Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Her Hearing Implant Was Preapproved. Nonetheless, She Got $139,000 Bills for Months.
Even when patients double-check that their care is covered by insurance, health providers often send them bills as they haggle with insurers over reimbursement, which can last for months. It’s stressful and annoying — but legal.
The Nation’s 911 System Is on the Brink of Its Own Emergency
911 outages have hit at least eight states this year. They’re emblematic of problems plaguing emergency response communications due in part to wide disparities in capabilities and funding.
HealthSherpa and Insurers Team Up To Curb Unauthorized ACA Enrollment Schemes
The initiative targets the biggest incentive driving fraudulent sign-ups and plan switches: the commissions that rogue agents or large call centers seek.
JD Vance, Trump's VP Pick, Says Media Twisted His Remarks on Abortion and Domestic Violence
In his first interview after being named as the vice presidential pick by former President Donald Trump, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) spoke about his previous statements on topics like abortion.
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AT OUR CORE
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— Dayna Slowiak
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Summaries Of The News:
Environmental Health
Heat-Related Ailments Are Prompting More Folks To Seek Medical Care
The Baltimore Sun: ER Doctors Urge Caution Amid Uptick In Heat-Related Illnesses
A blessed reprieve may be on the horizon after days of oppressive heat, but emergency room doctors in Baltimore say the latest heat wave has been a reminder that hot weather isn’t just uncomfortable – it can be dangerous. (Roberts, 7/17)
Axios: Heat Wave Fans Spread Of Avian Flu
The extreme heat that's been blanketing large parts of the country is creating conditions that could accelerate the spread of avian flu on dairy and poultry farms. (Reed, 7/17)
CIDRAP: Officials Probe Heat-Wave Factors In H5N1 Spread To Colorado Poultry Cullers
As the investigation continues into recent avian flu infections in as many as five workers who culled Colorado poultry, officials today said that industrial fans in poultry barns where temperatures exceeded 104°F could have spread the virus through windblown feathers and through the air, potentially reducing the effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE). Also, early genetic analysis suggests that the virus that infected the poultry and the workers is the same H5N1 genotype infecting dairy cattle, a useful clue for officials who are examining connections between the farms. (Schnirring, 7/16)
In related news from across the country —
The Washington Post: D.C. Hits Record 104 Amid Most Intense Heat Stretch Since Dust Bowl
The ongoing heat wave in Washington keeps making history. The District tied a record high of 104 degrees Tuesday while surpassing the century mark for the third straight day, matching the longest such streak on record set in 1930 at the beginning of the Dust Bowl. (Livingston and Samenow, 7/16)
The New York Times: New York City Tenants Are Entitled To Heat. What About Air-Conditioning?
As New York City endures its third heat wave of the year, a city councilman plans to introduce a bill this week that would require landlords to buy, install and maintain air-conditioning units or cooling systems for tenants during the summer, with fines of up to $1,250 per day for noncompliance. (Howard, 7/17)
The New York Times: Air-Conditioning Is A Perk Many New York Homeless Shelters Don’t Allow
The sun was about to set Monday evening and the temperature was still 90 degrees. The air was thick and oppressive. Shaasia Wood and her 4-year-old son were hanging out on the sidewalk, hoping for a breeze, near the homeless shelter where they live in Upper Manhattan. ... The city allows air-conditioners in units in the shelters that are not in hotels, but only if residents obtain a note from a health care provider saying that air-conditioning is medically necessary. At least that is how the process is supposed to work. (Newman and Roberts-Grmela, 7/16)
Also —
AP: Southern Europe Bakes Under Heat Wave As Temperatures Top 104F
The Italian health ministry placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning Tuesday as a wave of hot air from Africa baked southern Europe and the Balkans and sent temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with the worst still to come. ... Municipal authorities in several southern European and Balkan cities took measures to look after elderly people in particular as civil protection crews fielded calls for water-dropping aircraft such as Canadairs to douse wildfires that raged in southern Italy and North Macedonia. (Winfield and Stellacci, 7/17)
Health Care Costs
Nearly Half Of Americans Can't Afford Health Care, Report Warns
Newsweek: US Health Care Now Unaffordable For Nearly Half Of Americans
This is the warning of the latest report from the Healthcare Affordability Index, which tracks how many in the U.S. have been forced to avoid medical care or haven't been able to fill their prescriptions in the last three months—and how many would struggle to pay for care if it was needed. Affordability has fallen six points since 2022, down to a record low of 55 percent since the index was launched back in 2021. (Randall, 7/17)
Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth Reports High Medicaid, Change Healthcare Expenses
Fallout from the Change Healthcare cyberattack continues to affect UnitedHealthGroup, with the healthcare giant nearly doubling its estimates of how much the incident will financially disrupt business operations this year. High Medicaid and Medicare Advantage medical expenses contributed to high costs in the second quarter, executives said during a Tuesday earnings call. (Tepper, 7/16)
Fox News: Personalized Meal Delivery Could Be Key To ‘Substantial Savings’ In Health Care Costs, Study Suggests
Meal delivery could be the key to cutting health care costs, nutritional researchers claim. Not just any meals, though. For patients who have certain conditions that require special diets and restrict their ability to perform daily activities, bringing them medically tailored meals (MTMs) could lead to "substantial savings," according to a study by the American Society for Nutrition. (Rudy, 7/16)
The Hill: Gen Z Uses TikTok For Health Advice, Survey Reveals
Most of Generation Z is turning to TikTok to seek health advice, citing quick responses and free advice, a recent survey found. The poll, conducted by Zing Coach, found 56 percent of Gen Z respondents use TikTok for wellness, diet and fitness advice and that a large share of them use the platform as their main form of health advice. Among those surveyed, 34 percent said they use TikTok to get most of their health advice, making it more than twice as popular as the other options listed. (Sforza, 7/16)
Also —
KFF Health News: HealthSherpa And Insurers Team Up To Curb Unauthorized ACA Enrollment Schemes
The largest private company that brokers use to enroll people in Affordable Care Act health plans said it’s joining with insurers to thwart unauthorized Obamacare sign-ups and plan switches. HealthSherpa, which has its own sales team, announced the new initiative — called “Member Defense Network” — July 16. It will cut off commissions for unscrupulous insurance brokers believed to be signing up thousands of Americans for health plans they don’t need or switching their coverage without express consent. (Appleby, 7/16)
KFF Health News: Her Hearing Implant Was Preapproved. Nonetheless, She Got $139,000 Bills For Months
Caitlyn Mai woke up one morning in middle school so dizzy she couldn’t stand and deaf in one ear, the result of an infection that affected one of her cranial nerves. Though her balance recovered, the hearing never came back. Growing up, she learned to cope — but it wasn’t easy. With only one functioning ear, she couldn’t tell where sounds were coming from. She couldn’t follow along with groups of people in conversation — at social gatherings or at work — so she learned to lip-read. (Rosenthal, 7/17)
KFF Health News: The Woman Who Beat An $8,000 Hospital Fee
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with Georgann Boatright, a patient in Mississippi who was willing to drive to another state to avoid paying a steep fee to her local hospital. (Weissmann, 7/17)
Mental Health
Two Years In, 988 Suicide Hotline Sees Successes Amid Awareness Concerns
The CT Mirror: CT Suicide Hotline's Successes Celebrated After 2 Years In Service
Connecticut officials applauded the two-year anniversary of the 988 suicide and crisis prevention hotline on Tuesday, even as the rising number of calls to the line points to a mental health crisis that has swept the country post-COVID. Since the line was introduced in 2022, the state has seen consistent increases in call volume, with a 32% increase in fiscal year 2024. (Tillman, 7/16)
The New York Times: Crisis Hotline Has Answered 10 Million Calls, Texts And Chats
More than 10 million calls, texts and chat messages have been answered by counselors working for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s three-digit hotline in the two years since it debuted, federal officials said on Tuesday. The three-digit number, 988, was introduced in 2022 as a way to simplify emergency calls and help a metastasizing mental health crisis in the United States, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the social environments of younger Americans. The hotline previously used a traditional 10-digit number. (Weiland, 7/16)
Axios: Top Biden Mental Health Official On 988's Future
Two years in, big questions remain about whether America's revamped 988 suicide hotline is working as envisioned and how funding has been dispersed. (Goldman, 7/16)
Axios: Suicide Hotline Awareness Lags, Two Years In
Many Americans still don't know about 988, the revamped national suicide hotline, according to new polling from Ipsos on behalf of the National Alliance of Mental Illness. 988 launched two years ago Tuesday, and while 67% of U.S. adults say they've heard of the hotline, only 23% say they're at least somewhat familiar with it. (Goldman, 7/16)
Meanwhile, in news on emergency calls —
KFF Health News: The Nation’s 911 System Is On The Brink Of Its Own Emergency
Just after lunchtime on June 18, Massachusetts’ leaders discovered that the statewide 911 system was down. A scramble to handle the crisis was on. Police texted out administrative numbers that callers could use, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gave outage updates at a press conference outlining plans for the Celtics’ championship parade, and local officials urged people to summon help by pulling red fire alarm boxes. (Armour, 7/17)
Idaho Statesman: Security Concerns Cause Ada County To Halt Emergency System
The Ada County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it “proactively” took its Computer Aided Dispatch system offline because of security concerns. While 911 services continue for the Boise area, dispatchers are working using “backup systems and processes,” and are still taking and recording calls, allowing emergency services to respond as needed, according to a news release. (Krutzig, 7/16)
Covid-19
Covid Infection Doesn't Make You Vulnerable To Other Ailments: Study
Axios: COVID Didn't Grow Vulnerability To Illness: Study
The COVID-19 pandemic didn't make adults more susceptible to common infections and illnesses like asthma, COPD, pneumonia or the flu, a review of more than 256 million patient records concludes. (Bettelheim, 7/17)
CIDRAP: COVID Tied To Faster Progression From Preclinical To Clinical Type 1 Diabetes In Kids
A study of German youth with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes links COVID-19 infection to accelerated progression to clinical diabetes. For the study, published yesterday in JAMA, researchers in Munich and Dresden followed up with 509 children aged 1 to 16 years with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes participating in a screening program from February 2015 to October 2023. (Van Beusekom, 7/16)
CIDRAP: Paxlovid Led To Better Outcomes In Hospitalized COVID Cohort Than Veklury Or Both Drugs
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir–ritonavir (Paxlovid) are at lower risk for death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and need for ventilation than those given a combination of Paxlovid and the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) or Veklury alone, a University of Hong Kong target trial emulation study suggests. For the study, published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the researchers analyzed the electronic health records of a weighted sample of adults hospitalized for COVID-19. (Van Beusekom, 7/16)
Stat: Long Covid Reported At A Higher Rate Among Disabled Americans
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released a trove of data on Americans with disabilities that found that more than a quarter of U.S. adults have a disability — over 70 million people, a bump from prior years. This slice of the population was also much more likely to report long Covid symptoms such as chronic fatigue and brain fog. This comorbidity looms large for many disabled communities as another surge in Covid cases sweeps the country. (Broderick, 7/16)
Also —
The Boston Globe: COVID Surges To ‘Very High’ Or ‘High’ Levels In Dozens Of States, CDC Says
A critical tool for monitoring the level of COVID circulation shows levels of the virus have surged to “very high” or “high” levels in more than half the states across the country, including three in New England, according to the CDC. Wastewater surveillance data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the prevalence of COVID has hit “very high” levels in seven states, including California, Texas, and Florida. (7/16)
The Hill: 'Very High' COVID Levels Detected In California's Wastewater, First Since Last Winter
Coronavirus levels in California’s wastewater have reached a “very high” level for the first time since last winter. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the trend matches what’s being reported in several other states. (Palm, 7/16)
Capitol Watch
Groups Seek Broader Scope Of Order Blocking Protections For LGBTQ+ Kids
AP: An Order Blocking A Rule To Help LGBTQ+ Kids Applies To Hundreds Of Schools. Some Want To Block More
A federal judge’s order blocking a Biden administration rule for protecting LGBTQ+ students from discrimination applies to hundreds of schools and colleges across the U.S., and a group challenging it hopes to extend it further to many major American cities. U.S. District Judge John Broomes’ decision touched off a new legal dispute between the Biden administration and critics of the rule, over how broadly the order should apply. (Hanna, 7/16)
Roll Call: With Roe Overturned, Trump's GOP Turns To Transgender Health Care
When he ran for office in 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump focused heavily on abortion, vowing to nominate Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade — which he did as president. But this year, with Roe now overturned, the 2024 GOP presidential nominee and the Republican Party have a new health-related social issue: transgender care. (Cohen and Raman, 7/16)
Reuters: Trump Will Protect Gun Rights Despite Assassination Attempt, Adviser Says
Donald Trump will safeguard gun rights by appointing federal judges who oppose new firearm limits if he is elected in November, despite narrowly surviving an assassination attempt, a senior adviser to his presidential campaign said on Tuesday. "We'll see a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment, and really where that comes into play is, you know, the judiciary," Chris LaCivita said at an event hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, a gun rights group, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. (Reid, Coster and Layne, 7/16)
AP: FACT FOCUS: Trump Falsely Claims Babies Can Be Seen To Change 'Radically' After Vaccination
In an excerpt of a recent conversation between former President Donald Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted online, Trump suggested vaccines given to children to protect them from disease are harmful. He also exaggerated the number of vaccines given to children and he falsely claimed they lead to sudden, visible changes. Neither campaign has responded to requests for comment. (7/16)
Reuters: Fact Check: Project 2025 Did Not Propose A ‘Period Passport’ For Women
Online posts suggesting that the conservative Project 2025 plan would make it mandatory for women to keep track of their menstrual cycles originated from a satirical social media account. Posts online said: “The Project 2025 group says women should be mandated to carry ‘period passports’ that track their menstrual cycles and must be kept up to date, and women must present these to police officers during random ID checks to monitor pregnancies.” (7/16)
KFF Health News: J.D. Vance, Trump's VP Pick, Says Media Twisted His Remarks On Abortion And Domestic Violence
During the Republican National Convention’s opening night, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) spoke to Fox News for his first interview as former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee. Sitting in the Fiserv Forum, the convention’s Milwaukee venue, Vance took questions from host Sean Hannity and addressed criticism about his previous comments on domestic violence, abortion, and his 2016 disapproval of Trump. A couple of times, Vance accused the media of twisting controversial comments about violent marriages and abortion exemptions. We took a closer look at four of his claims. (Ramirez Uribe, 7/16)
Also —
Reuters: US House Panel To Hold Hearing With Pharmacy Benefit Managers On Healthcare Costs
The U.S. House of Representatives oversight panel said on Tuesday it will hold a hearing with executives from U.S. pharmacy benefit managers on the role of the firms in rising healthcare costs. The hearing will include Adam Kautzner, president of Evernorth Care Management and Express Scripts; David Joyner, executive vice president of CVS Health and president of CVS Caremark; and Patrick Conway, CEO of OptumRx, the panel's chair, Representative James Comer, a Republican, said in a statement. (7/16)
Stat: Pharma Lobby Weakened Drug Patent Reform Bill, Some Experts Say
A clutch of headlines last week suggested the U.S. Senate had achieved a breakthrough in the battle to prevent pharmaceutical companies from abusing the patent system, an issue that has been blamed for boosting prescription drug costs for Americans. But while the Senate bill clearly represents a step forward, the impact will not be nearly as great as originally intended by lawmakers due to industry lobbying. (Silverman and Zhang, 7/17)
Stat: Sen. Bob Menendez Found Guilty, Pharma Industry May Lose Key Ally
A New York jury on Tuesday found Sen. Bob Menendez guilty on 16 counts for bribery, extortion, and fraud charges. Calls for Menendez’s resignation quickly followed. Whether or not he immediately listens to them, Menendez is unlikely to continue his regular congressional activities given that he’s now been convicted — among other charges — of acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt. Without Menendez, the pharmaceutical industry will lose an important friend in Congress. (Merelli, 7/16)
AP: Judge Refuses To Extend Timeframe For Georgia's New Medicaid Plan, Only One With Work Requirement
A federal judge ruled that the Biden administration complied with the law when it declined to grant an extension to Georgia’s year-old Medicaid plan, which is the only one in the country that has a work requirement for recipients of the publicly funded health coverage for low-income people. The state didn’t comply with federal rules for an extension, so the Biden administration legally rejected its request to extend the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program’s expiration date from September 2025 to 2028, U.S. Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ruled Monday. (Thanawala, 7/16)
Reuters: US FDA Declines To Approve Orexo's Opioid Overdose Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to approve Orexo AB's (ORX.ST) high-dose prescription drug for opioid overdose, the company said on Tuesday. The health regulator, in a so-called complete response letter, has sought an additional Human Factors (HF) study and additional technical data on the final commercial product, the company said. Orexo said the FDA's request for additional technical data was unexpected, and added that it will work with the agency to enable a resubmission of the drug's marketing application. (7/16)
Stat: FDA Official: Applesauce Lead Contamination Was Unavoidable
The FDA’s top food regulator contended Tuesday that the agency could not have done much more to prevent the recent contamination of children’s applesauce with lead. (Florko, 7/16)
Public Health
25 'Sky High' Cannabis Products Recalled In New York
Newsweek: Weed Recall Sparks Warning About Dozens Of Products
The New York State's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) issued a recall for 25 cannabis products sold at licensed dispensaries throughout the state after discovering the products were manufactured by an unlicensed cannabinoid hemp processor. The OCM issued the recall for Eat Sky High LLC's "Sky High" brand on Friday. (Skinner, 7/16)
The Washington Post: What Is ‘Teflon Flu’? It’s Linked To A Coating On Some Nonstick Pans
Over the last two decades, poison centers in the United States have received more than 3,600 reports of suspected cases of “polymer fume fever,” a flu-like illness linked to a chemical coating found on some nonstick pans. ... Last year, there were 267 suspected cases of the little-known illness, which is believed to be one of the highest reported totals since 2000, according to America’s Poison Centers, a nonprofit organization that oversees 55 U.S. poison centers. (Amenabar, 7/16)
Stat: Insulin Users Fear Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly Will Move On Without Them
Around the world, patients suddenly can’t find enough of the insulins made by companies they have long relied on to do so. In the U.S., Novo Nordisk’s recent decision to discontinue a product has left patients with fewer options. At the same time, patients are encountering shortages of other products from Novo and Eli Lilly. For months, pharmacies have been running out of vials of certain insulins that patients use to fill the pumps they wear on their body. (Chen, 7/17)
The Baltimore Sun: Taking Ozempic Or Other Weight-Loss Meds? Watch Your Diet To Avoid ‘Exchanging One Problem For Another’
Almost her entire life, 56-year-old Jennifer Kirtley felt so consumed by food thoughts that immediately after breakfast, she would ponder her lunch menu. Recently, though, Kirtley went almost all day without eating, a noticeable behavior change coming only 3½ months after starting Wegovy, a popular weight-loss medication. “It’s mind-blowing that I have to remember to eat,” said Kirtley of Lake Worth Beach. “But when I am eating less amount of food, I know that I have to pay attention to what I am eating and make sure I am getting nutrients.” (Goodman, 7/16)
Fortune Well: Track Star And Entrepreneur Allyson Felix Will Launch The Olympic Village’s First Nursery: ‘The Systems Aren't In Place For Mothers Whatsoever’
Olympic track star Allyson Felix is headed to Paris this week—but not to compete on the track as she did for the last two decades. Felix, the most decorated Olympian in track and field with 11 medals, will instead be traveling with her family of four to launch the Olympic Village’s inaugural nursery to support parent athletes in partnership with Pampers. “The systems aren’t in place for mothers whatsoever,” Felix, who retired from competing professionally in 2022, tells Fortune. (Mikhail, 7/17)
NPR: Discrimination Complaints Involving Schools Are At A Record High
Sam is a bespectacled 6-year-old with a winning smile and a penchant for dinosaurs, as evidenced by the roaring Tyrannosaurus rex on the back of his favorite shirt. “He loves anything big, and powerful, and scary,” says his mother, Tabitha. Sam grins mischievously as he puts his hands together in a circle — the American Sign Language word for “ball.” He’s telling Tabitha he wants to start his day in the colorful ball pit in a corner of his playroom in their home in central Georgia. (Mehta, 7/16)
Reuters: Exclusive: Health Advocates Target Philip Morris' US Launch Of Heated Tobacco
Health campaigners have written to U.S. regulators accusing Philip Morris International (PM.N) of misrepresenting past regulatory decisions, seeking to disrupt the launch of its flagship heated tobacco device IQOS in the United States. The world's biggest tobacco company by market value has spent billions of dollars developing the product, which investors see as key to driving future growth. But it needs permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell it in the world's second largest tobacco market by revenue. (Rumney, 7/16)
Also —
NPR: A Victory For Opponents Of Female Genital Mutilation In The Gambia
When she was 2, Absa Samba underwent genital cutting – also known as female genital mutilation. “I do not have any memories of what happened to me that day, but I do remember it not being talked about,” she says. Now, Samba is 29 and she speaks openly – and critically – about the practice. She says it undermines the dignity and well-being of women and is a tool used to “control our bodies and our well-being.” (Emanuel, 7/16)
Science And Innovations
Yale Scientists Develop Novel Cancer-Targeting Technique For Therapies
Newsweek: Cancer Breakthrough As Yale Radiologists Develop 'Trojan Horse' Therapy
Yale scientists have discovered a "Trojan horse" method for killing cancer, showing promise against a range of tumor types. By sneaking past the cancer's defenses, the mechanism is able to deliver anticancer therapy without damaging healthy tissue. ... Efforts are now underway to advance this treatment for testing in a clinical trial setting. (Dewan, 7/16)
Reuters: Bayer Eyes Wider Nubeqa Use On New Prostate Cancer Trial Data
Bayer (BAYGn.DE) said on Wednesday its Nubeqa drug was shown to slow the progression of a certain type of prostate cancer in a late-stage trial, underpinning growth prospects for one of the German drugmaker's key pharmaceutical products. Bayer is developing Nubeqa, also known as darolutamide, jointly with Finland's Orion (ORNBV.HE). The drug is already approved in other prostate cancer treatment settings. (Burger, 7/17)
Reuters: Roche Touts Early Trial Success Of Second Obesity Drug Candidate
Roche (ROG.S) said on Wednesday a second drug candidate from its purchase of Carmot Therapeutics yielded positive results in an early-stage trial, as the Swiss drugmaker asserted itself as a late contender in the race to develop obesity drugs. Roche's experimental once-daily pill CT-996 resulted in a placebo-adjusted average weight loss of 6.1% within four weeks in obese patients without diabetes in a Phase I trial, Roche said in a statement. (Laudani and Burger, 7/17)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn, Jefferson And Einstein Are Keeping A Closer Eye On New Moms' Blood Pressure
Two Penn Medicine physicians had an unorthodox idea for reducing the number of patients who develop dangerously high blood pressure in the weeks after giving birth: Stop asking them to come into the doctor’s office for blood pressure screenings. Dangerously high blood pressure, is a leading cause of maternal death and hospital-readmission after birth, and is often preventable with routine screening. But many new parents are too overwhelmed in the first days of their baby’s life to get themselves to extra medical appointments. (Gantz, 7/17)
Stat: Digital Therapeutics Clinical Trials Get A New Dose Of Rigor
Faced with widespread skepticism about the value of digital therapies, Swing Therapeutics in early 2022 set out to make the strongest case possible for its app-based treatment for fibromyalgia. (Aguilar, 7/17)
CIDRAP: Backyard Chicken Flocks Have Higher Rate Of Campylobacter Than Those On Farms, Study Finds
A new prevalence study of the common foodborne bacterium Campylobacter in North Carolina chickens shows it is almost twice as common in backyard flocks than on commercial farms, and isolates are often resistant to antibiotics. The authors say the findings are significant because chicken is the top consumed meat worldwide, and backyard poultry production is increasing in the United States. The results were published in JAC - Antimicrobial Resistance. (Wappes, 7/16)
Also —
CNN: R21 Vaccine: Children In Ivory Coast Receive First Doses Of New Malaria Vaccine, Hailed As Major Milestone
Children in Ivory Coast received the first doses of a new, relatively cheap malaria vaccine on Monday, a step that has been hailed as a major milestone in the battle against one of the world’s most deadly diseases. (Ronald, 7/16)
Health Industry
Reusable PPE Gets Another Look, With Cost And The Environment In Mind
Axios: Health Care Warms To Reusable PPE
Four years after health workers were forced to reuse masks and other supplies to get through the dark days of the pandemic, the idea of recycling personal protective equipment is going mainstream. (Goldman, 7/17)
Stat: Cardiovascular Startup Raises $260 M Led By Ex-Moderna Execs’ New VC Fund
Cardurion Pharmaceuticals, a startup that launched seven years ago with shelved cardiovascular drug candidates from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, has raised $260 million for a Series B round. (DeAngelis, 7/16)
Stat: Freshpaint Raises $30 Million To Help Providers With Data Privacy
Federal guidance restricting hospital websites’ use of third-party trackers along with the proliferation of direct-to-consumer health services is spawning a new crop of health tech startups promising to help beleaguered providers stay on the right side of the law. (Ravindranath, 7/17)
Axios: UnitedHealth Group Projects Cyberattack Costs To Top $2.3B
UnitedHealth Group expects costs from the massive cyberattack against its Change Healthcare unit to reach $2.3 billion to $2.45 billion this year, the company said in a second quarter earnings report on Tuesday. (Reed, 7/16)
Obituaries —
The New York Times: James R. Tallon Jr., Who Steered Health Care Reforms, Dies At 82
James R. Tallon Jr., a health care policy expert who as a New York State legislator spurred efforts to expand coverage for the poor, particularly children, died on July 9 in Endicott, N.Y. He was 82. His son Michael said he died, in a hospice not far from his hometown, Binghamton, from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a scarring or inflammation of the lungs that is more common in smokers, although Mr. Tallon never smoked. (Roberts, 7/16)
State Watch
Spotlight On Texas' Mental Health Staff Shortage Reveals Gaps
The Texas Tribune: A Closer Look At Texas Mental Health Workforce Shortage
Texas is in the midst of a mental health workforce shortage. But where is the state short? Today, 246 of Texas’ 254 counties are wholly or partly designated by the federal government as “mental health professional shortage areas,” and that’s in a state where roughly 5 million people do not have health insurance. This has had a particularly dire effect in rural, border, and frontier counties in Texas, as some regions might have only one mental health professional or none. (Simpson and Nicholson-Messmer, 7/17)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta Public Schools To Pilot Student-Led Mental Health Board
Iman Cook was nervous as he addressed the Atlanta school board during a recent meeting. The 17-year-old Mays High School sophomore spoke about how mental health struggles can affect students’ academic performance and well-being. He made a request to the district’s elected officials. (Dalton, 7/16)
In other news from across the country —
AP: Southern California School District Sues Gov. Newsom Over New Gender-Identity Law
A Southern California school district involved in an ongoing legal battle with the state over the district’s gender-identity policy sued Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday over a new law banning districts from requiring that parents be notified of their child’s gender identification change. The Chino Valley Unified School District and a handful of parents argued the law violates the rights of parents protected under the U.S. Constitution. (Austin, 7/17)
Health News Florida: Tampa General Hospital Will Develop Colorectal Cancer Center After 'Substantial' Donation
Tampa General Hospital says it will develop a colorectal cancer center after receiving a “transformational” donation from philanthropists John and Susan Sykes. The center, part of the TGH Cancer Institute, will support patient care, education and research as well as the colon/rectal surgery division with the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, the hospital’s teaching partner. (Mayer, 7/16)
The Washington Post: Six Colorado Workers Contracted Bird Flu, The Most Human Cases In A State
Bird flu has infected six farmworkers in Colorado this month — the most in any state — as health officials stressed the importance of preparedness to contain the H5N1 virus spreading in dairy herds and poultry flocks across the country. ... During a news briefing Tuesday, federal officials said temperatures soaring above 104 degrees made it difficult for workers to wear the required full-body suits, goggles and N95 masks to protect them from the virus. (Sun, 7/16)
Stateline: Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities And Check Teeth, Get The OK In More States
During a game of Red Rover when she was 16 years old, Rochelle “Roz” Siuvuq Ferry lost a front tooth. Ferry, who is Inupiaq, remembers having to get on a plane to get from her remote Alaskan village to the city of Nome to start the tooth replacement process. Traveling to Nome for dental care is what everyone in her community had to do — even for a toothache or a basic cleaning. There was no such service where they lived. (Hassanein, 7/17)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Suburban Community Hospital Is Becoming A Micro-Hospital
Suburban Community Hospital in Montgomery County converted to a micro-hospital Tuesday, resulting in layoffs for 23 nurses, their union said. Other nurses were reassigned in the hospital or to other hospitals in the area that are part of the same system. “It is devastating,” said Octavia Rumer, an emergency department nurse at Suburban. (Gutman, 7/16)
In abortion news —
Politico: Florida Abortion Rights Brawl Transforms Normally Boring Budget Committee Into A Battleground
A normally prosaic budgeting process for proposed constitutional amendments in Florida ended in frustration — and legal threats — after Gov. Ron DeSantis and another state Republican leader tapped anti-abortion advocates to sit on a panel overseeing the state’s abortion-rights ballot measure that will be in front of voters in the fall. The fighting around obscure language related to the measure — which is Amendment 4 on November’s ballot — is just the latest battlefield in an incredibly contentious brawl over the procedure. (Sarkissian, 7/16)
AP: Arkansas Is Sued For Rejecting Petitions On An Abortion-Rights Ballot Measure
Arkansas is being sued for rejecting petitions in favor of a proposed ballot measure to scale back the state’s abortion ban, with supporters asking the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to order officials to start counting more than 100,000 signatures from people who back amending the constitution. The ballot measure wouldn’t make abortion a constitutionally protected right, but it would limit when abortion can be banned. (DeMillo, 7/16)
Kansas City Star: Kansas Abortion Providers Required To Ask ‘Invasive’ Questions
For the past two weeks, abortion providers across Kansas have been required to ask patients why they’re terminating their pregnancy – a new rule providers say harasses women, but one that abortion opponents argue will yield valuable information. The new survey is required under a Kansas law that took effect July 1. But patients don’t have to answer the questions. (Barackman, 7/16)
Prescription Drug Watch
Paxlovid Reigns Supreme In Treating Covid; Antibiotics May Trigger Asthma In Young Children
CIDRAP: Paxlovid Led To Better Outcomes In Hospitalized COVID Cohort Than Veklury Or Both Drugs
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir–ritonavir (Paxlovid) are at lower risk for death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and need for ventilation than those given a combination of Paxlovid and the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) or Veklury alone, a University of Hong Kong target trial emulation study suggests. (Van Beusekom, 7/16)
ScienceDaily: Early Life Antibiotic Increases Risk Of Asthma: Providing Clues To A Potential Prevention Adult Asthma
Early exposure to antibiotics can trigger long term susceptibility to asthma, according to new research. Importantly the research team isolated a molecule produced by gut bacteria that in the future could potentially be trialed as a simple treatment, in the form of a dietary supplement, for children at risk of asthma to prevent them developing the disease. (Monash University, 7/15)
ScienceDaily: Study Reveals How An Anesthesia Drug Induces Unconsciousness
Propofol, a drug commonly used for general anesthesia, induces unconsciousness by disrupting the brain's normal balance between stability and excitability. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 7/15)
CIDRAP: Ivory Coast Becomes First Country To Launch New Malaria Vaccine
Ivory Coast yesterday became the first country to launch the new R21 malaria vaccine, which was codeveloped by Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India (SII). It contains the Matrix M adjuvant—an immune-booster—made by Novavax. (Schnirring, 7/16)
Reuters: US FDA Declines To Approve Novo Nordisk's Weekly Insulin
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declined to approve Novo Nordisk's weekly insulin in patients with diabetes, the Danish drugmaker said on Wednesday. The health regulator in its so-called "complete response letter" sought more information related to the manufacturing process and the type 1 diabetes indication to complete the review, Novo said. (7/10)
Perspectives: NextGen Backs New Covid Vaccines; Ideas To Limit New Vaccine Hesitancy
Reuters: Ozempic May Gift US A $3 Trln Benefit
The United States spends 17% of its gross domestic product on healthcare, about twice as much as the average OECD country, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Can weight loss drugs like Ozempic help shrink that? According to a recent study, the answer is probably no. But other medical breakthroughs have temporarily changed the course of U.S. spending. There’s hope that the fattest developed country in the world can stall growth for good. (Robert Cyran, 7/16)
New England Journal of Medicine: Anticipating The Next Pandemic
Project NextGen plans to support trials assessing the safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of experimental Covid-19 vaccines. New platforms could also enable a rapid response to future health threats. (H. Cody Meissner, M.D., et al, 7/13)
New England Journal of Medicine: Funding Postauthorization Vaccine-Safety Science
The slow speed of science contributes to public concern about vaccines and reduced immunization coverage. Postauthorization safety research requires timely funding linked to the introduction of new vaccines. (Daniel A. Salmon, Ph.D., P.P.H., et al, 7/11)
Editorials And Opinions
Viewpoints: How To Make Extreme Heat Less Lethal; New OB-GYNs Wary Of Working In Texas
Bloomberg: Heat Waves Don't Have To Be So Deadly
The early days of Covid-19 were a nightmare of packed hospitals and the constant wail of ambulances, the kind of apocalyptic scenes nobody wants to experience again. Now imagine them happening every summer but without a pandemic. (Mark Gongloff, 7/17)
Stat: Texas Abortion Law Complicates Certification Process For OB-GYNs
Taking the oral examination is the final step in becoming a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist (OB-GYN). It is a challenge in the best of circumstances. But instead of worrying about how to respond to questions about the management of uterine cancers or peripartum hemorrhage, test candidates are worried about the legal risks of taking this exam, which must be done in Dallas, home of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). (Madeline Cohen, Sarah O'Connor and Nicole Huberfeld, 7/17)
Los Angeles Times: The Mental Health Crisis Hotline Is Working. Why Aren't We Better Funding It?
The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline remains one of the most significant, easily accessible resources ever created to help people in crisis. So two years after its launch, why aren’t states investing more to meet the demand for its services? (Chuck Ingoglia, 7/16)
Newsweek: A Second Chance Within Reach—Addressing The Organ Shortage With Today's Technology
The human cost of organ scarcity is tragically real. In the United States alone, more than 100,000 patients wait for the possibility of an organ transplant. Every eight minutes, a new name joins the waiting list, while 17 die on the list each day—a stark reminder of the critical shortage and soaring demand for organs. (Lisa Anderson, 7/16)