Pharma & Tech 091521

Big Pharma Went All In to Kill Drug Pricing Negotiations
By Arthur Allen For more than a century, the drug industry has issued dire warnings of plunging innovation whenever regulation reared its head. In general, the threat hasn’t materialized.

No, the Senate-Passed Reconciliation Bill Won’t Strip $300 Billion From Medicare
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact Under the Medicare drug negotiations provisions in the reconciliation bill, the federal government would see its outlays reduced by about $300 billion. That reduction wouldn’t result from cuts in benefits. Instead, Medicare would be empowered to leverage its market power to pay lower prices for certain drugs.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: The New Cap on Medicare Drug Costs
By Dan Weissmann In this episode, Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KHN, guides listeners through decades of dealings between Congress and Big Pharma.

Did the US Jump the Gun With the New Omicron-Targeted Vaccines?
By Céline Gounder and Elisabeth Rosenthal With fears of a winter surge looming, government agencies have authorized and encouraged vaccination with a newly formulated booster. But the science to support that decision remains inconclusive.

California and New York Aim to Curb Diet Pill Sales to Minors
By Laurie Udesky California and New York would be the first states to require anyone under 18 to obtain prescriptions to purchase over-the-counter weight loss products, which some research has linked to eating disorders.

Experts Question the Role of White Mulberry in the Death of Congressman’s Wife
By Samantha Young The Sacramento County coroner concluded that Lori McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, died of dehydration after ingesting white mulberry leaf. But some scientists, doctors, and pathologists are questioning that ruling, and are urging the coroner’s office, which hasn’t explained its reasoning, to reopen the case.

Congressman’s Wife Died After Taking Herbal Remedy Marketed for Diabetes and Weight Loss
By Samantha Young Lori McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock of California, died after ingesting white mulberry leaf, according to the Sacramento County coroner. The plant is generally considered safe and is used in herbal remedies that claim to lower blood sugar, boost weight loss, and combat high cholesterol. Her death highlights the potential dangers of dietary supplements.

Watch: The Mysterious Death of a Congressman’s Wife
KHN senior correspondent Samantha Young appeared on CBS News to discuss her reporting on the death of Lori McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.). She died after ingesting white mulberry leaf, according to the Sacramento County coroner. Young also explained her reporting process on Twitter and TikTok.

‘He Stood His Ground’: California State Senator Will Leave Office as Champion of Tough Vaccine Laws
By Angela Hart California state Sen. Richard Pan, who spearheaded some of the country’s most ambitious vaccine mandate legislation, is leaving office this year because of term limits. A pediatrician, he plans to practice medicine full time but has not ruled out a future run for office.

Wastewater Surveillance Has Become a Critical Covid Tracking Tool, but Funding Is Inconsistent
By Lauren Sausser Dashboards that rely on positive covid test results reported to local health departments no longer paint a reliable picture of how covid is spreading in an area. Some experts say wastewater surveillance is the most accurate way to measure viral activity. Meanwhile, some wastewater labs face funding shortfalls.

Grassroots Work Leads to Vaccination Success in Georgia Refugee Community
By Alander Rocha Public health officials and resettlement groups across the U.S. have used community organizers to encourage newly arrived refugees and other vulnerable people to get vaccinated against covid-19. In a Georgia city that is home to many refugees, the vaccination rate is higher than in the state, county, and surrounding communities of similar socioeconomic status.

Southern States’ Lackluster Monkeypox Efforts Leave LGBTQ+ Groups Going It Alone
By Daniel Chang and Colleen DeGuzman The gay community is disproportionally affected by the monkeypox outbreak, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says public health efforts should prioritize gay and bisexual men. But in the South, some LGBTQ+ advocates fear that this is not happening consistently. They say they are having to take matters into their own hands in the absence of a coordinated response from state governments.

Newborns Get Routine Heel Blood Tests, but Should States Keep Those Samples?
By Michelle Andrews Shortly after birth, babies are pricked in the heel so their blood can be tested for life-threatening conditions. States generally save leftover blood from those samples, and parents and privacy experts are concerned that information could be used without consent years later.

A Needle Exchange Project Modeled on Urban Efforts Aims to Save Lives in Rural Nevada
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez Five years after HIV tore through a rural Indiana town as a result of widespread drug use, a syringe and needle exchange program was set up in rural Nevada to prevent a similar event.

California Wants to Snip Costs for Vasectomies
By Rachel Bluth Vasectomies can cost hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket — or more. State lawmakers are debating whether to make the procedure free to millions of men.

Medical Coding Creates Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients
By Helen Santoro The codes used by U.S. medical providers to bill insurers haven’t caught up to the needs of trans patients or even international standards. Consequently, doctors are forced to get creative with what codes they use, or patients spend hours fighting big out-of-pocket bills.

Organ Transplants Are Up, but the Agency in Charge Is Under Fire
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio A two-year congressional investigation has identified troubling lapses in the nation’s organ transplant system. Blood types mismatched, diseased organs transplanted anyway, and — most often — organs lost or damaged before they can save a life.

Rural Americans Have Difficulty Accessing a Promising Cancer Treatment
By Debby Waldman Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy has eliminated tumors in some late-stage cancer patients, but the cost and complexity of care mean rural Americans have trouble accessing the treatment.

With More Sizzling Summers, Colorado Changes How Heat Advisories Are Issued
By Markian Hawryluk The National Weather Service is now gauging heat risk in a way that better suits Colorado as summers in the Centennial State get hotter and longer.

Patient Satisfaction Surveys Earn a Zero on Tracking Whether Hospitals Deliver Culturally Competent Care
By Rae Ellen Bichell In an industry obsessed with consumer satisfaction national patient surveys still don’t get at an important question: Are hospitals delivering culturally competent care?

At 988 Call Centers, Crisis Counselors Offer Empathy — And Juggle Limited Resources
By Brett Sholtis, WITF During a mental health crisis, a conversation with an empathetic listener can be lifesaving. But for in-person help, resources are in short supply in many parts of the country.

Journalists Discuss the Nation’s Suicide Prevention Hotline, Abortion, and ‘Forever Chemicals’
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Journalists Dig Into Questions About the 988 Hotline and Inflation Reduction Act
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

‘Science Friday’ and KHN: Examining Medicine’s Definition of Death Informs the Abortion Debate
By Sarah Varney Why is it so hard to agree when life begins? As state abortion laws define it, science, politics, and religion are clashing. KHN’s Sarah Varney shared her reporting with the “Science Friday” radio program.

Journalists Delve Into Inflation Policy, Hospital Closures, and Needle Exchanges
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

California y Nueva York buscan frenar la venta de píldoras para adelgazar a menores
By Laurie Udesky Si ambas medidas se convierten en ley, sus defensores esperan que den impulso a la  restricción de la venta de píldoras dietéticas a niños y adolescentes en más estados.

Hay más trasplantes de órganos, pero la agencia encargada de coordinarlos está en tela de juicio
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio Aproximadamente 5,000 pacientes al año mueren mientras están en lista de espera, al mismo tiempo que órganos donados en perfecto estado acaban en la basura.