Reuters: Exclusive: Drugmakers Set To Raise US Prices On At Least 500 Drugs In January
Drugmakers including Pfizer, Sanofi and Takeda Pharmaceutical plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 500 drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Excluding different doses and formulations, more than 140 brands of drugs will have their prices raised next month, the data showed. The expected price hikes come as the pharmaceutical industry gears up for the Biden Administration to publish significantly discounted prices for 10 high-cost drugs in September, and continues to contend with higher inflation and manufacturing costs. (Erman and Wingrove, 12/29)

Stat: Pharmacies Brace For PBM Fee Cash Crunch After Jan. 1
The Biden administration seemed to be giving pharmacies a win when they forced pharmacy benefit managers to be more up-front about the behind-the-scenes fees they charge. But now pharmacies are afraid the transition to the new system on Jan. 1 will lead to a cash flow crunch. (Cohrs, 1/2)

Stat: Ahead Of JPM, Here's Who's Profiting Most In Health Care
For all the flack they get, the country’s four biggest pharmacy benefit managers reported a surprisingly tame average profit margin in the first three quarters of 2023: 4.5%, less than a third of their drugmaker peers. But don’t take their numbers as gospel, experts warned. (Bannow and Trang, 1/2)

NPR: Bankrupt Generic Drug Factory Gets A Second Chance Under New Ownership
When Americans think of drug prices, they usually think that they're too high. And for name brand drugs, that's often the case compared with the rest of the world. But when it comes to generic sterile injectables, medicines that are workhorses in hospitals, the opposite problem is true. ... Companies compete with each other to offer hospital purchasers the lowest price, driving the prices to rock bottom. Over time, prices can get so low that it doesn't always make good business sense for the companies to keep making some drugs. So they stop. (Lupkin, 12/28)

Consumer activist Dr. Sidney Wolfe has died —

The Washington Post: Sidney Wolfe, Fierce Adversary Of Drug Companies And FDA, Dies At 86 
Sidney M. Wolfe, a doctor turned consumer activist who battled drug companies, lobbyists and regulators during a nearly five-decade crusade against ineffective, risky and overpriced medications that made him a hero to patient advocacy groups and an implacable foe to anyone who opposed him, died Jan. 1 at his home in Washington. He was 86.The cause was a brain tumor, said his wife, Suzanne Goldberg. Dr. Wolfe did not practice medicine for long and instead spent most of his career with the Health Research Group, part of the Washington-based Public Citizen organization founded by consumer activist Ralph Nader. (Rosenwald, 1/1)

ABC News: California Becomes First State To Offer Health Insurance To All Undocumented Immigrants 
California will welcome the new year by becoming the first state to offer health insurance for all undocumented immigrants. Starting Jan. 1, all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age, will qualify for Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes. Previously, undocumented immigrants were not qualified to receive comprehensive health insurance but were allowed to receive emergency and pregnancy-related services under Medi-Cal as long as they met eligibility requirements, including income limits and California residency in 2014. (Kekatos, 12/29)

KFF Health News: States Expand Health Coverage For Immigrants As GOP Hits Biden Over Border Crossings 
A growing number of states are opening taxpayer-funded health insurance programs to immigrants, including those living in the U.S. without authorization, even as Republicans assail President Joe Biden over a dramatic increase in illegal crossings of the southern border. Eleven states and Washington, D.C., together provide full health insurance coverage to more than 1 million low-income immigrants regardless of their legal status, according to state data compiled by KFF Health News. Most aren’t authorized to live in the U.S., state officials say. (Galewitz, 12/28)

On nursing homes, abortion, mental health, marijuana, housing, and more —

CalMatters: Nursing Homes Must Disclose More Info Under New CA Law
Threat of eviction is one of the biggest problems facing California’s nursing home residents. Residents often don’t even know why they’re being forcibly discharged. A new state law taking effect today seeks to rectify this with a simple change: nursing homes are now required to offer residents copies of any information that explains why they’re being evicted. (Wiener, 1/1)

CBS News: New 2024 California Laws Remove "Retarded" And "Addict" From Official Terminology
Two bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this year will remove outdated terminology in state law language for certain classes of people beginning in January. Assembly Bill 248, also known as the Dignity for All Act, removes the words and phrases "mentally retarded persons," "mentally retarded children," "retardation" and "handicap" from existing laws to eliminate "obsolete terminology," as per the bill's text. Instead, terms like "individuals with disabilities" or "individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities" will be used. (12/30)

CalMatters: New California Law Bans Surprise Ambulance Bills In 2024 
A new California law bans surprise ambulance bills beginning Jan. 1, 2024. They’re out-of-network charges to insured households after emergency calls. (Hwang, 12/27)

AP: A Tax Increase, LGBTQ+ Youth Protections And More Sick Leave Highlight California's New Laws In 2024 
Doctors in California who mail abortion pills to patients in other states will be protected from prosecution. Workers will receive more paid sick leave on the heels of a big year for labor. And companies can’t fire employees for using marijuana outside of work. These are among the hundreds of laws that take effect Jan. 1 in the nation’s most populous state. Each year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs hundreds of laws passed by the state Legislature. Most take effect Jan. 1 the following year. But sometimes lawmakers will delay a law’s effective date for a variety of reasons, including giving people more time to prepare for the new rules. (Austin, Nguyen and Beam, 12/29)

The Mercury News: California Youth, And Their Parents, Can Access Free Mental Health App
The new year is bringing new mental health resources to California’s youth, right on their phones. Two new apps — available to state residents on Jan. 1 — will provide free resources, including one-on-one coaching support via in-app chat, call or video; a place to chat with peers; various wellness exercises; and information about local behavioral health resources or crisis services. Users will find “age-tailored” educational content, such as videos, games and podcasts, according to California’s Department of Health Care Services. (Schallhorn, 1/1)

CalMatters: New California Housing Laws Go Into Effect In 2024
Among the batch of fresh housing laws are an especially high profile set by San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener: Senate Bill 423 re-ups and expands a law that speeds up the approval of apartment buildings in which some units are set aside for lower income Californians, while SB 4 does something similar for affordable housing on property owned by religious institutions and non-profit colleges. Wiener’s two new laws set the tone of housing legislation in 2023, where ripping out barriers and boosting incentives for housing construction emerged as the dominant theme.  (Christopher, 1/1)

On gun control —

The New York Times: Appeals Court Allows California Ban On Guns In Most Public Places To Take Effect 
A federal appeals court on Saturday allowed California’s ban on the carrying of firearms in most public places to take effect in 2024, halting a lower court judge’s ruling that had blocked enforcement of the law. The state law, Senate Bill 2, sets several restrictions on gun ownership, and Gov. Gavin Newsom approved it in September. But Judge Cormac Carney of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California blocked enforcement of the law in December, saying that the ban on guns in most public places would unconstitutionally “deprive” citizens of their right to bear arms. (Edmonds, 12/31)

Los Angeles Times: California Court Battle Over Gun Magazines Shows U.S. Divide 
Late last month, a coalition of 19 U.S. states and the District of Columbia came together to support California’s ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. In a brief filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a challenge to California’s law is being considered, the coalition argued that California’s ban is “wholly consistent” with the 2nd Amendment and should be upheld as lawful. Late Thursday, 25 other states responded with their own brief arguing just the opposite. They said California’s ammunition ban was a threat to the 2nd Amendment and to individual gun owners’ right to self-defense, and should be overturned as unconstitutional. (Rector, 12/31)

Modern Healthcare: Here Are The New State Healthcare Laws Taking Effect In 2024 
Almost 20 states enacted healthcare laws taking effect in January, ranging from insurance regulation to gender-affirming care legislation. (Desilva, 1/2)

The New York Times: New State Laws Will Affect Americans Starting Jan. 1, 2024 
A spate of new state laws, including on guns, minimum wage and gender transition care, went into effect as the calendar flipped to 2024. Perhaps the most significant change bans programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion at publicly funded colleges and universities in Texas. In other states, Americans will follow new rules on guns and marijuana, as well as have additional health care and workplace protections. About three dozen states enacted new laws on voting in 2023, but most of the practical effects won’t be felt until primary and general elections in 2024. (Hassan, 1/1)

CBS News: Illinois To Ban Indoor Vaping In 2024
Vaping will be banned indoors in public places in Illinois in the new year.Effective Jan. 1, 2024, an amendment to the Smoke Free Illinois Act will ban the use of "electronic smoking devices" such as vape pens and electronic cigarettes inside public spaces. ..."E-cigarettes contain nicotine and other chemicals which can be harmful to both those who use them and those who are exposed to them," said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. (Feurer, 12/29)

The Baltimore Sun: New Maryland Laws Taking Effect Jan. 1: Plastic Bag Bans, Minimum Wage, Health Insurance Coverage Requirements
New laws taking effect the first day of 2024 will bump Maryland’s minimum wage to $15 an hour for most employers, broaden insurance coverage, extend the list of counties with plastic bag bans, and attempt to rein in telemarketers. (Belson, 1/1)

The Washington Post: Wages And Health Care: New Year’s Day Brings New Laws To The DMV 
Maryland lawmakers also passed a half-dozen measures aimed at improving access to health care by placing new requirements on medical insurers. One of those laws eliminates cost-sharing for patients receiving diagnostic and supplemental breast exams. Similarly, insurers will have to cover the costs of screening for and diagnosing lung cancer. Some insurers will also have to cover biomarker testing. Another new law requires the state’s Medicaid program to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care without discrimination. Accessing prescription drugs may get a little easier for some patients under another new law in Maryland. Medical insurers must develop a process for patients to request an exception to a step therapy or fail-first protocol that requires patients to try the least-expensive drug available before advancing to a more expensive treatment option, even when their doctor recommends a more expensive drug. Those exception requests must be processed swiftly under the new law. (Shepherd, Vozzella and Brice-Saddler, 12/31)

In related news —

Politico: Why Fears About Biden’s Marijuana Moves Are Overblown
President Joe Biden’s administration is poised to make the biggest shift in federal drug policy in decades by loosening marijuana restrictions, but the move is sparking blowback from an unlikely constituency: legalization advocates. They argue that moving marijuana to a lower classification would do nothing to address the federal-state divide in marijuana laws, fail to address the impacts of criminalization, disrupt existing state-regulated cannabis markets, lead multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies to dominate the medical cannabis industry and spur a potential federal crackdown. (Zhang, 1/1)

The New York Times: Serious Medical Errors Rose After Private Equity Firms Bought Hospitals
The rate of serious medical complications increased in hospitals after they were purchased by private equity investment firms, according to a major study of the effects of such acquisitions on patient care in recent years. The study, published in JAMA on Tuesday, found that, in the three years after a private equity fund bought a hospital, adverse events including surgical infections and bed sores rose by 25 percent among Medicare patients when compared with similar hospitals that were not bought by such investors. The researchers reported a nearly 38 percent increase in central line infections, a dangerous kind of infection that medical authorities say should never happen, and a 27 percent increase in falls by patients while staying in the hospital. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 12/26)

Fierce Healthcare: Adverse Events Increased After Hospitals Acquired By Private Equity, Study Finds
Specifically, through up to three years after hospital acquisition, the analysis shows a 27% increase in falls, a 38% increase in central line-associated infections and about twice as many surgical site infections compared to control hospitals—though the latter measure was “less statistically precise” due to a smaller sample size, the researchers wrote. Contrasting the rise in adverse events was an almost decrease in hospital deaths among the acquired hospitals. (Muoio, 12/27)

In other health care industry news —

Stat: Ascension's Ugly Legal Battle Over Care For Poor Patients In Texas
The partnership between one of the nation’s largest Catholic health systems and a local government agency focused on caring for poor patients was supposed to be mutually beneficial for everyone involved. But it didn’t quite turn out that way. (Cohrs, 1/2)

Modern Healthcare: Why Medicare Advantage Plans Are ‘Crippling’ Rural Hospitals
Delayed Medicare Advantage reimbursement is among the top concerns of rural hospital operators, one of several factors expected to be a drag on rural hospital finances in 2024. Rural hospitals, which tend to run on thinner operating margins than metro-area hospitals, have been hurt by reimbursement cuts, staffing constraints, inflation, the aging population and interest rate hikes. (Kacik, 12/28)

Modern Healthcare: IRA Grants For Hospital Sustainability Projects Find Few Takers
Eighteen months ago, Congress and President Joe Biden set aside billions of dollars in funding and tax incentives for sustainability and decarbonization efforts. Take-up in the healthcare industry has lagged. ... Hospitals are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which was associated with 72% of evacuations from 2000 to 2017, according to a study from Case Western Reserve University. Yet few health systems have concocted plans to tap the federal dollars. (Hartnett, 12/29)

The Mercury News: Spending Fights, Supply Chain Delays Slow Mobile Health Boom
The use of mobile health clinics exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the need to reach patients in outdoor, decentralized locations and also by the trillions of dollars in federal aid that Congress poured into the economy. In rural areas, mobile clinics often replace the dwindling preventive care network that helps keep patients healthy and out of the emergency room. Next year, a 2022 law will also authorize the further expansion of mobile clinics. But Congress would have to fund it first. (Clason, 12/29)

Modern Healthcare: Retail Disruptors Target Seniors For Growth 
Competition is heating up among healthcare retailers to provide services for the rapidly swelling senior population. About 1 in 6 people in the U.S. were age 65 or older as of 2020, increasing to roughly 1 in 5 by 2030, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As the population ages, healthcare providers see the potential cost-saving benefits of changing care delivery for seniors who are living longer but managing chronic conditions. (Hudson, 12/28)

Politico: Mental Hospitals Warehoused The Sick. Congress Wants To Let Them Try Again. 
The linked crises of drug addiction and homelessness have Washington on the verge of embracing a health care provider it once repudiated: the mental hospital. Nearly 60 years after Congress barred Medicaid from treating people in what were then derided as insane asylums, lawmakers are on the verge of reversing course. The reasons: Community-based care championed since the 1960s hasn’t stopped record overdoses — and constituents have had it with the brazen drug use and tent encampments in their cities. Some public health advocates agree that times have changed and the magnitude of the crises justifies lifting the rule. (Paun, 1/1)

KFF Health News: Can Family Doctors Deliver Rural America From Its Maternal Health Crisis? 
Zita Magloire carefully adjusted a soft measuring tape across Kenadie Evans’ pregnant belly. Determining a baby’s size during a 28-week obstetrical visit is routine. But Magloire, a family physician trained in obstetrics, knows that finding the mother’s uterus and, thus, checking the baby, can be tricky for inexperienced doctors. “Sometimes it’s, like, off to the side,” Magloire said, showing a visiting medical student how to press down firmly and complete the hands-on exam. She moved her finger slightly to calculate the fetus’s height: “There she is, right here.” Evans smiled and later said Magloire made her “comfortable.” (Tribble, 1/2)

KFF Health News: In Year 6, KFF Health News-NPR’s ‘Bill Of The Month’ Helps Patients In A Changing System 
In 2023, our nationwide reporting team has been hard at work on a holiday gift to you: a packet of advice for navigating the labyrinthine American medical system. In the sixth year of KFF Health News-NPR’s “Bill of the Month” series, readers shared more than 750 tales of medical billing problems, contributing to our ongoing effort to investigate the financial consequences of becoming sick or injured in the United States — and empower patients to advocate for themselves. Reporters analyzed more than $730,000 in charges, including more than $215,000 owed by 12 patients and their families. (12/23)

KFF Health News: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: When Hospitals Sue Patients (Part 2) 
Some hospitals sue patients who can’t afford to pay their medical bills. Such lawsuits don’t tend to bring in much money for the hospital but can really harm patients already experiencing financial hardships. In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” Dan Weissmann goes toe-to-toe with Scott Purcell, CEO of ACA International, a trade association for the collection industry, on the effects these lawsuits have on patients. (12/28)

On health technology —

CBS News: Another Corewell Health Data Breach Impacts More Than 1 Million Patients
For the second time in just a few months, Corewell Health patients in Southeast Michigan may have had their medical information exposed in a data breach. According to Attorney General Dana Nessel, this breach involves HealthEC, LLC., which is a population health management platform that provides services to Corewell Health. HealthEC mailed impacted individuals notice letters on Dec. 22, 2023. (Powers, 12/27)

Stat: 3 Trends To Watch In The Business Of Health Tech In 2024
Is it too early to say that the health tech boom feels like a million years ago? In 2020 and 2021, the jolt of pandemic and favorable economic conditions created an explosion of adoption and investment for companies that hoped to transform some corner of the stodgy health care system with technology. Those roaring days feel like a distant memory. Many of those would-be disrupters are now struggling through a much different environment. (Aguilar, 1/2)

AP: Judge Allows Lawsuit That Challenges Idaho's Broad Abortion Ban To Move Forward
An Idaho judge on Friday denied a request by the state’s top legal chief to throw out a lawsuit seeking to clarify the exemptions tucked inside the state’s broad abortion ban. Instead, 4th District Judge Jason Scott narrowed the case to focus only on the circumstances where an abortion would be allowed and whether abortion care in emergency situations applies to Idaho’s state constitutional right to enjoy and defend life and the right to secure safety. Scott’s decision comes just two weeks after a hearing where Idaho’s Attorney General Raul Labrador’s office attempted to dismiss the case spearheaded by four women and several physicians, who filed the case earlier this year. (Kruesi, 12/29)

NPR: Arizona May Vote On An Abortion Ballot Initiative In 2024
Strategists on both sides of the abortion debate are gearing up to make Arizona the next center of the fight over the contentious issue. The efforts in the swing state could have big impacts on other contests on the 2024 ballot, including a key U.S. Senate election, control of the U.S. House and the race for the White House. President Biden won the state by just 10,000 votes out of more than 3 million cast in 2020, the first time the state voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1996. (Bustillo, 12/23)

Reuters: Abortion Battles Shift To Medical Emergencies, Travel 
There has been a shift in the litigation, away from the broad, head-on challenges and toward narrower issues arising from the bans. A newer wave of lawsuits has focused on when emergency medical exceptions to abortion bans apply and whether states can stop their citizens from traveling to states where abortion remains legal- a trend experts expect to continue in the new year. All of the 18 states that have banned or sharply restricted abortion allow exceptions for medical emergencies when continued pregnancy would endanger the mother's life, or, in some states, health. But in practice, according to allegations in multiple lawsuits and public testimony from women, those exceptions are often unavailable because the laws are so vague that physicians are not sure when they apply, and so are unwilling to perform abortions for fear of prosecution. (Pierson, 12/27)

More reproductive health news from North Carolina and Missouri —

Axios: "A Nice Surprise": North Carolina Family Welcomes New Year's Baby
This year kicked off with confetti, new tax laws and a baby boy for the Cannon family near Charlotte, North Carolina. Six minutes after midnight, parents Jonathan and Rachel Cannon celebrated the start of 2024 with the birth of their 7-pound, 3-ounce, 19.76 inches-long baby boy at Atrium Health Cabarrus hospital. (May, 1/1)

St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis Health Department Offers Free Emergency Contraception 
Free emergency contraception kits are now available through the City of St. Louis Department of Health. The department joins 60 other organizations taking part in the Missouri Family Health Council’s “Free EC” initiative. The goal is to provide access to emergency contraception and reproductive health resources. Suzanne Alexander, the department’s Communicable Disease Bureau Chief, said this option will benefit many in the city. (Lewis-Thompson, 12/29)

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

Stateline: Report Ranks South Carolina Worst In The Nation In Nursing Home Inspectors
Statewide, there are about 190 nursing homes. The state agency tasked with regulating them has just one active inspection team that travels the state to check on them, though it’s close to activating a second. By federal law, each team of five must include a registered nurse, and that division of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control has just one nurse with the necessary credentials.Even if it were fully staffed at one inspector for every 11 homes — the state-funded ratio a federal report relied on — it would still have the lowest ratio in the nation. (Holdman, 12/22)

Stat: Texas Medical School Fails To Deliver On Founding Promise
Eleven years ago, local officials promised voters in the most liberal county in Texas that if they supported tens of millions of dollars in new taxes, they’d deliver a win-win scenario: Austin would get a new medical school, and poor people navigating the health care system in a state with the country’s worst uninsured rate would get more health care services. (Cohrs, 1/2)

The Boston Globe: Mass. Day Programs Still Struggle To Serve Developmentally Disabled
Hundreds of people with developmental disabilities have finally returned to critically important day programs thanks to new investment from MassHealth. But many more remained on waiting lists last fall, exiled from programs they’re entitled to attend. Programs still don’t have the staff to serve everyone eligible, providers reported. Statewide, 20 percent of jobs at day habilitation programs were unfilled as of October, according to a survey of members conducted by the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers and shared with the Globe. (Laughlin, 1/1)

CBS News: Largest Health Care System In Massachusetts Now Offering Hospital Level Treatment At Home
Mass General Brigham, the largest health care system in Massachusetts, is expanding a program called Home Hospital. It is a model administrators say can improve outcomes and save money. ... The model uses a combination of nurses and other caregivers who come to the home, along with a telemedicine system that is set up by the hospital. MGB takes care of all of the equipment, including the internet connection. It may sound expensive, but Dorner said it's still cheaper than inpatient care. (Marshall, 12/29)

NBC News: As Gun Violence Increases, A Lack Of Trauma Care In Rural America Puts Millions At Risk
Gun violence in America is increasing, not only on crowded city streets, but in small towns in remote parts of the country that lack resources to save people from life-threatening gunshot wounds. ... Cities and suburbs typically have quick access to trauma centers equipped to handle gun injuries. It’s different for the estimated 60 million people living in rural America. For them, being shot means they are more likely to die. (Edwards, Thompson and Martin, 12/29)

KFF Health News: Child Care Gaps In Rural America Threaten To Undercut Small Communities 
Candy Murnion remembers vividly the event that pushed her to open her first day care business in Jordan, a town of fewer than 400 residents in a sea of grassland in eastern Montana. Garfield County’s public health nurse, one of few public health officials serving the town and nearly 5,000 square miles that surround it, had quit because she had given birth to her second child and couldn’t find day care. (Rodriguez, 1/2)

KFF Health News: Mental Health Courts Can Struggle To Fulfill Decades-Old Promise
In early December, Donald Brown stood nervously in the Hall County Courthouse, concerned he’d be sent back to jail. The 55-year-old struggles with depression, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. He worried a judge would terminate him from a special diversion program meant to keep people with mental illness from being incarcerated. He was failing to keep up with the program’s onerous work and community service requirements. “I’m kind of scared. I feel kind of defeated,” Brown said. (Whitehead, 12/28)

CNN: Respiratory Virus Activity Is High And Rising Across The United States, CDC Data Shows 
Nationally, Covid-19 levels in wastewater, a leading measure of viral transmission, are very high – higher than they were at this time last year in every region, CDC data shows. Weekly emergency department visits rose 12%, and hospitalizations jumped about 17% in the most recent week. And while Covid-19 remains the leading driver of respiratory virus hospitalizations, flu activity is rising rapidly. The CDC estimates that there have been more than 7 million illnesses, 73,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths related to the flu this season, and multiple indicators are high and rising. (McPhillips, Musa and Hassan, 1/1)

CIDRAP: Studies: More US Adults Roll Up Sleeves For Flu Than COVID, RSV Vaccines 
A trio of new studies provide a snapshot of US adult vaccine uptake and views, with two showing the highest coverage for flu, followed by COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and one confirming greater willingness to get a flu shot than a COVID-19 shot. (Van Beusekom, 12/27)

Mask requirements are popping up again —

CBS News: Public Health Officials Reinstate Mask Mandate At LA County Health Care Facilities
Los Angeles County has reinstated a mask-wearing requirement for staff and visitors at all licensed health care facilities in light of an upswing in coronavirus metrics, officials said Saturday. The county recently entered the "medium" level of COVID-19 hospital admissions, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (12/30)

CBS News: Mass General Brigham Bringing Back Mask Requirement For Staff
Masks are coming back soon at a major hospital network in the Boston area. Mass General Brigham said that starting Jan. 2, it will require health care staff who interact directly with patients to wear masks. Patients and visitors will also be "strongly encouraged" to wear masks given out by its hospitals and clinics. (Riley, 12/28)

CBS News: Maryland Group Urges All Healthcare Systems To Reinstate Masking Due To Spike In Respiratory Hospitalizations
Maryland health experts say they are seeing a spike in hospitalizations due to respiratory viruses, such as RSV, COVID and the flu. Volunteer groups are also urging healthcare systems in Maryland to reinstate their masking policies. ... According to the Maryland Department of Health, when respiratory virus hospitalization rates meet or exceed 10 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, healthcare systems should reinstate or update their masking policies. (Reece, 12/27)

On long covid —

The Washington Post: Four Years On, Long Covid Still Confounds Us. Here’s What We Now Know
Many people now view covid-19 as an almost routine inconvenience, much like flu, RSV and other seasonal infections. But four years after reports surfaced of a new respiratory illness, prompting a massive response among researchers, the disease’s aftereffects — commonly called long covid — continue to confound doctors and patients alike. “We know a lot about this particular coronavirus,” said Francesca Beaudoin, chair of the department of epidemiology at Brown University. “That does not translate into an understanding of the long-term consequences of infection.” (Sellers, 12/31)

CIDRAP: Study Shows COVID Leaves Brain Injury Markers In Blood
A study published in Nature Communications last week describes how markers of brain injury are present in the blood months after COVID-19 infection, despite normal inflammation blood tests. The findings, which come from research teams at the University of Liverpool and King’s College London, add to the complicated picture of how COVID-19 can cause a range of neurologic symptoms. (Soucheray, 12/27)

More pandemic coverage —

USA Today: It's Been 4 Years Since COVID Hit. Here's What's Happening To Prevent The Next Pandemic.
On Jan. 1, 2020, public health officials in the United States woke up to the news of a strange new virus in China. They didn't know what to make of it, but at Columbia University in Manhattan, Dr. Ian Lipkin was already nervous. Lipkin, a virologist, had spent his career studying pathogens and hoping to prevent the arrival of new ones. He had long pushed for closing the kind of live animal market that might have been the source of what became known as SARS-CoV-2. He would later argue that a low-security lab in Wuhan had no business studying dangerous pathogens ‒ "end of story" ‒ whether or not it was the cause of the pandemic. Now, on the fourth anniversary of that fateful time, Lipkin and his team at the Mailman School of Public Health are among a number of groups worldwide working to prevent the next global pandemic. (Weintraub, 1/1)

The Washington Post: A Va. Plant Promised PPE For Health Workers. $123M Later, It’s Mothballed. 
The federal government spent $123 million during the coronavirus pandemic to build a massive chemical plant here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a project meant to help ensure that supply-chain disruptions would never again leave the nation short of medical gloves. In late spring, construction wrapped up on the plant, the only one in the country capable of producing the synthetic rubber needed to make disposable nitrile gloves. By fall, the factory was mothballed. (Vozzella, 12/28)

KFF Health News and Politifact: RFK Jr.’s Campaign Of Conspiracy Theories Is PolitiFact’s 2023 Lie Of The Year 
As pundits and politicos spar over whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign will factor into the outcome of the 2024 election, one thing is clear: Kennedy’s political following is built on a movement that seeks to legitimize conspiracy theories. His claims decrying vaccines have roiled scientists and medical experts and stoked anger over whether his work harms children. He has made suggestions about the cause of covid-19 that he acknowledges sound racist and antisemitic. (Czopek and Sanders, 12/27)

Boise State Public Radio: Idaho Law Banning Gender-Affirming Health Care For Minors Won't Go Into Effect On Jan. 1 
An Idaho law banning gender-affirming health care treatments for transgender minors will not go into effect on Jan.1, 2024 because of a preliminary injunction issued late Tuesday night. House Bill 71 would have blocked transgender people under the age of 18 from getting puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender confirmation surgery. Doctors could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted, according to the bill language. In the ruling, District Court Judge Lynn Winmill ruled "the law's prohibition of hormones, puberty blockers and other medically accepted practices violates the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution," according to a news release from the ACLU. (Kloppenburg, 12/27)

MSNBC: Ohio GOP Governor Vetoes Anti-Trans Bill, Spurns Fellow Republicans
Splitting from other GOP governors on the issue and spurning his fellow Republicans in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill on Friday that would ban gender-affirming care for trans minors and prevent trans girls from participating in girls sports. At a press conference, he spoke about his reasons for vetoing the legislation, saying its consequences for children with gender dysphoria and their families “could not be more profound.” “Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived, would be dead today, if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio’s children’s hospitals. I’ve also been told by those who are now grown adults that but for this care, they would have taken their life when they were teenagers,” he said. The governor’s veto puts him at odds with other Republicans in his state, including his own second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who had expressed his support for the bill on Thursday. (Lim, 12/30)

AP: For Transgender Youth In Crisis, Hospitals Sometimes Increase The Trauma
Four days of waiting under the flickering fluorescent lights of UNC Hospitals’ emergency room left Callum Bradford desperate for an answer to one key question. The transgender teen from Chapel Hill needed mental health care after overdosing on prescription drugs. He was about to be transferred to another hospital because the UNC system was short on beds. With knots in his stomach, he asked, “Will I be placed in a girls’ unit?” (Schoenbaum, 12/29)

Daily Mail Online: The WHO Is Accused Of 'Trans Bias' After Calling For Self-ID To Become A Right In Its First Global Guide To Transgender Care 
The World Health Organisation is set to call for people to have the right to self-identify as the opposite sex in its first global guide to transgender care. ... The WHO said 21 experts will meet at its headquarters in Geneva next month to work on the guide, which will focus on the 'provision of gender-affirming care, including hormones' and also 'legal recognition of self-determined gender identity'. But it is already facing criticism as many of the group's members are trans activists and medics who work on 'affirming' healthcare. The group does not include any of the growing number of professionals who have raised concerns about the impact of puberty-blocking drugs on young people. (Beckford, 1/1)

The Hill: Nutramigen Powder Baby Formula Recalled For Fear Of Bacterial Contamination
Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition on Sunday recalled some batches of its Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Infant Formula Powder, a product marketed toward infants with milk allergies. The recall affects Nutramigen Powder 12.6 and 19.8 ounce cans sold in the United States. MJN said in an announcement that the recall was due to a “possibility of contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.” The recall was triggered by a sample outside the United States — according to the company, “all product in question went through extensive testing by MJN and tested negative for the bacteria.” The recalled product was manufactured in June and distributed between June and August. (Bernal, 1/1)

In legal updates —

Bloomberg: McKinsey To Pay $78 Million To Settle Opioid Claims By Insurers
McKinsey & Co. is poised to pay $78 million to health insurers and company benefit plans, in its latest settlement of lawsuits over its role advising opioid makers in their sales of the painkillers. The proposed accord, filed in federal court in San Francisco on Friday, would resolve allegations that the management consulting firm helped fuel the US opioid epidemic by providing sales analysis and marketing advice to manufacturers of the highly addictive painkillers, including Purdue Pharma LP and Johnson & Johnson. (Blumberg, 12/30)

Reuters: Judge Certifies Johnson & Johnson Shareholder Class Action Over Talc Disclosures 
A federal judge said Johnson & Johnson shareholders may pursue as a class action their lawsuit accusing the company of fraudulently concealing how its talc products were contaminated by cancer-causing asbestos. U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi in Trenton, New Jersey, on Friday allowed shareholders from Feb. 22, 2013, to Dec. 13, 2018, to pursue their securities fraud claims as a group. (Stempel, 12/29)

The Washington Post: Apple Wins Temporary Reprieve From The Ban On Apple Watch Sales
One day after a ban on the import and sale of its two newest Apple Watches became official, Apple managed to buy itself some time. Shortly after the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai confirmed on Tuesday that the United States would not overturn the International Trade Commission ruling calling for the ban, Apple appealed the decision and submitted an emergency filing to the D.C.-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, seeking a short pause on the ban’s enforcement. The court on Wednesday granted Apple that temporary reprieve. That means Apple is allowed to resume selling Apple Watch models with blood oxygen tracking features — the Watch Ultra 2 and the Watch Series 9 — direct to consumers. The company confirmed both devices would be available for sale in Apple retail stores Wednesday, and on its website by Thursday at 12 p.m. Pacific time. (Velazco, 12/27)

More pharmaceutical industry developments —

Fierce Biotech: Iovance Cell Therapy Trial Hit With FDA Hold After Patient Death
The FDA has hit Iovance Biotherapeutics’ cell therapy trial with a clinical hold after a patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) died in a case that may be related to the study. The federal agency implemented the hold Dec. 22 after a grade 5 adverse event (AE)—the most serious form of AE that signifies a fatality—was reported, according to a Dec. 27 release from Iovance. The patient death is potentially related to the non-myeloablative lymphodepletion pre-conditioning regimen, Iovance added in its statement. (Masson, 12/29)

USA Today: Cytokinetics Heart Drug Trial Has Positive Results, Could Go To FDA
A new drug to treat a rare heart condition may be set to go before the Food and Drug Administration. Pharmaceutical company Cytokinetics announced Wednesday that its drug aficamten produced, "statistically significant and clinically meaningful" results in the phase three trial of the drug. Aficamten is intended to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that thickens the heart muscle and is present in .2% of the world's population, according to the National Institute of Health. (Powel, 12/28)

NPR: Why GSK's Flovent Asthma Inhaler Is Being Discontinued In 2024
Some asthma patients may start out the new year scrambling for their go-to inhaler – at least that's the concern as Flovent, a popular drug, leaves store shelves starting in January. Earlier this year, drugmaker GSK announced it's discontinuing Flovent in 2024. There is a generic version to take its place, but some doctors worry patients could be left in the lurch as they sort out how to get the new medication covered by insurance. (Lupkin, 12/30)

Fox News: Vibrating Weight Loss Pill Could Provide Alternative To Ozempic And Wegovy, Say Researchers
A vibrating pill has shown promise in early studies as a possible obesity treatment. Developed by engineers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), the capsule is intended to be swallowed prior to eating in order to "trick" the brain into thinking the body is full — thereby reducing the amount of calories consumed. The vibrations activate the "stretch receptors" that detect satiety after eating, sending a signal to the brain that the stomach is full even if it’s not. (Rudy,12/31)

The Washington Post: 42 Percent Higher Dementia Risk Linked To ‘Good Cholesterol’ 
Despite its nickname as the “good cholesterol” because of its cardiovascular benefits, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was linked to as much as a 42 percent increased risk for dementia in older people with very high levels of HDL, according to research published in a Lancet journal, the Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. (Searing, 1/1)

More about brain health and dementia —

Fox News: Smoking Shrinks The Brain And Drives Up Alzheimer’s Risk, Study Finds
Smoking is notorious for causing damage to the lungs — but a recent study confirmed that it’s also harmful to the brain. ... Those who smoked one pack daily were found to have decreased brain volume compared to those who never smoked or had smoked fewer than 100 total cigarettes. The study, published in the January 2024 issue of Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, helps to explain why older people who smoke are at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, according to the researchers. (Rudy, 1/2)

USA Today: Study: Elderly Pet Owners Living Alone Had Slower Cognitive Declines
Owning a pet may help slow cognitive decline among older people who live alone, according to a study published this week. ... The study, which doesn’t prove pet ownership causes the slower declines but rather is associated with them, builds on existing evidence that preventing isolation, loneliness and stress can reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias, said Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, director of NYU Langone Health’s Division of Cognitive Neurology, in New York. There is currently no known cure for dementia. (Cuevas, 12/27)

Mpox is on the rise —

CIDRAP: Americas And Europe Cases Fuel Rise In Mpox Activity
In its latest monthly update, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 906 new mpox cases from 26 countries in November, reflecting an increase of 26% compared to October. With nearly 300 cases, the United States reported the steepest rise in the Americas, followed by Portugal reporting 128 new cases, which makes Europe the region with the second highest number of cases. (Schnirring, 12/27)

In other health and wellness news —

NBC News: Warnings Grow About Risky IV Drips And Injections At Unregulated Med Spas
The number of med spas and hydration clinics has ballooned in recent years, turning into a $15 billion wellness industry offering a variety of services, from IV therapy to skin care and cosmetic procedures. Federal health officials and representatives of med spa owners warn consumers that, along with the boom, some facilities are using unlicensed workers to inject unapproved products in unsanitary conditions. It’s difficult to know how many people have been injured at med spas, because the infections often are not reported to local or state health departments. But some infectious disease and emergency room doctors say they are seeing more adverse reactions associated with the facilities. (Edwards and Kopf, 1/1)

Stateline: Environmental Groups Want Stronger Rules For Use Of Coal Ash Fill After EPA Reveals New Risks
In a draft risk assessment published in November by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of a proposed broader revision of its coal ash management rules, the agency now says using coal ash as fill may create elevated cancer risk from radiation. “This is the first time EPA has identified the threat from radioactivity from ash use as fill,” said Lisa Evans, a senior attorney at Earthjustice. “… We didn’t really worry about the radioactivity until EPA pointed it out in this draft risk assessment.” (Zullo, 1/1)

NPR: Virtual Reality Treatments For Kids With Amblyopia, Or Lazy Eye
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is the most common cause of vision loss in children. And the condition, which compromises depth perception, can last into adulthood.But until recently ...the standard approach relied on an eye patch over the stronger eye to force the brain to rely on the weaker, or lazy, eye. ...Now, several research teams are taking a new tack that aims to get the brain to make better use of the information coming from both eyes. Several companies have popped up that are working on therapies based on this new angle. (Yanny, 12/26)

St. Louis Public Radio: SLU Team Gets $5 Million To Make Software For Blind Learners
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $5 million grant to a team led by St. Louis University researchers developing software for people who are blind or visually impaired. The Inclusio software is meant to translate visual content — like a bar chart or an illustration in a geometry textbook — into formats that more readers can understand. (Goodwin, 1/2)

Reuters: Alabama Woman With Double Uterus Gives Birth To Rare Twin Girls
An Alabama woman with a rare congenital anomaly that results in her having two uteri gave birth to healthy twin girls earlier this week. Kelsey Hatcher and husband Caleb welcomed Roxi Layla on Tuesday night and her sister Rebel Laken on Wednesday morning at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital (UAB), the mother-of-five announced on social media. Hatcher has a rare double uterus and was pregnant with a baby on each side, a rare pregnancy known as a dicavitary pregnancy that has a one in a million chance of occurring. (Caspani, 12/24)

The Washington Post: If ‘Dry’ January Sounds Daunting, A Semi-Dry ‘Damp’ January Can Still Help 
A semi-dry ritual dubbed “Damp January” has become an annual event for people who want to cut back on alcohol without giving it up entirely. Studies show that even a modest reduction in drinking can lead to improvements in blood pressure, mental health and liver health. It can lower risk for cancer and heart disease. And you may even notice improvements in your sleep, energy levels and skin. (O'Connor, 12/26)

The Washington Post: Test Your Fitness At Any Age With These Simple Exercises
Want to know if you’re as fit as most people your age? Try these five simple tests now and see how you measure up against a benchmark of what’s healthy for your age group. Don’t fret if your results fall a bit short. We’ll also give you easy exercises to help you fine-tune every aspect of your fitness and make 2024 your fittest year yet. (Reynolds, Conrad an dTerBush, 1/1)

The Washington Post: 7 Easy Food Goals To Improve Your Health Without Dieting
You don’t have to start a radical new diet to see big changes in your health. You can lose weight, improve your life expectancy, nourish your gut microbiome and boost your overall well-being by making small but powerful changes to what and how you eat. Here are seven easy food goals to get you started. (O'Connor, 12/19)

The Washington Post: Look For These 9 Red Flags To Identify Food That Is Ultra-Processed
To improve your eating habits this year, you don’t need to count calories or carbs. Instead, focus on how much your food has been processed before it gets to your dinner table. If you’re like most people, you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods and don’t even realize it. Many of these foods — protein and granola bars, low-fat yogurts and breakfast cereals — sound like healthful choices. (O'Connor, 1/2)

The Wall Street Journal: You’re Probably Still Eating Too Much Sugar
One of the best strategies for good health in the new year: Reduce the amount of sugar you eat. Sugar sneaks into our diet in surprising ways, from coffee drinks you don’t realize are sugar bombs to small amounts that add up in bread or sauces. Looking more closely at nutrition labels and little tricks like putting a few cookies onto a plate rather than eating them straight from the bag can help. It’s worth the effort, nutrition researchers say. Studies have found that diets high in added sugars are linked to a higher risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.  (Petersen, 12/31)

The Washington Post: Regrets Are Painful, But Learning From Them Can Lead To Better Mental Health 
Research has found that the five most common sources of regret relate to education, career, romance, parenting and self-improvement. These are areas where people “see their largest opportunities” or “tangible prospects for change, growth, and renewal,” the researchers noted. Fortunately, everyone can benefit from exploring their regrets. “If you think about regret and use it as a guide for changing your behavior in the future, it won’t linger in your life,” said Todd McElroy, an associate professor of psychology at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. “Your regret will go away.” (Colino, 12/31)

The New York Times: Caregivers Helped Us Be A Family. Everyone Should Have That Option.
My 7-year-old son, Carl, realized that it was Tuesday and asked why Robert was not coming to our house that day. Robert had been a caregiver for my husband, Ady Barkan, for more than five years, helping with Ady’s day-to-day activities as he became progressively paralyzed because of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or A.L.S. (Rachael Scarborough King, 1/1)

Newsweek: Access Denied—Health Care's Supply And Demand Crisis 
While vital organs—and families—wait for a second chance at life, growing demand also prevent Americans from easily seeing a doctor. Today, the average wait to see a doctor is 26 days. That's a lifetime to receive care, and prolonged delays can have cascading consequences, whereby a whimpering flu evolves into a roaring pneumonia. (Derek Streat, 12/27)

The New York Times: I Promised My Sister I Would Write About How She Chose To Die 
In late 2017, Julie learned she had advanced ovarian cancer. Since then, she’d endured one nine-hour surgery, six rounds of chemo, three recurrences and two clinical trials. “Enough,” my sister told her oncologist a few days before her 61st birthday, in April of this year. “I’ve decided to end treatment,” she added, to make sure he understood, and then sang, off-key, the famous Carol Burnett song, “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together.” She asked, “How much time do I have left?” His reply: “Two or three months, at the most.” (Stephen Petrow, 12/28)

USA Today: As We Close A Year Of Global Public Health Wins And Tragedies, 2024 Holds Hope For All
2023 was a year of milestones and challenges in global public health. In May, I declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern. This marked a turning point for the world following three years of crisis, pain and loss for people everywhere. (Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, 12/31)

The New York Times: That Numbness You're Feeling? There's A Word For It. 
The symptoms of empathic distress were originally diagnosed in health care, with nurses and doctors who appeared to become insensitive to the pain of their patients. Early researchers labeled it “compassion fatigue” and described it as “the cost of caring.” The theory was that seeing so much suffering is a form of vicarious trauma that depletes us until we no longer have enough energy to care. (Adam Grant, 1/1)

Modern Healthcare: Making Patient Safety The Top Priority
The enormous focus hospitals placed on preventing the spread of COVID-19 had little impact on the spread of other dangerous pathogens. Indeed, hospital-acquired infections surged during the pandemic, in some cases erasing a decade of progress preventing them. (Leah Binder, 1/2)

Stat: At-Home Gut Microbiome Tests Can’t Give You Trustworthy Results 
The blue muffin challenge. Food sensitivity tests. Microbiome test kits. Self-help gastrointestinal health is all the rage. Rightly so: One in four Americans is affected by digestive disorders. And we’re all eating worse, sleeping less, and experiencing more stress, leaving our guts feeling twisted. (Sameer Berry, 1/2)