FTC Challenges Over 100 Brand-Name Meds’ Patents For Inaccuracies
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
The issue, the Federal Trade Commission says, is improper or inaccurate patent listings made by some of the world’s biggest drugmakers. Among other news, the FDA says Accord Healthcare has resumed making the common cancer drug methotrexate amid ongoing cancer drug shortages.
CMS Nursing Home Staffing Standards Aren’t Realistic, Fla. Association Warns
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Florida’s largest nursing home industry group, the Florida Health Care Association, wrote to CMS to warn that most nursing homes wouldn’t be able to meet the proposed standards for care, and if they did, they may have to turn away residents. Also in the news, a possible L.A. County physician strike.
Supreme Court May Uphold Gun Bans For Accused Domestic Abusers
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets report that though some Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical on the matter, they may be inclined to uphold a law banning those accused of domestic abuse from owning guns — showing “little sympathy” for one abuser who was arguing for his Second Amendment gun rights.
Officials Call For More Syphilis Testing For Newborns Amid Skyrocketing Cases
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
CDC data show over 3,700 babies were born with congenital syphilis in 2022, ten times the rate a decade ago, triggering a call for better testing and treatment during pregnancies. Separately, even as RSV season begins, demand for newly-approved antibody injections has already outstripped supply.
VA Stops Collecting Pension Debt From Some Vets It Mistakenly Overpaid
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, reports say that some military beneficiaries of Tricare or the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program may be paying more in 2024. Also, researchers found that service members’ and veterans’ sensitive medical data can be purchased for very low prices by brokers.
Votes In Virginia, Kentucky Will Also Impact Abortion Politics
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Both chambers of the Virginia legislature will next be controlled by Democrats, in an Election Day development that sets back Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plans to push anti-abortion measures. And in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection in a race in which the abortion issue played a key role.
What Tuesday’s Results Could Mean For The 2024 Elections
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
With abortion-rights advocates sealing important wins, news outlets consider how this illuminates the path voters may take in 2024. Meanwhile, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considered whether Texas can be forced to allow medically necessary abortions, defying its ban.
Dr. Monica Bertagnolli Confirmed As New NIH Director, Despite Sanders’ ‘No’
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Senate voted 62 to 36 Tuesday to confirm cancer surgeon Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli to the directorship of the National Institutes of Health, overriding objections from Senate health committee chair Bernie Sanders, who had voiced concerns over Bertagnolli’s ability to combat high drug prices.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, November 8, 2023
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Election results, abortion politics, NIH director confirmed, gun violence, syphilis testing, nursing home staffing, and more are in the news.
Ohio Passes Constitutional Amendment Protecting Abortion Access
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Voters in Ohio approved Issue 1, a ballot initiative that enshrines access to abortion and other reproductive health care into the state’s constitution. The measure was hard-fought leading up to Election Day and is the latest example of a majority of voters supporting abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ohio Voted on Abortion. Next Year, 11 More States Might, Too.
By Bram Sable-Smith
November 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Ohio is the latest state where voters have directly weighed in on abortion, and the next wave of such ballot measures is in the works in at least 11 other states, including Missouri.
First Edition: Nov. 8, 2023
November 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
US to Cover HIV Prevention Drugs for Older Americans to Stem Spread of the Virus
By Michael Scaturro
November 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The government has proposed that Medicare fully cover preexposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV, a change that could help America catch up with nations in Europe and Africa that are on track to end new infections decades before the U.S. under its current approach.
What I Learned From the World’s Last Smallpox Patient
By Céline Gounder
November 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Declaring victory over a disease can be easier than meeting survivors’ needs.
Prevención del VIH: proponen que Medicare cubra PrEP para adultos mayores
By Michael Scaturro
November 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Según el plan de la administración Biden, Medicare cubriría el costo total de los medicamentos de profilaxis previa a la exposición, que previenen la transmisión del VIH.
Nueva ley de California ofrece protección contra facturas por viajes en ambulancia
By Bernard J. Wolfson
November 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
En California, casi tres cuartas partes de los traslados de emergencia en ambulancia generan facturas fuera de la red. La factura sorpresa promedio es de $1,209, la más alta del país
Ohio Votes on Abortion Rights Today. Eleven States May Follow in 2024.
By Bram Sable-Smith
November 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Voters in Ohio are deciding whether to add abortion rights protections to the state’s constitution today. The vote comes on the heels of last year’s string of ballot measure wins for abortion rights in six states: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont. But this is just the start. Next year, 11 more states could see abortion-related […]
DOJ Petitions Supreme Court To Reverse Tennessee’s Gender Care Ban
November 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
The block on minors’ gender-affirming care may endanger youngsters, the Biden administration argues, after lower courts allowed bans in Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky to move forward. Also in the news: Legionnaires’ disease; violence against medical staff; maternal care in Colorado; more.
Viewpoints: Librarians Are Also Frontline Health Workers; We Should Be Able To Text 911 In An Emergency
November 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss libraries, emergency services, artificial intelligence use in hospitals, lab research, and more.