2021 Covid Birth Rate ‘Bump’ Reversed Decline Seen In Recent Years
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on fresh data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which show a “bump” in the U.S. birth rate in 2021. ABC News says it’s the first uptick in seven years. CNN argues the rate has been declining since 2008. The Hill notes the average age for first pregnancy also rose.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, January 31, 2023
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s roundup covers the covid emergency end, Medicare Advantage overpayments, birth control, health care expenses, birth rate, and more.
US Health System Most Expensive, Yet Worse For Outcomes Than Peers
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets report new data from The Commonwealth Fund research group that found that while the U.S. spends more on health care than any other high-income country, it has the lowest life expectancy at birth and the highest rate of people with multiple health complications.
CMS Sets Tougher Penalties For Improper Medicare Advantage Charges
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that it could claw back $4.7 billion over 10 years from pending audits of private Medicare Advantage insurers’ charges. The companies didn’t get the leniency they sought for diagnostic errors, which could set up court challenges. Insurers did a major reprieve from returning overpayments from 2011 to 2017.
RNC Pressures GOP To Pass Strictest Anti-Abortion Legislation Possible
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Republican National Committee wants all lawmakers and candidates to “go on offense” in the 2024 election cycle. Other abortion news is from South Carolina, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and elsewhere.
Biden Administration Moves To Expand Coverage Of Birth Control Under ACA
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Three federal agencies proposed a new rule to bolster the Affordable Care Act’s contraception protections. It would roll back a Trump-era regulation that allows employers’ moral objections to block insurance coverage to birth control. And it creates an independent pathway for individuals who work for a company that denies coverage on religious grounds.
Pandemic Emergency Will End May 11; Expect To Pay More For Covid Costs
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Among the changes likely to occur: The cost of covid vaccinations may skyrocket, the government will no longer give out free covid tests, and hospitals won’t get extra payments for treating covid patients, AP reported. Medicaid benefits, student loan payments, and Title 42 are also affected.
First Edition: Jan. 31, 2023
January 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
It’s ‘Telehealth vs. No Care’: Doctors Say Congress Risks Leaving Patients Vulnerable
By Sarah Jane Tribble
January 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Congress’ $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package included a two-year extension of pandemic-era funding that helped telehealth services grow nationwide. But that cash bridge, embraced by those delivering services to patients in rural areas, doesn’t provide much certainty for the future of remote medicine.
California Author Uses Dark Humor — And a Bear — To Highlight Flawed Health System
By Rachel Scheier
January 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A new graphic novel by Kathleen Founds follows an angst-ridden bear on his quest for mental health treatment. Founds drew on her own experience with bipolar disorder.
Some Addiction Treatment Centers Turn Big Profits by Scaling Back Care
By Renuka Rayasam and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
January 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.
Government Lets Health Plans That Ripped Off Medicare Keep the Money
By Fred Schulte
January 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
In a surprise decision, U.S. officials yield to insurance industry demands — at least for now.
Utah Bans Gender-Affirming Care For Trans Youth
January 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
CBS News notes this makes Utah the first state to limit health care for transgender youth in 2023. In Wyoming, a Senate committee advanced a bill that would criminalize gender care for people under 18. Also: smoking in Florida, efforts to retain doctors on staff in Nevada, and more.
13-Year-Olds Shouldn’t Be On Social Media: Surgeon General
January 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
Vivek Murthy, speaking on CNN Newsroom, said, “Their relationships and the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children.” Meanwhile, USA Today reports on expectations of surging teen and child diabetes rates.
Big Pharmacies Move To Reduce Employee Hours Amid Staff Shortages
January 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens are set to reduce the hours for their employees across the U.S. Separately, the FDA is said to fall behind in its review of heavy metals in baby food.
Medics Scrutinized For Not Doing More To Help Tyre Nichols After Beating
January 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
The New York Times reports that medical workers who arrived first to tend to Nichols, a Black man who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers, mostly looked on as he suffered, at one point not touching him for nearly seven minutes. The two medics appeared to be Memphis Fire Department EMTs. Also: more details on the mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, California.
Minnesota To Guarantee Abortion Rights: Bill Heads To Governor
January 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
The state Senate voted 34-33 to pass a measure guaranteeing some reproductive health care rights on Saturday. Meanwhile, a small Ohio city has agreed to rewrite its strict abortion ban after pressure from advocacy groups and social workers. Abortion ban exceptions are also in the news.