Politico: The Election’s Stakes For Global Health
An agreement to set nations’ obligations when the next pandemic comes, billions in contributions to international disease control efforts, even U.S. membership in the World Health Organization: Those are the main stakes for global health in tomorrow’s election, according to health policy analysts. (Paun, 11/4)

Euronews: A Trump Win Could Reshape Global Health. Is Europe Ready To Step Up?
Between emerging diseases and pandemic threats, abortion and reproductive health, climate change, and humanitarian aid to war zones, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have wildly divergent visions for global health, with the outcome in [today's] US presidential election likely to reverberate across Europe and the world. Trump’s former administration offers a solid clue about his approach to global health. Most notably, he cut funding and started pulling the US out of the World Health Organization (WHO) and opted not to join the COVID-19 vaccine-sharing programme COVAX. (Galvin, 11/2)

Harvard Public Health: How The U.S. Election Has An Outsized Effect On Global Reproductive Health
In Nairobi, Kenya, Cate Nyambura is awaiting the outcome of the U.S. presidential election as if it could change her life—which it might. Nyambura is the director of programs at ATHENA Network, a global feminist collective that works primarily on reproductive health and rights, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence. “We hold our breath when the U.S. is having elections,” Nyambura says. Tuesday’s vote will have an enormous effect on how—and whether—Nyambura and countless other health workers and reproductive rights activists around the world can do their jobs. Thanks to a longstanding rule about abortion that shifts each time the White House changes political parties, every U.S. presidential election pits the American mood against other countries’ sovereignty—and the health of their women and girls. (Mungai, 11/4)

NBC News: All Eyes Are On America As An Uncertain World Awaits Critical Election Result
The “leader of the free world” always holds a huge sway over the 7.9 billion people who don’t get a vote. But this time, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are so diametrically opposed — in style, substance, policy and beyond — that the victor could shape global events for years, if not decades, to come. “This is an extremely important election for the world,” said Thomas Shannon Jr., former U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, the third-highest-ranking role in the State Department. Particularly, “because it comes at a time of debate within the American public about the purpose of American power in the world.” (Smith, 11/4)

AP: Control Of Congress Is At Stake And With It A President's Agenda
Control of Congress is at stake Tuesday, with ever-tight races for the House and Senate that will determine which party holds the majority and the power to boost or block a president’s agenda, or if the White House confronts a divided Capitol Hill. (Mascaro and Jalonick, 11/5)

The Washington Post: Hypnosis? Colonoscopy? What Some People Will Do To Avoid Election Day.
Americans on how to avoid or cope with Election Day: flee to a cabin, or flee the country. Try surgery ... or psilocybin. (Judkis, 11/4)

The Washington Post: Make The Election Less Stressful Without Putting Down Your Phone
If you can’t find time to meditate, or even put your phone down for more than 10 minutes, there are still ways to dissociate during the most stressful days of the year. Here are our tech recommendations to keep calm and carry on. (Kelly, 11/4)

Side Effects Public Media: Election-Related Stress Is A Thing. Here’s What Specialists Advise To Do
Research shows an estimated 94 million Americans perceive politics as a significant source of stress. Some even lose sleep over politics and others struggle with suicidal thoughts. “The constant barrage of negativity and fear driven narratives was leaving me irritable, exhausted and anxious. Politics was killing my soul,” Rachel, an Indianapolis resident in her fifties, told Side Effects. (Gabriel, 11/4)

NPR: A Therapy Llama And Alpaca Spread Joy And Ease Anxiety At The Portland Airport
When Beni the llama and Captain Jack the alpaca saunter with their handlers through the front doors of the Portland International Airport on a recent morning, time seems to stop. People who were moments earlier hustling to their gates stand still. Those who were occupied with their phones look up and stare. Some take videos. A crowd quickly forms. Within minutes, a dozen people are lined up for the chance to have their picture taken with one of these animals. At least one traveler is moved to tears. (Riddle, 11/4)

Crisistextline.org: Crisis Text Line: Text ELECTION To 741741
In the unpredictable environment of the 2024 presidential election, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed or anxious. The tension is real, but you don’t have to face it alone. Crisis Text Line is here to offer support. Simply text ELECTION to 741741 to reach a live volunteer crisis counselor in English. Para apoyo en español envía la palabra ELECCIONES al 741741. (11/5)

CBS News: These States Have Abortion Laws On The Ballot For The 2024 Election
The 2024 election will not only decide who succeeds President Biden in the White House, but in 10 states, voters will also have the chance to weigh in on abortion access through ballot measures. The states are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota. (Quinn and Hubbard, 11/4)

Where abortion is banned or strictly limited —

AP: Missouri: Voters To Decide Whether To Legalize Abortion In A State With A Near-Total Ban
Missouri voters will decide Tuesday whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and undo a near-total ban on the procedure. The measure would guarantee people’s right to make decisions about their reproductive health, such as whether to get an abortion, take birth control or get in vitro fertilization. Missouri currently allows abortions only in cases of medical emergencies. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. The amendment does not explicitly undo the law, meaning abortion-rights advocates would need to sue to overturn the ban if voters adopt the amendment. (Ballentine, 11/5)

AP: Nebraska: Competing Abortion Proposals Highlight A Record Spate Of Ballot Measures
Nebraska is the first state to feature competing abortion amendments on the same ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending the nationwide right to abortion and allowing states to decide for themselves. ...Because they’re competing and therefore cannot both be enshrined in the constitution, the one that gets the most “for” votes would be adopted, the secretary of state’s office said. (Beck, 11/5)

ABC News: Arizona: Inside The Abortion Ballot Measure Fight: One Family’s Story
Kristin and Dave Gambardella never expected the journey of growing their family to include an abortion procedure, but in summer 2023, the married couple nevertheless found themselves in a Planned Parenthood parking lot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a seven-hour drive from their home in Tucson, Arizona. A week beforehand, a routine blood test at 17 weeks into Kristin's pregnancy had come back with devastating results. A follow-up ultrasound confirmed her doctors' fears. The fetus had a severe genetic abnormality. "They told us it was really a guaranteed short life, full of pain and surgeries and constant medical care," Gambardella said. "Dave is a stoic person," she said of her husband, "and I remember he just broke down and lost it. And that's when I really felt that feeling in my gut that was like, wow, this is pretty catastrophic." (Haslett and Schulze, 11/3)

SDPB: South Dakota: FormerPlanned Parenthood Director Talks '06, '08 Abortion Ballot Question Campaigns
Kate Looby was the director of Planned Parenthood in South Dakota from 2003 to the end of 2008. During that time, voters twice rejected near total abortion bans during elections in 2006 and 2008. South Dakota voters are once again voting on abortion access, this time in the form of a Constitutional Amendment. SDPB's Lee Strubinger speaks with Looby about those campaigns and abortion advocacy in a notoriously anti-abortion state legislature. (Strubinger, 11/4)

The Guardian: Florida: The Future Of Abortion Might Come Down To Men
At an early voting site in Tampa, 24-year-old Brandon McCray cited women’s rights as one of his greatest concerns in the 2024 elections. It helped convince him to vote for Harris. “Amendment 4 would just protect a lot of women,” he said. Banning abortion, he said, “is the biggest violation to a human right.” McCray may be a relative anomaly among his peers. Appalled by the triple-punch of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 election, the sexual violence exposed by the #MeToo movement in late 2017 and the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade, young women have become the most progressive cohort ever measured in US history – but young men have inched towards the right. (Sherman, 11/3)

Central Florida Public Media: Florida: Abortion Amendment Causes Split With Doctors. What Does This Mean For Patients?
The politics of abortion and Amendment 4 have shined a light on rifts among medical practitioners across the state. Amendment 4 would enshrine abortion protections into the state constitution, and physicians of varying specialties have come out both for and against the measure. “Having practiced now for over 20 years, I can't think of anything else in the past that has become so political,” said Dr. Lynda Balint, an OB-GYN who teaches ethics in medicine at Rollins College in Winter Park. (Pedersen, 11/4)

Where abortion is legal —

CU Boulder Today: Colorado: On Election Eve, New Survey Gauges Where Voters Stand On Abortion Issue
The findings come from the ninth annual Colorado Political Climate Survey. This year, the survey team polled 800 Coloradans on a range of issues—from how they may vote on a suite of ballot measures to their views on abortion, the economy, immigration and more. Likely voters favored Amendment 79, which would make abortion a constitutional right—with 58% in favor, 32% opposed and 10% unsure. Because this measure would amend Colorado’s constitution, it requires 55% of the vote to pass. (Strain, 11/4)

Maryland Matters: Maryland: High-Profile Fight Over Abortion Is Not A First
When Marylanders go to the polls Tuesday to decide the future of abortion rights in the state, it won’t be for the first time. More than 30 years ago, when it looked like Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that recognized a right to an abortion, was in danger of being overturned, the General Assembly passed a law codifying the protections of Roe. That law was petitioned to referendum by abortion opponents in 1992, ending a two-year fight that began with a draining and emotional filibuster that brought business to a halt in the 1990 Senate for eight days. (Rydell, 11/4)

KTVQ: Montana: Opponents, Supporters Making Final Arguments On CI-128
If passed, CI-128 would change the Montana Constitution, protecting the ability for people to have an abortion. In Billings, Bailey Desper has been standing near the intersection of Broadwater Avenue and Division Street, holding a sign in support of CI-128 for the past few days. "I just want to make it visual and just get people out to the polls," Desper said Monday morning. Desper said she believes that even just one person like herself standing on the street corner waving to traffic can make a difference. (Klepps, 11/4)

AP: Nevada: Abortion And Open Primaries Are On The Ballot. What To Know About The Measures
It’s been more than three decades since Nevada voters overwhelmingly approved a law allowing abortions until 24 weeks of pregnancy. Now they must decide if they want to make it a constitutional right. The 2024 election is only the first test of the measure seeking to enshrine the right to an abortion until the fetus can survive outside the womb, known as “fetal viability” which doctors say is after 21 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or protect her health. Voters would again have to approve it in 2026 in order to amend the state constitution. It wouldn’t expand current abortion access in the state, but supporters and organizers of the initiative say it adds an extra layer of protection. (Yamat, 11/5)

FOX 5 New York: New York: What Is Prop 1, And What Does It Have To Do With Abortion?
This Election Day, New Yorkers are heading to the polls to decide on Proposition 1, also known as the "Equal Rights Amendment." This proposal aims to expand anti-discrimination protections in the state constitution, covering categories like ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy." Although the words "abortion" or "LGBT" don’t appear on the ballot, the measure could protect abortion rights and broaden protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. (Shivonne, 11/4)

The New Republic: A Harris Win Won’t Save The Most Vulnerable Abortion Clinics
This is the paradox of the first presidential election after the Dobbs decision: Record numbers of people say they support abortion rights, and pro-choice candidates and statewide amendments have raked in huge sums of money. But because of a lack of investment in the actual infrastructure of abortion care over decades, the electoral victories we may be on the verge of celebrating won’t prevent clinics from closing their doors. And the closures could come at a time when state bans are pushing abortion-seekers ever later into pregnancy and limiting care for people who get devastating fetal diagnoses. (Rinkunas, 11/5)

Time: Trump Bets Abortion Isn't Key To Suburban Women Vote
In 2016, Donald Trump campaigned for the presidency on an anti-abortion message, promising to appoint “pro-life” judges to the Supreme Court. In 2022, three of his nominees fulfilled that promise, voting to overturn Roe v. Wade and ending the constitutional right to an abortion. But 28 months after that decision changed the landscape of reproductive rights in the U.S., Trump’s campaign strategy has largely avoided direct engagement with the abortion issue. It’s a calculated risk: Trump is betting on the idea that voters, particularly women, will prioritize issues like crime and economic stability over abortion. (Popli, 11/4)

The New York Times: Tucker Carlson Says Abortions Cause Hurricanes In Election Eve Broadcast
Tucker Carlson, a top surrogate for former President Donald J. Trump who spoke at the Republican National Convention this summer and made racist claims at a Trump rally last week at Madison Square Garden, said on Monday that the increased occurrence of hurricanes in the United States was a consequence of abortion — which he characterized as “human sacrifice.” Appearing on a podcast hosted by Stephen K. Bannon, a right-wing political strategist and Trump ally who was just released from prison, Mr. Carlson repeatedly portrayed abortion — a medical procedure — as a kind of religious human sacrifice. He dismissed scientific research that links global warming to the increased potency and frequency of hurricanes, saying instead that “it’s probably abortion, actually.” (Cameron, 11/4)

Related abortion news from West Virginia, Arkansas, and Texas —

AP: West Virginians' Governor Choices Stand On Opposite Sides Of The Abortion Debate
West Virginians on Tuesday will choose between a Republican candidate for governor endorsed by former President Donald Trump who has defended abortion restrictions in court and a Democratic mayor who has fought to put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide. Both Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams have played an outsized role in fighting the drug crisis in the state with the highest rate of opioid overdose deaths in the country. But their similarities are few. When it comes to abortion, the two couldn’t be more different. (Willingham, 11/5)

The Washington Post: Justices Who Split On An Abortion Measure Ruling Vie To Lead Arkansas Supreme Court
Two justices who split on whether Arkansas voters should have the chance to scale back the state's abortion ban are both vying to lead the state Supreme Court, though the election won’t affect the court’s conservative tilt. Justices Rhonda Wood and Karen Baker are running to replace Chief Justice Dan Kemp in Tuesday’s election, where the state’s four congressmen are fending off challenges from Democratic candidates. (Demillo, 11/5)

Houston Chronicle: Houston OB/GYNs Sign Letter Demanding Changes To Abortion Law
The newly reported deaths of two pregnant Texans sparked a renewed plea from Texas OB/GYNs, including dozens in the Houston-area, for lawmakers to change the state's abortion laws. More than 60 Houston-area OB/GYNs were among 111 of their colleagues across the state who signed a letter saying that the "heartbreaking" deaths of the two women — Josseli Barnica, of Houston, and Nevaeh Crain, of Vidor — "will continue to echo throughout our state and our nation." (Gill and MacDonald, 11/4)

Healthcare Dive: Physicians, Hospitals Decry 2025 Medicare Payment Rates
Despite their payments rising, hospitals decried the update as inadequate. Powerful lobby the American Hospital Association argued the rates will make it harder for hospitals to invest in patient care, cybersecurity and their workforce. “Medicare’s sustained and substantial underpayment of hospitals has stretched for almost two decades, and today’s final outpatient rule only worsens this chronic problem,” Ashley Thompson, the AHA’s senior vice president of public policy analysis and development, said in a statement. (Pifer, 11/4)

Stat: Medicare To Pay For Mental Health Apps Under New Rule
Medicare regulators on Friday finalized rules to pay for some mental health apps, a breakthrough for digital therapeutics companies that have struggled for a foothold in the health care system. The new rule creates codes that allow clinicians to bill Medicare for providing the apps and related services to their patients. Beginning January 1, 2025, the codes will enable payment for mental health apps authorized by the Food and Drug Administration under a specific regulation that includes just a handful of treatments for conditions like depression and substance use disorder. (Aguilar, 11/4)

Axios: What Hospitals Stand To Lose As Supreme Court Tackles Medicare Payments
About $1.5 billion in annual Medicare payments to hospitals will be on the line Tuesday when the Supreme Court hears arguments in a case over whether the federal government shortchanges facilities that care for low-income seniors. Why it matters: It's the latest legal skirmish over so-called disproportionate share payments that have steadily declined in recent years but are a lifeline for hospitals that treat a substantial number of poor patients, who typically are sicker and have more complex needs. (Goldman, 11/5)

Also —

The Washington Post: Medicare Advantage Insurers Fear Losing Millions Over A Few Bad Phone Calls
As the biggest Medicare Advantage insurers see it, something as minor as a dropped phone call can now cost them hundreds of millions of dollars.Around the time Medicare open enrollment started last month, the insurance giants Humana, Centene and subsidiaries of UnitedHealthcare filed lawsuits alleging they stand to lose substantial revenue because a tiny number of unsuccessful customer service phone calls hurt their 2025 Medicare Advantage scores — costing them customers or multimillion-dollar bonuses they otherwise stood to get from the federal government. (Najmabadi, 11/4)

Newsweek: Americans Willing To Pay More For Medicare To Expand Access
Amajority of Americans would support paying higher premiums for Medicare if necessary to cover Alzheimer's treatments, according to a new survey commissioned by the Alliance for Aging Research. The poll, which was conducted by Lake Research Partners and Public Opinion Strategies, discovered 82 percent of Americans support requiring Medicare and insurance companies to cover the Alzheimer's treatments. That includes 65 percent who favored that policy even if it increased health insurance premiums. (Blake, 11/4)

Stat: Private Medicare Plans Get Billions For Veterans Who Get VA Care
Under names like “Patriot Plan,” “Courage MA,” and “Honor” plan, all of the major private Medicare insurers are courting veterans directly, selling plans that their ads say complement their Veterans Affairs coverage with benefits like dental and vision. These Medicare Advantage plans are quite popular — almost 42% of all Medicare-eligible veterans had one in 2022. (Bannow, 11/4)

AdvaMed: AdvaMed Calls On Medicare To Cover Supplemental Imaging As Part Of Breast Cancer Screening 
AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, called on Medicare in a letter sent Friday to cover supplemental imaging for women with heterogeneously and extremely dense breast tissue, noting the life-saving value of the additional screening and the pressing health equity needs Medicare coverage of these critical services would address. “While supplemental imaging increases the effectiveness of detecting breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue, cost, availability, and insurance coverage limit its use,” Scott Whitaker, AdvaMed President and CEO, wrote to leaders at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (11/4)

Hospice News: Longer Hospice Stays Among Dementia Patients Save Medicare Dollars
Hospice utilization has tripled among patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) during the past two decades. The trend has ignited concerns about these patients’ lengths of stay, as well as praise for hospices’ cost-savings potential. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers analyzed Medicare fee-for-service claims spanning between 1999 and 2019, including data on hospice billing, patient enrollment, hospitalizations, health costs and chronic condition indicators. Roughly 14.7% of ADRD patients utilized hospices services in 2019, nearly triple the 4.4% of patients who received this care in 1999, according to the research, which was published in the National Bureau of Economic Research. (11/4)

In Medicaid updates —

Roll Call: Biden Wants Medicaid Doctors To Talk To Parents About Firearms
The Biden administration wants more health care providers to talk to parents about keeping their kids safe around firearms, as data shows kids are increasingly dying by suicide, accidents and homicides involving guns. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has given states the green light to allow Medicaid providers to counsel parents and caregivers of children about firearm safety and injury prevention. (Hellmann, 11/4)

CIDRAP: Four Cases Of Sexually Transmitted Fungal Infection Reported In New York
A paper published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describes four US cases of an emerging, sexually transmitted fungal infection. The infections were caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII (TMVII), a sexually transmitted fungus that causes genital tinea (ringworm). TMVII infections have previously been reported in patients who had contact with sex workers in Southeast Asia and men who have sex with men (MSM) in France. The first US case was reported in June in a man who reported sexual contact with multiple men while traveling in Europe and California. (Dall, 11/4)

On pertussis and bird flu —

The Washington Post: CDC: Pertussis Case Reports 5 Times Higher Than At This Time Last Year
More than five times as many pertussis cases had been reported as of mid-October compared with the same time last year, according to provisional numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is characterized by persistent, chronic fits of coughing followed by a “whoop” sound, and is sometimes called the “100-day cough.” (McMahan, 11/4)

CIDRAP: California, Washington Report More Suspected H5 Avian Flu Cases
Two states affected by avian flu outbreaks in dairy cattle and commercial poultry reported more probable H5 avian flu infections in farm workers over the last few days, four in California and three in Washington. In other developments, federal officials reported more outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry, and in California, Los Angeles County announced that H5 has been detected in wastewater for the first time. (Schnirring, 11/4)

On mpox —

The New York Times: Cost Of Mpox Shot Deters Americans At Risk, Critics Say
The epidemic in Africa continues to grow, prompting fears of another outbreak in the U.S. But the vaccine is no longer free, and vulnerable people are going without. (Mandavilli, 11/4)

Reuters: Britain Detects Two More Cases Of New Mpox Variant
Britain has detected two more cases of the new mpox variant clade Ib in household contacts of the first case, the country's health security agency said on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to three. The government agency that added the risk to the population remained low. The clade Ib variant is a new form of the virus that is linked to a global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in August. (11/4)

On covid and vaccines —

NBC News: Trump's Vaccine Stance Could Lead To Health Crisis Among Children: Experts Warn
Some pediatricians are stunned by the possibility that vaccines proven to save kids’ lives could be banned in a second Trump administration. On Sunday, former President Donald Trump told NBC News that if he wins Tuesday, he’ll “make a decision” about whether to outlaw some vaccines. ... The president doesn’t have authority to ban vaccines but can influence public health with appointments to federal agencies that can change recommendations or potentially revoke approvals. (Edwards, 11/4)

Stat: A Q&A With The FDA’s Top Vaccine Regulator Amid A Fresh Wave Of Disinformation
Vaccination policy in the United States could be in line for some fundamental changes, if Donald Trump is reelected and delivers on promises that long-time vaccine skeptic Robert Kennedy Jr. said the former president has made — including giving Kennedy authority over the country’s health agencies in a second Trump administration. Even if none of that comes to pass, vaccine fatigue and disinformation abound in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Branswell, 11/4)

Axios: Less Than 1 In 6 Health Workers Got COVID Booster
Fewer than 1 in 6 health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes reported getting COVID-19 boosters during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found. The drop-off followed the expiration of a Biden administration vaccine mandate for health workers in June 2023 and the end of free access to government-funded COVID shots. (Bettelheim, 11/4)

CIDRAP: Risk Of Long COVID In Kids Grew Along With Rising Childhood Obesity During Pandemic
Two new studies highlight body mass index (BMI) in children during the COVID-19 pandemic, with one finding a 25% and 42% higher risk of long COVID among obese and severely obese children, respectively, and the other showing that the proportion of overweight or obese youth rose 5% amid the 18-month public-school closure in San Francisco. ... Relative to participants with a healthy BMI, those with obesity were at a 25.4% higher risk for long COVID, and those with severe obesity were at a 42.1% higher risk. (Van Beusekom, 11/1)

CBS News: Respiratory Therapists Create Disposable Hijabs For Muslim Health Care Workers
It's a challenge facing health care workers. There's a lack of personal protective equipment for Muslim women. Now, two Minnesota respiratory therapists are breaking barriers in the health care world, by filling that need and creating disposable, hygienic hijabs. (Mitchell, 11/4)

In other health industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Why Private Equity's Investing In Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Private equity firms are increasingly investing in hospital-owned ambulatory surgery centers, allowing the companies to bankroll a growing sector while limiting regulatory scrutiny. The sector is poised to expand as providers and patients more frequently choose the lower-cost setting over a hospital. The dynamic has attracted corporate investors for years. (Kacik, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: Pacs Group Acquires Operations Of 8 Pennsylvania Facilities
Skilled nursing facility operator Pacs Group has closed its deal to acquire the operations of eight facilities in Pennsylvania through subsidiaries. Pacs Group subsidiaries will own the real estate of four of the facilities, with the remaining four leased from real estate investment trust CareTrust REIT. The deal involves nearly 1,200 skilled nursing beds, according to a Monday news release. (DeSilva, 11/4)

Crain's Detroit Business: Blue Cross-Backed Diabetes Startup Hygieia Files For Bankruptcy
Ann Arbor-based Hygieia Inc. — a company named after the Greek goddess of health — is on life support. The maker of a digital insulin management software filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Oct. 31 after 16 years of trying to commercialize their product. (Walsh, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: Novant Buys UCI Medical's Urgent Care, Physical Therapy Sites
Novant Health has completed its purchase of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina's UCI Medical Affiliates, a company that manages and provides administrative services for urgent care centers and physical therapy facilities. The acquisition includes 52 urgent care centers and 20 clinics across South Carolina that are part of UCI Medical subsidiaries Doctors Care and Progressive Physical Therapy, according to a news release. Financial details were not disclosed. (DeSilva, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: MD Anderson, City Of Hope, Rush Embrace Cancer Care Partnerships 
Top cancer treatment organizations are leaning into partnerships to take care delivery to the next level. The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 2 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. Healthcare leaders say collaboration among technology companies, research institutes, academic medical centers and universities allows them to combine resources and develop cutting-edge treatments more quickly — potentially at a fraction of the cost of standalone projects. (Hudson, 11/4)

KFF Health News: As Nuns Disappear, Many Catholic Hospitals Look More Like Megacorporations
Inside the more than 600 Catholic hospitals across the country, not a single nun can be found occupying a chief executive suite, according to the Catholic Health Association. Nuns founded and led those hospitals in a mission to treat sick and poor people, but some were also shrewd business leaders. Sister Irene Kraus, a former chief executive of Daughters of Charity National Health System, was famous for coining the phrase “no margin, no mission.” It means hospitals must succeed — generating enough revenue to exceed expenses — to fulfill their original mission. (Liss, 11/5)

Reuters: GoodRx, PBMs Accused Of Suppressing Reimbursements To Independent Pharmacies
Drug coupon aggregator GoodRx and pharmacy benefit managers including CVS Caremark and Express Scripts have been hit with at least three class action lawsuits accusing them of working together to suppress reimbursements to small pharmacies for generic prescription drugs. The first lawsuit was filed by Minnesota-based Keaveny Drug in federal court in Los Angeles last Wednesday, and another was filed in the same court on Friday by Michigan-based Community Care Pharmacy. A third lawsuit was filed on Friday by Pennsylvania-based Old Baltimore Pike Apothecary and Smith's Pharmacy in Providence, Rhode Island, federal court. (Pierson, 11/4)

Reuters: Walgreens Agrees To Pay $100 Mln To Resolve Lawsuit Over Generic Drug Pricing
Walgreens has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of fraudulently overcharging customers for a decade when they bought generic drugs through private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. (Pierson, 11/4)

Reuters: Hims & Hers Health Plans To Offer Generic Version Of Novo Nordisk's Diabetes Drug In 2025
Telehealth firm Hims & Hers Health said on Monday it plans to bring a generic version of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug, liraglutide, to its platform in 2025. "We have already confirmed a core supplier for this addition and over the next few months expect to finish completing test and batch validation, as well as confirming certificates of analysis," the company said. Liraglutide, used to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Victoza, belongs to the first generation of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, which curb appetite and help control blood sugar. (11/4)

Also —

CBS News: Kroger To Pay California Up To $122 Million For Its Role In The Opioid Epidemic
Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs, agreed to pay up to $122 million to California to resolve allegations that it failed to adequately monitor opioids distributed by its pharmacies. "At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to holding entities, like Kroger, accountable for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic," State Attorney General Rob Bonta said. "Today's announcement builds on our commitment in our continued fight for justice and relief." (Rodriguez, 11/4)

NBC News: Woman Falsely Claiming To Be Nurse Injected Fake Botox, Prosecutors Say
A Massachusetts woman passed herself as a nurse and dispensed thousands of doses of phony Botox and other fillers that had been smuggled into the U.S., authorities said. Rebecca Fadanelli, 38, of Stoughton, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Nov. 14 in Worcester, where she'll face allegations that she illegally imported the drugs, one count of dispensing a counterfeit drug and one count of selling or dispensing a counterfeit device, prosecutors said. (Li, 11/4)

Other research and technology news —

The Atlantic: A ‘Crazy’ Idea For Treating Autoimmune Diseases Might Actually Work
Lupus, doctors like to say, affects no two patients the same. The disease causes the immune system to go rogue in a way that can strike virtually any organ in the body, but when and where is maddeningly elusive. One patient might have lesions on the face, likened to wolf bites by the 13th-century physician who gave lupus its name. Another patient might have kidney failure. Another, fluid around the lungs. What doctors can say to every patient, though, is that they will have lupus for the rest of their life. (Zhang, 11/4)

KFF Health News: A Quick Return To School And Light Exercise May Help Kids Recover From Concussions
During cheerleading practice in April, Jana Duey’s sixth grade daughter, Karter, sustained a concussion when she fell several feet headfirst onto a gym floor mat. Days after, Karter still had a headache, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and noise. Karter rested for a week and a half at home in Centennial, Colorado, then returned to school when her concussion symptoms were tolerable — initially for just half-days and with accommodations allowing her to do schoolwork on paper instead of a screen and take extra time to get to and from classes. (Ruder, 11/5)

Fox News: Elon Musk Wants People To Submit Their Medical Scans To Grok, His AI Chatbot
Elon Musk is urging people to submit their medical scans to Grok for analysis, but doctors advise using caution when relying on artificial intelligence for health care insights. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO posted on X on Tuesday, encouraging his followers to submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs or other medical images to the AI chatbot." This is still early stage, but it is already quite accurate and will become extremely good," Musk wrote. (Rudy, 10/29)

The Washington Post: Why We Should Start Worrying About Bird Flu
Forty-one people in the United States have been infected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu since April, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed last week. These include 17 cases from California and nine from Washington, both states that had no known human infections until last month. (Leana S. Wen, 11/5)

Stat: Influencers Are Spreading Dangerous Misinformation About Birth Control
In a viral TikTok, a woman in the emergency room shares a message questioning why so many women in their 30s struggle with cancer and infertility, and suggests that birth control’s long-term hormonal disruption is the cause. Another influencer mocks the FDA inserts that accompany birth control, unfolding the long lists of side effects in videos to humorously repurpose them as “blankets” for napping or as tools for helping men grasp the harsh realities their partners face to prevent pregnancies. That TikTok has received 2.6 million likes and 21,000 comments. (Emily Pfender, 11/5)

Chicago Tribune: We Must Ensure Voting Rights For Americans With Disabilities
Typically, mental capacity is a medical determination that occurs in the context of a guardianship petition. The concept of guardianship dates to Roman law. Even then, civilized societies understood that certain people could not function as adults and would require the lifelong supervision by another. (Eugene R. Schnitzler, 11/5)

Kansas City Star: As The Sun Sets Earlier, Depression Can Hit Hard. Here's How To Get A Positive Mindset
As we begin to feel the onset of cooler weather and the end of daylight saving time brings earlier sunsets, many of us might start to experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder or SAD. SAD, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a type of major depressive disorder that occurs at the onset of the season, typically as the cooler, darker weather sets in. According to Medline Plus, up to 3% of the general population is affected by SAD each year. (Krista Bolin, 11/5)

Stat: The U.S. Must Catch Up To China In Proteomics 
Every few decades the United States launches a big science project. The original “moon shot” was kicked off by NASA’s Apollo Program in the 1960s. Its spiritual successor, the Human Genome Project, was launched in 1990 and concluded a dozen years later with the first sequenced genome. In 2016, the Cancer Moonshot debuted. Now is time for the next moon shot. (Neil Kelleher and Rohan Ganesh, 11/5)