This State Isn’t Waiting for Biden To Negotiate Drug Prices
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
March 26, 2024
KFF Health News Original
As the federal government negotiates with drugmakers to lower the price of 10 expensive drugs for Medicare patients, impatient legislators in some states are trying to go even further. Leading the pack is Colorado, where a new Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board is set to recommend an “upper payment limit” for drugs it deems unaffordable. In late […]
Viewpoints: Weight-Loss Drugs Don’t Help Everyone; We Mustn’t Let Anti-Vax Beliefs Become Normalized
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss weight-loss drugs, vaccine misinformation, and reproductive health care.
Bird Flu Detected In Some Dairy Cows In US
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Department of Agriculture said Monday that the milk supply is safe due to pasteurization, after samples collected from sick cattle in Kansas and Texas tested positive for the avian influenza virus.
DeSantis Signs Into Law A Social Media Ban For Kids Under 14
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
The law also requires parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds to set up accounts on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. It is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025 and is expected to be challenged in court in the interim.
Study: Insulin Price Caps Alone Are Not Enough To Improve Access
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Other research-related news is on brain health risks from common household chemicals, gender- and race-based disparities in heart transplants, a new blood test to detect colon cancer, and more.
States Crack Down On Facility Fees As Part Of Hospital Pricing Push
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Modern Healthcare reports that states are tackling high hospital prices by restricting facility fees, despite a “lag” in federal-level policy. Meanwhile, labor shortages and other pressures could force more providers to shed personal care services.
Scientists Warn Of Brain Health Risk From Reused Deep-Frying Oil
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Also in the news, a vast archive of ancient brains is in the spotlight for how it may help our modern understanding of mental illness. Scientists also uncover why women are more easily addicted to cigarettes than men.
Colorado Price Cap On Arthritis Drug Enbrel Targeted By Amgen Lawsuit
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
The multinational pharma company is suing Colorado over the state prescription drug board’s plan to cap the price of its blockbuster drug. Also in the news: New Hampshire’s troubled ambulance market; naloxone in Florida; and more.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Mifepristone Supreme Court case, cancer treatment, bird flu, social media, insulin price caps, facility fees, and more are in the news.
Future Of Abortion Pill Under Threat As Supreme Court Trial Opens
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a case that challenges access mifepristone, one of two drugs used in a medication abortion. News outlets cover what’s at stake for the FDA and drug industry, how abortion could be further limited, and claims that distorted science is playing a role.
First Edition: March 26, 2024
March 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Overdosing on Chemo: A Common Gene Test Could Save Hundreds of Lives Each Year
By Arthur Allen
March 26, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The FDA and some oncologists have resisted efforts to require a quick, cheap gene test that could prevent thousands of deaths from a bad reaction to a common cancer drug.
At Stake in Mifepristone Case: Abortion, FDA’s Authority, and Return to 1873 Obscenity Law
By Sarah Varney
March 25, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The end goal for a conservative Christian group’s mifepristone case before the Supreme Court: a de facto nationwide abortion ban.
West Virginia Bans Smoking In Cars That Are Also Carrying Kids
March 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
AP notes that West Virginia, a “heavy-smoking” state, is the 12th to ban smoking in vehicles where children are present. In other news from across the country: an effort to help Florida’s dementia caregivers; Minnesota’s covid shots; and more.
Viewpoints: How Much Medical Privacy Do Celebrities Really Have?; SCOTUS FDA Case A No-Brainer
March 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers tackle medical privacy, mifepristone, methadone treatment, and laser eye surgery.
Supreme Court To Hear Abortion Pill Case With Big Implications For Drug Industry
March 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Tuesday in a closely watched case with broad implications for both abortion access in the U.S. as well as a drug development and research.
FDA’s Role In Medical Device Approval In Spotlight Amid AI Revolution
March 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Artificial intelligence technology developments like those from Nvidia, Johnson & Johnson, and app-makers aiming to help the mental health crisis are in the news, as the FDA’s role in approving new AI-enabled medical devices and software is discussed.
Biden Signs $1.2T Spending Bill That Includes $117B For HHS
March 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Axios reports that the funding bill “keeps health programs near status quo.” Also in the news: the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, the Health Care Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2024, a new antibody to protect against covid, and more.
Measles Cases In US Have Already Surpassed Last Year’s Total: CDC Data
March 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
The CDC says that 64 cases have been confirmed in the U.S. through the first 3 months of the year. The total for 2023 was 58 cases. Other stories report on flu, pollen, Down syndrome, and other public health news.
Cancer Diagnosis Of Kate Middleton Spotlights Trend Of Younger Cases
March 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
“It’s not only older people anymore,” said one expert on an increasing number of younger people globally who are being diagnosed with certain types of cancer.