AP: Mifepristone Access Is Coming Before The US Supreme Court. How Safe Is This Abortion Pill? 
The U.S. Supreme Court will take up a case Tuesday that could impact how women get access to mifepristone, one of the two pills used in the most common type of abortion in the nation. The central dispute in the case is whether the Food and Drug Administration overlooked serious safety problems when it made mifepristone easier to obtain, including through mail-order pharmacies. (Ungar and Perrone, 3/24)

Roll Call: Supreme Court To Hear Oral Arguments On Medication Abortion Drug 
The Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in a challenge that could limit access to a widely used drug for medication abortions, reshape health care policy and upend the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation process. The justices will focus on a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that found the FDA erred when it expanded how and when the abortion drug mifepristone can be dispensed. (Raman and Macagnone, 3/22)

Axios: SCOTUS Abortion Pill Case Could Reverse Unexpected Rise In Abortions
Eliminating the federal right to abortion surprisingly hasn't reversed a yearslong rise in the number of legal abortions in the U.S. — but a case the Supreme Court hears on Tuesday just might. (Owens, 3/25)

Stat: Abortion Pill Supreme Court Ruling Could Impact Entire Drug Industry
The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear opening arguments in an abortion medication case that pharmaceutical companies warn could upend the industry and paralyze new drug development. (Owermohle, 3/25)

The 19th: Pharmaceutical Companies Worry The Supreme Court's Abortion Pill Ruling Could Have A Wider Effect On Drugs And Research
A Supreme Court case over whether to tighten restrictions on mifepristone – one of two drugs used in the medication abortion regimen – could destabilize the American pharmaceutical industry, deterring companies from developing new drugs and even inspiring copycat lawsuits intended to revoke authorization of other politically contentious medications. (Luthra, 3/22)

Also —

The Texas Tribune: Texas Board Offers New Abortion Exception Guidance
The Texas Medical Board proposed a broad definition for what constitutes an emergency medical exception under the state’s otherwise strict abortion ban at its meeting Friday, disappointing some abortion rights advocates who were seeking a specific list of conditions that would qualify. (Bohra, 3/22)

AP: Texas Medical Panel Won't Provide List Of Exceptions To Abortion Ban
A Texas medical panel on Friday rebuffed calls to list specific exceptions to one of the most restrictive abortions bans in the U.S., which physicians say is dangerously unclear and has forced women with serious pregnancy complications to leave the state. The head of the Texas Medical Board also said that wider issues surrounding the law — such as the lack of exceptions in cases of rape or incest — were beyond the authority of the 16-member panel, twelve of whom are men. Only one member of the board is an obstetrician and gynecologist. (Stengle, 3/22)

Axios: Texas Medical Board Proposes Guidance For Abortion Ban Exceptions 
The Texas Medical Board's proposed guidance on exceptions to the state's abortion ban does not offer doctors enough clarity, critics say. The ban, which makes performing an abortion a felony, has led some hospitals to refuse to treat even patients with serious pregnancy complications — though the law makes an exception for medical emergencies. (Cobler, 3/22)

AP: Wyoming Governor Vetoes Abortion Restrictions, Signs Transgender Medical Care Ban For Minors
Wyoming’s governor on Friday vetoed a bill that would have erected significant barriers to abortion, should it remain legal in the state, and signed legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors. The abortion bill rejected by Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, would have required facilities providing surgical abortions to be licensed as outpatient surgical centers, adding to their cost and the burdens they face to operate. (Gruver, 3/22)

Modern Healthcare: How FDA Approval Could Jumpstart AI Use In Medical Devices
When it comes to commercializing artificial intelligence solutions, many digital health companies face a long road that runs directly through Silver Spring, Maryland. Silver Spring is the headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration, the agency providing clearances, designations and approvals for an increasing number of AI-enabled medical device and software products. (Perna, 3/22)

CNBC: Nvidia's AI Ambitions In Medicine And Health Care Are Becoming Clear
Last week, Nvidia announced deals with Johnson & Johnson for use of generative AI in surgery, and with GE Healthcare to improve medical imaging. The health care developments at its 2024 GTC AI conference, — which also included the launch of roughly two dozen new AI-powered, healthcare-focused tools — demonstrate just how important medicine is to Nvidia’s non-tech sector revenue opportunities in the future. (Castillo, 3/24)

AP: New Apps Test AI Chatbots To Help Mental Health Crisis
Download the mental health chatbot Earkick and you’re greeted by a bandana-wearing panda who could easily fit into a kids’ cartoon. Start talking or typing about anxiety and the app generates the kind of comforting, sympathetic statements therapists are trained to deliver. The panda might then suggest a guided breathing exercise, ways to reframe negative thoughts or stress-management tips. It’s all part of a well-established approach used by therapists, but please don’t call it therapy, says Earkick co-founder Karin Andrea Stephan. (Perrone, 3/23)

Politico: Who Pays When AI Steers Your Doctor Wrong?
Doctors using new artificial intelligence tools to help them diagnose and treat their patients say they wish Congress would provide some clarity on a big unanswered question: Who pays if AI makes a mistake? Advancements in AI promise to improve care, but only if doctors trust the systems and are protected from liability, according to the country’s leading physicians’ group, the American Medical Association. (Payne, 3/24)

Stat: Will Generative AI In Health Care Meet The Fate Of IBM's Dr. Watson?
The health care sector is a notorious laggard when it comes to technology. It was slow to use computers, digitize patient data, and share information electronically. While most of the world instantly interacts via Zoom and Slack, hospitals — even today — are still sending faxes. But something different is happening with generative AI. (Ross, 3/25)

Modern Healthcare: Congress Passes $1.2T Spending Bill That Includes HHS Funding
Congress passed the final measure early Saturday morning funding Health and Human Services Department operations, among other government programs, for the remainder of the fiscal year. Congress struggled for months to move the 12 annual appropriations bills it is supposed to pass by Sept. 30 every year. Having missed the regular deadline, it repeatedly passed stopgap funding bills to keep the government open. (McAuliff, 3/23)

Axios: Government Spending Deal Keeps Health Programs Near Status Quo
The latest government funding deal wasn't just stripped of big health policy changes — it also lacks significant raises for a host of federal health agencies. (Knight and Sullivan, 3/22)

The Hill: Biden Campaign Uses ObamaCare Anniversary To Hammer Trump On Health Care
President Biden is using the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) passage to hammer former President Trump’s record on health care and capitalize on his threats to repeal the law. In a new digital ad released Friday ahead of the 14th anniversary of the law, the Biden campaign sought to highlight Trump’s repeated repeal threats and underscore the consequences if he were to win a second term. (Weixel, 3/22)

Stat: Medicare Advantage Insurers Pressure Biden For Bigger Payments
The public will soon find out whether the federal government is willing to meet the health insurance industry’s demands and deposit more money into the bank accounts of next year’s Medicare Advantage plans. (Herman, 3/25)

Stat: Patient Advocates Debate FDA's Accelerated Approval Process
Over 30 years ago, Gregg Gonsalves and other AIDS activists persuaded Congress to create the accelerated approval pathway, allowing regulators to speed access to drugs for thousands of dying patients. These days, though, Gonsalves sounds uneasy — if not mournful — of the world he helped build. (Mast, 3/25)

Modern Healthcare: Change Update: Lax Cybersecurity Could Limit Aid Under New Bill
The first piece of legislation responding to the Change Healthcare outage debuted in Congress Friday, more than a month since a ransomware attack that has roiled the sector. The Health Care Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2024 would expand the Health and Human Services Department's authority to make advance and accelerated Medicare reimbursements during emergencies stemming from cyberattacks. But providers and their business partners would have to meet minimum cybersecurity standards to qualify. (McAuliff, 3/22)

The New York Times: Kamala Harris Visits Parkland And Urges States To Adopt Red-Flag Gun Laws
Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday toured the still-bloody and bullet-pocked classroom building in Parkland, Fla., where a gunman killed 14 students and three staff members in 2018, using the grim backdrop to announce a new federal resource center and to call for stricter enforcement of gun laws. The freshman building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had been preserved as evidence for criminal trials and is set to be demolished this summer. (Shear, 3/23)

Stat: FDA Authorizes New Drug To Protect Vulnerable From Covid-19
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized a new antibody to protect immunocompromised individuals against Covid-19. The drug, known as Pemgarda and marketed by the biotech Invivyd, is the first such drug to become available since the agency pulled AstraZeneca’s Evusheld off the market in January 2023. New Omicron variants had rendered Evusheld ineffective. (Mast, 3/22)

Reuters: US Appeals Court Curtails EPA's Ability To Regulate PFAS Under Toxic Substances Law
A federal appeals court has vacated two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency orders prohibiting a Texas plastics treatment company from manufacturing toxic “forever chemicals” while treating plastic containers used to hold things like pesticides and household cleaners. A unanimous three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday agreed with Inhance Technologies that the EPA overstepped its authority by issuing the orders, since they were rooted in a section of the federal toxic chemical law reserved for regulating "new" chemicals. (Mindock, 3/22)

Newsweek: FDA Settles Lawsuit Over Ivermectin Social Media Posts
The FDA has agreed to delete and never republish several social-media posts suggesting that ivermectin, a drug that some doctors used to treat COVID-19, is for animals and not humans. While the FDA still does not approve of using ivermectin to treat COVID, it settled Thursday a lawsuit brought by three doctors who sued it, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Xavier Becerra, and FDA secretary Robert Califf. All parties have settled. (Bond, 3/22)

Also —

The Hill: Global AIDS Program Survives, But Backers ‘Not Satisfied’
America’s global AIDS relief program has been authorized for another year in the bipartisan budget deal, but public health advocates say the single year sends a worrying signal about U.S. commitment on the issue moving forward. ... It’s the first time the program has not been given a five-year extension. (Choi, 3/23)

The New York Times: U.S. Measles Cases Surpass 2023 Levels, C.D.C. Says
There have now been 64 measles cases in the United States this year, surpassing the total of 58 cases in all of 2023, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rise in cases should “alert us, rather than alarm us,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the C.D.C. (Blum, 3/22)

Chicago Tribune: Lake County Reports First Measles Case As Chicago Outbreak Rises To 17 
Lake County health officials confirmed the first case of measles in the county Saturday, as the number of cases in Chicago continues to climb after an outbreak mostly among unvaccinated migrants. (Guffey, 3/23)

Also —

CIDRAP: US Flu Activity Declines, Along With Other Respiratory Viruses 
Flu activity finally declined last week following a lengthy post-holiday bump, though levels are still elevated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest weekly FluView report. In its weekly respiratory virus snapshot, the CDC said indicators of COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also declined. (Schnirring, 3/22)

WMFE: More Pollen In Florida? Doctors Seeing More Allergy Complaints 
Has the pollen been worse this year? Doctors think so and are seeing more cases of allergy complaints this year then before. (Pedersen, 3/21)

NPR: Starbucks Mug Recall: More Than 440,000 Mugs Recalled After Injury Reports
Nestlé says it is recalling more than 440,000 Starbucks mugs that were recently sold, following reports of at least a dozen people suffering severe burns or cuts on their hands or fingers after using the product. The mugs were manufactured by Nestlé USA and sold as part of a 2023 holiday Starbucks-branded gift set sold online and at Target, Walmart and Nexcom, a military retail outlet, according to a recall notice posted on Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (Franklin, 3/21)

CNN: Madison Tevlin, Star Of The Down Syndrome Awareness Ad, Smashes Assumptions About Her Condition
What happens when others assume people with Down syndrome can’t hit hard, aim high or drink a darn margarita? Well, it can become a reality. A new Down syndrome awareness ad cuts right to the philosophical heart of this often-misunderstood condition, reminding us that the way we treat people with Down syndrome can help smash false limits — or reinforce them. (Willingham, 3/22)

Also —

Minnesota Public Radio: Bemidji State University Community Works To Prevent Possible Drug Deaths 
At a Narcan workshop at Bemidji State University presenter Margo Giese demonstrated how to administer the life-saving nasal spray, also known as naloxone, to an overdose victim. (Eagle III, 3/25)

KFF Health News: Journalists Track Efforts To Curb The Opioid Crisis And Put Catholic Hospitals Under The Scope
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (3/23)

KFF Health News: A Paramedic Was Skeptical About This Rx For Stopping Repeat Opioid Overdoses. Then He Saw It Help
Fire Capt. Jesse Blaire steered his SUV through the mobile home park until he spotted the little beige house with white trim and radioed to let dispatchers know he’d arrived. There, Shawnice Slaughter waited on the steps, wiping sleep from her eyes. ... Three days earlier, Blaire — a paramedic who leads the fire department’s emergency medical team — met Slaughter at a nearby hospital. She had overdosed on opioids. It took four vials of an overdose reversal medication and dozens of chest compressions to get her breathing again. (Peace, 3/25)

KFF Health News: A Mom’s $97,000 Question: How Was Her Baby’s Air-Ambulance Ride Not Medically Necessary?
Sara England was putting together Ghostbusters costumes for Halloween when she noticed her baby wasn’t doing well. Her 3-month-old son, Amari Vaca, had undergone open-heart surgery two months before, so she called his cardiologist, who recommended getting him checked out. England assigned Amari’s grandparents to trick-or-treat duty with his three older siblings and headed to the local emergency room. (Castle Work, 3/25)

The Washington Post: Kate Middleton’s Diagnosis Comes Amid Rise In Some Early-Onset Cancers
The cancer diagnosis for Catherine, Princess of Wales, comes amid rising rates of certain cancers among young people globally. Although details of her condition remain sparse, doctors said the illness of the 42-year-old royal underscores the importance of cancer screening for people who have higher risk factors such as a family history of the disease. ... Catherine’s global celebrity and acknowledgment of her cancer, experts said, could shine a light on a troubling rise in certain cancers among people under 50. (Ovalle and Achenbach, 3/22)

The New York Times: Diagnosis Of Princess Kate’s Cancer Followed Familiar Pattern, Doctors Say
Although it is not known what type of cancer Princess Catherine has, oncologists say that what she described in her public statement that was released on Friday — discovering a cancer during another procedure, in this case a “major abdominal surgery” — is all too common. “Unfortunately, so much of the cancer we diagnose is unexpected,” said Dr. Elena Ratner, a gynecologic oncologist at Yale Cancer Center who has diagnosed many patients with ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and cancers of the lining of the uterus. (Kolata, 3/22)

Also —

The Washington Post: Parents Should Talk About Their Cancer Diagnoses Early, Experts Say
The earlier parents tell children about their diagnoses, the better, experts told The Post. Most children can intuit when something is going on in their family, according to Abbie Owens, who specializes in psychosocial and emotional needs of children treated at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. “It can be hard initially to even say the word ‘cancer,’ but it forms a really good foundation of trust that you’re all in the journey together going forward,” Owens said. (Ferguson, 3/23)

CNN: How To Talk To Kids About A Cancer Diagnosis, According To Experts
In the time Catherine, Princess of Wales, spent away from the public before revealing her cancer diagnosis, one of her biggest priorities was finding the right way to tell her children, she said. (Holcombe and LaMotte, 3/22)

In other cancer developments —

Fortune: Katie Couric Says Too Many People Think Colorectal Cancer Is A Man’s Disease. She's Imploring Women To Get Potential Lifesaving Screenings
The risk of developing colorectal cancer is 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women, according to the American Cancer Society.  “Women, especially younger women, believe this is an old man’s disease, and that’s simply not true,” she says. “Women are diagnosed with colorectal cancer as often as men. I think sometimes people get colons and prostates confused.” ... Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and over 50,000 people are estimated to die from the diagnosis in 2024. (Mikhail, 3/22)

Fortune: Does Medicare Cover A Colonoscopy? Yes, And Several Other Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests, Too
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Older adults should take note: “Most cases of colorectal cancer are detected after age 55, and the risk increases with age,” says Dr. Josh Forman, a gastroenterologist at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center and GastroHealth Towson. The good news: Early detection can prevent over 90% of colorectal cancer-related deaths. But almost 30% of people between ages 50 and 75 have not gotten screened. (Zable Fisher, 3/22)

Reuters: US FDA Grants Full Approval To AbbVie's Ovarian Cancer Therapy
he U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it had granted traditional approval for AbbVie's (ABBV.N) "guided missile" cancer therapy, Elahere, for patients with a type of ovarian cancer. Elahere was approved for adult patients with a type of cancer which affects the ovaries, fallopian tube, or walls of the abdomen, and have received one to three prior lines of treatment, according to the FDA. (3/22)

Newsweek: Our Cells' Batteries Face 'Significant Threat' From Microplastics
Scientists have issued a warning after a new review study highlighted the "significant threat" posed by microplastics on our body's cellular powerhouses: the mitochondria. ... These plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body's natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins on their surface, like heavy metals. (Dewan, 3/22)

Bloomberg News: Doctors Urge Refrigerating Acne Creams To Reduce Cancer Risk
Some dermatologists are recommending that people refrigerate benzoyl peroxide products such as Proactiv and Clearasil after an independent lab found they were contaminated with the potent carcinogen benzene. The American Acne & Rosacea Society said Wednesday that storing benzoyl peroxide creams, gels and washes at refrigerated temperatures could minimize the risk of benzene exposure. (Edney, 3/22)

Circle of Blue: Report Sparks Questions, Controversy Over Possible Causes Of Iowa Cancer Crisis 
Amid increasing scrutiny of a potential link between agricultural chemicals and cancer, a new report is generating controversy as it blames rising rates not on the toxins used widely throughout the state, but on something else entirely: binge alcohol consumption. (Schneider, 3/22)

CIDRAP: New Neurologic Issues Less Likely After Severe COVID Than Flu, Research Suggests
Adults hospitalized for COVID-19 were at lower risk of needing medical care for migraine, epilepsy, neuropathy, movement disorders, stroke, and dementia in the next year than matched patients with influenza, researchers from Yale University and the University of Michigan report in Neurology. They point out, however, that their study did not assess the effects of long COVID. (Van Beusekom, 3/22)

CIDRAP: Study Finds Bivalent COVID Vaccine Not Tied To Stroke Risk
Earlier this week in JAMA, researchers published data on the risk of stroke among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older in the immediate weeks following a bivalent (two-strain) COVID-19 vaccine dose, finding no significantly elevated risk during the first 6 weeks following injection. (Soucheray, 3/22)

CIDRAP: New Data Show Paxlovid Outperforms Molnupiravir Against Severe COVID-19 Outcomes
A large study yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases shows that, if prescribed within 5 days of confirmed infection, Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) is more effective in protecting against all-cause mortality and severe COVID-19 in adults than is molnupiravir, another antiviral drug. The study was conducted in Hong Kong in 2022. (Soucheray, 3/22)

The New York Times: What’s Next For The Coronavirus?
Rat droppings from New York City. Poop from dog parks in Wisconsin. Human waste from a Missouri hospital. These are some of the materials that are readying us for the next chapter of the coronavirus saga. More than four years into the pandemic, the virus has loosened its hold on most people’s bodies and minds. But a new variant better able to dodge our immune defenses may yet appear, derailing a hard-won return to normalcy. Scientists around the country are watching for the first signs. (Mandavilli, 3/22)

Also —

CIDRAP: Study Highlights Potential To Reduce Antibiotic Use In Newborns
A large nationwide study in Sweden found that low exposure to antibiotics in newborns treated in neonatal units over a 9-year period was not associated with an increased risk of early-onset sepsis (EOS), researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open. But the study also found that the number of newborns who are treated with antibiotics is higher than it should be, given the low prevalence of EOS and low mortality associated with the condition, a finding the study authors say indicates that efforts to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in newborns are needed. (Dall, 3/22)

Stat: Pregnancy Ages Women, But Effects Reverse After Delivery
Pregnancy is a known stressor on the body. But a new study published on Friday in Cell Metabolism found that while pregnancy accelerates the body’s biological clock, much of that effect is reversed after delivery, especially in people who breastfeed. (Merelli, 3/22)

Axios: Depression Hits American Teens Harder Than Adults In Smartphone Era
A huge happiness gap is opening between American adults and teens. Depression has hit teens much harder than adults in the smartphone era, according to National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. (Bressner, 3/22)

The New York Times: Patients Hate ‘Forever’ Drugs. Are Ozempic And Wegovy Different? 
Most people, study after study shows, don’t take the medicines prescribed for them. It doesn’t matter what they are — statins, high blood pressure drugs, drugs to lower blood sugar, asthma drugs. Either patients never start taking them, or they stop. ... But that resistance may be overcome by the blockbuster obesity drugs Wegovy and Zepbound, which have astounded the world with the way they help people lose weight and keep it off. (Kolata, 3/24)

On chemicals in the environment —

AP: With Organic Fields Next Door, Conventional Farms Dial Up The Pesticide Use, Study Finds
Champions of organic farming have long portrayed it as friendlier to humans and the earth. But a new study in a California county found a surprising effect as their acreage grew: Nearby conventional farms applied more pesticides, likely to stay on top of an increased insect threat to their crops, the researchers said.Ashley Larsen, lead author of the study in this week’s journal Science, said understanding what’s happening could be important to keeping organic and conventional farmers from hurting each other’s operations. (Walling, 3/22)

CNN: ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Water: Nearly Half Of The Tap Water In The US Is Contaminated With PFAS, Government Study Finds 
Almost half of the tap water in the United States is contaminated with chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” according to a study from the US Geological Survey. (Christensen, 3/22)

CNN: Eli Lilly Warns Of Temporary Short Supply Of Two Insulin Products 
Drugmaker Eli Lilly warned this week that two of its formulations of insulin would be temporarily out of stock through the beginning of April, citing a “brief delay in manufacturing.” The 10-milliliter vials of Humalog and insulin lispro injection will be in short supply at wholesalers and some pharmacies, Lilly said in a statement posted online Wednesday. (Tirrell, 3/22)

In other industry news —

Reuters: UnitedHealth Unit Will Start Processing $14 Billion Medical Claims Backlog After Hack
UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N) said on Friday its Change Healthcare unit will start to process the medical claims backlog of more than $14 billion as it resumes some software services disrupted by a cyberattack last month. The company has been scrambling to resume services at the technology unit that was hit by a cyberattack on Feb. 21, disrupting payments to U.S. doctors and healthcare facilities and forcing the U.S. government to launch a probe. (Leo, 3/22)

Modern Healthcare: Claim Denials Cost Hospitals $20 Billion In 2022: Premier Report 
Hospitals and health systems spend an estimated $19.7 billion a year managing denied claims for care, a new report shows. Premier, a group purchasing and consulting organization that works with thousands of providers, polled 516 hospitals that offered their 2022 claims data. Nearly 15% of claims, on average, were denied at a cost of close to $44 a claim, excluding related clinical labor expenses, the survey found. (Kacik, 3/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Masimo To Separate Consumer Business
Masimo will look to separate its baby monitor and smart watch businesses, months after the company won its years-long expensive legal battle against Apple over certain features in its watches. The Irvine, Calif.-based medical technology company said Friday that its board had authorized management to evaluate a proposed separation of its consumer business. Masimo expects the separation to include its consumer audio and consumer health products. (Glickman, 3/22)

Modern Healthcare: Tenet-Leased Facilities Sold To Sila Realty Trust
Five healthcare properties leased by Tenet Healthcare in Arizona and Texas were acquired by Sila Realty Trust Inc. in a $85.5 million deal. The seller was not disclosed. The five facilities operate under local, Tenet-affiliated hospital brands. Tenet does not own any of the acquired properties, a spokesperson for Sila Realty said. (DeSilva, 3/22)

Reuters: Nursing Home Co. Petersen Health Likely To Break Up In Bankruptcy Sale
Elder care company Petersen Health Care plans to sell its nursing homes to new care providers in bankruptcy, likely dividing its assets among multiple buyers, a company attorney said Friday. Petersen believes that its nursing homes may be worth between $215 million and $305 million, as long as they remain operational and continue to provide a high level of care to residents, Petersen attorney Dan McGuire said at the company’s first court appearance since filing for bankruptcy Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware. (Knauth, 3/22)

KFF Health News: After Appalachian Hospitals Merged Into A Monopoly, Their ERs Slowed To A Crawl
In the small Appalachian city of Bristol, Virginia, City Council member Neal Osborne left a meeting on the morning of Jan. 3 and rushed himself to the hospital. Osborne, 36, has Type 1 diabetes. His insulin pump had malfunctioned, and without a steady supply of this essential hormone, Osborne’s blood sugar skyrocketed and his body was shutting down. ... After 12 hours in the waiting room, Osborne said, he was moved to an ER bed, where he stayed until he was sent to the intensive care unit the next day. (Kelman and Liss, 3/25)

CNBC: Amgen Aims To Enter Weight Loss Drug Market With A New Approach
Amgen is taking a new approach as it tries to stand out in a crowded field of drugmakers racing to develop the next blockbuster weight loss drug. The biotech company is testing an injectable treatment that helps people lose weight differently from the existing injections from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, and other obesity medicines in development. (Constantino, 3/24)

AP: Heavy-Smoking West Virginia Becomes The 12th State To Ban Lighting Up In Cars With Kids Present
West Virginia, which has the highest rate of adult cigarette use in the nation, became the 12th state to ban smoking in vehicles with children present under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Friday. But violators can only be fined up to $25 if they’re pulled over for another offense. ... About 22% of West Virginia adults smoked in 2021, the latest year available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. (Raby, 3/23)

On other news from across the country —

WMFE: A New Federal Program Could Lessen The Burden For Florida's 840,000 Dementia Caregivers
Research shows two-thirds of the state's dementia caregivers report at least one chronic health condition of their own, and 29% are dealing with depression. A promising resource is in the works. (Byrnes, 3/22)

Minnesota Public Radio: Only 1 Percent Of Minnesotans Ages 65 Or Older Are Up To Date On COVID Vaccine
Snow fell on Thursday, and so did Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccination rate. The monthly vaccination rate data released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Health show only 12.5 percent of Minnesotans, including only 1 percent of those age 65 or older, are up to date on their COVID vaccines. (Helmstetter, 3/22)

The CT Mirror: CT EMS Calls Are Rising, But Lamont Wants To Delay Additional Funds
Additional funding for ambulance providers included in the biennium budget last year was scrapped in the governor’s proposed budget adjustments released last month, leaving EMS professionals across the state disappointed. (Martinez, 3/22)

The CT Mirror: Could CT Opioid Settlement Funds Combat Addiction In, After Prison?
Just before Marcus Lewis tried heroin for the first time, he received a warning from a friend: the drug was highly addictive, and he could get hooked even if he used it just a few times. (Golvala and Edison, 3/24)

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Poised To Be Haven For Out-Of-State IVF Patients
During their five-year struggle with infertility, Bre and Chris Yingling went through several rounds of in vitro fertilization, the most recent attempt ending in stillbirth over the summer after a 38-week pregnancy. The expectant parents recalled cradling the lifeless body of the daughter they had longed for, as they wept and told her they would always love her. “She was our baby,” Chris Yingling said. “And we lost her.” (Lourgos, 3/24)

AP: Republican Lawmaker Says Kentucky's Newly Passed Shield Bill Protects IVF Services
Kentucky legislation shielding doctors and other health providers from criminal liability was written broadly enough to apply to in vitro fertilization services, a Republican lawmaker said Friday as the bill won final passage. The measure, which now goes to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, would accomplish what other bills sought to do to safeguard access to IVF services, GOP state Sen. Whitney Westerfield said in an interview. (Schreiner, 3/22)

Colorado Sun: Colorado Medicaid Problems Still Rampant As State Agency Tries To Address Issues
The Colorado Medicaid program says it is taking “immediate actions” intended to correct widespread delays and erroneous terminations of health benefits that have left people with disabilities without coverage. (Brown and Flowers, 3/22)

AP: Using Public Funds Or Facilities For Gender-Affirming Care Banned By GOP-Led Idaho Legislature
The GOP-led Idaho Legislature has passed a bill that would ban the use of any public funds for gender-affirming care, including for state employees using work health insurance and for adults covered by Medicaid. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the measure Friday after it previously passed through the House. It will be sent to Republican Gov. Brad Little’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. The governor has said repeatedly he does not believe public funds should be used for gender-affirming care. (3/22)

AP: Wyoming Governor Vetoes Bill To Allow Concealed Carry In Public Schools And Meetings 
Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gordon has vetoed a bill that would have allowed people to carry concealed guns in public schools and government meetings. In his veto letter Friday night, Gordon said he had concerns the bill would exceed the separation of powers provision in the state constitution since any policy, further regulation or clarification of the law could only be implemented by the Legislature. It would have required each state facility ... to seek legislative approval to restrict carrying firearms. (Gruvner, 3/23)

The New York Times: Wyoming Bans Gender Transition Care For Minors
Wyoming will bar minors from receiving medical treatments for gender transition, after the state’s Republican governor signed a bill on Friday that penalizes health care professionals who provide puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to those under 18. (Harmon, 3/22)

Minnesota Public Radio: ‘Forever Chemicals’ Prompt New, Stricter Advice For Eating Fish From Mississippi
Concerns about pollutants including "forever chemicals” have prompted state health officials to issue new guidelines for eating fish from a stretch of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and Wabasha. (Marohn, 3/22)

AP: Vermont House Passes A Bill To Restrict A Pesticide That Is Toxic To Bees
Vermont’s House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill to severely restrict a type of pesticide that’s toxic to bees and other pollinators. The bill will now go to the Senate. Representatives said Vermont was home to more than 300 native bee species and thousands of pollinator species, but many were in decline and some had disappeared altogether. Pollinators perform a vital role in allowing crops to grow. (3/22)

Stat: What Kate Middleton's Cancer Revelation Might Teach The World 
There was a time when the last thing a celebrity would do would be to go public with details of a major illness. After all, it’s hard enough dealing with a grave diagnosis and often complicated treatments than to also announce them to the world. And health information has always been treated as confidential, shared between patients and their doctors. But things began to change in the early 20th century. (Barron H. Lerner, 3/24)

The Washington Post: SCOTUS Mifepristone Suit Is An Easy Abortion Case 
The Supreme Court declared nearly two years ago, when it overruled Roe v. Wade, that the rules on abortion were now up to the states — but as the justices hear a critical case this week regarding the pill mifepristone, reproductive rights rest yet again in their hands. The good news is, this isn’t a hard one. (3/23)

The Boston Globe: Supreme Court Shouldn't Undermine FDA's Authority On Medication Abortion
A politicized Supreme Court disregarded science and evidence by overturning Roe v. Wade, so there is cause for concern that after hearing oral arguments on March 26 in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the court will stray further from established law and rule that the FDA’s authority to approve mifepristone, a drug used in medication-induced abortions, does not take precedence over restrictive state laws. (Terry M. McGovern and Ayman El-Mohandes, 3/25)

Stat: States Should Stop Sabotaging Methadone Treatment Reform
Since the Food and Drug Administration approved methadone for treating opioid use disorder in 1972, its distribution has been strictly regulated. The regulations were put in place to ensure public and patient safety. But they made it hard for people to get the treatment they need. (Rebecca Arden Harris and David S. Mandell, 3/25)

Kansas City Star: Don’t Let Missouri Loosen Standards For Laser Eye Surgery
A tide of dangerous legislation has swept across the Midwest, and it’s now reached Missouri. As the General Assembly contemplates Senate Bill 956 and House Bill 1963, a critical decision looms over the future of eye care in our state. This legislation threatens to relax the standards that currently safeguard the well-being of patients and could expose many Missourians to substantial risks by allowing completely unqualified people — without even a medical degree — to perform laser eye surgery. (Jonathan Schell, 3/24)