Morning Briefing for Wednesday, March 8, 2023
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Depression and suicide among doctors, covid origins hearings, abortion access, Medicaid, pot, “medical tourism.” and more are in the news.
Oklahoma Voters Reject Full Legalization Of Marijuana
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
The New York Times says the state has “quietly undergone a street-level transformation” when it comes to approving medical marijuana, but on Tuesday, voters turned down the option to fully legalize the drug. Also: stiffer drug penalties considered in North Carolina, paid medical leave in Colorado, and more.
Mississippi Passes Bill Extending Postpartum Medicaid To 1 Year
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
The goal is to help those with a low income after their baby is born, AP notes, and it’s said to be the culmination of a two-year effort to convince a majority of the Republican-controlled House to provide the aid. Separately, there’s progress on Medicaid expansion in North Carolina.
Survey: 1 In 10 Physicians Admit To Having Suicidal Thoughts
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
A Medscape survey of physicians highlights the mental health issues health workers suffer, with doctors twice as likely as the general population to actually attempt suicide. Medscape itself notes a doctor’s specialty affects the risk of suicidal thoughts and depression.
Florida Republican Lawmaker Proposes Abortion Ban After 6 Weeks
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets cover a push to restrict abortion rights in Florida, with a proposed ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. Politico reports the bill would offer exemptions for victims of rape or incest “if they can provide official proof of the crime.” Meanwhile, Texas’ abortion ban faces criticism.
Covid Testing Order To Be Lifted Friday For People Traveling From China To US
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Biden administration says it will ease its covid testing requirements for flyers from China now that the winter covid surge has abated. Other pandemic news relates to vaccines, deaths, and long covid.
Lab-Leak Theory To Take Center Stage On First Day Of House Covid Hearings
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
A special panel convened by House Republicans to investigate the origins of the covid pandemic is set to hold its first day of hearings Wednesday, with three scheduled witnesses who have supported the theory that the virus may have accidentally escaped from a China laboratory.
First Edition: March 8, 2023
March 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California Offers Bipartisan Road Map for Protecting Kids Online Even as Big Tech Fights Back
By Mark Kreidler
March 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Last year, state lawmakers adopted the country’s toughest online privacy restrictions. The law offers Congress a path forward on federal protections even as it serves as a cautionary tale for taking on Big Tech.
Reentry Programs to Help Former Prisoners Obtain Health Care Are Often Underused
By Renuka Rayasam
March 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
More than 600,000 people are released from prisons every year, many with costly health conditions but no medications, medical records, a health care provider, or insurance.
Girls in Texas Could Get Birth Control at Federal Clinics, Until a Christian Father Objected
By Sarah Varney
March 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A Donald Trump-appointed federal judge agreed that even the possibility that the father’s daughters might access contraception without his permission violated the tenants of his Christian faith.
Watch: Emergency Room Turns Simple Injury Into a Big Bill
March 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
This installment of InvestigateTV and KHN’s “Costly Care” series looks at the case of a New Orleans woman whose thumb injury saddled her with a big ER bill for a tetanus shot and some minor care.
GOP Pushing Federal Ban Of Trans People From Team Sports
March 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
Though the bill, which will be heard by a House panel Wednesday, to amend Title IX is called the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” The Hill notes the bill demands recognition of sex as that labeled at birth. That would include trans men. Separately, Georgia advanced a ban on minors’ gender care, and Alaska moved to allow discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.
Connecticut Expands Medicaid For Some, Aims At Keeping More Insured
March 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
The CT Mirror reports the state is making legal moves to expand Medicaid for under 19s without permanent legal status, and Stat covers a new state effort to keep people insured when their Medicaid protections lapse. Other news includes hospital deaths from bacteria in water supplies.
99% Of World’s Population Exposed To Tiny Pollution That Can Cause Cancer
March 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post reports on a new study released Monday that says nearly everyone on the planet is at risk of breathing in what’s known as PM 2.5, or small air particles that measure 2.5 microns or less in width. PM 2.5 can travel into our lungs and bloodstream and can cause heart disease or lung cancer, the Post reported.
WeightWatchers Acquires Company That Can Prescribe Weight Loss Drugs
March 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
The acquisition of telehealth company Sequence represents WeightWatchers’ entrance into the Ozempic market, the Wall Street Journal notes. Separately, the Food and Drug Administration is said to be planning to check if the most common OTC decongestant, phenylephrine, is actually effective.
House Investigates Alleged ‘Anti-Competitive Tactics’ By Key PBMs
March 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer, a Republican, is launching an investigation into how some key PBMs increase health spending and disadvantage patients, Modern Healthcare says. Also in the news: Medicaid’s future, cyberattacks on health services, and more.
4 Americans Kidnapped In Mexico Had Traveled There For Medical Procedure
March 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
News reports say Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee, 33, crossed into Matamoros Friday with Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown and their friend Eric. Brown’s sister, Zalandria, said one of the travelers was going to get a “tummy tuck.” All four are still missing.
Biden Reveals Tax Plans To Extend Medicare Solvency Beyond 2050
March 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
President Joe Biden is proposing a higher tax on Americans earning over $400,000 and also seeks to broaden a measure passed last year that allows Medicare to negotiate the price of certain prescription drugs with pharmaceutical companies. In an op-ed, Biden argued that his plan would not only secure Medicare funding beyond 2050 but would actually lead to better care for better value.