First Edition: Dec. 13, 2023
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Millions in Opioid Settlement Funds Sit Untouched as Overdose Deaths Rise
By Katheryn Houghton and Aneri Pattani
December 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Some states haven’t begun using opioid settlement funds intended to help curb the opioid epidemic. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose last year.
As Foundation for ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis Cracks, Fallout Spreads
By Renuka Rayasam and Markian Hawryluk and Samantha Young
December 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Major policy changes and disavowals have made this a watershed year for curbing the use of the discredited “excited delirium” diagnosis to explain deaths in police custody. Now the ripple effects are spreading across the country into court cases, state legislation, and police training classes.
Gun Violence Is a Plague. Could Medicaid Help?
By Samantha Young
December 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
To tackle America’s gun problem, a growing number of states are allowing Medicaid dollars to fund community-based violence programs intended to stop shootings. The idea is to boost resources for violence prevention programs, which have been overwhelmed in some cities by a spike in violent crime since the covid-19 pandemic. An infusion of reliable funding, […]
Portland Officials Consider Public Use Ban To Battle Drugs, Overdoses
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said that state and city officials are considering rolling back some of the nation’s most wide-ranging drug decriminalization effort, because Portland was troubled and needed reviving, the New York Times says. Also in the news; pollution permitting; free naloxone kits; more.
Advocates Say Texas Gun Suicide Data Show New Laws Are Needed
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Easy access to guns is a problem in Texas, say gun safety and mental health advocates. CDC data show the number of Texans who took their life with a gun last year was at a level not seen since 1999. Other reports say rising suicide among older men is worrying: It’s a group hard to reach with support.
American Humanitarian Kate Forbes Is The Red Cross’ New President
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Reuters says the election for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies came after an “acrimonious” and “extraordinary” General Assembly meeting, but Forbes — a businesswoman who began working with the IFRC four decades ago — prevailed. In other news from across the world: infectious diseases are spreading in Gaza; anthrax in Zambia; and more.
Viewpoints: New Sickle Cell Treatment Hits A Roadblock; Texas Proves Abortion Ban Exemptions Are A Joke
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss the new sickle cell treatment, the farce of abortion ban exemptions, LGBTQ+ health and more.
Arizona High Court To Consider Reinstating Abortion Ban From 1864
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
The ban is from when Arizona was still a territory, and it would essentially ban abortion in the state. The current ban is for abortions at 15 weeks or later. News outlets cover the case, which starts today, and consider its impact on U.S. reproductive rights battles and 2024’s election race.
Justices Refuse Challenge To Washington ‘Conversion Therapy’ Ban
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Supreme Court refused, by majority, to take up a challenge to a Washington state law that protects LGBTQ+ youngsters from so-called “conversion therapy.” The challenge came from a Christian marriage and family counselor who argued it infringed free speech rights.
States Are ‘Pulling All The Levers They Can’ To Stop Medicaid Enrollment Slide
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Under increased scrutiny from the White House, state Medicaid officials are trying harder to prevent eligible people from losing coverage. One of the biggest challenges is simply finding them, and states are having to get more creative in their efforts.
CRISPR Sickle Cell Treatment To Be Offered At 9 Hospitals
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Now that the FDA has approved the first use of a CRISPR gene-editing therapy to treat sickle cell disease, the company has announced 9 facilities that will initially offer it.
Kroger Pilots In-Store Clinics For Primary Care For Seniors
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Eight of the Little Clinic sites in Atlanta are transitioned to focus on primary care for seniors, as well as their regular services — a test of a strategic shift for the company. Also in the news: a Best Buy Health, Biobeat partnership; a Norton Healthcare data breach; and more.
Supreme Court Throws Out Cases On Covid Shot Mandates For Troops
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
The federal employee vaccine requirement was rescinded by President Joe Biden in May, and the Pentagon similarly withdrew a mandate for troops, but cases challenging the mandate for executive branch employees and military service members had rumbled on.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, December 12, 2023
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Teletherapy, PBM reforms, Medicaid enrollment, pharmacy privacy, ‘conversion therapy’ ban, drug overdoses, and more are in the news.
House Passes Health Package With PBM Reforms, Site-Neutral Policy
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Lower Costs More Transparency Act of 2023, passed by the House 320-71 on Monday, would institute new transparency and pricing rules on PBMs and hospitals, and spare hospitals from some funding cuts while likely imposing others. The measure is unlikely to pass the Senate as currently written but signals bipartisan openness to the policies.
Big Pharmacy Chains Give Customers’ Records To Police Despite No Warrants
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post reported that officials with America’s eight biggest pharmacy giants — Walgreens Boots Alliance, CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid, Kroger, Cigna, Optum Rx, and Amazon Pharmacy — told congressional investigators they required only a subpoena to share the records. Investigators began probing the practice in the aftermath of the Dobbs abortion decision.
First Edition: Dec. 12, 2023
December 12, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
El condado de Los Angeles ofrece terapia virtual gratuita de salud mental para estudiantes
By Molly Castle Work
December 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
La teleterapia desempeña un papel cada vez más importante en las escuelas del país, a medida que educadores y trabajadores sociales se enfrentan a la presión de abordar los crecientes problemas de salud mental.
Listen: What Our 2-Year-Long Investigation Into Medical Debt Reveals
By Noam N. Levey
December 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
An award-winning project by KFF Health News and NPR found that at least 100 million people in the United States are saddled with medical bills they cannot pay — and exposed a health care system that systematically pushes people into debt.