Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Wave of Rural Nursing Home Closures Grows Amid Staffing Crunch
Many small-town care facilities that remain open are limiting admissions, citing a lack of staff, while a wave of others shutter. That means more patients are marooned in hospitals or placed far away from their families.
Unmet Needs: Critics Cite Failures in Health Care for Vulnerable Foster Children
More states are moving to specialized managed-care contracts solely to handle medical and behavioral services for foster kids. But child advocates, foster parents, and even state officials say these and other care arrangements are shortchanging foster kids’ health needs.
Summaries Of The News:
Government Policy
FDA Moves To Reduce Lead In Food Manufactured For Babies And Toddlers
NPR: New FDA Guidance Calls For Lower Lead Concentrations In Baby Food And Cereals
The new FDA guidance calls for limiting lead concentrations in all processed foods intended for babies and children less than two years old. Lead concentrations should now be limited to 10 parts per billion in fruits, vegetables and meats packaged in baby food jars, pouches, tubs and boxes. The target is 20 parts per billion for dry cereals. (Aubrey and Greenhalgh, 1/25)
The Wall Street Journal: FDA Proposes Limits For Lead In Baby Food
In 2021, a congressional investigation by the Democratic staff of the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy found “dangerously high levels” of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury in top baby-food brands, including Gerber, Beech-Nut, Walmart Inc.’s store brand and several organic lines of baby foods. (Peterson and Newman, 1/24)
CBS News: New FDA Guidelines Call For Reducing — But Not Eliminating — Lead In Baby Food
Prolonged exposure to lead may result in "learning disabilities, behavior difficulties, and lowered IQ," as well "immunological, cardiovascular, renal, and reproductive and/or developmental effects," said the FDA in the report, while explaining that lead is "widely present" in the environment both naturally, and in part due to human activities. (Mandler, 1/24)
Capitol Watch
Republicans Get More Explicit About Cuts They're Eyeing For Medicare
The Washington Post: House Republicans Eye Social Security, Medicare In Debt Limit Fight
House Republicans have started to weigh a series of legislative proposals targeting Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs, part of a broader campaign to slash federal spending that could force the new majority to grapple with some of the most difficult and delicate issues in American politics. Only weeks after taking control of the chamber, GOP lawmakers under new Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) have rallied around firm pledges for austerity, insisting their efforts can improve the nation’s fiscal health. They have signaled they are willing to leverage the fight over the debt ceiling — and the threat of a fiscal doomsday — to seek major policy concessions from the Biden administration. (Romm, 1/24)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
Fox News: GOP Bill Would Stick Congress Members With Veterans’ Health Care Plan To Call Attention To Failing VA
A Republican bill introduced this week would force members of Congress and their staff to get health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, a change aimed at forcing lawmakers to recognize the longstanding problems with the VA. (Kasperowicz, 1/25)
The GOP ramps up its investigation of the covid pandemic —
The Hill: These Republicans Will Serve On Panels To Probe COVID-19, ‘Weaponization’ Of Government
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has released the names of the Republicans who will serve on a pair of subcommittees as part of the GOP’s promise to launch investigations into the Biden administration. McCarthy in a tweet Tuesday announced the GOP membership of two select subcommittees on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government” and the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Gans, 1/24)
Politico: McCarthy Names GOP Members To Run Sweeping Investigative Panel
The panel, which the House approved earlier this month along a party-line vote, is already a lightning rod for Democratic criticism, the Biden administration and their allies, who view it as a vehicle for Republicans to use their new majority to enact political revenge. “Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy claim to be investigating the weaponization of the federal government when, in fact, this new select subcommittee is the weapon itself. It is specifically designed to inject extremist politics into our justice system and shield the MAGA movement from the legal consequences of their actions,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a recent statement about the panel. (Carney, 1/24)
NBC News: McCarthy Blocks Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell From House Intel Panel
Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday blocked two Democrats from seats on the House Intelligence Committee and filled out the GOP rosters of newly created select subcommittees charged with investigating the politicization of the government and the origins of the Covid pandemic. McCarthy, R-Calif., made good on his promise to block former Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell — both D-Calif. — from serving on that panel. (wong, 1/24)
Medicaid
Millions Likely To Lose Medicaid When 'Continuous Coverage' Ends
NPR: 6.8 Million Expected To Lose Medicaid When Paperwork Hurdles Return
Signing up for Medicaid correctly is about to become an important step for enrollees again after a three-year break from paperwork hurdles. In 2020, the federal government recognized that a pandemic would be a bad time for people to lose access to medical care, so it required states to keep people on Medicaid as long as the country was in a public health emergency. The pandemic continues and so has the public health emergency, most recently renewed on Jan. 11. (Yu, 1/24)
Fierce Healthcare: Managed Care Plans, States Can Now Text Medicaid Beneficiaries To Warn Of Enrollment Changes
Managed care plans and states can now deliver robocalls and texts Medicaid beneficiaries without fear of violating a federal law, a critical change as states face eligibility redeterminations in a few months. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released new guidance Tuesday on the change after getting a letter from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) back in April 2022. States and managed care plans face a looming April 1 deadline to start redetermining the eligibility of everyone on Medicaid. (King, 1/24)
How some states are preparing —
WCAX: Thousands Of Vermonters Expected To Lose Medicaid Following Program Change
Millions of low-income Americans -- including thousands of Vermonters -- could lose their Medicaid benefits at the end of March as a pandemic policy known as “continuous enrollment” ends. Now, state officials are redetermining who is eligible, and some Vermonters will have to make difficult choices. (Cutler, 1/24)
The Oregonian: 300,000 Oregonians At Risk Of Losing State Health Insurance. Here’s Why
An estimated 300,000 Oregonians could lose state health insurance in the next 16 months because they no longer qualify for state coverage made more widely available during the COVID-19 pandemic. All approximately 1.5 million people receiving coverage through the state will soon need to be financially eligible for the program to keep their state health insurance, following a three-year federal reprieve from normal requirements due to the pandemic. (Zarkhin, 1/24)
Al.Com: Uninsured To Rise In Alabama As Pandemic Protections End For Medicaid
Jennifer Harris, health policy advocate for the non-profit advocacy group Alabama Arise, said she is worried that some people who might not realize their insurance is ending or that they need to take steps to prevent losing their Medicaid will fall through the cracks during the process. (Whites-Koditschek, 1/24)
In other Medicaid news —
The CT Mirror: CT Medicare Enrollees Could See Savings Under Insulin Price Cap
Seniors enrolled in Medicare will start seeing the monthly price for insulin capped at $35 as parts of a federal law go into effect this year. Under the new health provision, a federal agency estimates that thousands in Connecticut could see lower out-of-pocket costs for the life-saving drug. (Hagen, 1/24)
Georgia Public Broadcasting: GBPI Says Full Medicaid Expansion Is More Fiscally Responsible Than Georgia's Waiver Plan
The state legislature has a $6.6 billion surplus heading into the next fiscal year, and the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute says a lot more resources are being directed at the governor's Medicaid expansion plan. (Eldridge, 1/24)
Stat: Red Tape Restricts Access To Pregnancy Tech For Medicaid Patients
For low-income patients, the challenges of pregnancy are only compounded by the challenges of prenatal care: the dozen or so doctors’ appointments, the time off work or childcare, the cost of parking and public transit. (Ravindranath, 1/24)
News Service of Florida: Florida Runs Up A $1.3 Million Tab In The Medicaid Transgender Case
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has authorized more than $1.3 million for legal and expert-witness fees in the state’s effort to ban Medicaid coverage of transgender treatments, a review of state records by The News Service of Florida shows. (Kam, 1/24)
Gun Violence
Mass Shootings Boost Calls For Federal Gun Safety Measures
Politico: Newsom Renews Call For Federal Action On Gun Safety After 2 Mass Shootings In California
Gov. Gavin Newsom angrily denounced Republicans for refusing to adopt gun safety measures as he renewed calls for federal action after two mass shootings in California left 19 people dead. Newsom also called out fellow Californian, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, for not making a public statement after the shootings in Monterey Park and in Half Moon Bay. “Where’s he been on gun safety reform? Where’s the Republican Party been on gun safety reform?” the governor said, appearing visibly shaken after meeting with families of victims of the second shooting. “Shame on them. Shame on those that allow and perpetuate that to be rewarded politically.” (Korte, 1/24)
San Francisco Chronicle: Newsom, California Leaders Demand Federal Action On Assault Weapons In Wake Of Half Moon Bay Shootings
State political leaders reacted with horror and demanded Congress help pass a ban on assault weapons and other gun-safety legislation after a series of mass shootings — including Monday’s in Half Moon Bay and Oakland — claimed the lives of 19 Californians over three days. “Where has the Republican Party been on gun-safety reform? They’ve blocked it every step of the way,” Newsom told reporters in Half Moon Bay on Tuesday. “Gun safety works, we will not back away from the resolve. But we can’t do this alone, and with all due respect, we feel like we are.” (Gardiner, 1/24)
The Hill: Biden Renews Call For Assault Weapons Ban, Citing Half Moon Bay Shootings
President Biden renewed his call for an assault weapons ban on Tuesday following a shooting in Half Moon Bay, Calif., that left several people dead. “Even as we await further details on these shootings, we know the scourge of gun violence across America requires stronger action. I once again urge both chambers of Congress to act quickly and deliver this Assault Weapons Ban to my desk, and take action to keep American communities, schools, workplaces, and homes safe,” Biden said in a statement. (Gangitano, 1/24)
The Washington Post: A Leader In Gun Control Efforts, California Confronts Its Limits
California’s efforts to reduce gun violence have long been a point of pride among the state’s liberal lawmakers. But a sense of futility and despair infused the response of many political leaders Tuesday in the bitter aftermath of three mass killings in as many days. At least 19 people have been fatally shot in mass attacks since Saturday evening, when a 72-year-old gunman here opened fire inside a dance studio popular with the elderly Asian American community. Eleven people died in this city on the edge of Los Angeles, and then on Monday, two shootings in the Bay Area killed eight others. (Wilson, Berman and Thebault, 1/24)
More details are released —
Los Angeles Times: Half Moon Bay Suspect Lived At Mushroom Farm Where Shootings Occurred
The shooting rampage Monday in Half Moon Bay that left seven people dead appears to be a case of workplace violence, law enforcement officials said. The gunman allegedly targeted specific co-workers in the coastal agricultural community in San Mateo County. “The only known connection between the victims and the suspect is that they may have been co-workers,” San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news conference Tuesday. “All the evidence we have points to this being the instance of workplace violence.” (Hernandez, Rust, Petri, Money and Castleman, 1/24)
San Francisco Chronicle: Half Moon Bay Shooting Suspect Once Tried To Suffocate Coworker, Court Docs Allege
The Half Moon Bay mushroom farm worker suspected of killing seven co-workers in a fit of workplace rage had previously been accused of threatening to split another co-worker’s head open with a knife and trying to suffocate the man a decade ago at another Bay Area job, according to court records obtained by The Chronicle. (Gafni, Hagemann and Moench, 1/24)
Los Angeles Times: Why Police Took Hours To Warn Public That Monterey Park Mass Shooter Was On The Loose
As the investigation into the Monterey Park mass shooting continues, police officials are facing scrutiny over how long it took them to notify the public that the gunman was still on the loose. For roughly five hours after 72-year-old Huu Can Tran opened fire inside Star Ballroom Dance Studio on West Garvey Avenue and fled late Saturday night, Monterey Park and Los Angeles County authorities made no announcements about the gunman’s location. (Winton, Fry, Mejia and Goldberg, 1/24)
Also —
NPR: Mass Shootings Can Be Contagious, Research Shows
Three shootings with multiple victims shook California over the last few days. The shootings Monday at two farms in Half Moon Bay, Calif., closely followed a massacre over the weekend at a dance hall in Monterey Park, Calif. That's no surprise, say scientists who study mass shootings. Research shows that these incidents usually occur in clusters and tend to be contagious. Intensive media coverage seems to drive the contagion, the researchers say. (Chatterjee, 1/24)
Los Angeles Times: How To Talk With Children About Gun Violence
For parents, guardians and educators, the days following mass shootings require a delicate balance of answering children’s questions while protecting them from gruesome details of the most recent tragedy. Despite their young ages, kids are often resilient in the face of hardship, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t scared too as they hear news of killings in Goshen, Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. (Newberry and Cosgrove, 1/24)
Covid-19
CDC Revamp To Include A New Office For Public Health Data, Tech
Bloomberg: CDC Chief Rochelle Walensky Shakes Up Agency With New Offices, Leadership
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director is establishing an Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology aimed at closing up crucial gaps in monitoring for potential threats, according to a person familiar with the developments. Walensky is also forming an Office of Health Equity that will report to her team, according to the person, who asked not to be named discussing details that aren’t public. (Griffin, 1/24)
In updates on the vaccine rollout —
San Francisco Chronicle: Once-A-Year Vaccine Plan Is Flawed, Say WHO Officials
Officials from the World Health Organization cast doubt on plans by U.S. health officials to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot. “For the time being, COVID hasn’t really come down to the usual seasonal seasonality that we see for other viruses,” Joachim Hombach, executive secretary of the WHO strategic advisory group of experts on immunization, told a media briefing on Tuesday. (Vaziri, 1/24)
USA Today: Doctor Destroyed COVID Vaccine, Sold Fake Vaccine Cards In Utah: Feds
A Utah plastic surgeon, his medical corporation and three others were accused of fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards, destroying more than $28,000 worth of government-provided coronavirus vaccines and administering saline shots to children, prosecutors said. (Grantham-Philips, 1/24)
More on the spread of covid —
CBS News: Long COVID Is Keeping People Out Of Work For Months, Study Finds
Nearly a third of workers' compensation claimants in the state have long COVID, with more men than women suffering from the condition, according to a report from the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), the largest workers' compensation insurer in New York State. (Cerullo, 1/24)
CNN: CDC Figuring Out 'Logistical And Legal' Aspects Of Testing Airplane Wastewater For Coronavirus Variants, Source Says
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is ironing out the “logistical and legal” aspects of testing wastewater from airplanes for coronavirus variants as it continues to explore such a Covid-19 monitoring program. The agency is still “figuring out how to operationalize this program,” a person close to CDC discussions said, adding that there are “logistical and legal” hurdles that need to be sorted out before the program “would be operational.” (Howard, 1/25)
CIDRAP: MRI Study Reveals Fetal, Placental Anomalies In Pregnant COVID Patients
A study of 38 COVID-infected pregnant women who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Austria found an elevated rate of fetal and placental abnormalities. ... Globular, or jelly-like, placentas were observed in 30% of women infected pre-Omicron and 27.8% in the Omicron group, while controls had none. (Van Beusekom, 1/24)
San Francisco Chronicle: WHO Head “Very Concerned” About Rising Death Count
The head of the World Health Organization told a media briefing on Tuesday that he is “very concerned” about the rising number of global COVID-19 deaths, which have steadily increased since December. Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said an estimated 170,000 people have died because of the virus over the past eight weeks. (Vaziri, 1/24)
Stat: Is WHO Ready To End The Covid Emergency? Maybe Not Just Yet
Three years ago, the World Health Organization declared that the mushrooming outbreak of a new coronavirus — later named SARS-CoV-2, the cause of Covid-19 — posed such a threat to global health that it merited designation as a public health emergency of international concern. On Friday, an emergency committee will meet again to deliberate whether the time has come to recommend to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that he declare the global health emergency is over. (Branswell, 1/25)
After Roe V. Wade
Florida Supreme Court Upholds State's 15-Week Abortion Ban
News Service of Florida: Florida Supreme Court Keeps In Place The 15-Week Abortion Limit
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday rejected requests to halt a law that prevents abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Justices, in a 4-1 decision, turned down a motion by seven abortion clinics and a doctor for a stay of a ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal that kept the law in place. The one-paragraph decision did not detail the Supreme Court’s reasoning. (Saunders, 1/24)
Politico: New York Lawmakers Codify Abortion Rights In State Constitution, Sending It To Voters
The next decision will be with voters on whether New York will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The state Assembly and state Senate voted Tuesday afternoon on the second passage of a resolution first passed last July that would protect abortion rights in the state constitution, giving it additional strength in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last June by the U.S. Supreme Court. It passed both chambers by an overwhelming majority. (Spector, 1/24)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Democrats Push Measures To Allow Abortions In Any Instance
Democrats filed identical bills in each chamber of the General Assembly that seek to repeal Georgia’s 2019 abortion law and add the right to the procedure to the state code. Georgia law prohibits most abortions once a doctor can detect fetal cardiac activity, which is typically about six weeks into a pregnancy and before many know they are pregnant. Previously, Georgia allowed most abortions up until about 22 weeks of pregnancy. This proposal would not put any restrictions on when the procedure could be performed. (Prabhu, 1/24)
AP: South Dakota Gov. Noem Threatens Charges For Abortion Pills
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, along with the state’s Republican attorney general, said Tuesday the state will prosecute pharmacists who dispense abortion-inducing pills following a recent Food and Drug Administration rule change that broadens access to the pills. The Republican governor and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley released a letter to South Dakota pharmacists saying they are “subject to felony prosecution” if they procure or dispense abortion-inducing drugs. The state bans all abortions except to save the life of the pregnant person. (1/24)
ABC News: 2 Charged By DOJ For Targeting Anti-Abortion Clinics In Florida
Two people were charged on Tuesday with threatening reproductive health service facilities clinics in Florida, the Justice Department announced. Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, were indicted by a federal grand jury for being "engaged in a conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health service facilities from providing those services." (Barr, 1/25)
Health Industry
3 More Top Medical Schools Withdraw From US News Rankings
The Washington Post: Major Medical Schools Join Widening Revolt Against U.S. News Rankings
Within the past few days, medical schools at the University of Pennsylvania and at Columbia and Stanford universities have declared that they would no longer provide U.S. News with data it uses to rank them. Their actions came after Harvard University’s top-ranked medical school on Jan. 17 announced a similar withdrawal from participation. As a result, four of the top 10 on the U.S. News list of best medical schools for research are on record in opposing the ranking process. (Svrluga and Anderson, 1/24)
On cost and quality —
Modern Healthcare: More MA Insurer Audits Mean More Scrutiny On Providers
Tougher audits of Medicare Advantage insurers could lead them to more stringently review the patient codes providers submit and the physician-enablement companies that help clinicians take on patient risk. (Tepper and Berryman, 1/24)
Bloomberg: Medicare Advantage Health Insurers Face $3 Billion Clawback Threat
Humana Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and other big insurers are set for a clash with US officials over up to $3 billion in potential penalties for the industry threatened by an obscure, years-late regulation. (Tozzi, 1/24)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital Price Transparency Improves, But Compliance With CMS Lags
Hospitals’ compliance with the 2021 price transparency law has improved over the past year, but some operators remain reluctant to publicize their pricing data or do not have the resources to do so. As of the end of September, 65% of U.S. hospitals had posted the rates they negotiated with commercial insurers, according to data from data aggregator Turquoise Health. (Kacik, 1/24)
Stat: Health Systems Have Higher Prices, Only Marginally Better Quality
The claims have become almost ubiquitous. Hospital CEO after hospital CEO stands at a podium and promises the merger being announced will improve quality and lower costs. Once deals close, though, there tends to be little, if any, follow-up to determine whether those things actually happened. (Bannow, 1/24)
The New York Times: Emailing Your Doctor May Carry A Fee
Cleveland Clinic said that its email volume had doubled since 2019. But it added that since the billing program began in November, fees had been charged for responses to less than 1 percent of the roughly 110,000 emails a week its providers received. (Ryan, 1/24)
On staffing —
Valley News: Dartmouth Health Plans Hiring Freeze, Job Reviews As It Eyes $120M Budget Cut
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s largest private employer, has implemented performance improvement plans and a “position review process” at some of its member organizations as it seeks to close a $120 million budget gap by the end of September, according to an email sent to employees. (Doyle-Burr, 1/24)
Crain's New York Business: Mount Sinai, Montefiore Nurses Ratify Contracts With Wage Increase
Nurses who are members of the New York State Nurses Association at Montefiore and Mount Sinai Hospital have ratified their contracts, NYSNA announced this morning. The nurses and the hospitals reached tentative agreements earlier this month after the nurses went on strike for three days, demanding better wages and safe staff-to-patient ratios. (Neber, 1/24)
KHN: Wave Of Rural Nursing Home Closures Grows Amid Staffing Crunch
Marjorie Kruger was stunned to learn last fall that she would have to leave the nursing home where she’d lived comfortably for six years. The Good Samaritan Society facility in Postville, Iowa, would close, administrators told Kruger and 38 other residents in September. The facility joined a growing list of nursing homes being shuttered nationwide, especially in rural areas. “The rug was taken out from under me,” said Kruger, 98. “I thought I was going to stay there the rest of my life.” (Leys, 1/25)
In other health care industry news —
The Colorado Sun: UCHealth, Intermountain Healthcare Forming Colorado Insurance Network
By some measures, the Denver metro area has one of the most competitive hospital markets in the country. Large health systems duke it out every year for supremacy in the multibillion-dollar marketplace. But now, two of those heavyweight health systems — locally based UCHealth and Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare — have decided to … cooperate? The systems earlier this month announced plans to form what is known as a “clinically integrated network.” (Ingold, 1/24)
Minnesota Public Radio: As Sanford, Fairview Look To Push Merger Forward, Questions About UMN’s Role Remain
As Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services executives make their case in public meetings explaining why the combination of the two health care companies would be good for Minnesota patients and communities, it’s still not clear how a Minnesota institution will fit in. (Wiley, 1/24)
AP: Doctor Who Molested Patients Convicted Of Federal Sex Counts
A gynecologist accused of molesting hundreds of patients during a decadeslong career was convicted of federal sex crime charges Tuesday in a victory for accusers who were outraged when an initial state prosecution resulted in no jail time. Robert Hadden, 64, of Englewood, New Jersey, was convicted after less than a day of deliberations at a two-week trial in which nine former patients described how he abused them sexually during examinations, when they were most vulnerable. (Neumeister, 1/25)
Lifestyle and Health
Experts Monitor Bird Flu Spread Amid Concerns It May Jump To Humans
Axios: Experts Raise Bird Flu Concerns
Health experts are closely monitoring the historic spread of H5N1 bird flu across the globe, saying they are concerned about its potential spread to humans. To be clear, U.S. health officials and the WHO say the risk is low. But as birds continue to succumb around the world and some other species become ill — grizzly bears in Montana were euthanized last week after they were found with the disease — experts say the threat can't be written off, Fortune reported. (Reed, 1/24)
In other health and wellness news —
CNN: Women, Older Adults And Those With Lower Income Are More Likely To Use Sleep Medication, Survey Finds, Despite Potential Health Harms
Millions of Americans say they regularly turn to medications for help falling or staying asleep, a practice that experts say can be dangerous for their health. A new study found that roughly 8% of US adults reported taking sleep medication every day or most days, with use more common among those who are female, who are older or who have a lower income level. (Chavez, 1/25)
The Washington Post: Mothers Feel More Worried, Stressed And Judged Than Fathers, Pew Finds
In the midst of the ongoing pandemic and a worsening mental health crisis among children, a survey of American parents by the Pew Research Center reveals that parents have many worries on their minds — and that mothers in particular are carrying much of this mental burden. Pew’s survey of more than 3,700 parents in the United States, conducted in fall 2022 and released Tuesday, revealed that parents are worried for their children for a variety of reasons, with fears about mental health topping the list. Mothers were especially concerned, with nearly half (46 percent) reporting that they are “extremely” or “very” worried that their children will struggle with anxiety or depression at some point, while 32 percent of fathers said the same. (Gibson, 1/24)
Stat: Study Of Pancreatitis Surgeries Finds Steady Decline In Survival
For some people with chronic pancreatitis, surgery is the only hope. The condition can cause debilitating abdominal pain, and, sometimes, push people to turn to substances for relief. But the long-term results of pancreatic surgery, including removal of the shrimp-shaped organ behind the stomach, are not well-understood. (Cueto, 1/24)
The Washington Post: Ants’ Sense Of Smell Is So Strong, They Can Sniff Out Cancer
A study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences highlights a keen ant sense and underscores how someday we may use sharp-nosed animals — or, in the case of ants, sharp-antennaed — to detect tumors quickly and cheaply. That’s important because the sooner that cancer is found, the better the chances of recovery. “The results are very promising,” said Baptiste Piqueret, a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany who studies animal behavior and co-wrote the paper. He added, however: “It’s important to know that we are far from using them as a daily way to detect cancer.” (Grandoni, 1/24)
Also —
AP: Pope Francis: Homosexuality Not A Crime
Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of “sin.” But he attributed such attitudes to cultural backgrounds, and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. (Winfield, 1/25)
State Watch
Hawaiians' Long Life Expectancy Tied To Low Rates For Smoking, Obesity
The Hill: Here Is Why Hawaii Has The Longest Life Expectancy In The Country
Hawaii’s rich natural beauty and year-round warm weather are not the only perks to calling the Aloha State home. Research shows Hawaii residents, on average, live the longest out of anyone else in the United States. (O'Connell-Domenech, 1/24)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
The Boston Globe: Maura Healey Appoints New Secretary Of Health And Human Services
Boston Medical Center CEO Kate Walsh has been appointed secretary of Health and Human Services, filling one of the most influential roles in Governor Maura Healey’s cabinet, sources familiar with the matter told The Globe. (Bartlett, 1/24)
The Boston Globe: Legislation Addresses Root Causes Of Health Disparities In The State
The bill was filed by the Health Equity Compact, a group of 55 experts and executives launched last May to create an expansive health reform bill aimed at closing many of the racial and ethnic inequities highlighted by the pandemic. The coalition includes leaders from organizations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Boston Public Health Commission, and Point32 Health, the Commonwealth’s second-largest health insurer. (Mohammed, 1/24)
North Carolina Health News: Firefighters Worry About Chemicals In Their Gear
Firefighter Jason Burns appreciates the attention that firefighting foam has received recently because long term exposure to it has been linked to cancer. However, he says he’s rarely used firefighting foam in his nearly 20-year career. “I tend to focus on our gear because most fire departments aren’t using foam on a regular basis, whereas I’m using my gear, firefighters are using our gear 10-14 times a tour, which is what we call our day of work,” he said. (Atwater, 1/25)
Health News Florida: Study Shows More Kids Dying From Fentanyl. Florida's Attorney General Offers A Toolkit To Help Parents
A nonprofit’s recent analysis of federal data reveals fentanyl-related fatalities are growing at a disturbing rate among American youth - including infants. The study found that children younger than 14 are dying of fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group, more than tripling from 2019 to 2021. (Mayer, 1/24)
AP: No More Nuggets? School Lunch Goes Farm-To-Table — For Some
The food served at the school system outside San Francisco, Mount Diablo Unified, reflects a trend away from mass-produced, reheated meals. Its lunch menus are filled with California-grown fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats and recipes that defy the stereotype of inedible school food. Among American schoolchildren, these students are in the lucky minority. Making fresh meals requires significant investment and, in many areas, an overhaul of how school kitchens have operated for decades. Inflation and supply chain disruptions have only made it harder on school nutrition directors, widening gaps in access to affordable, high-quality food. (Gecker, 1/24)
KHN: Unmet Needs: Critics Cite Failures In Health Care For Vulnerable Foster Children
One night last month, a 9-year-old boy who had autism and talked about killing himself was among about 70 foster care children and youth under state supervision sleeping in hotels across Georgia. Georgia’s designated health insurer for foster care, Amerigroup Community Care, had denied the boy placement in a psychiatric residential treatment facility, said Audrey Brannen, coordinator of complex care for Georgia’s child welfare agency. He stayed in a hotel for more than a month before receiving a temporary emergency placement in a foster home, she said. (Miller and Grapevine, 1/25)
Pharmaceuticals
Data: Cassava Sciences Alzheimer's Drug Only As Effective As Placebo
Stat: New Data Show Cassava Alzheimer's Drug Has Placebo-Like Efficacy
Cassava Sciences had long claimed that its experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease was capable of improving the cognition of patients — a benefit no other Alzheimer’s drug has ever shown. But mid-stage study results updated on Tuesday now show the cognitive status of patients worsening to the point where Cassava’s drug, called simufilam, doesn’t look any more effective than a placebo. (Feuerstein, 1/24)
In news about the FDA —
CNN: FDA Rejects Two Menthol Vuse E-Cigarette Products
The US Food and Drug Administration issued marketing denial orders for two menthol e-cigarette products marketed by R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company. The agency said Tuesday that Vuse Vibe Tank Menthol 3.0% and the Vuse Ciro Cartridge Menthol 1.5% should not be marketed or distributed. (Christensen, 1/24)
Stat: Doctors' Group Files FDA Complaint Over Wegovy TV Segment
A physicians’ group has filed a complaint with the Food and Drug Administration alleging that a recent 60 Minutes segment about the Wegovy weight-loss drug was actually an advertisement and demanded the agency withdraw the report from circulation. (Silverman, 1/24)
Stat: The 4 Big Questions About FDA’s Coming Changes To Accelerated Approvals
Congress just boosted the FDA’s authority over the post-market clinical trials that are a condition of speedy drug approvals, and industry lobbyists are anxious to know how the agency plans to wield that new power, which includes criminal prosecution. (Wilkerson, 1/25)
Stat: Many Pediatric Drug Study Results Were Never Posted To A U.S. Government Database
Amid ongoing controversy over clinical trial transparency, a new analysis found that results of 43 studies involving thousands of children were never reported to a U.S. government database or published in the scientific literature. In some cases, medicines being studied were for such life-threatening conditions as congenital heart disease and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. (Silverman, 1/24)
In other pharmaceutical news —
The Boston Globe: Microbiome Firm Finch Therapeutics Cuts 95 Percent Of Its Workforce
A Somerville startup that hoped to harness the healing power of poop is flushing away its dreams. Finch Therapeutics announced Tuesday that it would cut 77 jobs, about 95 percent of the company’s workforce, and give up on developing its pill made using human feces as a treatment for people struggling to clear recurrent infections of a dangerous bacterium. (Cross, 1/24)
Axios: Venture Capital Money Flows Into Fertility Tech
Fertility technology startups are in the midst of a funding frenzy, reaching more than $800 million in 2022 as demand for fertility services continues to climb. Increasing demand is not being met with increasing access, and so tech-forward companies strive to fill the gap. (Brodwin, 1/25)
TBIJ: The Drug Was Meant To Save Children’s Lives. Instead, They’re Dying
Emily was combing her baby daughter’s hair when she first felt the lumps. It was a week before Christmas, and her youngest daughter, Isadora, had been feverish and listless, unwilling to play or take a bottle. The lumps were clustered on the back of Isadora’s neck, the size of small beans. Something was very wrong. (Furneaux and Margottini, 1/25)
Prescription Drug Watch
New Drug Cocktail For Cystic Fibrosis Being Tested; Action Needed To Tackle Antibiotic Shortages
CIDRAP: Trial Begins For Bacteriophage Cocktail In Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Adaptive Phage Therapeutics (APT) recently announced that the first patient in an early-stage clinical trial for its investigative bacteriophage therapy has been dosed. (Dall, 1/24)
CIDRAP: European Consumers Ask Officials To Do More To Address Antibiotics Shortages
Eleven European patient and consumer groups have sent a letter to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to urge the organization to take more action to mitigate months-long antibiotics shortages, Reuters reports. (Van Beusekom, 1/24)
CIDRAP: Prescribing Guidelines Based On Low Procalcitonin Require High Adherence To Reduce Antibiotics
High adherence to a procalcitonin antibiotic prescribing guideline in hospital settings is necessary to reduce antibiotic use in patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), according to a study published today in BMC Infectious Diseases. (Dall, 1/19)
Bloomberg: Pharma CEOs Among Likely Targets For Democrats’ Subpoenas
Senate Democrats plan their own political counter-programming to House Republicans’ threats of wide-ranging probes into Joe Biden’s administration and his family, taking on issues like corporate tax avoidance and union-busting, issues sure to rankle the GOP. (Litvan, 1/23)
CIDRAP: The COVID Vaccine Success Story As A Springboard For Future Research
In spring 2020, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases established OWS to coordinate and conduct phase 3 efficacy and safety trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidates and monoclonal antibodies for worldwide deployment. The effort was based at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. (Van Beusekom, 1/24)
Stat: Pliant Claims Early Success In Progressive Lung Disease IPF
Pliant Therapeutics said Sunday that an experimental pill significantly improved lung function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, a deadly lung disease with few approved treatments. (Mast, 1/23)
New England Journal of Medicine: Aspirin Or Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin For Thromboprophylaxis After A Fracture
Clinical guidelines recommend low-molecular-weight heparin for thromboprophylaxis in patients with fractures, but trials of its effectiveness as compared with aspirin are lacking. (Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium, 1/19)
Perspectives: Leqembi Not All It's Cracked Up To Be; What Is Preventing Naloxone From Being OTC?
The Baltimore Sun: Too Soon To Celebrate New Alzheimer’s Drug
Leqembi is similar to Aduhelm (aducanumab), approved last year by the FDA, despite its advisory committee soundly rejecting it. (Adriane Fugh-Berman, 1/23)
The Washington Post: Naloxone Should Be Over The Counter. Why Hasn’t It Happened Yet?
In modern medicine, there are few drugs that can quickly reverse an otherwise fatal outcome. Naloxone is one of them. The drug, administered as an injection or nasal spray, has been used for decades to treat opioid overdoses. (Leana S. Wen, 1/23)
Stat: Make Naloxone Available Over The Counter
The Food and Drug Administration aims to conduct priority reviews of at least two product applications for granting over-the-counter status to intranasal formulations of naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug. (Stacey McKenna, 1/25)
USA Today: How Biden, Congress Are Helping Win Fight Against Opioid Epidemic
As a physician who has treated patients with addiction for more than 20 years, it’s important to note that as we expand treatment and save lives, we are taking decisive actions to end the stigma surrounding addiction in health care. (Dr. Rahul Gupta, 1/23)
New England Journal of Medicine: Thromboprophylaxis After Extremity Fracture — Time For Aspirin?
Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism remains a common and preventable cause of death, so many health care systems around the world mandate that all patients who are admitted to the hospital undergo a risk assessment for venous thromboembolism. (Matthew Costa, Ph.D., 1/19)
Editorials And Opinions
Viewpoints: It's Time For The MCAT To Go; Innovative Approaches To Pain Management May Replace Opioids
Newsweek: Removing The MCAT Could Improve Diversity In Medicine
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) should follow the lead of the ABA for medical school admissions by removing the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as a requirement. (Tyler Harvey, 1/24)
Los Angeles Times: Does Physical Therapy Work For Severe Pain?
Chronic pain affects 1 in 6 people in the United States and around the world, and is the most common cause of disability. Yet medicine’s desperate attempts to treat chronic pain sparked the opioid epidemic. And while many promising non-opioid therapies exist, some of them newly developed, patients face innumerable barriers in accessing them. To overcome the opioid epidemic, it is not enough to just reduce how many opioids physicians prescribe. We need to be able to offer patients evidence-based alternatives. Yet for that to happen, we must also better understand the fundamental nature of chronic pain, which is as much an emotion we feel in our minds as it is a physical sensation experienced by our body. (Haider Warraich, 1/24)
The Star Tribune: Bodily Autonomy Should Apply At Life's End, Too
The right to make decisions about your own health care seems like it would be a foundation of our society. Unfortunately, patient autonomy is too often infringed upon from the church to the courtroom to the emergency room. (Tara Guy, 1/24)
Dallas Morning News: How To Expand Access To Mental Health Care In Texas Without Spending Tax Dollars
Texas ranked last among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in access to mental health services, according to a recent study by Mental Health America.With such a shoddy record, the recently convened Texas Legislature will inevitably debate whether to increase mental health funding. But simply pouring more money into the system isn’t necessarily the best way to boost outcomes. (Jeffrey A. Singer, 1/25)
The CT Mirror: The Impact Of Rising Healthcare Costs On Low-Income Families
Take a quick look at the medical section of GoFundMe or other crowdfunding websites in Connecticut and it paints a harrowing picture of what is wrong with our healthcare system. Why are so many Connecticut residents relying on the generosity of strangers for their medical expenses? (Lavinia Labrias, 1/24)
The CT Mirror: CT Students Of Color Need More Mental Health Support
Remember the time Ariana Grande gave her fans $5 million of free therapy? It felt like a fevered dream. A Grammy-winning artist was offering free and accessible mental health support before my school and healthcare provider. (Mukund Desibhatla, 1/25)
Stat: Reinventing Health Care In 2023
After a year defined by record inflation and double-digit health care premium increases, I hope that a few years down the road we can eventually look back at 2023 as the year that ignited change in U.S. health care and led to a new system that future generations are proud of. I’ll be doing everything I can to make that happen. (Michael Waterbury, 1/25)