- KFF Health News Original Stories 3
- Residents of a Rural Arkansas County Grapple With Endemic Gun Violence
- California Expands Paid Sick Days and Boosts Health Worker Wages
- Listen to the Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
- After Roe V. Wade 2
- US Abortions Ticked Up Slightly In Year After Roe Was Overturned
- Georgia Supreme Court Keeps Abortion Ban In Place During Legal Challenge
- Mental Health 2
- Dozens Of States Allege Instagram's Tech Is Addictive, Harming Young Users
- Psychedelic Mushrooms Had Role In Airline Incident, Alaska Pilot Says
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Residents of a Rural Arkansas County Grapple With Endemic Gun Violence
Rural gun homicides have often been overshadowed by violence in cities. But they are taking their toll on small communities ill-equipped to deal with the challenges. (Renuka Rayasam, 10/25)
California Expands Paid Sick Days and Boosts Health Worker Wages
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation expanding paid sick leave to five days, extending bereavement leave to miscarriages and failed adoptions, and approving an eventual $25-an-hour health care minimum wage. Still, in a possible sign of national ambitions, the Democrat vetoed free condoms in schools and refused to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms. (Don Thompson, 10/25)
Listen to the Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week. (1/2)
Summaries Of The News:
US Abortions Ticked Up Slightly In Year After Roe Was Overturned
Nationally, the total number of legal abortions rose 0.2% above the previous year, according to the first full-year census of U.S. abortion providers since the Dobbs decision. The analysis shows significant increases in states where it’s legal, with corresponding large drops in states where abortion bans were enacted.
The New York Times:
Despite State Bans, Legal Abortions Didn’t Fall Nationwide In Year After Dobbs
In the year after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion, something unexpected happened: The total number of legal abortions in the United States did not fall. Instead, it appeared to increase slightly, by about 0.2 percent, according to the first full-year count of abortions provided nationwide. This finding came despite the fact that 14 states banned all abortions, and seven imposed new limits on them. Even as those restrictions reduced the legal abortion rate to near zero in some states, there were large increases in places where abortions remained legal. Researchers said they were driven by the expansion of telemedicine for mail-order abortion pills, increased options and assistance for women who traveled, and a surge of publicity about ways to get abortions. (Miller and Sanger-Katz, 10/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Roe V. Wade Is Gone, But Abortions Are On The Rise
While it has become much harder since the end of Roe to obtain an abortion in states with newly enacted bans, it actually appears to have become easier in many other states, thanks to increased attention and resources. Abortion funds, nonprofits that help finance abortions and logistics associated with them, have raised millions to help lower-income women pay for procedures and travel, while new clinics have opened in states such as Illinois and New Mexico that have become major destinations for women traveling from other states.
(Kusisto and Calfas, 10/24)
The Hill:
Abortions Increased Nationally In The Year After Dobbs Ruling, But Plummeted In States With Bans: Analysis
But the report noted the overall increase masks the state-by-state variability that followed the high court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Clinician-provided abortions virtually disappeared in states with bans, while abortion care increased in states where the procedure is legal with fewer restrictions. In states with total or six-week abortion bans, abortions decreased by a count of nearly 115,000.States where abortion remained legal beyond six weeks saw a cumulative increase of nearly 117,000 abortions in the 12 months following the Dobbs ruling. (Weixel, 10/24)
NPR:
Post 'Dobbs' Supreme Court Case, More People Are Traveling To Get An Abortion
#WeCount, the Society for Family Planning's ongoing tally of abortions in the U.S., indicates the abortion rate has remained relatively steady, but people are traveling to get the procedure. (Simmons-Duffin, 10/25)
Also —
The New York Times:
As Abortion Access Shrinks, Hospitals Fill In The Gaps
A. wanted a cheeseburger and to go home. She had made the three-hour trip from Indianapolis to Chicago a day earlier and had been at the hospital since 6:30 a.m., with an empty stomach, waiting to be taken into an operating room to have an abortion. It was her second trip to Chicago in two weeks, and the third time she had tried to end her pregnancy. She ordered abortion pills online in July, but they were ineffective. A few weeks later, after Indiana enacted a total ban on abortion, she made an appointment at a clinic in Chicago. But an ultrasound revealed that her placenta was growing abnormally, increasing the risk of bleeding. She was told she would need to have the procedure done at a hospital instead. (McCann, 10/23)
Georgia Supreme Court Keeps Abortion Ban In Place During Legal Challenge
Georgia's Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a lower court's ruling that the state’s 6-week ban on abortion was invalid, and decided that the law will remain active while the case is sent down to a lower court.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia Supreme Court Allows Abortion Law To Stay On The Books
The current restrictions on abortion in Georgia should remain in place, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. That means most abortions will continue to be banned once a doctor can detect fetal cardiac activity, typically about six weeks into a pregnancy and before many know they are pregnant, while the Fulton County Superior Court considers other arguments made by abortion advocates and providers about why the restrictions should be lifted. (Prabhu, 10/24)
More abortion news —
Portland Press Herald:
New Law Expanding Abortion Access In Maine Goes Into Effect Wednesday
Dana Peirce had no idea when she wrote a newspaper op-ed and testified in favor of abortion rights bills that her personal story would reverberate so powerfully that it would spur action to change Maine’s abortion laws. In 2019, Peirce had to travel to Colorado to terminate her pregnancy at 32 weeks because a gray area in Maine’s law meant she couldn’t get an abortion in her home state. Peirce said she knew that wasn’t right, and now it won’t happen to others. (Lawlor, 10/25)
The Washington Post:
Youngkin Bets 15-Week Abortion Limit Is Winner In Virginia And Beyond
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has tied Virginia Republicans’ hopes for winning legislative elections next month in part to the controversial strategy of embracing new limits on abortion access after 15 weeks, transforming his divided state into a national litmus test that is likely to shape the 2024 elections. (Schneider and Scherer, 10/25)
The New York Times:
In Texas, Abortion ‘Travel Ban’ Gains Momentum
In recent months, abortion opponents in Texas have succeeded in passing a growing number of local ordinances to prevent people from helping women travel to have abortions in nearby states that still allow the procedure. On Monday, Lubbock County, a conservative hub of more than 300,000 residents near the border with New Mexico, became the largest county yet to enact such a ban. The county commissioners court, during a public meeting that drew occasionally impassioned testimony, voted to make it illegal for anyone to transport a pregnant woman through the county, or pay for her travel, for the purpose of seeking an abortion. (Goodman, 10/24)
ProPublica:
How The GOP Is Undermining Citizen-Led Abortion Ballot Initiatives Across The Country
Abortion advocates say opponents are increasingly matching their efforts with an assortment of legal and political challenges that have stalled or blocked their ability to introduce initiatives. To do so, anti-abortion lawmakers and others are using strategies from the playbook of conservatives who sought to restrict access to voting, even trying to change the rules for citizen-led initiatives. ProPublica found legislation or proposals introduced in at least four states in the last year that would undermine ballot initiatives adding abortion protections to state law. (Jaramillo, 10/24)
On birth control access —
Military Times:
Tricare Won’t Cover Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pill
The first over-the-counter birth control pill available in the U.S. has been Food and Drug Administration-approved since July, but the military’s health insurance isn’t stocking or covering it, according to a letter several senators sent to the Defense Department on Monday. The lawmakers hope that the non-prescription pill will increase access to contraceptives for service members and their dependents. (Myers, 10/24)
Axios:
What's Driving More Women To Quit Birth Control
At the same time the fall of Roe v. Wade has fueled an interest in expanding contraception access, OB-GYNs say they have seen a wave of patients quitting hormonal birth control for more "natural" options. The turn against effective forms of birth control raises concern about increased risks for unplanned pregnancies when abortion is being severely limited or banned across much of the U.S. (Reed, 10/25)
PBS NewsHour:
How Missouri Doctors Are Meeting A Post-Roe Demand For Vasectomies
Aaron Willison had been thinking about getting a vasectomy done for over a decade. But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, reversing nearly 50 years of abortion rights, he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. ... Months later, Willison’s partner was scrolling through TikTok when she stumbled upon a video about free vasectomies. Within a few days he was able to schedule an appointment with Planned Parenthood, which was providing free appointments for underinsured and uninsured people ahead of World Vasectomy Day, which falls on the third Friday in November each year. (Hays, 10/24)
On infertility —
Stat:
New Infertility Definition Includes LGBTQ+ And Single People
Infertility has a new definition in the U.S. — one that could make a big difference to would-be parents who are single or LGBTQ+. Last week, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) issued an expanded description of the condition, stating that infertility involves “the need for medical intervention, including, but not limited to, the use of donor gametes or donor embryos in order to achieve a successful pregnancy either as an individual or with a partner.” (Merelli, 10/24)
Dozens Of States Allege Instagram's Tech Is Addictive, Harming Young Users
The lawsuit accuses Meta, Instagram's parent company, of using allegedly addictive features that hurt children's mental health. As reports highlight the ongoing youth mental health crisis, researchers find young adults in the U.S. experience anxiety and depression twice as frequently as teens.
CNN:
States Sue Instagram-Parent Meta Over 'Addictive' Features And Youth Mental Health Harms
Dozens of states sued Instagram-parent Meta on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of harming young users’ mental health through allegedly addictive features such as infinite news feeds and frequent notifications that demand users’ constant attention. In a federal lawsuit filed in California by 33 attorneys general, the states allege that Meta’s products have harmed minors and contributed to a mental health crisis in the United States. (Fung, 10/24)
CNBC:
Meta's Harmful Effects On Children Unites Republicans And Democrats
While Republican and Democratic lawmakers appear more incapable than ever of working together to pass legislation, they largely agree on one thing: Meta’s negative impact on children and teens. (Vanian, 10/24)
The Boston Globe:
N.H. Sues Meta To Stop Addictive Features Harming Children’s Mental Health
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella filed a separate lawsuit in Merrimack Superior Court Tuesday against Meta for allegedly violating state consumer protection laws. Eight states and D.C. filed related actions in state and federal courts. “(Meta) has broken and continues to break the mental health of our kids, and it’s time we put a stop to it,” Formella said at a press conference in Concord on Tuesday. He said New Hampshire has been particularly hard hit by a mental health crisis. (GoKee, 10/24)
More on the youth mental health crisis —
The Washington Post:
Young Adults Suffer From Anxiety, Depression Twice As Often As Teens
Young adults in the United States experience anxiety and depression twice as frequently as teenagers, according to a new nationally representative survey by Making Caring Common, a project of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Thirty-six percent of young adults — ages 18 to 25 — reported anxiety, compared with 18 percent of younger teenagers — ages 14 to 17 — while 29 percent felt depression, compared with 15 percent in the younger age group in the survey. (Lewis, 10/24)
Crain's Chicago Business:
Youth Mental Health Crisis Overwhelms Parents, Caregivers
A children's mental health crisis in Chicago and across the nation that predates the isolation and chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic has outgrown the abilities of psychiatrists and therapists to treat it alone. (Asplund, 10/23)
The Washington Post:
Is A Lack Of Independence Fueling A Youth Mental Health Crisis?
For years, Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College, has been closely following two disturbing trends: the dwindling of independent activity and play afforded to children over the past half-century, and the accelerating rise in mental health disorders and suicides among youth during that same period. There are familiar factors that surface in discussions of the youth mental health crisis in America, with screen use and social media often topping the list of concerns. But Gray suspects a deeper underlying issue: The landscape of childhood has transformed in ways that are profoundly affecting the way children develop — by limiting their ability to play independently, to roam beyond the supervision of adults, to learn from peers, and to build resilience and confidence. (Gibson, 10/24)
In related news about mental health —
Side Effects Public Media:
Farm-Based Activities Can Support Mental Wellness. Why Aren't There More Care Farms In The U.S.?
Care farms are agricultural places for people with physical or mental health challenges to process their emotions, while performing farming tasks and working with animals. Participants are able to receive formal or informal care to address things like anxiety, depression and grief. It’s a popular concept in Europe that hasn’t gained as much traction in the United States yet. But a new national network hopes to change that. (Gabriel, 10/29)
Psychedelic Mushrooms Had Role In Airline Incident, Alaska Pilot Says
The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot tried to shut off an aircraft's engines during a flight Sunday. Speaking to investigators, he said he'd been sleepless and dehydrated since using the mushrooms and was suffering depression long-term. News outlets explain some risks of using magic mushrooms.
The New York Times:
Pilot Who Disrupted Flight Said He Had Taken Psychedelic Mushrooms, Complaint Says
An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut off the engines during a flight on Sunday told investigators that he had been sleepless and dehydrated since he consumed psychedelic mushrooms about 48 hours before boarding and that he had been depressed for a long time, state and federal court documents said. The pilot, Joseph D. Emerson, 44, also told the police in an interview after he was taken into custody that he believed he was having a “nervous breakdown,” according to federal court documents. He said he had struggled with depression for about six years and that a friend had recently died. (Levenson, 10/24)
AP:
Off-Duty Pilot Said ‘I’m Not OK’ Before Trying To Cut Engines Midflight, Charging Documents Say
An off-duty airline pilot riding in an extra cockpit seat on a Horizon Air flight said “I’m not OK” just before trying to cut the engines midflight and later told police he had been struggling with depression, according to charging documents made public Tuesday. State prosecutors in Oregon filed 83 counts of attempted murder against Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph David Emerson, 44, on Tuesday. ... An FBI agent wrote in a probable cause affidavit in support of the federal charge that Emerson “said it was his first-time taking mushrooms.” (Rush and Johnson, 10/24)
Also —
King5.Com:
How Psychedelic Mushrooms Affect The Brain, Behaviors
Back in June, suspect James Kelly in the Beyond Wonderland shooting at the Gorge also said that he had taken magic mushrooms. Prosecuting attorney documents said, "As Kelly's hallucination 'trip' got going, he began to believe that the world was ending." Prosecutors stated that he proceeded to shoot four people, killing two. How exactly can psychedelic mushrooms affect a person's behaviors? KING 5 checked in with medical experts. (White, 10/24)
Gothamist:
What To Know Before You Try Psychedelic Ketamine Therapy In New York City
If you live in New York City, you’ve likely passed or heard of a clinic where ketamine — a hospital anesthetic and psychedelic party drug — is used as a mental health treatment. Locations now operate in the Financial District and Brooklyn Heights. Walk up 5th Avenue and a New Yorker will encounter five clinics off this street alone. (Sloat, 10/24)
Facing Limited Supplies, CDC Changes RSV Shot Guidance For Infants
The updated guidance, coming as RSV cases are rising in parts of the U.S., says providers must prioritize administering some doses of nirsevimab (Beyfortus) to infants at highest risk of developing severe RSV. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) indicated he'd vote "no" on the confirmation for the NIH director.
The Washington Post:
CDC Updates RSV Shot Recommendations Due To Drug Shortages
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert Monday in response to limited supplies of an antibody drug designed to protect infants from the respiratory disease RSV. The update comes as RSV cases have started to rise in parts of the United States with the onset of cold and flu season, creating a conundrum for many pediatricians. The CDC is now advising pediatricians and other health-care providers to prioritize administering certain doses of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody sold under the brand name Beyfortus, to infants with the highest risk of developing severe respiratory syncytial virus. (Malhi, 10/24)
Axios:
Shortage Of RSV Drug For Infants Puts Docs On Alert
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling on doctors to prioritize doses of a new RSV drug to the most vulnerable infants amid limited supply. Experts say demand for the drug, Beyfortus, has far outpaced supply in the first respiratory virus season since the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in July. (Reed, 10/24)
In updates on the confirmation of NIH nominee Monica Bertagnolli —
The Hill:
Sanders To Vote ‘No’ On Biden NIH Director Confirmation
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), stated Tuesday that he plans to vote “no” on the confirmation of Monica Bertagnolli, President Biden’s nominee for director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Sander’s decision comes just one day before the HELP committee is to consider the nominations of Bertagnolli and other nominees at agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Choi, 10/24)
Politico:
Biden’s NIH Nominee Set To Advance With GOP Votes, But Not Bernie Sanders’
But two Republican senators, Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, told POLITICO they would vote to approve her. Seven of the panel’s 10 Democrats, Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), have stated their support publicly. If at least two of the other three Democrats join them — fewer if more Republicans vote aye — Bertagnolli will advance, allowing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to schedule a floor vote. (Schumaker, Lim and Leonard, 10/24)
HHS Says Nursing Homes Will Get Covid Shots After Delay Complaints
Some nursing homes had complained of struggles to obtain doses of the updated covid vaccines for their residents, with blame aimed at the shift from government distribution to commercial models. The CDC director says that although only 3% of Americans have gotten new shots, the program is on track.
Modern Healthcare:
Nursing Homes Face Delays Getting COVID-19 Vaccine
The Health and Human Services Department said Monday it is working to ensure the new COVID-19 vaccine gets to long-term care facilities, following complaints that some nursing homes are struggling to obtain doses for their residents. Trade groups representing long-term care providers and the pharmacies that serve them lay much of the blame on the transition from government distribution of the vaccine to the commercial marketplace, a change that did not give those pharmacies and nursing homes priority access to the vaccine. (Eastabrook and Broderick, 10/24)
Politico:
‘On Track’: 3 Percent Of Americans Have Gotten The New Covid Shot, But The CDC Director Remains Confident
The Biden administration’s campaign to convince Americans to get an annual Covid shot is off to a very slow start. Even so, the nation’s top disease-fighting official says the U.S. remains “on track” to hit last year’s uptake levels, which crested at just 17 percent of the U.S. population. So far, 12 million people, or about 3.6 percent of the population, have gotten the shot in the five weeks since it hit pharmacy shelves — though reporting lags mean it’s likely a bit higher, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen said. (Cirruzzo, 10/24)
On combining covid and flu shots —
The New York Times:
Covid Shots May Slightly Raise Stroke Risk In The Oldest Recipients
The Covid vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna may be linked to a slight increase in the risk of stroke when administered along with a high-dose flu vaccine, according to a new analysis by the Food and Drug Administration. The high-dose flu vaccine is usually given to older people, and the risk association is clearest in adults aged 85 and older. But that increase, if real, seems very small, and it is possible that the risk may stem from the flu vaccine alone. (Mandavilli, 10/24)
ABC News:
Moderna Doses 1st Participant In Phase 3 Clinical Trial Of Combo Flu, COVID Vaccine
Moderna announced Tuesday it has dosed its first participant in a phase III clinical trial of a combination influenza and COVID-19 vaccine. This phase will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combo vaccine compared to flu and COVID vaccines that are administered separately in two groups, one involving 4,000 adults aged 65 and older and another involving 4,000 adults between ages 50 and 64. (Kekatos, 10/24)
In other covid news —
Axios:
Cruise Ship Passengers Win Carnival COVID Outbreak Lawsuit In Australia
Carnival Cruise Line was deemed "negligent" over a 2020 COVID outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess that resulted in 28 deaths, Australia's Federal Court ruled in a class action lawsuit on Wednesday. Justice Angus Stewart said in a summary that the cruise company "knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel, and its potentially lethal consequences" before it left Sydney for New Zealand in March 2020, "yet they proceeded regardless." (Falconer, 10/24)
CIDRAP:
Study: Childcare Centers Not Sites Of Significant COVID Spread
A study today led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine published in JAMA Network Open shows that US childcare centers have not been significant sites of COVID-19 transmission, and the authors suggest that children with COVID-19 in these centers be treated like others with similar non-COVID respiratory illnesses. (Soucheray, 10/24)
Doctor Trying To Rescind Mifepristone Supports Cancer Therapy That Uses It
Dr. George Delgado is now a member of the scientific advisory board of Res Nova Biologics, which is developing a breast cancer treatment using the abortion drug. Explaining this contradiction, Delgado said, "The effects of the abortion pill in life-saving as opposed to a life-taking scenario is extremely exciting." Plus: breakthroughs for cervical cancer, breast cancer, and more.
Colorado Newsline:
Doctor Suing FDA Recruited To Scientific Advisory Board To ‘Repurpose’ Abortion Pill
One of the anti-abortion doctors suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to rescind its 2000 approval of a medication abortion regimen on the basis that one of the drugs is dangerous is now consulting on the development of a breast cancer treatment that involves the same drug: mifepristone. It is the family doctor’s latest foray into medical consulting outside his medical certifications. Dr. George Delgado is joining the scientific advisory board of Res Nova Biologics, Inc., which is developing a breast cancer treatment using mifepristone, despite plaintiffs’ arguments in the lawsuit that federal approval was illegally rushed (it was a four-year process) and that the drug’s approved use for first-trimester abortion should be reversed. (Resnick, 10/25)
In other cancer news —
ABC News:
In Major Medical Advancement, Study Finds Additional Chemo Slashes Risk Of Cervical Cancer Death
An already-approved chemotherapy drug could reduce the risk of dying of cervical cancer when added to the current treatment standard, according to new research presented at a major medical conference. ... The study found that the group who got the additional chemotherapy survived longer, on average. After 5 years, 80% of these women were still alive, compared to 72% of those who got the standard treatment, according to the study. (Carnegie and Salzman, 10/24)
Fox News:
Breast Cancer Breakthrough: AI Predicts A Third Of Cases Prior To Diagnosis In Mammography Study
Artificial intelligence could have the capability to pinpoint cancer diagnoses a lot sooner. A new study published in the journal Radiology last week noted that AI helped predict one-third of breast cancer cases up to two years prior to diagnosis. The research surveyed imaging data and screening information from BreastScreen Norway exams performed from January 2004 to December 2019. (Stabile, 10/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
This $1,000 Test Finds Signs Of Cancer In Your Blood
Doctors, researchers and patient advocates are excited about a new blood test that promises to detect cancer early. They disagree about whether you should actually use it yet. The $949 Galleri liquid biopsy can screen for more than 50 types of cancers. It works by looking for a shared cancer signal in DNA shed by tumors in the bloodstream. More than 130,000 of the prescription-only tests have been sold since Galleri became available in June 2021, according to the test maker Grail, a unit of the gene-sequencing company Illumina. (Janin, 10/24)
More pharmaceutical updates —
Stat:
Traditional Chinese Medicine Benefits Explored In New JAMA Study
A traditional Chinese medicine compound used for cardiac benefits might help reduce the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and even cardiac death rates, according to a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, some outside experts expressed skepticism about the result. (Merelli and Herper, 10/24)
Stat:
Startup Launches With $245M For Twice Yearly Asthma Treatment
Anew biotech has raised $245 million to test a new asthma medication that could compete with one sold by Amgen and AstraZeneca. The startup, Aiolos Therapeutics, was founded by former Genentech colleagues Khurem Farooq and Tony Adamis after they stumbled upon a drug being developed by Chinese pharma company Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. The two men believed there was an unmet need in asthma, and in Jiangsu’s drug, a potential game-changer. (DeAngelis, 10/24)
Boston Globe:
Smaller Biotechs Seek To Piggyback On Weight Loss Drug Boom
The state’s celebrated cluster of biotechs has hatched breakthrough medicines for everything from COVID and cystic fibrosis to multiple rare diseases. It has pioneered cutting-edge research in exotic fields like messenger RNA, gene editing, and gene therapies. But when it comes to what is arguably the hottest space in drug development today — controlling weight and diabetes for millions of people worldwide — the brainy innovators from Kendall Square have missed out on the booming market, at least so far. (Weisman, 10/24)
Your Friendly Nurse Likely Experienced More Workplace Harassment Recently
The expectation of an upbeat "bedside manner" from medical staff seems at odds with new findings from the CDC that show workplace harassment of health care workers doubled between 2018 and 2022 — and that harassed workers suffered more anxiety, depression, and burnout.
CBS News:
Health Care Workers Say Workplace Harassment Doubled From 2018 To 2022, Survey Finds
U.S. health care workers are dealing with more than double the rate of workplace harassment compared to pre-pandemic times, according to new survey data. The findings, published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vital Signs report Tuesday, show that in 2022, 13.4% of health workers said they'd been harassed at work, up from 6.4% in 2018. ... The survey also found health workers who reported being harassed also had increased odds of reporting anxiety, depression and burnout compared to those who weren't harassed. (Moniuszko, 10/24)
Axios:
CDC: Harassment Of Health Workers More Than Doubled
About 44% of health care workers wanted to look for a new job last year, while interest declined among workers outside of health care. Health care workers' trust in their management declined 7% from 2018 to 2022. (Goldman, 10/25)
In other health care industry news —
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
As Cigna Exits Missouri ACA Marketplace, BJC Says It Is Near A Deal For New Carrier
BJC HealthCare, the region’s biggest health care provider, says it is working on a plan to ensure people who depend on “Obamacare” health insurance policies will still have access to its system. BJC said it plans to make an announcement on an agreement for a new Affordable Care Act coverage option early this week, ahead of the start of the open enrollment period. (Merrilees, 10/24)
Modern Healthcare:
UPMC, Washington Health System Proposed Merger Moves Forward
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Washington Health System moved a step closer to completing their merger plan. The nonprofit health systems signed a definitive agreement last week, according to an Oct. 23 regulatory filing. Under the member-substitution agreement, UPMC would appoint one-third of the Washington Health board to the system board. The two-hospital system based in Washington, Pennsylvania, with 2,000 employees, would be renamed UPMC Washington. (Kacik, 10/24)
Reuters:
Medical Helicopter Company Air Methods Files For Bankruptcy
Air Methods, a private equity-owned medical helicopter company, filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday with a plan to cut $1.7 billion in debt. Air Methods' business had suffered recently due to rising interest rates, higher labor costs and a recent U.S. ban on "surprise" medical bills, according to court filings in Houston, Texas, bankruptcy court. (Knauth, 10/24)
Modern Healthcare:
AI In Healthcare Likely To See Federal Regulation
Government regulation of artificial intelligence in healthcare is in its early stages, according to developers and end users of the technology. Most stakeholders agree that AI holds promise in improving clinical care. But health system leaders and developers are looking for concrete guardrails, even if it’s unclear how the technology will be regulated. (Turner, 10/24)
CNBC:
6 Health Insurance Terms To Know As Open Enrollment Starts
Many people will soon be picking their health insurance plans for 2024: November is a common month for workplace open enrollment, and the public marketplace opens Nov. 1. But choosing a health plan can be tricky. In fact, a 2017 study found many people lose money due to suboptimal choices: Sixty-one percent chose the wrong plan, costing them an average $372 a year. (Iacurci, 10/24)
Also —
AP:
Poison Specialist And Former Medical Resident At Mayo Clinic Is Charged With Poisoning His Wife
A poison specialist and former medical resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is charged with fatally poisoning his wife, a 32-year-old pharmacist who died days after she went to a hospital in August with stomach distress. Authorities say Connor Bowman, 30, tried to stop the autopsy on his wife, Betty Bowman — arguing she should be cremated immediately and claiming she had a rare illness, which hospital tests did not confirm. The medical examiner’s office halted the order for cremation, citing suspicious circumstances, according to a criminal complaint, and an autopsy showed Betty Bowman died from toxic effects of colchicine, a medicine used to treat gout. (Ahmed, 10/24)
To Untangle Differing Diet Trends, NIH Spends $190 Million On National Study
10,000 volunteers will take part in the Nutrition for Precision Health study, which is designed to find how different people metabolize and respond to various diets. In other news, allaying worries from workers who sit all day, scientists find that about 20 minutes of exercise may balance out the sitting.
The Washington Post:
What’s The Best Diet? A Federal Study Aims To Find Out
The federal government wants you — yes, you — to join a large and ambitious diet study that could change the way we think about the best foods to eat for optimal health. ...The National Institutes of Health is spending $189 million over five years and recruiting 10,000 adults. The goal of the study, called Nutrition for Precision Health, is to find out how different people metabolize and respond to various diets. ...Enrollment in the Nutrition for Precision Health study is open online. (O'Connor, 10/24)
NBC News:
Around 20 Minutes Of Exercise A Day May Balance Out The Harms Of Sitting, Study Finds
People who have no choice but to sit at a desk for hours on end may have seen, in recent years, a slew of headlines about the scary consequences of sitting for long periods of time — and how even regular exercise couldn’t undo the damage. Research published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, however, finds that about 22 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity may provide an antidote to the ills of prolonged sitting. What’s more, the researchers found that, as a person’s activity level increases, the risk of dying prematurely from any cause goes down. (Carroll, 10/24)
Fox News:
Jam Out! Listening To Your Favorite Music Can Reduce Pain, New Study Suggests
Listening to your favorite music might be beneficial to your health after all. A new study has found that those who listen to their favorite songs and performances were far more effective in reducing pain they might be feeling. Scientists published findings in the journal Frontiers in Pain Research after conducting a study in which participants received moderately painful thermal stimuli in their inner forearm, according to SWNS. Kasko, 10/25)
USA Today:
Bee Pollen For Breast Growth Causing Anaphylaxis And Period Changes
On the hunt for bigger breasts, women on TikTok this summer buzzed over bee pollen: a mixture of plant and flower pollen, as well nectar and bee saliva, that accumulates on the insects’ bodies and is used for honey production. ... Now, about four months after the trend dominated women’s #FYP, videos detailing mild to severe allergic reactions and changes to menstruation, such as heavier bleeding and more painful cramps, are springing up online. These unintended consequences, experts say, serve as a reminder that “natural” isn’t always safe. (Camero, 10/24)
Stat:
Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Can Now Be Tracked Via Apple Watch Apps
Since the Apple Watch was unveiled in 2014, it has been trumpeted not only as a high tech fashion accessory, but also as a way for people to track their own health and fitness. It has evolved as a popular cardio tool for such uses as heart rate monitoring, recording your ECG, and measuring the oxygen saturation of your blood. But now, after nearly a decade of development, the Apple Watch is being leveraged on an entirely new health frontier: Parkinson’s disease, the degenerative brain disorder that affects more than a half million Americans. (Aguilar, 10/24)
USA Today:
Maryland Man On Road To Recovery One Month After Pig Heart Transplant
As he works hard to recover, Lawrence Faucette maintains his dream of soon returning home one month after he became the second person to receive the transplanted heart of a pig. Though highly-experimental, the procedure was seemingly the 58-year-old man's last hope to extend his life after health problems made him ineligible for a traditional heart transplant. But so far, his doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine say Faucette's new heart is functioning well and showing no signs of rejection. (Lagatta, 10/24)
The New York Times:
What To Know About Dengue Fever As Cases Spread To New Places
Cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral illness that can be fatal, are surging around the world. The increase is occurring both in places that have long struggled with the disease and in areas where its spread was unheard-of until the last year or two, including France, Italy and Chad, in central Africa. Last week, health officials in Pasadena, Calif., reported a first case of locally transmitted dengue. Dengue, a viral fever, is transmitted by Aedes species of mosquitoes. It can cause excruciating joint pain; is also known by the grim nickname “breakbone fever.” (Nolen, 10/24)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: Addiction experts worry a lifesaving overdose reversal drug is still too hard to get despite no longer requiring a prescription, and California bans a medical diagnosis critics say is used to cover up police misconduct. (10/19)
Fetterman Decries School Lunch Resolution Over Gender Discrimination
Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, took issue with a school lunch resolution from Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, over the notion that school lunch could be denied to a student based on a provider's religious discrimination over the student's gender. In other news, "farm to school" food efforts expand.
The Hill:
Fetterman ‘Can’t Believe’ Marshall Resolution On School Lunch ‘Is Even Real’
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) took issue with a new school lunch resolution offered by fellow Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) Tuesday. The resolution, initially introduced in July by a series of senators and placed on the calendar last week, disagrees with recent guidance by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in relation to sex discrimination. “I can’t even believe that this resolution is even real. This makes it possible for some random lunch lady to deny lunch to a hungry child because she says her god tells her to. School lunch should be free, and certainly free of judgment,” Fetterman said in a statement. (Suter, 10/24)
NPR:
'Farm To School' Efforts Expand With A Short-Term Funding Boost
On a hot, buggy morning in mid August, Derrick Hoffman poked around a densely packed row of bushy cherry tomato plants, looking for the ripest tomatoes. Hoffman and a handful of farm hands were looking for the ones already deepened to the just right shade of red. "Or light orange," Hoffman said. "Because once you put a red one with an orange one, they all turn red. "It's better if they don't all turn red too quickly, Hoffman said, because once these tomatoes leave his 100-acre farm on the outskirts of Greeley, Colo., they have to fit with the lunch service schedule at a local public school. (Solomon, 10/24)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Wyoming Public Radio:
The Sheridan VA Medical Center Is Ready To Help More Veterans
It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month and The Sheridan VA Medical Center is using that opportunity to highlight their extensive support programs for veterans. Through transitional work and supported employment programs, the Sheridan VA will give veterans the chance to dramatically improve their mental health and involve them within their communities. (Uplinger, 10/24)
North Carolina Health News:
Throwing A Financial Lifeline To Rural Health Care Providers
In recent years, lawmakers in Raleigh have fretted about how to increase access to health care for North Carolina’s 3.5 million rural residents. They have traveled the state, holding hearings for residents and health care providers outside the urban and suburban regions. Providers from those areas have traveled to Raleigh, too, to testify at legislative hearings about staffing shortages and other critical issues plaguing their practices. (Baxley and Hoban, 10/25)
KFF Health News:
California Expands Paid Sick Days And Boosts Health Worker Wages
California continues to burnish its reputation as a progressive state for health policy as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed bills expanding paid sick leave, adding bereavement leave for miscarriages, and boosting wages for health workers. Newsom blessed a rare agreement between labor and the health industry to gradually phase in a nation-leading $25-an-hour statewide minimum wage for health workers. Estimates based on earlier versions of the bill found it would increase health care costs by billions of dollars each year and put pressure on the state’s Medicaid program to raise reimbursement rates for long-term care to maintain patients’ access to services. Other new laws aim to strengthen reproductive rights, as well as patient protections against errant doctors and pharmacists and surprise ambulance bills. (Thompson, 10/25)
KFF Health News:
Residents Of A Rural Arkansas County Grapple With Endemic Gun Violence
On a recent September afternoon, Courtney Porter counted his losses: his mom from old age, his wife from diabetes complications, two of his brothers. While one died of an aneurysm, the shooting death last year of his younger brother, Patro, hit the hardest. “It tore me up, real bad,” said Porter, 50, from the Stop N Shop, a defunct gas station that is now a convenience shop. “I’ll never get over it.” (Rayasam, 10/25)
Potential Breakthroughs For ADHD, Dwarfism, And More
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News' Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
ScienceDaily:
Researchers Use Pioneering New Method To Unlock Brain's Noradrenaline System
An international team of researchers has provided valuable insights into the brain's noradrenaline (NA) system, which has been a longtime target for medications to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety. (Virginia Tech, 10/23)
Reuters:
BioMarin's Dwarfism Therapy Gets FDA Nod For Expanded Use
The U.S. health regulator on Friday approved the expanded use of BioMarin Pharmaceutical's once-daily injection to treat children under the age of 5 with the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism. The drug, branded as Voxzogo, in 2021 was the first therapy to be greenlighted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating the genetic disorder, known as achondroplasia, in children aged five and older under the FDA's accelerated approval pathway. (Jain, 10/20)
Reuters:
GSK's Common Respiratory Virus Vaccine Shows Potential In Adults Aged 50-59
GSK said its vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus showed positive preliminary results in a late-stage trial to protect adults aged 50 to 59 from the disease that causes thousands of hospitalizations and deaths annually. The British drugmaker's shot, called Arexvy, met the primary goal in the Phase-III trial of eliciting an immune response in adults of the reported age group who are at an increased risk of catching the virus due to certain underlying medical conditions, the company said on Wednesday. (10/25)
CIDRAP:
Half Of US States Had Antiviral Shortages In 2022-23 Flu Season
Over half of US state and territorial public health preparedness directors (PHPDs) surveyed said they experienced shortages of flu antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) during the 2022-23 respiratory virus season, forcing many to turn to national or state stockpiles, according to a research letter published late last week in JAMA. (Van Beusekom, 10/23)
CIDRAP:
Studies Reveal Resistance To Tecovirimat In Mpox Patients With Weak Immune Systems
Ninety-six isolates from 46 US mpox patients were resistant to the antiviral drug tecovirimat (Tpoxx), although most were from patients with severely weakened immune systems who took multiple courses of the drug, according to a study published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 10/20)
Perspectives: Knock-Off Ozempic Could Be Dangerous; Does Your OTC Decongestant Really Work?
Read recent commentaries about pharmaceutical issues.
The Washington Post:
Beware Of Knockoff Weight-Loss Drugs
Americans are so desperate to get their hands on popular weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy that many are turning to knockoff versions. Doing so could come with real harm. (Leana S. Wen, 10/24)
USA Today:
FDA Says The Decongestant In Your Medicine Cabinet Probably Doesn't Work. Now What?
Just before cold and flu season is set to kick off, the Food and Drug Administration's advisory panel last month reported that an oral decongestant Americans have relied on for nearly 20 years is no better than a placebo. (Jeffery Singer, 10/25)
Modern Healthcare:
High Drug Costs Could Be Reduced With Collaboration
America spends more on drugs and prescription medications, on average, than any other country. And it doesn’t matter where those drugs are purchased. Hospital drug spending is up 30% to 40% since 2019, outpacing increases in labor costs and other supplies. Prescription medications are a unique American burden as well. (Dr. Bruce Meyer and Jim Benedict, 10/25)
The Washington Post:
Don’t Let Drug Companies Get Out Of Negotiating Prices
In recent months, drug manufacturers and their allies have filed 10 lawsuits attacking one of the Inflation Reduction Act’s core health policy achievements: its plan for Medicare to negotiate drug prices. (C. Joseph Ross Daval and Aaron S. Kesselheim, 10/23)
Viewpoints: US Health Insurance Is Broken; EBSA Will Hold Insurance Providers Accountable For Care
Editorial writers tackle health insurance in America as well as dementia villages, spicy food and nursing staffing.
The New York Times:
Open Enrollment Reminds Us How Easy It Is To Lose Health Insurance In America
Why do Americans have to “remember” to get health insurance every year? We don’t ask citizens to remember to enroll with the fire department every year, or to remember to sign up for electricity service or water. Yet with health insurance, we’ve set up an unwieldy mechanism where millions of people have to opt in every year or do without. (Danielle Ofri, 10/25)
The Washington Post:
Don't Let Your Insurance Company Win So Easily. Call This Number
“I don’t know if it is the mother in me or the New Jersey,” says Lisa Gomez, “but I don’t want to hear ‘It’s too hard. We can’t do this.’ ”Gomez needs this grit. It is her job to ensure that health plans and insurance companies pay for the care Americans are entitled to. She is the Labor Department’s assistant secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). It is a wonky title for what Gomez does: She’s a mental health activist. (Kate Woodsome, 10/23)
Bloomberg:
Medicare Advantage Is Great. Except For Taxpayers
Every year, from mid-October to early December, millions of Medicare beneficiaries get the chance to pick a new health plan. With dozens to choose from and a blizzard of advertising, more seniors are going with the simplest, cheapest option: privately run plans known as Medicare Advantage. (10/24)
The Tennessean:
Health Care Industry Must Lead By Reducing Its Huge Carbon Footprint
Now – perhaps more than ever – protecting our personal health also means protecting the health of our environment. And the industry tasked with creating better health outcomes, the health care sector, should be leading the charge. (Bill Frist and Fahad Tahir, 10/24)
Also —
Stat:
The Problems With Dementia Villages
Recently, dementia villages have gained popularity in Europe and Australia as an all-in-one solution to caring for and improving the lives of those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The New York Times has reported that it looks like the “future of home care.” (Kristina Carvalho, 10/24)
Scientific American:
Spicy Food Probably Doesn't Cause Long-Term Harm
Everyone has a different tolerance for spicy food — some love the burn, while others can’t take the heat. But the scientific consensus on whether spicy food can have an effect — positive or negative — on your health is pretty mixed. (Paul D. Terry, 10/24)
The CT Mirror:
CT Nurses’ Campaign For Safe Staffing Can Be A Model For Other States
It was International Patient Safety Day, and I joined with elected officials and my fellow Connecticut nurses to celebrate our legislative success, which requires hospitals to create a dedicated staffing committee to develop annual nursing staffing plans. Reflecting back, I realized that it often takes a crisis or near-crisis to force needed change or, at the very least, to jumpstart a process of reforms, adjustments and steps to address significant challenges. (Susan A. Goncalves, 10/25)