First Edition: Aug. 8, 2024
August 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The Politics Holding Back Medicaid Expansion in Some Southern States
By Drew Hawkins, Gulf States Newsroom
August 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Ten states have not expanded Medicaid, leaving 1.5 million people ineligible for the state and federal insurance program and also unable to afford private insurance. Seven of those states are in the South, where expansion efforts may have momentum but where lawmakers say political polarization is holding them back.
How Little Denmark Got Homegrown Giant Novo Nordisk To Lower Ozempic Prices
By Arthur Allen
August 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
As Congress pushes for Medicare to cover payment for anti-obesity drugs, Denmark — Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk’s home — has limited coverage of the drug after cost overruns “emptied all the money boxes in the entire public health system.”
Depressive Symptoms Among Teen Girls May Be Lessening
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
A CDC survey shows glimmers of improvement for teenage girls: In a 2023 poll, 53% of high school girls reported feeling persistent sadness, down from 57% in 2021.
Four Historically Black Medical Schools To Share $600M Bloomberg Donation
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
The money from Bloomberg Philanthropies is aimed at boosting the population of Black health care providers, Modern Healthcare explains.
Michigan’s McLaren Health Care Warns Of Possible Delays Amid IT Issue
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
The disruption affected computer systems and phones and led to warnings that some nonemergency procedures might be delayed. CBS News noted that McLaren was hit by a ransomware attack last year.
As Covid Surges, Program That Offers Free Vaccines Nears Its End
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
The CDC’s Bridge Access Program is expected to run out of funds this month, making it harder for people who can’t afford covid shots to get them. Separately, California’s Contra Costa County revives mask recommendations. Also, a health warning was issued over oysters from Lewis Bay on Cape Cod.
Tim Walz Says Life Experiences Formed His Outlook On Health Care
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Democratic governor of Minnesota, who was announced Tuesday as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, supports abortion rights, trans rights, fertility care, veterans’ health initiatives, Medicare drug price negotiations, Medicaid expansion, recreational marijuana, and more.
Analysis: Trump’s Speaking Style May Be Indicative Of Cognitive Decline
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
The GOP presidential nominee’s speeches “included more short sentences, confused word order, and repetition, alongside extended digressions,” said several experts in memory, psychology, and linguistics. They declined to offer a formal diagnosis without being able to examine him.
Weedkiller DCPA Pulled From Market Over Health Risks To Fetuses
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
“Pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems,” an EPA official said. Separately, citing a lack of safety evidence, lawmakers are moving to have weighted sleepwear for infants taken off the market.
Anti-Abortion Investors Press Retail Giants To Quit Selling Mifepristone
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson Corp. haven’t responded to a letter sent by a faith-based group that holds $172 million in shares of the companies. Meanwhile, hundreds of physicians are calling on the Biden-Harris administration to do more for abortion rights.
Trans Prisoners In Connecticut Entitled To Gender Care, US District Court Rules
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, a Franklin County, Ohio, judge upheld a law banning gender-affirming care. Separately, The Hill reports a group of Republican lawmakers are pushing the NCAA to “update” its rules to ban trans women from women’s sports.
First Edition: Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024
August 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Social Media Bans Could Deny Teenagers Mental Health Help
By Daniel Chang
Illustration by Oona Zenda
August 7, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Congress and state legislatures are considering age bans and other limits for Instagram and TikTok out of concern that they harm kids’ mental health. But some researchers and pediatricians question whether there’s enough data to support that conclusion.
Small-Town Patients Face Big Hurdles as Rural Hospitals Cut Cancer Care
By Charlotte Huff
August 7, 2024
KFF Health News Original
For rural patients, getting cancer treatment close to home has always been difficult. And now chemotherapy deserts are expanding across the United States as hospitals winnow services to save money, creating financial and logistical hurdles for people seeking lifesaving care.
Treating the Shortage of Black Doctors
By Lauren Sausser
August 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A few months ago, I visited Jackson, Miss., to attend African American Visit Day at the University of Mississippi’s School of Medicine. High school and college students from across the state spent time that Saturday morning with Black medical students and administrators, finding out what they needed to do to become a doctor. The annual […]
