As 700 Hospitals Face Closure Risks In 2024, Big Providers’ Profits Soar
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
Axios notes the rich-poor divide in U.S. hospitals actually widened in the first half of the year, with big, mostly for-profit health systems reaping rewards as smaller, remote facilities struggled. Tenet Healthcare, Steward Health Care, Novant Health, and more are also in the news.
Red Cross Urgently Needs Blood Donors
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
The organization said its national blood inventory dropped by more than 25% since July 1. In legal news, a second trial win for GSK and a lawsuit from the family of Henrietta Lacks. Other pharma and tech news is on Adaptimmune, Roche, BioMarin, and more.
Colorado Funeral Home Ordered To Pay $950 Million Over Stashed Bodies
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
AP reports that the home was allegedly storing 190 rotting bodies and had sent fake ashes to grieving families. But the families might not see the money as the company had been in financial trouble for years. Also in the news: Baltimore’s opioid crisis; Missouri nursing home inspections; and more.
Three More H5N1 Outbreaks Confirmed In Dairy Cattle, USDA Reports
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
Some 181 outbreaks in 13 states are now confirmed, CIDRAP reports, with the latest being from Colorado, South Dakota, and Texas. Meanwhile, reports say that as raw milk grows in popularity, its producers are having to tread carefully amid bird flu and increasing expert scrutiny.
Using Smartphones Too Much Can Hurt Teens’ Mental Health: Study
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
CBS News reports that scientists have found more evidence that links excessive smartphone use with damage to teenagers’ mental health. Separately, reports say a teenager from New York is suing Meta over the “addictive” features built into Instagram.
Sources: Harris Picks Walz For VP; Minn. Governor Has Long Pushed For Lower Health Costs, Abortion Rights
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
Plus, it’s official: Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic nomination for president.
Millions Left Uninsured As States Redetermined Medicaid Eligibility
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
As reported by Stat, more than 27 million people had no form of health insurance as of March 2024, compared with more than 25 million people at the same time in 2023, the CDC reported Tuesday.
Cancer Screenings In The US Cost Roughly $43B A Year, Study Shows
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
The study’s author says that figure is probably higher, though, because of limitations on the data collected. Despite the hefty price tag, the American Cancer Society chief executive maintains that “early detection allows a better chance of survival. Full stop.”
First Edition: Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024
August 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Native American Public Health Officials Are Stuck in Data Blind Spot
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
August 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
For decades, state and federal agencies have restricted or delayed tribes and tribal epidemiology centers from accessing public health data, a blackout that leaves health workers in Native American communities cobbling together information to guide their work, including tracking devastating disease outbreaks.
Inside Project 2025: Former Trump Official Outlines Hard Right Turn Against Abortion
By Stephanie Armour
August 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Former President Donald Trump has distanced himself from a Heritage Foundation document that outlines positions on abortion and a range of other social issues. But Democrats view it as a window into the far right’s to-do list and a clear opening for political attack.
To Improve Care Access, Drugstores Are Experimenting With New Designs
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Chicago Tribune reports on drugstores across the country trying out smaller locations and other tricks to tempt shoppers. It’s a bid to boost access to care and build better customer connections. Separately, the FDA says all doses of Eli Lilly’s diabetes and weight loss drugs are available.
As FDA Ponders MDMA Approval, Questions Linger Over Drug Trial Data
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Some people who took part in the studies for a PTSD treatment reported worsening thoughts of suicide — a side effect that wasn’t included in the study’s final results.
Study: People With Chronic Pain Aren’t Given Mental Health Help They Need
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
An analysis found that these patients’ needs were underserved “at almost every point” in the U.S. health system, The Washington Post reports.
Warnings Issued For Eastern Equine Encephalitis In Mass. And Vibrio In Texas
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Also in the news: chronic wasting disease, mpox, covid test shortages, and more.
Almost 1,250 Workers Will Lose Jobs In Steward Hospital Closures In Mass.
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
The company, which is in bankruptcy proceedings, says it is “acutely aware” of the hardships the laid-off staffers will face. Modern Healthcare, meanwhile, notes that the health industry mergers and acquisitions business is picking up.
Challenge To Abortion-Rights Ballot Initiative Renewed In South Dakota
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
At issue is whether the group that collected signatures to get the measure on the Nov. 5 ballot acted in accordance with state law. Ballot initiatives in Arkansas and Montana also are in the news. Elsewhere, maternity care deserts expand in Iowa, while New Mexico courts doctors from Texas.
Maternity Homes, Aimed At Halting Abortions, Expanding Across US
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
The network of transitional care homes has increased 23% since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Meanwhile, as states tighten restrictions on abortion, some low-income women are finding it hard to secure affordable birth control. Also, a look at Louisiana’s new laws.
Officials Try To Keep Medicare Part D Premiums Steady As Elections Loom
August 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports on nurse visits that are less about treating Medicare Advantage recipients and more about allowing insurers to get more government cash.
