Reuters: Over 7 Million People Have Signed Up For 2024 Obamacare Plans 
Nearly 7.3 million Americans so far have signed up for health insurance for next year through the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) marketplace, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday. The enrolment for 2024 includes 1.6 million new additions to the marketplace, the data showed. (12/6)

KCRG: Deadline For Affordable Care Act Enrollment Next Week
If people want benefits starting Jan. 1, they have until Dec. 15 to apply to enroll for their ACA benefits. (Woodruff, 12/6)

CNN: Here’s Why It Would Be Even Harder Now To Kill Obamacare
A record number of people signing up for Obamacare policies. Nine more states expanding Medicaid coverage to more than 2 million adults. Much higher favorability ratings among the public. Another victory for the landmark health reform law in the nation’s highest court. These are among the main reasons why it would be even tougher than it was in 2017 for Republicans to try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, even if they secure control of the White House and Congress next year. (Luhby, 12/7)

Morning Consult: Obamacare Has Become Even More Popular Over Biden’s Presidency
According to our Nov. 30-Dec. 2 survey, 57% of voters approve of the Affordable Care Act, while just 3 in 10 voters disapprove. Roughly a third of voters (32%) said Obamacare should be repealed partially or completely, lower than at any other time in Morning Consult surveys conducted since 2017. The same share said the law should be expanded and 1 in 5 want it to be kept as is. (Yokely, 12/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Ron DeSantis On The Affordable Care Act: ‘You’re Paying Too Much For Everything’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided some broad details of a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, a goal Republicans have sought to achieve since the law’s inception. Asked how he would deliver on the issue given Florida’s level of uninsured people, DeSantis said he’d focus on lowering costs, focus on price transparency and hold pharmaceutical companies accountable. (12/6)

MedCity News: The Challenges Of Health Insurance: Barriers To Affordable And Accessible Healthcare 
To combat these challenges, several possible solutions can be explored. Government policies can play a crucial role in incentivizing healthcare providers to prioritize patient-centered care and improve overall quality. Promoting a value-based care model that incentivizes providers based on patient outcomes could help lower patient costs in the long term. In addition, public-private partnerships can be formed to increase the availability of healthcare services in underserved communities. These collaborations can focus on creating accessible care options, such as telemedicine programs, to expand access to care. Furthermore, insurance companies can look to reduce out-of-pocket costs by negotiating lower prices for common treatments and medications. (Ketchel, 12/4)

In other news related to the ACA —

Bloomberg Law: Obamacare LGBTQ+ Discrimination Clause Could Cause Circuit Split
Sixth Circuit judges grappled Wednesday with whether two groups representing conservative doctors should have a chance to challenge an antidiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act that they say threatens their religious liberty, in a case that presents the possibility of a circuit split. The judges grilled attorneys on both sides on a range of topics related to the care of transgender people, though standing for the two groups—the American College of Pediatricians and the Catholic Medical Association—was the issue of the day for the oral argument, which went more than 10 minutes past the allotted time. Two other federal appeals courts have already ruled on the issue. (Heisig, 12/6)

Politico: Targeting Costly Meds, Biden Admin Asserts Authority To Seize Certain Drug Patents 
The Biden administration has determined that it has the authority to seize the patents of certain high-priced medicines, a move that could open the door to a more aggressive federal campaign to slash drug prices. The determination, which was described by three people familiar with the matter, represents the culmination of a nearly nine-month review of the government’s so-called march-in rights. Progressives have long insisted that those rights empower the administration to break the patents of pricey drugs that were developed with public funds, in an effort to create more competition and lower prices. ...The framework is likely to face sharp opposition from pharmaceutical companies that argue it’s illegal for the government to seize its patents and would disincentivize the development of new drugs. (Cancryn, 12/6)

Stat: To Lower Drug Prices, White House Takes New Aim At Pharma Patents
The administration will on Thursday issue a framework for the National Institutes of Health to more broadly use so-called “march-in rights” — a policy that allows it to seize patents from drugmakers whose products rely on federally funded research, according to the three people familiar with the plans. The framework will lay out when the agency might assert this authority, and endorse using a drug’s price in that determination, the sources said. (Owermohle and Cohrs, 12/6)

In related news about drug patents —

Stat: Most Drugmakers Have So Far Ignored FTC Deadline On Wayward Patents
With 10 days to go, only one company has responded to a demand by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for several brand-name drugmakers to delist dozens of patents that were improperly or inaccurately listed in a government registry, according to a source familiar with the matter. (Silverman, 12/6)

Stat: FDA, Patent Office Look To Team Up To Lower Drug Prices
In 1997, Celgene obtained a key patent for what would become a blockbuster blood cancer treatment, giving it a monopoly until 2019. But like any pharmaceutical company with an eye toward the future, Celgene continued to seek other ways to wring profits from its development work. (Silverman, 12/7)

More on the effort to lower drug prices —

Stat: U.S. Judge Orders Minn. To Pause Its Drug Pricing Transparency Law
In a victory for the pharmaceutical industry, a U.S. judge ruled that Minnesota must temporarily halt a controversial law that is designed to provide transparency into prescription drug pricing over concerns that it is unconstitutional. (Silverman, 12/6)

KFF Health News: Colorado Blames Biden Team And Drugmakers For Delaying Canadian Imports 
Colorado officials say their plan to import cheaper medicines from Canada has been stymied by opposition from drugmakers and inaction by the Biden administration, according to a state report obtained by KFF Health News. The Dec. 1 report, prepared for the state legislature by Colorado’s Department of Health Care Policy & Financing, says that state officials approached 23 drugmakers in the last year about an importation program. Only four agreed even to discuss the proposal; none expressed interest in participating. (Galewitz, 12/7)

More action from the Biden administration —

The Hill: Public Health Groups Alarmed At White House Delay Of Menthol Cigarette Ban 
The Biden administration is delaying a decision on whether to ban menthol flavored cigarettes amid intense lobbying from critics including the tobacco industry, industry-backed groups and some Black criminal justice advocates. The delay is alarming public health groups, which fear that the White House could cave to pressure and delay the rule indefinitely, especially against the backdrop of President Biden’s reelection bid. “Any delay in finalizing the FDA’s [Food and Drug Administration’s] menthol rule would be a gift to the tobacco industry at the expense of Black lives,” said Yolanda Richardson, CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (Weixel, 12/6)

Axios: Out-Of-State Travel For Abortion Surged After Roe Was Overturned
More than twice as many people crossed state lines for abortion care in the first half of 2023 compared with a similar period in 2020 when abortion was legal nationwide, according to a new analysis. The Guttmacher Institute data demonstrates how state bans that took effect since Roe v. Wade was overturned have forced patients to travel longer distances to obtain an abortion. (Goldman, 12/7)

Stat: Electronic Health Record Privacy At Issue For Out-Of-State Abortions
At a time when abortion access can vary widely across the U.S., many reproductive health advocates are concerned about the impact of data sharing systems that automatically transmit patients’ electronic health records across institutions and state lines. The Biden administration is looking to introduce new regulations to bolster patients’ privacy — but the proposed rules are getting pushback from companies like UnitedHealth Group and Epic, which argue that they would make data sharing harder overall, contrary to the overarching goals of the health care system. (Webster, 12/7)

Stat: Abortion Pill Activist Network Links Women In Mexico, U.S. 
Just over a decade ago, when Crystal Pérez Lira needed an abortion, she had to leave Mexico. The procedure was illegal in her home state of Baja California and so deeply stigmatized that even Pérez Lira supported the procedure only for those who were raped. Until she unexpectedly got pregnant. (Goldhill, 12/7)

Abortion updates from Texas and Missouri —

AP: Texas Judge To Consider Pregnant Woman's Request For Order Allowing Her To Have An Abortion 
Texas’ strict abortion ban will face an unprecedented test Thursday, when a judge considers a request for an emergency court order that would allow a pregnant woman whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis to have an abortion in the state. The lawsuit filed by Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from the Dallas area, is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation since the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox. (Weber, 12/7)

Missouri Independent: Missouri Abortion-Rights Measures Face ‘Torturous’ Road To 2024 
Pulling off a successful ballot initiative campaign in Missouri is an undertaking so difficult that one Democratic political consultant compares it to skiing the slalom at the Olympics. There is a laundry list of deadlines to meet, an army of signature gatherers to hire, a host of legal battles to fight — all with a price tag that can quickly cost millions. (Spoerre, 12/7)

In other reproductive health news —

USA Today: For First Time Ever, FDA Approves At-Home Artificial Insemination Kit
Anyone who's struggled with infertility knows that getting treatments can be expensive. Insurance doesn't cover artificial insemination, a procedure that places sperm into the cervix or uterus during ovulation. ... That means that many people who need such treatments to reproduce often can't afford them. But that could be changing with the introduction of a new at-home artificial insemination kit. This week in a historic first, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the kit for use by consumers. (Walrath-Holdridge, 12/6)

The 19th: Pregnancy After 35 Is More Common. Is U.S. Health Care Keeping Up?
Federal data shows steady growth in older people becoming first-time parents over at least the past two decades. By 2021, the mean age for first birth hit 27.3, a record high. The share of people in their 30s and 40s giving birth has continually increased since 2000. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in 2021, close to 1 in 5 pregnancies in America were among people 35 and older, along with almost 12 percent of first pregnancies. In 2000, by contrast, people 35 and older made up about 7.4 percent of first births. (Luthra, 12/7)

ABC News: Free At-Home Testing And Treatments Now Available For COVID And Flu Through Federal Program 
Initially launched as a pilot program in select areas, the Home Test to Treat program from the National Institutes of Health is now available nationwide at test2treat.org. Any adult with a current positive test for COVID or flu can enroll to receive free telehealth care and, if prescribed, medication delivered to their home. Follow-up care is also possible through the treatment process. (Benadjaoud, 12/6)

CIDRAP: Using Both Nose, Throat Swabs Boosts Sensitivity Of Rapid COVID Testing 
Today in JAMA Network Open, a randomized clinical trial shows that a single healthcare worker (HCW)-collected throat swab had significantly higher sensitivity for COVID-19 rapid antigen testing (RAT) than an HCW-collected nose swab during Omicron predominance, but self-collected nose swabs were more sensitive than self-collected throat swabs among participants with symptoms. (Van Beusekom, 12/6)

On the spread of covid, flu, and the common cold —

The Wall Street Journal: Wastewater Is Sending A Warning About Covid-19 This Holiday Season
In what is becoming a holiday-season tradition, Covid-19 cases are rising once again in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors and virus trackers expect cases to increase further in coming weeks as the weather gets colder and people gather indoors for the holidays. They are also closely watching a variant, JN.1, that is spreading fast around the world. (Reddy, 12/6)

CBS News: Respiratory Infections And Flu Cases Among Children Rising Ahead Of Holidays
Pediatricians are seeing an increase in pediatric cases of respiratory viral infections and the flu, Allegheny Health Network says. In a news release on Wednesday, Allegheny Health Network provided guidance for parents and caregivers ahead of the holiday season, saying it anticipates "these numbers will continue to rise this month as we gather and travel for the holidays." Allegheny Health Network said weekly respiratory syncytial virus cases have nearly tripled since early November and Allegheny County is reporting the state's highest flu totals. (Guise, 12/6)

CBS News: First Cold-Related Death Of Winter Season Reported In Maryland. Doctors Urge Safety In Frigid Weather
An elderly man who died in Baltimore County was the first death of a cold-related illness in the state this winter, the Maryland Department of Health said Wednesday. The health department said the man, who was between the ages of 70 and 80 years old, died as a result of hypothermia. Marylanders are encouraged to avoid exposure to cold weather.  And with temperatures continuing to drop, doctors say all of us need to be mindful with our time outdoors and also layer up. (Olaniran and Kushner, 12/6)

Alarming research on covid and neurodevelopmental delays —

CIDRAP: Study Shows Infants Exposed To COVID In Utero At Risk For Developmental Delay
A new study based on a cohort of Brazilian infants shows those who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infections in the uterus may be at an increased risk for developmental delays in the first year of life. The study appeared yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. ... At 12 months, 20.3% of COVID-exposed children and 5.9% of the controls received a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental delay. (Soucheray, 12/6)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: UNLV Police Kill Gunman After 3 Murdered In Campus Attack 
Three victims were shot and killed Wednesday on the UNLV campus in an attack that ended after the gunman’s death, authorities said. ABC News, citing multiple law enforcement sources, reported late Wednesday that 67-year-old Anthony Polito was the suspect. A law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that the shooter was a professor who unsuccessfully sought a job at the school. Earlier Wednesday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal obtained a copy of Polito’s driver’s license with a Henderson address and arrived to find police blocking the entrance to the Promontory Point Apartments, 360 N. Arroyo Grande Blvd. (Garcia and Torres-Cortez, 12/6)

Los Angeles Times: School, City Reeling After UNLV Shooting Echoes 2017 Tragedy
“This is Route 91 all over again,” said 22-year-old student Olivia Stabile, referencing the 2017 Las Vegas shooting at a music festival in which 59 died. “Why Vegas again, out of all places, and then in one of the most defenseless places?” (Castleman, Hernandez, Ahn, Childs, Winton and Martinez, 12/7)

Also —

ABC News: Suspect ID'd In Texas Shooting Spree That Left 6 Dead, Including His Parents 
A 34-year-old man was identified Wednesday morning as the suspect in a central Texas shooting rampage that unfolded over hours in two large cities and left his parents and four other people dead, and three people injured, including two police officers, authorities said. ... Bexar County Sheriff Javier said Shane James was involved in several previous incidents where deputies were called to the family's house to intervene. He said James, who he described as a former member of the military, struggled with mental health issues for years. (Heck, Shalvey, Margolin and Hutchinson, 12/6)

More on the gun violence epidemic —

The 19th: Sen. Elizabeth Warren And Rep. Hank Johnson Reintroduce Gun Safety Bill
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Hank Johnson renewed their push for comprehensive gun violence legislation by reintroducing their Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act late Tuesday. This effort was timed around the 30th anniversary of the Brady Bill last week — and the continued toll that gun violence is taking on American lives. (Gerson, 12/6)

AP: Senators Tackle Gun Violence Anew While Feinstein's Ban On Assault Weapons Fades Into History
One of the first votes new Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich cast was against legislation from Sen. Dianne Feinstein to reinstate an assault weapons ban in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting. In the decade since, as mass shootings have touched almost every corner of the United States, the New Mexico senator, an avid hunter once endorsed by the NRA, has been considering what it would take to draft legislation that avoids banning guns that Americans use for legitimate purposes while still saving lives. (Mascaro, 12/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Activist Nuns, With Stake In Smith & Wesson, Sue Gun Maker Over AR-15 Rifles
A group of activist nuns filed an unusual shareholder lawsuit to pressure gun maker Smith & Wesson to drastically change the way it markets, makes and sells its popular version of the AR-15 rifle. The so-called shareholder derivative action, which the nuns filed in Nevada state court Tuesday against publicly traded Smith & Wesson, alleges that company leaders are putting shareholders at risk. They argue the leaders are exposing the company to liability by the way they have made and sold the rifle, which has been used in several mass shootings in recent years. (McWhirter and Elinson, 12/5)

Politico: ‘The Pain And The Trauma Lasts Longer Than A News Cycle’ 
The NRA had a bad day on Sept. 22. That was the day President Joe Biden unveiled his new Office of Gun Violence Prevention, the first-ever White House office dedicated to the issue. Sitting in the Rose Garden for the announcement was Rob Wilcox, the initiative’s new deputy director who couldn’t help but think of a two-decade old quote from an NRA official crowing that the powerful gun group would have an office in the West Wing if George W. Bush was elected president. That never happened. Instead, seated between his kids and fellow deputy Greg Jackson was Wilcox — a longtime gun safety advocate — set to start his job inside the White House. But not long after, Wilcox had some bad days of his own. (Ward, 12/7)

The 19th: Advocates Relieved After Supreme Court Dismisses Acheson Case As Moot
Disability advocates are breathing a sigh of relief after the Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday to dismiss as moot Acheson Hotels LLC. v. Laufer, a case that could have gutted a key enforcement tool of the Americans with Disabilities Act nationwide. At issue was whether civil rights testers have standing to sue hotels they have no intention of staying at, a practice that disability and civil rights advocates argue is necessary to force businesses to comply with accessibility standards set by the ADA. Standing is the right to sue by dint of being an impacted party, (Luterman, 12/6)

KFF Health News and Cox Media Group: Social Security Clawbacks Hit A Million More People Than Agency Chief Told Congress
The Social Security Administration has demanded money back from more than 2 million people a year — more than twice as many people as the head of the agency disclosed at an October congressional hearing. That’s according to a document KFF Health News and Cox Media Group obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. (Hilzenrath and Fleischer, 12/6)

In updates on HIV/AIDS —

Stat: Study Billed As The Last Chance To Soon Develop An HIV Vaccine Fails
A study billed as the last chance to develop an HIV vaccine this decade has been shut down, investigators announced Wednesday at a conference in Harare, Zimbabwe. The trial, known as PrEPVacc, was testing two different vaccine regimens on about 1,500 volunteers in East and Southern Africa. After multiple other high-profile trials failed, a PrEPVacc investigator described the study this summer as “the last roll of the dice” for an HIV vaccine until the 2030s. (Mast, 12/6)

Politico: ‘Stalemate’ On AIDS Relief To Drag Into 2024
The top Republican working to extend the United States’ global HIV/AIDS relief work admitted negotiations are deadlocked, jeopardizing one of the most successful U.S. foreign interventions of this century. “I’m disappointed,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told POLITICO. “Honestly, I was looking forward to marking up a five-year reauthorization, and now I’m in this abortion debate.” (Ollstein and Paun, 12/7)

In other health and wellness news —

Stat: Using AI, Scientists Create Blood Test That Measures Organ Aging And Predicts Disease Risk
In today’s mostly plague- and famine-free world, if you can avoid more modern scourges like gun and car violence, you can expect your death to arrive not with a bang but a whimper; when one of your organs sput-sput-sputters out. And it is usually just one organ or organ system. For some, it’s a calcium-clogged heart. For others, kidneys that no longer filter. They might all work a little less well as we get older, but they don’t tend to fail all at once. (Molteni, 12/6)

Fox News: Fasting Could Reduce Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease, Studies Suggest: ‘Profound Effects’
Participating in intermittent (time-restricted) fasting could lead to a reduced risk of cognitive deterioration, a recent study published in the journal Cell Metabolism suggests. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine adjusted the feeding schedule of certain groups of mice so that they only ate within six-hour windows each day. Compared to a control group of mice that ate on demand, the fasting mice showed improvements in memory, were less hyperactive in the evenings and had fewer sleep disruptions. (Rudy, 12/6)

CNN: Pediatric Eating Disorder Hospitalizations Are Rising. Who Is Affected May Surprise You 
Clinicians, researchers and activists have stressed the need for better treatment and services of people with eating disorders who don’t fit the stereotypical patient profile — and recent data suggests a growing need. Researchers analyzed data of more than 11,000 pediatric eating disorder hospitalizations in Ontario between April 2002 and March 2020, according to a new study. (Holcombe, 12/6)

KFF Health News: Food Sovereignty Movement Sprouts As Bison Return To Indigenous Communities 
Behind American Indian Hall on the Montana State University campus, ancient life is growing. Six-foot-tall corn plants tower over large green squash and black-and-yellow sunflowers. Around the perimeter, stalks of sweetgrass grow. The seeds for some of these plants grew for millennia in Native Americans’ gardens along the upper Missouri River. It’s one of several Native American ancestral gardens growing in the Bozeman area, totaling about an acre. Though small, the garden is part of a larger, multifaceted effort around the country to promote “food sovereignty” for reservations and tribal members off reservation, and to reclaim aspects of Native American food and culture that flourished in North America for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. (Robbins, 12/7)

The Boston Globe: New England Sinai Rehab Hospital In Stoughton Will Close
Steward Health Care has announced that it will shutter the New England Sinai rehabilitation hospital in Stoughton by next April, a decision that will put further pressure on regional hospitals already struggling to discharge patients who need continued care. In a letter sent to state officials Dec. 4, a law firm for Steward Health Care System said it planned to submit a formal notice with the state to close 39 rehabilitation service beds, 119 chronic care service beds, and all ambulatory care services at New England Sinai Hospital. As of Wednesday, there were 45 patients in the hospital. (Bartlett, 12/6)

CBS News: Senators Probe Private Equity Hospital Deals Following CBS News Investigation
The top Democrat and Republican on a powerful Senate committee launched a wide-ranging investigation into private equity's impact on the U.S. health care system on Wednesday. ... "The American people deserve to understand the role that PE [private equity] firms play — and any potential resulting negative financial or patient care impacts — in the delivery of their health care," wrote the senators, who lead the Senate Budget Committee. (Kaplan, 12/6)

Modern Healthcare: 5 Financial Factors Affecting Providers In 2024
The healthcare industry is slowly emerging from years of financial turmoil, but for many hospitals and health systems, 2024 won't bring relief. Industry watchers say the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are lingering and some providers are operating in the red. Next year will be another year for recovery and adjustment to new standards in pricing and patient care. (Hudson, 12/6)

In news about health care personnel —

Modern Healthcare: Nurses Seeking Work In U.S. On The Rise Despite Visa Pause
A record number of occupational visa certificates were issued this year to nurses and other healthcare workers by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. The nonprofit, which helps foreign-educated nurses work in other countries by verifying their credentials for federal and state agencies, said it issued almost 27,000 visa certificates this year—85% of which were for registered nurses—twice as many as in 2022. The number of certificates has quadrupled since 2017. (DeSilva, 12/6)

AP: A Nurse's Fatal Last Visit To Patient's Home Renews Calls For Better Safety Measures
The killing of a Connecticut nurse making a house call in October was a nightmare come true for an industry gripped by the fear of violence. Already stressed out by staffing shortages and mounting caseloads, heath care workers are increasingly worrying about the possibility of a patient becoming violent – a scenario that is too common and on the rise nationwide. Joyce Grayson, a 63-year-old mother of six, went into a halfway house for sex offenders in late October, to give medication to a man with a violent past. She didn’t make it out alive. (Collins and Eaton-Robb, 12/7)

Axios: Rural Hospitals Are Missing Out On A Major Expansion Of Medical Training
The largest expansion of federally funded medical residency slots in over two decades was supposed to be a major lifeline for rural hospitals struggling with provider shortages. But very few rural hospitals have received the coveted slots so far. America's health provider shortage is most staggering in rural communities, where people are generally older and sicker than those in urban areas. (Goldman, 12/7)

More health care industry news —

Reuters: Fresenius Medical Care Says Data On 500,000 People Stolen In U.S. 
Dialysis group Fresenius Medical Care said on Wednesday that data including medical records on 500,000 patients and former patients were stolen from a U.S. subsidiary's data warehouse. "The incident may have affected approximately 500,000 patients, former patients, guarantors and 200 staff located across several states, U.S. territories and four countries," the German company said in a statement. (Burger, 12/6)

KFF Health News: Watch: The Long-Term Care Crisis: Why Few Can Afford To Grow Old In America 
For many in America, especially people in the middle class, old age is a daily struggle to keep up with basic activities. For some, the trials of dementia add to the emotional and financial burden for loved ones and caregivers. Long-term care options — assisted living, home care, or full-time family care — are costly, complex, and often inadequate. Jordan Rau, KFF Health News senior correspondent, moderated a Zoom event Dec. 5 about “Dying Broke,” an investigative project undertaken with The New York Times and Times reporter Reed Abelson about America’s long-term care crisis. Panelists shared their lived experiences of caregiving. (Rau, 12/6)

Tampa Bay Times: Deadly Dose: Hundreds Died Using Kratom In Florida. It Was Touted As Safe. 
They found him early in the morning: slumped on the couch, vomit on his shirt, face pale, eyes halfway shut. A roommate told paramedics he feared Jonathan Dampf had relapsed on painkillers and overdosed. This time, though, the 33-year-old had taken something new. Dampf came to Florida more than a decade earlier in the throes of addiction. Alcohol, pills, anything he could get his hands on. Within months, he got sober and became a leader at his Fort Lauderdale church’s recovery program. He married and had a daughter. (Freund, Ogozalek, Taylor and Critchfield, 12/7)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

Minnesota Public Radio: Minneapolis Health Clinic Receives $2.6 Million From Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
A south Minneapolis health clinic was awarded $2.6 million from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.  Southside Community Health Services is a primary care clinic in south Minneapolis. It aims to provide care to an underserved community. Most of its patients have public health care or are uninsured.  The funding will go toward a planned move to a new location at 1000 East Lake St. (Timar-Wilcox, 12/6)  

Missouri Independent: Wash U Says Missouri AG Illegally Sought Trans Patient Records
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey does not have the legal authority to demand access to patient records at the Washington University Transgender Center, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in St. Louis Circuit Court. Bailey cited Missouri’s consumer protection law, known as the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, to demand access to all electronic health records from patients at the Transgender Center as part of his investigation into the center’s practices. (Hanshaw, 12/6)

Connecticut Public: CT Prisons Likely Under-Screen, Under-Diagnose Cancer, Study Finds
People incarcerated in Connecticut prisons are likely being under-screened and under-diagnosed for cancer, according to a new study from the Yale School of Medicine. “Our main finding was that we saw a lower rate and lower proportion of early stage screen-detectable cancers like breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer among people who are incarcerated compared to the community,” said Dr. Ilana Richman, lead author and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine. (Srinivasan, 12/6)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Family Paved The Way For Medicaid Access To Rare Treatment
Driving onto Interstate 35, Eric and Chelsy Nolasco left their home feeling more optimistic than they had in years — their son would finally get the lifesaving surgery he needed to have a functioning immune system, to fight infections, to stay alive. And then came the phone call. The apologetic, disembodied voice on the other end drowned out everything around them: Texas Medicaid had pulled their coverage of Gabe’s surgery because of clerical issues. The state had once again blocked the Nolascos from helping their four-year-old son survive. (Bohra, 12/7)

New Hampshire Public Radio: What It’ll Take To Remove Lead Pipes In New Hampshire In The Next 10 Years
An old housing stock and old drinking water infrastructure mean lead remains a big concern in New Hampshire. The Biden Administration recently revealed new funding and a proposal that every state in America needs to remove lead lines carrying water within the next 10 years. Lead and galvanized pipes, or joint connectors for water service lines, including lines serving residential and business properties, need to be replaced by copper lines. (Richardson, 12/6)

Rabies alerts are issued in Michigan and New Jersey —

CBS News: Michigan Health Department Warns Of Possible Rabies Exposure From Skunks Purchased From Breeder
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is warning residents of possible rabies exposure from skunks purchased from sellers in Lapeer and Macomb counties. Officials say anyone who purchased a skunk from Countryside Feather Farm/Rose's Skunks in Attica or a Chesterfield Township/New Baltimore seller connected to Rose's Skunks can surrender the animal to a local animal control agency for testing. (Booth-Singleton, 12/6)

CBS News: Princeton On High Alert After Possibly Rabid Raccoon Attacks 2 People
The Princeton Health Department is warning residents and Princeton University students to keep an eye out after two attacks in close succession by a raccoon (or raccoons) that may have rabies. The first occurred near the Dillon Gym on Princeton's campus around 8:45 p.m. Monday. The health department said a student was attacked by a raccoon exhibiting common behaviors typical of a rabies infection, including chirping noises and unprovoked aggression. (Brandt, Tallant, and Roberts, 12/6)

North Carolina Health News: Progress Steady Toward Opening Ocracoke Island’s First Pharmacy
Christie Woolard, manager of what will soon be arguably the most remote pharmacy in North Carolina, joked that she has a “terrible commute to work each day.” In reality, Woolard more or less works from home. She lives with her dog in an apartment above Ocracoke Health Center Pharmacy on Ocracoke Island in the state’s Outer Banks. Accessible only by ferry or private plane, the island is about 26 miles from the mainland coast. (Baxley, 12/7)

In other pharmaceutical developments —

San Francisco Chronicle: CVS To Close Another San Francisco Store, Only 12 Locations Left
CVS Health is set to close another San Francisco store early next year, a company spokesperson said Wednesday. ...“Maintaining access to pharmacy services in the communities we serve is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions,” Thibault said in a statement. “Other factors include local market dynamics, population shifts, a community’s store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community.” (Vaziri, 12/6)

Stat: AbbVie Purchases Neuroscience Developer Cerevel For $8.7 Billion
Abbvie announced Wednesday that it will purchase Cerevel Therapeutics and its pipeline of experimental neurological and psychiatric medications for $8.7 billion. The deal marks the second billion-dollar acquisition by AbbVie in under a week. Facing the prospect of declining sales from two of its best-selling drugs, the company also acquired Immunogen and its ovarian cancer treatment for $10 billion last Thursday. (Mast, 12/6)

Stat: Sanofi Says It Has 12 Blockbusters On The Way. Will Investors Believe It?
The top executives at French drug giant Sanofi on Wednesday defended their decision to reduce earnings forecasts for 2024 in order to fund more research studies of new medicines they say could one day generate billions of dollars in annual sales. (Herper, 12/6)

Reuters: China E-Cigarette Titan Behind 'Elf Bar' Floods The US With Illegal Vapes 
A new breed of e-cigarette has addicted teenagers and confounded regulators worldwide by offering flavors like Blue Cotton Candy and Pink Lemonade in a cheap, disposable package. The tycoon dominating this latest wave is Zhang Shengwei, 50, a veteran of China’s vape industry in the southern manufacturing hub of Shenzhen. Most people have never heard of him. Zhang quietly rose over 15 years from a boutique exporter to become one of the world’s largest vape manufacturers. His main company, Heaven Gifts, now competes with industry giants Juul Labs Inc and British American Tobacco Plc in the United States, the United Kingdom and across Europe. (Kirkham and Kirton, 12/6)

In obituaries —

The New York Times: William P. Murphy Jr., Innovator Of Life-Saving Medical Tools, Dies At 100
Dr. William P. Murphy Jr., a biomedical engineer who was an inventor of the vinyl blood bag that replaced breakable bottles in the Korean War and made transfusions safe and reliable on battlefields, in hospitals and at scenes of natural disasters and accidents, died on Thursday at his home in Coral Gables, Fla. He was 100. His death was confirmed on Monday by Mike Tomás, the president and chief executive of U.S. Stem Cell, a Florida company for which Dr. Murphy had long served as chairman. He became chairman emeritus last year. (McFadden, 12/5)

ScienceDaily: A Type Of Allergy Medicine Might Help Treat Lung Cancer 
Researchers have identified an allergy pathway that, when blocked, unleashes antitumor immunity in mouse models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).  And in an early parallel study in humans, combining immunotherapy with dupilumab -- an Interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor-blocking antibody widely used for treating allergies and asthma -- boosted patients' immune systems, with one out of the six experiencing significant tumor reduction. (The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 12/6)

New England Journal of Medicine: Sotorasib Plus Panitumumab In Refractory Colorectal Cancer With Mutated KRAS G12C
In this phase 3 trial of a KRAS G12C inhibitor plus an EGFR inhibitor in patients with chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer, both doses of sotorasib in combination with panitumumab resulted in longer progression-free survival than standard treatment. (Fakih et al, 12/7)

CIDRAP: Study Spotlights How COVID-19 Admissions Burdened ICUs
COVID-19 hospital admissions greatly affected occupancy rates of intensive care units (ICUs) across 45 US states, according to a new study in JAMA Health Forum. The study looked at hospital occupancy rates for each week in 2020 at 3,960 hospitals, as recorded by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases, and compared the number of occupied beds to the same week in 2019. Each week was categorized based on the number of COVID-19 admissions per 100 beds, with 15 admissions per 100 considered high COVID-19 activity, and less than 1 per 100 considered low. (Soucheray, 12/4)

CIDRAP: Excess Deaths Soared In US Prisons During First Year Of COVID-19
The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in deaths among jailed Americans, a new study in Science Advances shows, with deaths among prisoners 3.4 times greater than in the general population in 2020. Overall, total mortality increased 77% in 2020 relative to 2019, the authors said. (Soucheray, 12/4)

Stat: New England Journal Of Medicine Addresses Racist History, Slavery 
The New England Journal of Medicine, the world’s oldest continually published medical journal, publicly reckoned with its history and complicity surrounding slavery and racism Wednesday, publishing the first of a series of essays by independent historians on the role the prestigious publication has played in perpetuating racist thinking in medicine that continues to this day. (McFarling, 12/6)

Dallas Morning News: ‘I Need To End My Pregnancy Now’: Why Kate Cox Is Suing Texas Over Abortion Law
An abortion was not something I ever imagined I would want or need; I just never thought I’d be in the situation I’m in right now. Twenty weeks pregnant with a baby that won’t survive and could jeopardize my health and a future pregnancy. (Kate Cox, 12/6)

The New York Times: Britain Ruined One Of The Best Healthcare Systems In The World
Imagine you’ve fallen ill. There’s fever and pain, and it doesn’t go away. A trip to the doctor’s office lands you in the emergency room. Surgery follows, then several nights in the hospital. Weeks later, after more doctor’s appointments and loads of prescription medicine, you’re all well again, fit as a fiddle. And then they let you go on your merry way, without paying a penny. That’s right: $0. (Adam Westbrook, 12/7)

Houston Chronicle: A Concrete Crusher Near A Hospital? Say No. 
It should go without saying that putting a concrete plant across a street from a hospital is a terrible idea. Plants like these aren’t just bad for the environment, but they release pollutants into the air that pose serious health risks like heart disease, lung cancer, and lower-respiratory tract infections. (Christian Menefee and Borris Miles, 12/6)

Stat: The System Is Set Up To Fail Children With Medical Complexity 
Many families take for granted the ritual of taking a newborn baby home, car seat and curated swaddle blankets in tow, just a few days after delivery. But as critical care pediatricians, we care for babies and children who often don’t fit neatly into these universal experiences. When our patients go home for the first time, they are rarely newborns. They can be as old as 2, having spent all their lives in the hospital after being born months early, or with devastating disease that has made them dependent on life-sustaining technologies. (Anjali Garg and Amanda Ruth, 12/7)