Pharma & Tech: June 16, 2022

Misinformation Clouds America’s Most Popular Emergency Contraception
By Sarah Varney At a moment when half of U.S. states stand poised to outlaw or sharply curtail abortion services, the nation’s most popular emergency contraception brand rests in the unlikely stewardship of two private equity firms.

Skirmishes Over Medication Abortion Renews Debate on State vs. Federal Powers
By Victoria Knight The Biden administration may have authority to allow the use of abortion pills even in states where the practice could be outlawed, say legal experts.

Covid Funding Pries Open a Door to Improving Air Quality in Schools
By Liz Szabo Researchers say the billions in pandemic funding available for ventilation upgrades in U.S. schools provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to combat covid-19, as well as making air more breathable for students living with allergies, asthma, and chronic wildfire smoke.

Readers and Tweeters Go to the Mat on Abortion Rights and Perceived Wrongs
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Novavax Missed Its Global Moonshot but Is Angling to Win Over mRNA Defectors
By Arthur Allen and Sarah Jane Tribble After years of failure, the Maryland company aims to attract the vaccine-hesitant with an alternative to mRNA shots. But will it find a market?

As Biden Fights Overdoses, Harm Reduction Groups Face Local Opposition
By Renuka Rayasam The Biden administration’s latest plan to address opioid overdose deaths includes $30 million for harm reduction measures, but many conservative states don’t allow them.

Why the War in Ukraine Might Make Root Canals More Difficult
By Darius Tahir Russia’s attacks on Ukraine are making it harder for the health care system to secure important supplies, including gases used in imaging and by dentists.

For Many Low-Income Families, Getting Formula Has Always Been a Strain
By Christina Szalinski Finding formula for children with allergies and other dietary restrictions was challenging even before the current shortage for families who rely on the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance program.

Lawmaker Takes on Insurance Companies and Gets Personal About His Health
By Samantha Young State Sen. Scott Wiener opens up about a weeklong stint in the hospital last year and what it’s like to live with Crohn’s disease. The San Francisco Democrat is pushing a bill that would require insurance companies to cover certain medications while patients appeal denials.

California Wants to Slash Insulin Prices by Becoming a Drugmaker. Can It Succeed?
By Angela Hart Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed spending $100 million to make insulin affordable to millions of people with diabetes under a new state generic drug label, CalRx. But state officials haven’t said how much the insulin will cost patients or how the state will deal with distribution and other challenges.

Tribal Pharmacy Dispenses Free Meds and Fills Gaps for Native Americans in the City
By Katherine Huggins and Julia Mueller The Mashkiki Waakaa’igan Pharmacy in downtown Minneapolis gives Native Americans an economical option for filling prescriptions while being sensitive to tribal traditions and expectations.

Computer Glitches and Human Error Still Causing Insurance Headaches for Californians
By Bernard J. Wolfson Covered California and Medi-Cal share a computer system for eligibility and enrollment. Nearly a decade since the Affordable Care Act expanded coverage options in the state, enrollees can be diverted to the wrong program — or dropped altogether — if erroneous information gets into the system.

Race Is Often Used as Medical Shorthand for How Bodies Work. Some Doctors Want to Change That.
By Rae Ellen Bichell and Cara Anthony Physicians have long believed it’s good medicine to consider race in health care. But recently, rather than perpetuate the myth that race governs how bodies function, a more nuanced approach has emerged: acknowledging that racial health disparities often reflect the effects of generations of systemic racism, such as lack of access to stable housing or nutritious food.

Addressing the ‘Trust Factor’: South Carolina Researchers Tackle Health Disparities Using Genetics
By Lauren Sausser A new genetic research project underway in South Carolina aims to reduce health disparities between Black and white residents — such as cancer and cardiovascular disease rates — that have long ranked among the nation’s worst. But researchers face the challenge of recruiting 100,000 participants who reflect the diversity of South Carolina. And history isn’t on their side.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Taking a Shot at Gun Control
The U.S. House passed a package of bills seeking to keep some guns out of the hands of children and teenagers, but its fate in the Senate remains a big question mark. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission takes on drug and hospital prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Cori Uccello of the American Academy of Actuaries about the most recent report from Medicare’s trustees board.

Watch: Going Beyond the Script of ‘The G Word’ and How Government Responds to Disease (Or Not)
KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal joins comedian Adam Conover to discuss his new Netflix series, “The G Word,” which examines the federal government's role in Americans' lives, and how it plays out in the covid era.