Viewpoints: Interspecies Organ Transplants Could Fix Long Wait Times; Are We Damaging Teens?
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss organ transplants, mental health in kids, reproductive health care, and more,
Southerners Soon May Be One Abortion Crisis Away From Financial Ruin
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
With farther to go and travel assistance funds already under strain, urgent abortion care might become out of reach for many women when Florida’s abortion ban goes into effect this week. Meanwhile, some cities in Texas and California are throwing up more barriers for abortion care.
California Will Make Available Free Opioid Overdose-Reversal Medicine
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
First responders and other eligible groups will receive a generic drug to combat overdoses. Elsewhere, as Colorado contemplates prescription drug cost controls, patients and their caregivers fear a future without the meds they need to survive.
WHO Advisers Say Next Covid Vaccine Should Use Monovalent JN.1 Lineage
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
CIDRAP reports on the advisory group meeting earlier this month, where the experts predicted that in the near term, circulating variants of covid will likely be derived from JN.1. Also in the news about infectious disease: a covid booster’s impact on odds of long covid; what we’re learning about H5N1 bird flu virus infections in cows; and more.
State Officials, Insurers Push Back At Medicaid Wait Time Reduction Plan
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
While the White House would like to see Medicaid enrollees not having to wait so long to see a physician, the industry and officials say it’s not realistic. Meanwhile, CMS’ effort to enforce ratios of nursing home staff to residents may end up in court.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, April 30, 2024
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
Lab test regulations, the opioid crisis, high medical bills, toxic gas, covid vaccines, vaping dangers, cancer, and more are in the news.
Labs Developing Medical Tests Will Now Face Some FDA Scrutiny
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
Historically, such tests escaped federal regulation because they were considered low risk. But after the Theranos debacle, and as lab-developed tests become more complex and test for important things like genetic conditions, the FDA will start regulating them more. About 12,000 labs are affected, and legal action challenging the change is expected.
State Health Plans Can’t Exclude Gender-Affirming Surgery, Court Rules
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled Monday that North Carolina’s and West Virginia’s denial of health care services for transgender patients by government insurance was discriminatory.
First Edition: April 30, 2024
April 30, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
An Arm and a Leg: The Hack
By Dan Weissmann
April 30, 2024
Podcast
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann explores what the fallout from a cyberattack says about antitrust concerns in health care.
Sign Here? Financial Agreements May Leave Doctors in the Driver’s Seat
By Katheryn Houghton
April 30, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor’s own financial policy — which generally protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing insurance and legal jargon — can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.
Toxic Gas Adds to a Long History of Pollution in Southwest Memphis
By Andy Miller
Updated May 1, 2024
Originally Published April 30, 2024
KFF Health News Original
People across the nation claim cancer-causing emissions from local sterilizing plants are making them sick. It’s an example of environmental racism, say residents of one predominantly Black area in southwest Memphis, Tennessee, where life expectancy is much shorter than county and state averages.
FTC Set To Tighten Rules On Health Apps Sharing Users’ Data
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Federal Trade Commission has finalized its Health Breach Notification Rule, emphasizing that it applies to health apps, in an effort to limit how sensitive user data is shared with other companies. Also in the news: Centene updates prior authorization; growing financial differences between hospitals; and more.
Menthol Cigarette Ban Temporarily Dropped In White House Reversal
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has not said when or if the administration will reconsider the controversial ban, Roll Call notes, and did not discuss a similar proposed ban on flavored cigars. Also in the news: Pfizer’s $3.5 million gene therapy price, eye drop superbug affects dogs, and more.
Viewpoints: We Have No Idea How Many Humans Have Bird Flu; Finally, OTC Birth Control Is On Shelves
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss H5N1 in humans, birth control, veterans’ health care, and more.
Another Covid-Era Requirement On Hospital Data Collection Ends
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
Hospitals are no longer required to collect and report respiratory disease data related to admissions and other stats, marking another milestone in the nation’s recovery from the covid pandemic.
Texas Slipped Up: Bid Data ‘Leak’ Triggered A Medicaid Contract Spat
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Texas Tribune reports on a contractual and legal muddle stirred up when the state Health and Human Services agency mistakenly sent rival health plans’ data to insurance giant Aetna — which was set to win the local Medicaid contract. Meanwhile, Kansas blocked Medicaid expansion.
Interstate Abortion Access Coming Down To One Thing: How You Vote
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
Voters in nearly a dozen states will weigh in on whether abortion restrictions should be reversed. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn’t think his colleagues would have enough votes to pass a national abortion ban.
30% Of Teens Who Denied Suicide Risk During Survey Later Killed Themselves
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
The study examined youths ages 13-17 who filled out the commonly used Personal Health Questionnaire (PHQ), which is used to screen for depression severity. In other news, Norway found that bullying decreased dramatically when schools banned smartphones.
Unusual, Severe Symptoms Reported By Doctors Treating Syphilis
April 29, 2024
Morning Briefing
Vision issues, headaches, and hearing loss are among unusual symptoms being reported in the current syphilis surge. Separately, reports detail how St. Louis, facing the highest syphilis rates per capita in any Missouri county, will tackle the outbreak.