Childhood Vaccine Shows Potential In Treating Cancer; Too Many Covid Patients Given Antibiotics
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News’ Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Sanders: Big Nonprofits Do Too Little Charity Work; Hospital Lobby Disagrees
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
The clash came as Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a report saying six of the biggest nonprofit hospital systems spent less than 1% of total revenue on charity care in 2021, casting a spotlight on their charity status. The American Hospital Association argued back, quoting its own higher figures.
Arkansas Has Dropped Over 420,000 From Medicaid Rolls Over Six Months
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
Over 427,000 residents (Arkansas has a population of around 3 million) have been dropped in the past six months, causing concern among health care advocates. Meanwhile, in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration faces a lawsuit alleging Florida didn’t provide data before purging Medicaid rolls.
DEA Extends Pandemic-Era Telehealth Rules For Prescribing Drugs
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
Telehealth providers are pushing for permanent rules that allow certain controlled substances to be prescribed without an in-person medical appointment.
Insurers Overcharging Taxpayers For Medicare Advantage, Doctors Allege
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
The overcharging sum, Physicians for a National Health Program alleges, could be at least $88 billion a year. Meanwhile, Medicare Advantage’s predictive AI software is in the spotlight for cutting off care to people who need it. Also: a federal program to cut sepsis deaths, open enrollment, and more.
Florida Settles Over Withheld Covid Data, Will Release 3 Years’ Worth
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Florida Department of Health settled a lawsuit over data it had argued didn’t exist. The state’s surgeon general cut covid reporting at a time Florida was leading the nation in infections per capita. In Texas, lawmakers are again targeting private businesses’ covid mandates.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, October 11, 2023
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
Abortion law, opioids, Medicare Advantage, covid, Medicaid enrollment, telehealth rules, sepsis, mental health, and more are in the news.
Part Of Idaho’s Abortion Ban Temporarily Blocked In Appeal
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Tuesday to reconsider a case that will determine whether Idaho can prosecute emergency room physicians under the state’s near-total abortion ban. The judges halted enforcement of that measure in the meantime.
Mallinckrodt Bankruptcy Plan Approved, Cutting $1 Billion In Opioid Payouts
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
The manufacturer of branded and generic drugs had been seeking court approval for a restructuring and bankruptcy plan allowing its payout to settle the opioid crisis to be reduced along with other debts. Also in the news: Narcan vending machines, a bill to prevent opioid deaths, and more.
First Edition: Oct. 11, 2023
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Narcan, Now Available Without a Prescription, Can Still Be Hard to Get
By Jackie Fortiér, LAist and Nicole Leonard, WHYY
October 11, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Narcan is available without a prescription. Addiction treatment experts hope this move will increase access to the medication, which can reverse opioid overdoses. But hurdles remain: cost and stigma.
Feds Hope to Cut Sepsis Deaths by Hitching Medicare Payments to Treatment Stats
By Julie Appleby
October 11, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A new rule sets specific treatment metrics for suspected sepsis cases in an effort to reduce deaths, but some experts say the measures could add to antibiotic overuse and need to be more flexible.
Hospitales perderán reembolsos de Medicare si no combaten mejor la mortal sepsis
By Julie Appleby
October 11, 2023
KFF Health News Original
La sepsis es la respuesta extrema del organismo a una infección y afecta cada año a 1,7 millones de adultos en Estados Unidos.
An Arm and a Leg: John Green vs. Johnson & Johnson (Part 1)
By Dan Weissmann
October 11, 2023
Podcast
Pharmaceutical patents can drive up the costs of lifesaving medications. Hear what author and YouTube star John Green is doing to make tuberculosis drugs more accessible to the people who need them most.
People Drank Their Way Through The Pandemic. Now Liver Disease Is Soaring
October 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
Perhaps inevitably, after the pandemic the rates of alcohol-associated liver disease to the point of needing transplants are said to be “skyrocketing.” In other news, California scientists have found high levels of bacteria in self-serve soda fountains.
Study: Childhood Cancer Survivors Face Big Physical, Mental Health Risks Later
October 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
As if surviving cancer as a child isn’t difficult enough, a new analysis shows how experiencing cancer or its treatment is also highly linked to serious physical and mental health challenges later in life — with a 95% chance of developing a problem by age 45. In more upbeat news, some U.S. cancer drug shortages are lessening.
Best Buy To Start Selling Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor
October 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
This is the latest move into selling prescription-based medical devices by the big-box retailer. Among other news: The FDA has rejected a request from Alnylam to expand approval of a gene-silencing heart disease medication; Mark Cuban’s low-cost pharmacy is racking up collaborators; and more.
CDC Data Show Long Covid Rarely Affects Children
October 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
Only a small minority of kids who have covid are affected by the lingering effects of long covid, new data show. Meanwhile, a separately study highlights the possibility of “long cold” symptoms, contrary to common ideas about the short duration of colds and the flu. Also in the news: updated covid shots.
Teens Experienced More Depression During Covid
October 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
Newly published research shows that teen depression rose during covid, with about 20% of adolescents having major depressive disorder symptoms in 2021 — the first whole pandemic year. But less than half who needed treatment received any, and even fewer minority adolescents did.
American Heart Association Warns Of New ‘CKM’ Obesity-Linked Heart Disease
October 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
The newly identified cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome reflects strong links between obesity, diabetes, and heart and kidney disease. Also in the news: A judge dismisses a lawsuit from Novo Nordisk over compounded versions of Ozempic and Wegovy; more about weight-loss drugs.