The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Looks To Jump Start Interstate Health-Insurance Sales
The Trump administration is weighing new ways to spur the sale of health insurance across state lines, a long-held goal of President Trump and congressional Republicans that has so far failed to gain much traction. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday asked for comment on eliminating regulatory and other barriers that may be discouraging interstate sales, a request that often means guidance or new regulation will follow. “Americans are in desperate need of more affordable health insurance options,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma in a statement. She that eliminating barriers to selling insurance coverage across state lines “could help provide access to a more competitive and affordable health insurance market.” (Armour, 3/6)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Wants Advice On Facilitating Insurance Sales Across State Lines
Trump often touted the idea of selling insurance across state lines as his main ACA fix while on the campaign trail. But health policy experts argue that allowing insurers to do so would lead them to set up shop in states with the fewest regulations and offer inexpensive plans with little coverage to healthy people, while less healthy people face higher premiums. Experts say it would do little to lower health insurance premiums. According to the American Academy of Actuaries, savings would be limited because premiums are driven by the local cost of care, regardless of where the care is purchased. (Livingston, 3/6)

In other news on the health law —

Modern Healthcare: Reinsurance Faces Partisan Hurdles In Key House Hearing
A proposal to fund a $10 billion-per-year reinsurance pool for state Obamacare markets hit partisan gridlock in a U.S. House of Representatives hearing Wednesday. Representatives in the House Energy and Commerce Committee's health panel clashed over adding anti-abortion language to the reinsurance bill and disagreed over the proposal's scope. It's a significant request from the insurance industry this year, and now faces a tough road ahead. (Luthi, 3/6)

CQ: Hearing Shows The Uphill Climb For Bipartisan Health Law Deal
A House hearing Wednesday underscored how a fight over abortion restrictions that blocked a deal last year to stabilize the state and federal insurance exchanges would likely stymie a bipartisan deal this year. That rift resurfaced as top Democrats are highlighting their hope of stabilizing the 2010 health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152), a goal that many see as their mandate after the 2018 election. (McIntire, 3/6)

The New York Times: Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Who As Justice Official Fought The Affordable Care Act
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Chad A. Readler of Ohio as President Trump’s 33rd federal appeals court judge despite bipartisan criticism that as a Justice Department official in the Trump administration he had shirked his official responsibility to defend the Affordable Care Act when it was challenged in court. Mr. Readler’s nomination is just the latest to divide the Senate as Republicans renew their drive to fill federal district and circuit court vacancies while gearing up to force through a Senate rules change to accelerate the confirmation process for the remainder of Mr. Trump’s tenure. (Hulse, 3/6)

The New York Times: The Imposing Venture Of 3 Corporate Giants Gets A Not-So-Imposing New Name
We can finally put a name to the thing striking fear within the health care establishment: Haven. The secretive new venture, created by corporate titans Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase to transform health care for their employees, has gone without an official name for more than a year. It was nameless when a well known doctor was appointed last summer to run it. It was referred to only as ABC or ABJ in a recent lawsuit brought by giant health insurer UnitedHealth Group, which described whatever-it-was as a powerful potential competitor. (The venture would only say it had no current plans to compete, and a federal judge ruled against UnitedHealth.) (Abelson, 3/6)

Reuters: Amazon, Berkshire, JPMorgan Healthcare Company To Be Called Haven
The three companies announced plans for a new venture in January of 2018, shaking the shares of health insurance companies like UnitedHealth Group Inc and Cigna Corp that manage large corporate benefits on worries that Amazon would disrupt the traditional insurance and drug benefit businesses. Haven Chief Executive Atul Gawande, who has been running the company since July, said in a news release that the company plans to start small and expand. (3/6)

Stat: The Atul Gawande Company Finally Has A Name: Haven 
“We will create new solutions and work to change systems, technologies, contracts, policy, and whatever else is in the way of better health care,” Dr. Atul Gawande, the company’s chief executive, wrote in a letter posted on the website. “We will be relentless. We will insure our work has high impact and is sustainable.” (Ross, 3/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Health Venture Of Amazon, Berkshire, JPMorgan Has A Name: Haven
The website reiterates that Haven isn’t meant to generate profits and will “reinvest any surplus back into our work.” The company says it will focus on priorities including improved access to primary care, simplifying insurance coverage and making prescription drugs more affordable—all issues that were previously highlighted in court testimony. In a Q&A on the site, in answer to a question about whether Haven will look to replace patients’ existing doctors and insurance companies, the company says it is “interested in working with clinicians and insurance companies to improve the overall health care system.” (Wilde Mathews, 3/6)

Modern Healthcare: Amazon-Berkshire Hathaway-JPMorgan Name Joint Health Venture Haven
Some observers have said Haven could be a disruptive force that will drive widespread change throughout the industry. The venture has ruffled feathers and even sparked a noncompete lawsuit against a former employee of UnitedHealth Group-owned Optum. But a federal judge in Boston refused to prevent David Smith from working for the entity, despite the claims about trade secrets. (3/6)

Stat: With Gottlieb’s Resignation, The Trump Administration Loses Its Backroom Whisperer On Capitol Hill
The Trump administration just lost its most effective health policy salesman. Scott Gottlieb, the charismatic FDA commissioner who announced this week he will step down in about a month, was better than any other administration official at selling key Trump administration policies — particularly those related to lowering prescription drug prices — on Capitol Hill, lawmakers and aides in both parties told STAT. (Florko and Facher, 3/6)

The Hill: Departing FDA Chief Says Youth Vaping Crackdown Will Continue 
Outgoing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said his departure won't have any impact on the agency's crackdown on youth vaping. "I'm very confident of that, and I'm very confident that we're going to continue with this policy over the next month, including the policy that we've been formulating," Gottlieb said during an event hosted by The Hill Wednesday. (Hellmann, 3/6)

Politico: FDA Moves On Vaping, Drugs And Food At Risk With Chief’s Departure
Gottlieb's initiatives on nutrition and vaping, along with overhauling regulation of dietary supplements, often were at odds with Republican orthodoxy and the Trump administration's anti-regulatory zeal. That means whoever replaces the 46-year-old libertarian physician will be hard pressed to get buy-in from the HHS Secretary, the White House and both parties in Congress. "We've developed very firm administrative records to support what we're doing and the other thing is, we built consensus," Gottlieb told POLITICO in an interview. "We did the hard work to get political consensus, not just broadly across Capitol Hill but within the administration. We went through the hard process of policymaking and we did it in an open and transparent fashion." (Karlin-Smith, Owermohle and Bottemiller Evich, 3/6)

The Hill: FDA Chief's Resignation Casts Cloud Over Vaping Crackdown
“He is leaving at a uniquely sensitive time,” said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “If his departure means the promises he’s made don’t get adopted, then literally an entire generation of kids is at risk.” (Hellmann, 3/6)

CQ: Departing FDA Leader Says E-Cigarette Work Will Continue
The regulation of e-cigarettes became a signature issue for Gottlieb during 2018 as federal surveys showed alarming increases in youth use. Moves to police more strongly the burgeoning industry stood out in the context of a Republican administration wanting to cut back on federal regulations. Gottlieb's recent actions also were somewhat of a partial about-face, because in July 2017, the FDA said that it would delay — from 2019 to 2022 — the deadlines for applications that e-cigarette manufacturers would need to submit in order to stay on sale. Some public health advocates have blamed the delay for rising youth use. (Siddons, 3/6)

Stat: The Likely, Possible, And Longshot Contenders To Replace Gottlieb At FDA
The sudden resignation of Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, leaves a giant hole atop an agency that oversees a quarter of the U.S. economy. Which, of course, leads to an equally big question: Who will replace him? This is actually a two-part question. First, the administration will likely decide on an acting commissioner, who can take control when Gottlieb departs in a month. Then comes the harder task of finding a nominee who can be confirmed by the Senate. (3/7)

Bloomberg: Health Stocks Lead Market Lower On FDA Scott Gottlieb Departure
Health care companies were among the worst performing stocks in mid-afternoon trading as investors weighed what FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s surprise resignation could mean for the year’s worst performing sector. Almost every member of the S&P 500 Health Care Index traded lower, with high-flying biotechnology stocks and pharmaceutical companies leading the way down, as the index was on pace for its worst one-day sell-off since January. The decline comes amid mounting concerns related to “Medicare for All” legislation and despite a continued string of biotechnology buyouts. (Lipschultz, 3/6)

Boston Globe: Mass. Biotech Has A Lot At Stake As FDA Chief Abrupty Steps Down
The biotech industry has a lot riding on who ends up succeeding Gottlieb because of the FDA's make-or-break power over which new drugs make it to market. Along with the National Institutes of Health and its $2 billion-plus in annual grants to researchers here, there is arguably no other government agency as important to the life sciences industry. (Edelman, 3/6)

The New York Times: Good News: Opioid Prescribing Fell. The Bad? Pain Patients Suffer, Doctors Say.
Three years ago this month, as alarms about the over-prescription of opioid painkillers were sounding across the country, the federal government issued course-correcting guidelines for primary care doctors. Prescriptions have fallen notably since then, and the Trump administration is pushing for them to drop by another third by 2021. But in a letter to be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, more than 300 medical experts, including three former White House drug czars, contend that the guidelines are harming one group of vulnerable patients: those with severe chronic pain, who may have been taking high doses of opioids for years without becoming addicted. (Hoffman and Goodnough, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Health-Care Providers Say CDC’s Opioid Guidelines Are Harming Pain Patients
The health-care providers, including three former U.S. drug czars, said the CDC recommendation of a daily numerical threshold for opioid use has led insurers to refuse reimbursement, pharmacies to erect obstacles to obtaining drugs and risks for doctors who want to give out more. “Taken in combination, these actions have led many health care providers to perceive a significant category of vulnerable patients as institutional and professional liabilities to be contained or eliminated, rather than as people needing care,” they said in a letter to the agency. (Bernstein, 3/6)

In other news on the opioid crisis —

The Associated Press: Political Feud Complicates Kentucky's Fight Against Opioids
For every 100,000 people in Kentucky, 23 are killed by opioid overdoses — nearly double the national rate. But a political feud is complicating the state's effort to hold drug companies accountable for their part in the epidemic. Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear and Republican Gov. Matt Bevin are fighting over Beshear's attempt to hire private attorneys to battle the drug companies. Beshear is running for governor, and Bevin is the man he could face in the general election. (Beam, 3/6)

Bloomberg: Sackler Family Faces Art World Protests With Purdue Under Siege
The family behind Purdue Pharma LP, the OxyContin maker facing billions of dollars in potential liabilities for its role in the U.S. opioid epidemic, has been under siege for months in the art world. The Sackler brothers Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond, who transformed closely held Purdue into a pharmaceutical giant, were benefactors of some of the world’s most prominent museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the U.K.’s National Gallery. (Kazakina and Stupples, 3/6)

ProPublica: Senators Demand Investigation Into Sexual Abuse at Immigrant Children’s Shelters
Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called on Wednesday for a federal investigation into what they termed “the alleged widespread and long-term pattern of sexual abuse” in the facilities holding immigrant children. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Office, the senators said they were particularly concerned that allegations of sexual assault aren’t being properly investigated. (Grabell and Sanders, 3/6)

The Hill: Feinstein, Grassley Call For Investigation Into Minor Sexual Abuse At HHS Facilities
We respectfully request that you open an investigation into the alleged widespread and long-term pattern of sexual abuse against unaccompanied children in HHS facilities and reports that these cases of sexual assault are not being appropriately investigated," the senators wrote in a letter to Inspector General Daniel Levinson. (Frazin, 3/6)

Meanwhile, in other news —

Kaiser Health News: A Mumps Quarantine In La. May Encroach On Rights Of Detained Immigrants
A mumps outbreak and quarantine at the Pine Prairie Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center in Louisiana blocked immigrants from legal resources, including their lawyers and the law library, for about two weeks in January and February, according to the attorneys. The outbreak has also raised questions about how officials dealing with public health concerns can undermine detainees’ legal rights. Lawyers said the illness did not stop immigration court proceedings — meaning from at least Feb. 3 to Feb. 14 quarantined individuals were required to continue with removal hearings, conducted from their dorm rooms via video chat, while not receiving access to legal aid. (Luthra and Appleby, 3/6)

ProPublica: Trump Mar-A-Lago Buddy Wrote Policy Pitch. The President Sent It to VA Chief.
In late 2017, on one of President Donald Trump’s retreats to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, he caught up with an old friend: Albert Hazzouri. When Hazzouri is not at Mar-a-Lago, he’s a cosmetic dentist in Scranton, Pennsylvania. At a campaign rally there in 2016, Trump gave him a shoutout: “Stand up, Albert. Where the hell are you, Albert? Stand up, Albert. He’s a good golfer, but I’m actually a better golfer than him. Right?” Shortly after Hazzouri and Trump saw each other in late 2017, Hazzouri followed up with a message, scrawled on Mar-a-Lago stationery. (Arnsdorf, 3/6)

In other news —

Des Moines Register: Veterans Affairs Pays $950,000 To Patient Treated By Ex-Iowa Surgeon
The Department of Veterans Affairs hired the surgeon, Alan Koslow, to work in its Columbia, S.C., hospital in 2015. Koslow previously practiced in Des Moines, where the Iowa Board of Medicine publicly fined him and placed him on probation, accusing him of incompetence and disruptive behavior in October 2015. ...The case is one of several nationally in which VA hospitals have hired physicians who were disciplined in other states. For example, the Iowa City VA hospital acknowledged in 2017 that it improperly hired neurosurgeon John Henry Schneider, even though Schneider's Wyoming medical license had been revoked over malpractice allegations. (Leys, 3/6)

Boston Globe: Toxic Chemicals Threaten Water Supply
Testing of nearly 2,700 groundwater wells on or around military installations in recent years has found that 60 percent contained high levels of the chemicals, according to the Department of Defense. Many were probably contaminated by a special firefighting foam used for years by the military. (Abel, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Long Overlooked By Science, Pregnancy Is Finally Getting Attention It Deserves
For two years, a group of world-class scientists pitched their idea for a hot new biotech company to investors: a start-up focused on a promising therapy for preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that can become life-threatening. It was cutting-edge science, backed by a Nobel laureate, a Harvard kidney specialist, a leading chemist, and a biologist with both expertise and personal experience. Eventually, they gave up — not on the science, and not on preeclampsia — but on the investors. (Johnson, 3/6)

In other news —

Reuters: New Mothers Suffer Nerves, Guilt As Maternity Leave Ends
Many new mothers worldwide express anxiety and guilt about leaving their babies to return to work, and some worry their nations' maternity policies reflect societies that value productivity over raising children. In a series of interviews for Reuters ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, mothers from the United States to Uruguay to South Africa to Singapore told of their concerns about stopping work to give birth and look after their newborns. (3/6)

The Washington Post: Alabama Judge Allows Man To Sue Clinic On Behalf Of Aborted Fetus
An Alabama judge has recognized the legal rights of an aborted fetus, allowing a man whose girlfriend ended her pregnancy at six weeks to sue the manufacturer of the pill she used and the clinic that gave it to her. The decree, issued by Madison County Probate Judge Frank Barger, explicitly states “Baby Roe” is a person and allows plaintiff Ryan Magers to name the fetus as a co-plaintiff in the suit for “wrongful death.” Magers said in court filings that when his then-girlfriend discovered she was pregnant in early 2017, he “repeatedly pleaded” with her to carry the pregnancy to term and give birth, but she wanted to have an abortion. (Cha and Thibodeaux, 3/6)

The Associated Press: Georgia House Panel Approves Anti-Abortion 'Heartbeat' Bill
Amid tears, gasps and handshakes, a Georgia House committee approved legislation Wednesday to outlaw abortion after a fetus' heartbeat can be detected, which is before many women know they are pregnant. Women in Georgia can currently seek an abortion up to 20 weeks of a pregnancy. A heartbeat is generally detectable by medical professionals at around 6 weeks. (3/6)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Anti-Abortion ‘Heartbeat’ Bill Gains Approval Of Georgia House Panel
After hours of emotional debate, a state House panel voted Wednesday to advance legislation that would make abortion illegal as soon as a doctor can detect a heartbeat in a fetus. The bill, House Bill 481, now will be considered for debate on the House floor, where it would likely have to pass Thursday if it is to be approved this year by the Senate. (Prabhu and Hart, 3/6)

The Oregonian: U.S. Surgeon General Visits Vancouver To Address Measles Outbreak 
A new national push on vaccinations could be in the works, as evidenced by a visit to Oregon and Washington by the U.S. surgeon general on Wednesday. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams met with Oregon and Washington public health officials, doctors and emergency responders to the measles outbreak that has become one of the largest in the country. As a formed Indiana state public health director, he praised the quick response of Washington and Oregon health workers to contain the outbreak. (Harbarger, 3/6)

Seattle Times: Another Cost Of The Washington Measles Outbreak: 800 Students Kept Out Of School 
In the Washington county that is home to one of the nation’s largest measles outbreaks, the effects go far beyond the 70 confirmed cases there. More than 800 students considered exposed to the highly contagious disease in Clark County have been ordered to stay away from classrooms for up to three weeks. Since early January, field trips, after-school activities such as family nights, even an assembly honoring Martin Luther King Jr. have been canceled or postponed. Some students are doing homework off prepared handouts; others are using their school-issued laptops to keep up. (Goldstein-Street, 3/6)

Arizona Republic: Vaccines For Unvaccinated Teens: Do They Need Parental Consent?
We entitle teenagers to self-worth and a right to be autonomous in their medical decisions as long as the decisions do not lead to personal harm. Teenagers can be mature minors if they understand the consequences, risks and benefits of their decisions. In my opinion, they need no parental consent. (Beyda, 3/6)

Dallas Morning News: With 10 Measles Cases Confirmed In Texas, 2019 Has Already Surpassed Last Year 
There have been 10 confirmed cases of measles in Texas this year, surpassing all of 2018, health officials said Wednesday. The most recent case is an adult who was visiting Guadalupe County from the Philippines, where there is a measles outbreak, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. (Cardona, 3/6)

The Associated Press: 'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Says He Has Pancreatic Cancer
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek said he has been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer but intends to fight the disease and keep on working. In a video posted online Wednesday, the 78-year-old said he was announcing his illness directly to "Jeopardy!" fans in keeping with his long-time policy of being "open and transparent." (Elber, 3/6)

The Washington Post: ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer
“Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer,” he said. “Now, normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working, and with the love and support of my family and friends — and with the help of your prayers, also — I plan to beat the low survival-rate statistics for this disease. Truth told, I have to. Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host ‘Jeopardy!’ for three more years.” (Rao, 3/6)

Los Angeles Times: ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek Says He Has Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer And Vows To Fight It
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 56,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and about 45,000 of them will die from the often-terminal illness. Trebek’s Stage 4 diagnosis means that the cancer has advanced and spread to other parts of his body. (Saad, 3/6)

The New York Times: W.H.O. Chief Plans To Reorganize A Vast Bureaucracy
The World Health Organization on Wednesday announced a long-awaited restructuring intended to streamline the agency — and strongly hinted that it intended to shake up some staffers’ resistance to change. The announcement, made in a lengthy and mostly cheerful speech delivered jointly by the organization’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the directors of the agency’s six regional offices, aims to serve the W.H.O.’s new targets: to get affordable health care to the world’s poorest 1 billion people; to better protect them against epidemics; and to help them enjoy better health, including protection from noncommunicable diseases like cancer. (McNeil, 3/6)

Reuters: WHO Chief Unveils Reforms, With More Science, Apps And An Academy
His back-to-basics approach won fervent support among health ministers, partly reflecting the WHO's failure in 2014 to seize on what became the world's worst Ebola outbreak, and the fact that many of the 11,300 deaths in that outbreak would have been prevented by better primary healthcare in West Africa. Announcing the reforms, Tedros told WHO staff that UHC is the "WHO's top priority, and is central to everything we do". (UHC). (3/6)

The Wall Street Journal: For Teens, A Push For Confidential Medical Advice
When Hannah Regan was about 14 years old, her family doctor in Kentucky started a new routine. During checkups, the doctor would ask Hannah’s mother to briefly step out of the exam room. Then, in private, Hannah would discuss a questionnaire she filled out about smoking, drinking, mental health and other sensitive issues. There were awkward moments, she says, but she appreciated the time alone with her doctor. “I think it was beneficial to allow the doctor-patient relationship to be something the teen can trust in,” says Ms. Regan, now 23. (Abbott, 3/6)

Stat: Clinicians Embracing Esketamine With 'Enthusiastic Caution' 
Patients with major depression who haven’t responded to other treatments will soon have a new option: esketamine, a rapid-acting therapy derived from the long-used anesthetic ketamine. But the drug’s approval on Tuesday sparked a string of new questions, from how much patients will have to shell out for the drug to how clinicians will be able to accommodate patients who need to be monitored for two hours after every dose. (Thielking, 3/6)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Esketamine Is The Newest Drug Approved For Depression. Here Are 7 Things To Know About It.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug to treat depression in those who haven’t responded to previous medications -- the first novel treatment in decades. Esketamine, also known by the brand name Spravato, is a nasal spray developed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. (Pattani, 3/6)

The New York Times: A Heart-Healthy Diet May Be Good For The Brain
Eating a heart-healthy diet beginning in your 20s may provide brain benefits in middle age, new research suggests. The study, in Neurology, ranked 2,621 people on their degree of adherence to three different diets considered to be good for the heart. All emphasize vegetables, fruits and whole grains and minimize saturated fat consumption: the Mediterranean diet, which involves mainly plant-based foods and moderate alcohol intake; a research-based diet plan that rates food groups as favorable or not; and the DASH diet, which stresses low-sodium foods. (Bakalar, 3/6)

The Associated Press: Lawmakers: High Costs Slowing Action On Contaminant In Water
Cleaning up and protecting U.S. drinking water from a class of toxic chemicals used in many household items could cost in the tens of billions of dollars nationally, including $2 billion for the Department of Defense alone, witnesses testified Wednesday before a House panel urging the federal government to move more quickly on the cleanup. Rep. Harley Rouda, the California Democrat chairing the House Oversight and Reform environment subcommittee, told reporters after the hearing "it's clear" the high costs were slowing any federal efforts to regulate and clean up the toxic chemicals, which are found in a range of goods, including nonstick pans, stain-resistant clothing, dental floss and food containers. (3/6)

Los Angeles Times: Two Patients With HIV Are In Remission. How Many More Will Follow Them?
And then there were two. A London man infected with HIV has gone into long-term remission after getting a special stem cell transplant that not only treated his cancer, it sent the virus into remission as well. His recovery, described this week in the journal Nature, marks the second time a patient has cleared HIV from his system with the help of a stem cell transplant. (Healy, 3/6)

KQED: More Retirees Find Themselves Taking Care Of Mom And Dad
At a time in life when 60- or 70-something seniors anticipate retirement, and maybe some downtime, some are becoming caregivers and guardians of their parents. No stats exist on how widespread this is, but the trend is expected to intensify. (Sharma, 3/6)

Kaiser Health News: Medical Device Makers Report Malfunctions And Patient Injuries In FDA Database Hidden From Public View
Dr. Douglas Kwazneski was helping a Pittsburgh surgeon remove an appendix when something jarring happened. The surgical stapler meant to cut and seal the tissue around the appendix locked up. Kwazneski later turned to the Food and Drug Administration’s public database that tracks medical device failures and “there was nothing,” he said. Yet when he surveyed leading surgeons on the matter, he discovered that more than two-thirds had experienced a stapler malfunction, or knew a peer who did. Such failures can have deadly consequences. (Jewett, 3/7)

Arizona Republic: Phoenix Man Is First To Test New U.S. Rattlesnake Anti-Venom
Phoenix welder Samuel Evans unexpectedly became a medical celebrity after he was bitten on his right thumb by a rattlesnake while hiking Sunday in White Tank Mountain Regional Park. Outside of clinical trials, Evans is the first patient in the United States to be treated with a new rattlesnake anti-venom that hit the market in October, when rattlesnakes were not in season. (Innes, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Dog-Walking Can Be Hazardous For Seniors, Study Suggests
Dogs need to go on walks, and walking is good exercise for older adults. Seniors who combine the two — by walking a dog — are healthier than people who don’t, according to some research. But a new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers offers a cautionary note. Strolling with a leashed dog, it says, “imparts a significant and rising injury risk in older adults.” Between 2004 and 2017, it found, bone fractures associated with walking leashed dogs more than doubled among U.S. residents 65 and older. Nearly 8 in 10 who suffered fractures were women, and the most commonly broken bones were hips, wrists and upper arms. (Brulliard, 3/6)

Reuters: Fitbit Launches Lower-Cost Fitness Devices To Combat Samsung, Apple
Fitbit Inc launched its cheapest smartwatch on Wednesday to defend its position as the second-largest seller of smartwatches after Apple Inc. San Francisco-based Fitbit said the Versa Lite smartwatch will cost $160, down from $200 for the full version. While still tracking workouts and heart rate, it will lack some features such as the ability to store music directly on the watch. In 2018, Fitbit sold 5.5 million smartwatches, behind the biggest seller Apple Inc's 22.5 million units, but just ahead of Samsung's 5.3 million units, according to data firm Strategy Analytics. (3/6)

Modern Healthcare: Epic Systems Sued Over EHR Not Being Accessible To Blind
The National Federation of the Blind sued Epic Systems Corp. over its electronic health record software, alleging that blind hospital employees can't use the program. The complaint in federal court in Massachusetts last week alleges a part-time hospital dispatcher at Boston-based Brigham and Women Hospital couldn't perform his job duties after the provider went live on an Epic EHR in 2015. The employee was ultimately placed on a paid leave of absence because of the difficulties, the lawsuit alleged. (Cohen, 3/6)

Chicago Tribune: New Illinois Bill Would Boost Punishment For Understaffed Nursing Homes To Limit Deadly Sepsis Infections And Boost Care
A state lawmaker and a major advocacy group are pushing stiffer penalties for short-staffed nursing homes as a way to limit deadly sepsis infections and boost overall care. “You would think that anytime you put your loved one in a nursing home, the care would be there, because it’s supposed to be regulated, but we find that’s not the case,” said state Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago, who introduced reform legislation this week. Collins and AARP Illinois are supporting the legislation partly in response to the findings of an investigation published in September by Kaiser Health News and the Chicago Tribune. The investigation found that about 6,000 Illinois nursing home patients a year who were hospitalized had sepsis, with roughly 1 in 5 dying. (Mahr, 3/6)

The Washington Post: House To Vote Thursday On Allowing Lethal Dose Of Drugs For Terminal Patients
A bill that would allow terminally ill patients to legally obtain a lethal dose of medicine to end their lives advanced in the Maryland House of Delegates on Wednesday, setting the stage for what will likely be a dramatic vote on Thursday. It is the first time — after three attempts in recent years — that the legislation will be debated on the floor of the General Assembly. The bill moved forward without any discussion, even though it has both strong support and strong opposition in the Democratic-majority House to make Maryland the seventh state to allow patients to get help in ending their own lives. (Wiggins, 3/6)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Nursing Homes: Six Employees Accused Of Stealing From Residents
Six Iowa nursing home employees have been indicted for obtaining prescription drugs that were meant for the people they were caring for. Four women from the Des Moines metro and two from southern Iowa are accused of diverting drugs from nursing home residents to themselves, according to a news release from the office of Marc Krickbaum, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. At least four of the woman allegedly committed the crimes in central Iowa. (Davis, 3/6)

Texas Tribune: Guns Are Popular With Texans, And So Are “Red Flag” Laws, Says UT/TT Poll
Red flag laws might be controversial in the Legislature, but Texas voters would support allowing courts “to require a person determined to be a risk to themselves or others to temporarily surrender guns in their possession,” according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Overall, 72 percent of voters said they “strongly” or “somewhat” support such laws, while 18 percent oppose them. (Ramsey, 3/7)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Lawmakers Fix Mistake From 2018 Gun Bill
Ohio lawmakers were trying to expand access to certain guns, but in their haste, they might have accidentally banned them. House Bill 228, passed in late December, will force prosecutors to prove a shooter acted in self-defense to pursue charges. The bill also made several changes to Ohio's firearm laws. (Balmert, 3/6)

Houston Chronicle: Airbnb And Others Target Unmet Needs Of Medical Center Patients 
The Texas Medical Center served 18,000 international patients in 2010, the most recent year for which data have been released. That total has likely grown since, as the number of patients the center serves a year has increased to 10 million from 6 million. International and out-of-town patients come with their own special considerations, including the need for accommodations for patients and caregivers who may not have transportation or know how long treatment will take. (Schuetz, 3/7)

Seattle Times: What’s Happened — Or Hasn’t — Since The Times Reported On Lead In Seattle Schools’ Drinking Water 
Last month, The Seattle Times reported on the persistence of lead in the water at some Seattle schools — despite the district’s long-standing policy to test and fix every drinking-water source with high lead readings. Since then, additional testing by the Washington Department of Health confirmed that reporting, but also showed the scope of the problem statewide. Meanwhile, legislation that would have limited students’ exposure to the toxin in school pretty much died in committee last month. (Morton, 3/6)

Cincinnati Enquirer: PTSD Symptoms Showing Up In More Than Half Of Children's Services Workers
A recent study shows that 53 percent of Ohio's children's services caseworkers have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. That compares with national incidences that range from 35 percent to 75 percent of child-welfare staff. (DeMio, 3/6)

Columbus Dispatch: Fewer Babies Dying Amid Push To Reduce Infant Mortality In Franklin County
Last year, 136 babies in Franklin County died before their first birthdays, but that’s the lowest number in at least eight years. Leaders working to save infant lives say they are encouraged, even though additional efforts are needed to lower the number even more. (Viviano, 3/7)

KCUR: Kansas City Health Department Sounds Warning After Big Jump In Syphilis Cases 
Reported syphilis cases in Kansas City jumped by 71 percent last year and included nine cases of congenital syphilis in which the mother passed the disease on to her newborn child. The spike has set off alarm bells at the Kansas City Health Department, which could see cuts in or reallocations of health levy funds that support the city's safety net system in next year’s municipal budget. (Margolies, 3/6)

Pioneer Press: Advocates, Struggling Moms Make The Case For Increased Welfare Benefits 
After years of trying, advocates for struggling families hope this is the year lawmakers will boost the Minnesota Family Investment Program, or MFIP, welfare-to-work assistance that has essentially had benefits frozen for 33 years. Gov. Tim Walz included adding $100 a month to what MFIP recipients receive in his budget proposal. DFLers in the House want to go further and increase it by $200 a month, saying even that generous of an increase would not cover inflationary costs since 1986. (Magan, 3/6)

Kansas City Star: KC Needs Alternative To Jackson County Jail To House Inmates
With less than four months left until its inmates are no longer welcome at the Jackson County Detention Center, Kansas City is planning for a new municipal jail. The city operated its own for nearly a century, as part of the old Municipal Farm in Eastwood Hills near Arrowhead Stadium. (Kite, 3/6)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. Settles Homeless Rights Case, Likely Limiting Ability To Clear Skid Row Streets
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday agreed to settle a pivotal and contentious case on the property rights of homeless people — a decision that is likely to limit the seizure and destruction of encampments on skid row. The 10-2 vote authorizes City Attorney Mike Feuer to settle a 2016 lawsuit, Carl Mitchell v. Los Angeles, brought by civil rights lawyers on behalf of homeless people and two skid row anti-poverty groups. Downtown business groups had opposed such a deal, arguing that settling the case would deter redevelopment, and leave skid row and the people who live on its sidewalks mired in squalor. (Holland, 3/6)

KCUR: Itching To Get Your Doctor's Approval For Medical Marijuana? Missouri Says Wait A Bit 
As Missouri moves toward implementing the voter-approved medical marijuana program, state officials on Wednesday warned potential patients to hold off on paying for a physician certification until June. At a public listening session on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus, Kansas City physician Daniel Towle said there’s been confusion surrounding state guidance on physician certifications. That’s even after the state posted a clarification on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website. (Haxel, 3/7)

Health Affairs: Consumers’ Responses To Surprise Medical Bills In Elective Situations
A surprise medical bill is a bill from an out-of-network provider that was not expected by the patient or that came from an out-of-network provider not chosen by the patient. We investigated consumers’ hospital choices after receipt of surprise out-of-network medical bills in an elective situation, using a large national sample of medical claims for obstetric patients with two deliveries covered by employer-sponsored health insurance in 2007–14. (Chartock et al, 3/1)

Pediatrics: Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use By Parents And Adolescents In The US
Controlling for other factors, parental NMPO use was associated with adolescent NMPO use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.56). Mothers’ use had a stronger association with adolescent use than fathers’ use (aOR 1.62 [95% CI 1.28–2.056] versus aOR 0.98 [95% CI 0.74–1.24]). Associations between parental and adolescent NMPO use did not differ by adolescent sex or race and/or ethnicity. (Griesler, 3/1)

JAMA Cardiology: Association Of Initial And Serial C-Reactive Protein Levels With Adverse Cardiovascular Events And Death After Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Secondary Analysis Of The VISTA-16 Trial.
In this secondary analysis of the VISTA-16 randomized clinical trial that included 5145 patients, baseline and longitudinal high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were independently associated with increased risk of a major adverse cardiac event, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death during the 16-week follow-up. (Mani et al, 3/6)

Pediatrics: Factors Associated With Unrestrained Young Passengers In Motor Vehicle Crashes
Unrestrained child passengers are at significant risk of crash-related injury. Previous researchers using nationally representative crash data from 1992 to 1993 found an association between driver and passenger safety-belt use. Our objective in this study is to investigate factors associated with young, unrestrained passengers in fatal and nonfatal motor vehicle crashes using updated national crash data. (Roehler et al, 3/1)

Health Affairs: Vulnerable And Less Vulnerable Women In High-Deductible Health Plans Experienced Delayed Breast Cancer Care
The effects of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment among vulnerable populations are unknown. We examined time to first breast cancer diagnostic testing, diagnosis, and chemotherapy among a group of women whose employers switched their insurance coverage from health plans with low deductibles ($500 or less) to plans with high deductibles ($1,000 or more) between 2004 and 2014. (Wharam et al, 3/1)

The New York Times: This Is The Truth About Vaccines
Vaccinations save lives, protect our children and are one of our greatest public health achievements. As public health officials, our role is to advance the health of the American people. This must include championing vaccinations. Diseases like polio, measles, diphtheria and rubella were once common in the United States, afflicting hundreds of thousands of infants, children and adults, and killing thousands each year. Some older Americans may remember the fear associated with polio outbreaks and the era of iron lungs and leg braces — a time when swimming pools and movie theaters closed over concerns about the spread of the crippling disease. (Brett P. Giroir, Robert R. Redfield and Jerome M. Adams, 3/6)

Chicago Tribune: Rand Paul's Weak Case Against Mandatory Vaccines Undercuts Efforts To Counter Measles Outbreak
The middle of a measles outbreak may not seem like the best time to stand up for the eccentric preferences of the people who caused it. But Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is a libertarian, which means he is used to challenging conventional wisdom. His thoughts on mandatory vaccinations, however, only confirm that conventional wisdom is sometimes genuine wisdom. At a hearing Tuesday, Paul made two points in opposition to requiring measles inoculations for children. The first: “For myself and my children I believe that the benefits of vaccines greatly outweigh the risks, but I still don’t favor giving up on liberty for a false sense of security.” (Steve Chapman, 3/6)

Seattle Times: Senate Bill Best To End No-Vaccines Choice
On Monday, the editorial board endorsed a bill that would eliminate the personal exemption for the measles vaccine. While that bill has merit, it’s too limited. The Senate has a better bill we support that would eliminate the personal exemption for all childhood vaccines. This bill is the most responsible public health response to the measles epidemic in our state. (3/6)

Stat: Scott Gottlieb Showed Real Leadership At The FDA
Alot can be said of Washington in 2019. Talk of government dysfunction and party politics clouds even the simplest conversations and policies. Working in government, once held up as a way to serve our country, has turned into a partisan attack line. But there are some exceptions. Scott Gottlieb, through his deep respect for the agency he was entrusted to run, set himself apart from this political wrangling and did what was right for Americans. As he steps away from the Food and Drug Administration, he will be sorely missed. (Ellen V. Sigal, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Scott Gottlieb’s Departure Leaves The Health Of Millions At Stake
One of the Trump administration’s most competent, careful and effective senior officers will soon leave government. At stake is the health of millions of Americans. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb will depart within a month. He heads one of the nation’s most powerful government agencies, responsible for overseeing a fifth of the U.S. economy. Many of President Trump’s early hires were mediocrities or worse. Mr. Gottlieb quickly proved himself an exception. He deserves credit for bucking the administration’s otherwise pervasive penchant for knee-jerk deregulation and reality denial. (3/6)

Bloomberg: J&J Ketamine-Like Spravato Depression Drug Isn't A Surefire Hit 
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval Tuesday evening of Johnson & Johnson’s depression drug Spravato, a nasal spray that is a close cousin to the anaesthetic and party drug ketamine, is a big deal for patients. The depression medicines available now aren’t always effective and can take weeks to have an impact even when they are. Spravato is the first fast-acting medicine of its kind and works in an entirely different way than current options. The new drug could help people with severe depression and those who don’t respond to conventional treatment. It’s not a silver bullet: The spray has produced mixed data and has significant side effects and abuse potential, which has led to FDA restrictions on its use. Even so, it addresses a large unmet need and has life-changing potential. (Max Nisen, 3/6)

The Hill: Trump, GOP Continue To Undermine Protections For People With Pre-Existing Conditions
In the next few weeks, the House of Representatives will start voting on health-care legislation, and we will soon see if the Republican party has learned any lessons from their defeat in the 2018 midterms. So far, the answer is a resounding no. Last November, the American people examined the Republican record on health care, and delivered their verdict by electing a Democratic majority to the U.S. House of Representatives, with the biggest gains since Watergate. (Leslie Dach, 3/6)

Stat: Health Care Price Tags Offer No Information About Quality Of Care 
Say you want to know which baseball players provide the most value for the big dollars they’re being paid. A Google search quickly yields analytics. But suppose your primary care physician just diagnosed you with cancer. What will a search for a “high value” cancer doctor tell you? Not much. Public concern over bloated and unintelligible medical bills has prompted pushback ranging from an exposé by a satirical TV show to a government edict that hospitals list their prices online. But despite widespread agreement about the importance of high-value care, information about the clinical outcomes of individual physicians, which can put cost into perspective, is scarce. Even when information about quality of care is available, it’s often unreliable, outdated, or limited in scope. (Michael L. Millenson, 3/7)

The Wall Street Journal: We’re Overmedicating Our Children
A couple came to my psychotherapy office because their 8-year-old son was having trouble at school. He couldn’t sit still or focus on class work, and sometimes he’d act disruptively to get attention. The school had labeled the boy as having attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and urged the parents to see a psychiatrist—who immediately prescribed a stimulant. American children have a drug problem. The use of psychiatric drugs to treat ADHD, depression and anxiety in children and teens has been increasing and is excessive. The family I saw was a case in point. The medication suppressed the boy’s behavior, but it also made him anxious, irritable and sleepless. His parents came to me seeking an alternative. (Erica Komisar, 3/6)

Los Angeles Times: How Badly Are We Being Ripped Off On Eyewear? Former Industry Execs Tell All
Charles Dahan knows from first-hand experience how badly people get ripped off when buying eyeglasses. He was once one of the leading suppliers of frames to LensCrafters, before the company was purchased by optical behemoth Luxottica. He also built machines that improved the lens-manufacturing process.In other words, Dahan, 70, knows the eyewear business from start to finish. And he doesn’t like what’s happened. (David Lazarus, 3/5)

The Hill: Anti-Choice Movement Is Like Reproductive Coercion, But On A Broader Scale
Anti-choice rhetoric continuously includes a healthy amount of victim blaming and messaging that is misogynistic. One of the phrases that we often hear is, “birth control is available so people shouldn’t have unplanned pregnancies.” Another is, “well you shouldn’t have sex if you don’t want to get pregnant or aren’t prepared for pregnancy.” Both of these statements are fraught with condescension for people experiencing unplanned pregnancies and a lack of understanding of the reality of the reproductive experiences of most people. Birth control is not widely available in many parts of the United States. There are also states stripping funding from family planning clinics or denying them the ability to accept Medicaid; it ignores the reality of reproductive coercion. (Julie Burkhart, 3/6)

Boston Globe: Cap On Kids A Failed Welfare ‘Experiment’
The truly pernicious part is that the cap penalizes all siblings who then need to be fed and clothed with the same size benefit. Children’s Health Watch reported, “From 2010-2016, almost one-third of 1,358 caregivers receiving TAFDC [Temporary Aid to Families with Dependent Children] with children under the age of 4 interviewed at Boston Medical Center reported a child not supported on the family’s TAFDC budget because of the family cap rule.” (3/6)

Columbus Dispatch: As Studies Spotlight Ohio, DeWine Promises To Fight Drug Ills
A new study published Feb. 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association cites Ohio as a public-health leader for employing a multifaceted fight credited with decreasing overdose deaths in the first half of 2018. Still, as alarming as Ohio’s notoriety for overdose deaths has been, another new study casts the state in a disturbing-but-not-surprising role: having some of the nation’s steepest increases in rates of children needing foster care due to parents’ drug problems. (3/7)

Detroit News: Right To Health Care Gives Gov't Power
Every American should have access to quality, affordable health care. This is not a controversial claim. Almost everyone, on the right and left of the political spectrum, can agree with this statement. However, recently it has become fashionable to proclaim that health care access isn’t just something we should strive for, it’s a human right. Unfortunately, those who oppose this statement have been branded as hateful and uncaring. Before one reflexively endorses the notion that health care is a right, he or she should think carefully about the meaning of these words and their possible application. (Chad Savage, 3/6)