (Dembosky, 6/17)

Bloomberg: A Trio Of Trump Rules Will Remake U.S. Health Insurance Markets 
President Donald Trump’s attempt to transform American health insurance is almost complete. Twenty months ago, frustrated after attempts to repeal Obamacare fell apart in the Republican-controlled Senate, Trump pledged to use executive power to do what Congress failed to legislate. An executive order set in motion regulations to promote “health care choice and competition across the United States.” (Tozzi, 6/14)

In other health industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Staffing Agencies' Outlook Softens As Providers Control Costs
Healthcare providers' financial pressure has dampened the outlook of staffing firms, according to a new report. Staffing companies that serve hospitals—such as Envision, Team Health and Schumacher—are particularly vulnerable as emergency department volumes decline and health systems develop predictive tools to better measure demand, according to a new report from ratings agency Standard & Poor's. The agency maintained a stable outlook on the staffing industry, although it is a precarious one as providers try to find their financial footing. (Kacik, 6/14)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Breaches Reported In May Exposed Data On 2 Million People
Nearly 2 million people had data exposed in healthcare breaches reported to the federal government last month, more than double the number whose data was exposed in April-reported incidents. But May had fewer breaches reported than April, which marked the highest number of healthcare breaches reported in a single month since HHS' Office for Civil Rights began maintaining its database in 2010. (Cohen, 6/14)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Recoups Money Spent On Botched Health Exchange Rollout Under Settlement With IBM 
Maryland and the federal government will recoup millions of dollars spent on the disastrous rollout of the state’s health insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act under a settlement with IBM, which supplied the technology. Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and the U.S. Attorney for Maryland Robert K. Hur announced the $14.8 million settlement with IBM and its Curam Software unit Friday, a little more than five years after then-Gov. Martin O’Malley blamed the technology giant for the website’s problems and said: “We take responsibility for fixing this, and we'll see IBM in court." (Cohn, 6/14)

Modern Healthcare: IBM To Pay $14.8 Million To Settle False Claims Act Allegations
IBM-acquired Cúram Software allegedly misrepresented product capabilities during a contract award process with the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange in 2011 and 2012. The exchange is an independent unit of the Maryland government that facilitates purchasing of health insurance, as required by the Affordable Care Act. The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange in February 2012 awarded a contract—partially funded by federal grants from HHS—to develop the state's health insurance exchange website and information technology platform, with Cúram-IBM named as a subcontractor on the project. (Cohen, 6/14)

The New York Times: Eager To Limit Exemptions To Vaccination, States Face Staunch Resistance
As measles spread across the nation earlier this year, 71 residents of Vancouver, Wash., fell ill, most of them unvaccinated children. So state Rep. Paul Harris, a Republican representing the district, sponsored a measure to limit exemptions from immunization. Activists protesting the bill converged on his legislative office; the resulting chaos led security officers to close the entire floor to the public. A death threat was posted on Facebook. (Rabin, 6/14)

The Associated Press: Summer Camp Is Newest Front In Battle With Measles Outbreak
The battle to contain the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 27 years has a new front: summer camp. Vaccinations have been made mandatory this summer for campers and staff in several counties north of New York City that annually fill up with kids from the Orthodox Jewish communities that have been hit hardest by measles. (Hill, 6/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Measles Outbreaks Strain Local Health Departments
Measles first appeared in Clark County, Wash., on New Year’s Eve, when a child who had traveled from Ukraine arrived at an urgent-care clinic. By January 15, the outbreak had taken over the local health department, with two additional confirmed cases and 11 more under investigation. By mid-March, the number of confirmed cases jumped to 71. Clark County Public Health took over the building it had been sharing with several other departments and nonprofits to make room for more than 200 employees, volunteers and state and federal health officials, who worked in shifts. (Abbott, 6/16)

CBS News: Firefighters Battle Occupational Cancer: Many Sickened First Responders Are Being Denied Workers' Comp Benefits
Since 2002, almost two out of every three firefighters who died in the line of duty died of cancer, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters. ... Now, as if surviving the flames and then fighting cancer weren't enough, some firefighters are facing another, even more stunning challenge from the very cities they're protecting. (6/16)

In previous coverage on the issue of firefighters' health —

NPR: More Wildfires Bring Focus On How All That Smoke May Harm Firefighters
When Timothy Ingalsbee thinks back on his days in the 1980s and '90s fighting wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, he remembers the adventure of jumping out of a helicopter into the wilderness, and the camaraderie of being on a fire crew. "We just slept in a heap," he says, "on the ground under the stars, or smoke-filled skies." But Ingalsbee, who went on to found the Eugene, Ore.-based Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, doesn't like to remember all that smoke. (Burns, 6/12)

The Associated Press: What's So Bad About Processed Foods? Scientists Offer Clues
Chips, soda and frozen pizzas tend to be full of salt, sugar and fat, but now scientists are trying to understand if there's something else about such processed foods that might be bad for us. Already, the spread of cheap, packaged foods has been linked to rising obesity rates around the world. Yet advice to limit processed foods can seem unhelpful, given how convenient they are and the growing array of products that fall into the category. (Choi, 6/14)

Stat: Medical Schools Are Starting To Diversify. But They’re Learning Hard Lessons Along The Way
As medical students graduate this spring, American medical schools are celebrating the achievements of the nation’s newest doctors. They are also celebrating something else: an increase in the number of students from underrepresented populations. From 2017 to 2018, the number of black students enrolled in U.S. medical schools rose by 4.6%, while the number of medical students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native increased by 6.3%, according to data released by the Association of American Medical Colleges. It’s the latest evidence of a steady increase in the enrollment of nonwhite students over the past several years. (Samuel, 6/17)

The New York Times: For The Third Time, W.H.O. Declines To Declare The Ebola Outbreak An Emergency
For the third time, the World Health Organization declined on Friday to declare the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency, though the outbreak spread this week into neighboring Uganda and ranks as the second deadliest in history. An expert panel advising the W.H.O. advised against it because the risk of the disease spreading beyond the region remained low and declaring an emergency could have backfired. (McNeil, 6/14)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Mental Health Day Off? Company Culture Is Changing: Top Workplaces 2019
Companies are becoming more attuned to the mental health needs of their employees, thanks to an evolving understanding of the importance of mental health issues throughout the United States, said Sonya Weiland, a human resources consultant in Strongsville. Most companies don’t officially offer days off specifically for mental health care, but many support the practice unofficially, she said. (Glaser, 6/16)

Bloomberg: India's Lupin Recalls 18,000 Antibiotic Drug Bottles In The U.S. 
Indian drug maker Lupin Ltd. is recalling more than 18,000 bottles of an antibiotic drug used to treat bacterial infections from the U.S. market. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc, the U.S. unit of the Indian company, is recalling the drug due to a “complaint received of metal piece identified in the product bottle prior to the reconstitution,” according to information on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or USFDA, website. (Sircar, 6/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Does Your Kid Spend Too Much Time Online? Here’s When To Worry.
Twitch. Fortnite. Netflix. Many parents worry that their kids spend too much time on social media, videogames and other digital technology. Some are concerned enough to ask doctors for help. Parents may have reason to worry, says pediatrician Michael Rich, director of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Center on Media and Child Health and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, which focuses on issues associated with digital technology. (Reddy, 6/17)

WBUR: Pregnant, Locked Up, And Alone
With female incarceration rates rising in the United States, prisons and jails across the country are contending with new challenges, including caring for pregnant women. Sometimes, those inmates are being housed alone — in medical units and other types of isolation — for days or weeks at a time. (McCammon, 6/16)

The Washington Post: Confused Or Worried About Antibiotics? This Harvard Infectious Disease Expert Has Some Answers
Should you use antibiotics? What’s antibiotic resistance? Can the medication really interfere with the gut and other systems of the body? If you have questions about antibiotics, you’re not alone — and Mary E. Wilson, a Harvard University professor and infectious disease expert, probably answers those question in “Anti­biotics: What Everyone Needs to Know.” (Blakemore, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Potent Pot, Vulnerable Teens Trigger Concerns In First States To Legalize Marijuana
The first two states to legalize recreational marijuana are starting to grapple with teenagers’ growing use of highly potent pot, even as both boost the industry and reap huge tax windfalls from its sales. Though the legal purchase age is 21 in Colorado and Washington, parents, educators and physicians say youths are easily getting hold of edibles infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive component that causes a high, and concentrates such as “shatter,” a brittle, honey-colored substance that is heated and then inhaled through a special device. (Oldham, 6/16)

The Washington Post: What Animals Can Tell Us About Human Aging
Scientists who want to understand why some of us live longer and healthier have traditionally focused on studying centenarians from the world’s “blue zones,” such as Okinawa, Japan, or Ikaria, Greece, where inhabitants routinely shatter longevity records. Yet Irish bat biologist Emma Teeling thinks the answer can be found among bats in the storybook belfries of the Gothic cathedrals in Brittany, France. Every spring, she and her team travel there to trap hundreds of brown mouse-eared baby and mother bats to collect their blood so they can sequence their DNA. (Richards, 6/15)

The Washington Post: What Your Grip Says About Your Odds Of Surviving A Health Crisis
President Trump’s odd, grabbing handshake aside, people have long judged each other for the firmness — or lack thereof — of a handshake. A strong grip generally conveys confidence or even power, while a limp grip sometimes comes across as disengaged or weak. But recent studies indicate that grip strength can reveal far more than your personality; it can serve as a window into how healthy — or unhealthy — you are. And as you age, experts say, your grip strength can be a measure for how likely you are to develop and survive diseases such as cancer, heart disease and more. (Loudin, 6/15)

The Washington Post: An Ageless Question: When Is Someone ‘Old’?
As much as I try to stay in the moment, I sometimes get obsessed with the future — as in, “How much time have I got left?” Not long ago, curious about this life-or-death question, I used the Social Security Administration’s life expectancy calculator to see how long I might live. Based on my age and gender, the calculator told me I’ve probably got another 22 years ahead of me, that is until I kick the bucket at 83. (Of course, an accident or a serious illness could ruin my calculation.) (Petrow, 6/16)

The Washington Post: Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine? In Many Ways, That’s No Joke.
Carl Reiner, 97, has been a comedic icon for more than 70 years, a perennial favorite of baby boomers who grew up with Sid Caesar and Dick Van Dyke. But even younger generations have come to appreciate his singular wit. He’s been an actor, screenwriter and director, as well as a legendary straight man for his old pal, Mel Brooks. He believes humor has enriched his life and boosted his longevity. “There is no doubt about it,” he says. “Laughter is my first priority. I watch something every night that makes me laugh. I wake up and tickle myself while I’m still in bed. There is no greater pleasure than pointing at something, smiling and laughing about it. I don’t think there is anything more important than being able to laugh. When you can laugh, life is worth living. It keeps me going. It keeps me young.” (Cimons, 6/15)

Arizona Republic: State Moves To Revoke License After Maggots Found On Hacienda Resident
Arizona health officials have issued an intent to revoke Hacienda HealthCare's recently issued state license in the wake of a report that "several" maggots were found near the surgical incision of a 28-year-old male resident. A maggot is a legless, soft-bodied larva of a fly and looks like a white worm. (Innes, 6/14)

The Hill: Arizona Moves To Revoke Health Facility's State License After 'Several' Maggots Found On Resident
The facility is the same one in which an incapacitated female resident was raped and later gave birth last year. A male nurse has been arrested on multiple charges of sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult in connection with the assault. (Gstalter, 6/15)

Arizona Republic: Ex-Nurse Nathan Sutherland, Accused Of Raping Patient, Loses HIV Test Appeal
The former Hacienda nurse accused of raping and impregnating an incapacitated patient will have to undergo testing to determine if he has HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled. The court declined an attempt by 37-year-old Nathan Sutherland to avoid the court-ordered testing on June 3. (Burkitt, 6/14)

Pioneer Press: 11 Minnesota Nursing Homes On Federal ‘Secret’ List Of Troubled Facilities 
Undignified living conditions, holes in walls, a resident found wandering outside confused — those are some of the reasons federal regulators are scrutinizing 11 Minnesota nursing homes. The focus on those facilities recently came to light after leaders of a select U.S. Senate Committee on Aging released what they characterized as a “secret” list of 400 nursing homes across the nation the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, said had patterns of health and safety violations and need tighter oversight. (Magan, 6/15)

North Carolina Health News: Feds Identify More Of NC’s Most Troubled Nursing Homes 
Although the term has an anodyne sound to it, a special focus facility in the language of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) means a center that “has a history of persistent poor quality of care, as indicated by the findings of state or Federal inspection teams.” ...This month, at the urging of Pennsylvania U.S Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) CMS reversed a longstanding practice of listing only two special focus facilities “participants” per state. With the change, all the candidates for the status are also being made public. Previously hundreds of other facilities known internally as candidates weren’t publicly identified for inadequate performance even though they had the same deficiencies as participants. (Goldsmith, 6/17)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Feds Release Names Of Troubled Nursing Homes In Georgia
Last week, the U.S. Senate released the names of nursing homes that have been on a troubling watch list. Up to now they’ve been kept private. The list is of “candidates” for a program giving special focus to troubled nursing homes. (Hart, 6/14)

Modern Healthcare: Safety Violations Found At MD Anderson Cancer Center By Medicare
The CMS recently found University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was in violation of several safety requirements for Medicare participation. In a series of CMS and Texas Department of State Health Services surveys, the federal agency found MD Anderson wasn't complying with the CMS' Medicare conditions of participation regarding its governing body; quality assessment and performance improvement program; patient rights; and nursing and laboratory services. (Castellucci, 6/14)

The Associated Press: Ohio Hospital Faces Lawsuits Over Legionnaires' Outbreak
Two people who say they contracted Legionnaires' disease at newly opened Ohio hospital have sued the facility and its health system. Martin and Rebecca Brown, from Orient, sued Mount Carmel Grove City in Franklin County on Tuesday. Anna Hillis, of Grove City, filed suit Friday. Sixteen people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires', a severe form of pneumonia, since the outbreak was made public two weeks ago. A 75-year-old woman has died after being diagnosed. (6/15)

The New York Times: California Tests A Digital ‘Fire Alarm’ For Mental Distress
Last winter, several dozen people who were struggling with suicidal urges and bouts of intense emotion opened their lives to a company called Mindstrong, in what has become a closely watched experiment in Silicon Valley. Mindstrong, a venture co-founded by a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, promised something that no drug or talk therapy can provide: an early-warning system that would flag the user when an emotional crisis seemed imminent — a personal, digital “fire alarm.” (Carey, 6/17)

The Associated Press: Flint Water Decision Shows Legal Complexities Of Disaster
A surprise decision by Michigan prosecutors to drop all pending charges in the Flint water crisis and restart a three-year investigation is a reminder of the legal complexities surrounding the disaster. Seven of 15 people had taken plea deals with no jail time, and their records will eventually be scrubbed clean. Eight others saw their charges dismissed Thursday, including two who served in former Gov. Rick Snyder's Cabinet. Some key questions and answers about the probe. (6/14)

The New York Times: New York Police Officer Kills Himself, Third Police Suicide In 10 Days
A 29-year-old New York police officer fatally shot himself near his Staten Island precinct station house Friday afternoon, the third member of the department to kill himself in 10 days. The police declined to release the officer’s name or to provide more details about his position, other than to say that he had been a New York police officer for six years before he shot himself inside a car near the 121st Precinct station house at about 3:50 p.m. (Zaveri and Taylor, 6/14)

The Associated Press: CDC Director Praises Alabama HIV Clinic Ahead Of Campaign
As the federal government prepares to launch an ambitious initiative to end the HIV epidemic, the director of the Centers for Disease Control on Friday applauded an Alabama HIV clinic's commitment to providing health services to rural communities. Director Robert Redfield met with state public health officials and toured the Medical Advocacy & Outreach clinic in Montgomery to begin laying the groundwork for the decade-long federal campaign. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. (6/14)

The Associated Press: Alabama Orders 'Chemical Castration' Of Some Child Molesters
Some Alabama sex offenders who abuse young children will have to undergo "chemical castration" while on parole, under a new law, but the requirement has prompted legal concerns and appears to be rarely used in some states that allow it. The procedure uses medications that block testosterone production in order to decrease sex drive. The Alabama law says sex offenders whose crimes involved children between ages 7 and 13 must receive the medication before being released from prison on parole. Alabama doesn't allow parole for sex crimes involving children 6 and under. (6/16)

Modern Healthcare: When Collection Fails, Some Hospitals Seize Patients' Tax Refunds
Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health collects only about 20% of the $125 million its patients owe for self-paid services, deductibles and cost-sharing. To boost those collections, the 11-hospital, not-for-profit system takes advantage of a Minnesota law allowing it to seize state tax refunds from people who have unpaid bills. Under the law, five of its rural hospitals can use the “revenue recapture” program since they lease facilities from state or local governments. (Meyer, 6/15)

Sacramento Bee: Arambula Wants To Expand Health Care For Undocumented In CA
Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula intends to continue pushing to expand health care options for all undocumented immigrants in California even though the state’s new $214.8 billion budget provides coverage to a fraction of them. Arambula’s comments this week were among the first he’s made publicly since returning to work in Sacramento following his May trial in Fresno, where a jury found him not guilty of child abuse charges. (Amaro, 6/13)

Modern Healthcare: Tenn. Hospital Shuttered One Year After Purchase By Lab Company
The embattled Tennessee hospital bought by a Florida lab test company one year ago has closed. Jamestown Regional Medical Center had been in a rapid downward spiral since its purchase by West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rennova Health, culminating in the CMS revoking its Medicare billing privileges effective Wednesday. (Bannow, 6/14)

Miami Herald: CDC Advises Doctors To Test For Zika And Dengue
Summer in South Florida brings warm weather, high humidity and mosquitoes — an ideal environment for two closely related viruses, Zika and dengue fever. Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that they want clinicians to keep both diseases in mind whenever patients present with fever, rash, and joint and muscle pain. (Chang, 6/14)

The CT Mirror: Saving Children From Cycle Of Trauma
Like Shawn, thousands of children suffer from trauma, or what experts call traumatic dysregulation. When children are overwhelmed by a traumatic event, their ability to think in a linear fashion is compromised, and their coping mechanism goes haywire. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network estimates that 26 percent of children will experience a traumatic event by age 4. (Srinivasan, 6/16)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Hepatitis A Cases Skyrocket In Louisiana, With Almost 300 In 18 Months: Report 
At least 281 Louisianians have been diagnosed with the preventable hepatitis A in the past 18 months, according to a WAFB television analysis of state Health Department records. That’s 18 times the normal rate. Livingston Parish has the highest concentration in the state: 61 to 75 reported cases. Before the outbreak began in January 2018, the state recorded 5 to 15 cases each year. The 2019 cases are especially problematic because around 60% of patients have been hospitalized. (Krueger, 6/15)

Arizona Republic: Arizona AG Supports Law To Prevent Power Shutoffs In Hot Weather
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said he supports enacting alaw to prevent power cutoffs in hot weather, following the report of a woman who died in the heat after her power was cut off in Sun City West. Seventy-two-year-old Stephanie Pullman died in part from exposure to the heat in September after Arizona Public Service Co. shut off her electricity for nonpayment, according to a medical examiner's report and records from utility regulators. (Randazzo, 6/14)

Houston Chronicle: Houston Methodist CEO Looks To The Next 100 Years 
CEO of Houston Methodist, Dr. Marc Boom, is preparing for the next 100 years as his institution celebrates its centennial. “We describe our vision for our second century with six simple words, ‘Unparalleled Safety, Quality, Service and Innovation,’” he says. “We put the words in that order purposely because safety comes first. We note ‘innovation’ because it permeates this institution. Technology and innovation are massive enablers.” Speaking with Texas Inc., Boom reflects on Houston Methodist’s history and on how technology is transforming patient care as the focus of medicine shifts from treating disease to ensuring health. (Bassler, 6/14)

Pioneer Press: Nurses, Children’s Hospital Avoid Strike, Reach Deal After Marathon Session
Nurses threatening to strike over insurance costs have reached a three-year contract with Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota, representatives from the Minnesota Nurses Association said Saturday. The nurses voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike Thursday. This agreement cancels that vote. They will now vote to ratify this agreement on June 20, the group said. The decision follows a 21-hour session of negotiations which covered health insurance costs and the largest wage increase in a decade. The talks began in March and did reach an earlier agreement on workplace violence and safety concerns. (Weniger, 6/15)

WBUR: How Some Schools Restrain Or Seclude Students: A Look At A Controversial Practice
Though there are guidelines around restraint and seclusion in schools, there are no federal laws governing how they can be used. And they're most often used on students with disabilities or special needs, and boys, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. (Abamu, 6/15)

The Associated Press: Maine Senator Backs Push For Better Public Health Data
Maine’s independent senator is among a group of lawmakers backing a bill that calls for the modernization of public health data systems. Sen. Angus King says the proposal would ensure accurate and timely information sharing to help protect residents from health threats like viruses and prescription drug abuse. He’s joined by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia on the proposal. (6/16)

The Associated Press: 5th Woman Accuses Ex-UCLA Gynecologist Of Sexual Battery
A fifth woman has accused a retired University of California, Los Angeles gynecologist of sexually abusing her. The lawsuit, filed Friday, accuses Dr. James Heaps of sexual battery, negligence and civil rights violations. "We're reviewing the lawsuit and we find the allegations against Dr. Heaps to be very disturbing," UCLA Health spokeswoman Rhonda Curry said. (6/14)

Boston Globe: Ending The Long Reach Of Tobacco
As the leading cause of preventable death, smoking causes 1 in 5 of all deaths in the United States, totaling more than 480,000 annually. Tobacco is also linked to about one-third of all cancers in the United States, including cancers of the pancreas, bladder, kidney, mouth, and throat, as well as the lung. Even with all of the recent advancements in cancer research and care, these remain some of the most lethal and difficult cancers to treat. (Laurie Glimcher, 6/13)

Stat: Shopping Blindly For Post-Acute Care Is A Recipe For Disaster
Many Americans have stories to tell about failures in care when a family member became ill. Mine runs from 2005 through 2016, when I was a family caregiver for my mother, father, and aunt.During the last few years of their lives, they were in and out of hospitals and received treatment after discharge in almost every possible setting — rehabilitation units, home health care, nursing homes, hospice, and more. Yet I can’t recall ever having a discussion with a hospital staff member about how to choose post-discharge care. Instead, I was often handed a list of facilities or agencies and, with little guidance about what to look for, was sent on a shopping expedition. (Lynn B. Rogut, 6/17)

The Washington Post: ‘The American Healthcare System Has Just, Quite Literally, Ruined My Future,’ A Disabled Georgetown Student Tweeted. Then This Happened.
Less than a week after she left Georgetown University for summer break, Anna Landre clicked on an email and realized everything she had worked for was about to slip away. The 20-year-old rising junior has spinal muscular atrophy Type 2 and relies on paid aides to help her with basic tasks, from getting dressed to going to the bathroom. The email that day came from her lawyer and informed her that her aide services were about to get cut. (Theresa Vargas, 6/15)

The New York Times: Marijuana Damages Young Brains
Recent efforts to legalize marijuana in New York and New Jersey have been stalled — but not killed — by disputes over how exactly to divvy up the revenues from marijuana sales and by worries about drugged driving. Those are both important issues. But another concern should be at the center of this debate: the medical implications of legalizing marijuana, particularly for young people. It’s tempting to think marijuana is a harmless substance that poses no threat to teens and young adults. The medical facts, however, reveal a different reality. (Kenneth L. Davis and Mary Jeanne Kreek, 6/16)

The Hill: Lack Of Personal Hygiene Products: Violation Of Human Rights For Incarcerated Women
Oregon's recent legislative mandate to provide free of charge a variety of sanitary products, including tampons, to incarcerated women and girls is both a victory and a shame. It is a victory because now more incarcerated women and girls will have access to a basic necessity that supports personal hygiene and confidentiality. It is a shame because a woman’s basic need for sanitary products has to be legislated and dependent upon the sympathetic nature of those with decision-making power. This is particularly disturbing given that the growth in the number of incarcerated women has outpaced the growth of incarcerated men in the United States. (Aney Abraham and Janice Phillips, 6/16)

The New York Times: Can Marijuana Help Cure The Opioid Crisis?
The idea that legal cannabis can help address the opioid crisis has generated much hope and enthusiasm. Opioid misuse has declined in recent years at the same time that cannabis use has been increasing, with many states liberalizing marijuana laws. Based on recent research, some advocates have been promoting this connection, arguing that easier access to marijuana reduces opioid use and, in turn, overdose deaths. (Austin Frakt, 6/17)

Los Angeles Times: Lesson From A Pre-Roe Vs. Wade Experience: Men Cannot Be Silent On Abortion Rights
I was behind the wheel, Charlene beside me, in her powder-blue MG convertible, making our way from the Philadelphia suburbs, through Pottsville and up Route 61 to Ashland, a small, quiet village in the heart of Pennsylvania’s fading anthracite region. The beautiful two-hour drive turned somber as we approached 531 Centre Street, the office of Dr. Robert Spencer. Charlene was two months pregnant. We were both 19 — students at Haverford and its sister college, Bryn Mawr. We had hoped the legendary physician, known for performing thousands of illegal and affordable abortions, could help us. (Norman Pearlstine, 6/16)

The Washington Post: Postoperative Delirium Puts Patients In Deranged State
It is a ghost disease. More than 2 million Americans are haunted every year by postoperative delirium, a strange, creeping state of confusion that the medical profession admits it neither understands nor can cure. It is a problem that affects the brain, divorces its victims from reality and plunges them into a state of derangement — and few doctors can tell them why. Indeed, physicians usually cannot even see the symptoms of this disease until the patient already is in its grip. (Muriel Dobbin, 6/16)

The Washington Post: What Is A Good Death? How My Mother's Plans Helped Me.
Years ago, I called my brother to ask whether he would serve as my health proxy, charged with making decisions about my care in the event of some unforeseeable disaster. “Sure,” he said affably, and then added: “You should be mine, too. I mean, if I lost a leg or something, I wouldn’t want to live. You’d pull the plug, right?” Unsettled by our widely disparate visions of a good life — and a good death — I quickly hung up and called my sister instead. (Miller Idriss, 6/16)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio House’s Morally Repugnant Swipe At Workplace Injury Claims By Noncitizens Should Not Stand
Approved 58-36, the amendment to Ohio’s pending workers’ compensation budget, House Bill 80, would ask a claimant if he or she is a U.S. citizen, or an “illegal alien or unauthorized alien” or someone who has an alien registration number, “or other signifier that the claimant is authorized to work.” The amendment’s sponsor is state Rep. Bill Seitz, a suburban Cincinnati Republican.The amendment wouldn’t deny compensation to injured workers if they are undocumented, Seitz said (which would be against current Ohio law). Instead, Seitz argues the amendment is aimed at gathering data so the General Assembly can determine what, if anything, needs to be done about such claimants. (6/14)