Henrietta Lacks’ Family Settles Over Research Use Of Her Cancer Cells
August 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The cells, known as HeLa, had “remarkable properties” allowing endless reproduction for medical research purposes, NPR explains, but they were taken without Henrietta Lacks’ consent in 1950s. The settlement was reached with her family on what would have been her 103rd birthday.
Pfizer Says Refreshed Covid Shots Could Be Authorized This Month
August 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The drugmaker’s CEO Albert Bourla revealed he thinks the FDA could authorize updated covid boosters by the end of the month during an investor call. Separately, CNN reports that vaccines for flu and RSV are being rolled out to major pharmacy chains ahead of the fall respiratory virus season.
Inpatient Hospitals Will Get Bigger Pay Bump From Medicare Than Expected
August 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
In April, CMS proposed a 2.8% boost in reimbursements for fiscal 2024. But the agency said Tuesday that it would be 3.1% net increase. In other news, the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana has declared a public health state of emergency over a Medicaid scam.
Access To Maternity Care In US Getting Worse, Especially For Black Women
August 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Two new reports from March of Dimes and Milken Institute detail the deteriorating quality of care for pregnant women, which is particularly concerning as abortion access is cut off in many states.
Indiana Clinics Halt Abortion Services, File Last-Ditch Appeal To State Ban
August 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Indiana’s law — that’s on pause again — bans all surgical abortions at any point in the pregnancy, with limited exceptions for health risks for the mother or in cases or rape or incest. The state’s six abortion clinics stopped offering services yesterday.
First Edition: Aug. 2, 2023
August 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The Real Costs of the New Alzheimer’s Drug, Most of Which Will Fall to Taxpayers
By Arthur Allen
August 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The annual cost of lecanemab treatment quadruples if the expense of brain scans to monitor for bleeds and other associated care is factored in. The full financial toll likely puts it beyond reach for low-income seniors at risk of Alzheimer’s, experts say.
Repeating History: California County Plugs Budget Gap With Opioid Settlement Cash
By Aneri Pattani
August 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
State attorneys general vowed that opioid settlement funds — unlike the tobacco settlement of the 1990s — would go toward tackling the underlying crisis. But in Mendocino County, officials have found a way to use some of its share to help fill a budget shortfall — a throwback to what agreement architects hoped to avoid.
Mujeres negras sopesan riesgos emergentes de alisadores para el cabello “adictivos”
By Ronnie Cohen
August 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Los alisadores pueden contener carcinógenos, como agentes liberadores de formaldehído, ftalatos y otros compuestos que alteran el sistema endócrino, según estudios de los Institutos Nacionales de Salud.
Viewpoints: Heat Waves Are Wreaking Havoc On Human Health; Long Covid Patients Feel Forgotten
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss heat waves, long covid, superbugs and more.
Federal Appeals Court Rules Kentucky Can Enforce Minors’ Gender Care Ban
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
AP reports on the decision from the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, which it calls “not unexpected” since the same court ruled a similar way earlier this month on a case in Tennessee. Meanwhile, a story in Stat covers how primary care doctors are learning about trans health.
Marijuana Addiction Often Met With Skepticism; Doctors Discourage Vaping
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post shines a spotlight on how marijuana addiction is sometimes met with “derision,” amid unclear science over benefits, harms. Meanwhile, ABC News says doctors are discouraging vaping as data mounts over health impacts, even when used as an anti-smoking tool.
Worries Over New Apellis Eye Drug Linked To Blindness In 5 People
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
Stat says that even though five elderly people were blinded in one eye after receiving injections of the newly-approved treatment, the cause remains unknown. In other news: CVS will cut 5,000 jobs to reduce costs, interest in a new cancer-detecting blood test, and more.
U.S. News & World Report Unveils New ‘Honor Roll’: How’d Your Hospital Do?
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
The newest rankings have dropped the numbering system and instead list an “honor roll” in no particular order. Despite years of controversy surrounding the rankings, one patient-safety expert told USA Today that the rankings are one of the only sources of up-to-date data that patients have to compare hospitals in a comprehensible and transparent way.
For Now, Idaho Can’t Prosecute Doctors Over Out-Of-State Abortion Referrals
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
A U.S. judge temporarily barred Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador from prosecuting medical professionals for referring patients for an abortion in a state where the procedure is legal. And a similar legal challenge was filed in Alabama, as well.
Leprosy Cases Growing In Florida; Reasons Are Unclear
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
The disease, also called Hansen’s disease, is contagious but curable. The CDC has advised physicians across the United States to consider whether a patient traveled to Florida when conducting disease tracing. Other news is on mpox, smallpox, and hepatitis C.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, August 1, 2023
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
Long covid, dementia care, a Medicare hack, hospital rankings, abortion law, extreme heat, leprosy, and more are in the news.
Personal Info For 612,000 On Medicare Exposed In Hack
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services warned an “unauthorized party” exploited a security vulnerability that gave them access to the data. Meanwhile, the agency is working to to smooth “conflicting” rules on data sharing during the prior authorization process.
White House Dementia Care Program Aims At Quality, But Not Drug Prices
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Biden administration’s new Medicare pilot program has a goal of improving quality of life of people with dementia and reducing burdens on unpaid carers. But Stat notes that the program does not aim at controlling the price of new Alzheimer’s medications.
Biden Administration Targets Long Covid With New Office, Clinical Trial
August 1, 2023
Morning Briefing
The White House announced Monday its new Office of Long COVID Research and Practice that will study a condition that is estimated to impact millions, and to coordinate any federal response. And NIH says that it will start the first clinical trial to study the use of Paxlovid as a long covid treatment.