Morning Briefing for Wednesday, June 5, 2024
June 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Psychedelics, maternal deaths, Medicare star ratings, bird flu, pandemic internet subsidies, pharmacies in crisis, and more are in the news.
FDA Panel Advises Against MDMA As Treatment For PTSD
June 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Although advisers noted the promise of psychedelic use for patients who suffer trauma, they agreed clinical trials so far haven’t yielded convincing results. California-based Lykos Therapeutics said it would continue to work with the FDA to ease doubts.
US Maternal Deaths Still Higher Than Other High-Income Nations: Study
June 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
The good news: Maternal deaths in the U.S. have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. The bad, according to a study, is that those numbers exceed rates in other high-income nations, and the figures get worse for Black mothers. Another finding of the report is that most of the deaths are happening within the first year after birth.
First Edition: June 5, 2024
June 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California Becomes Latest State To Try Capping Health Care Spending
By Bernard J. Wolfson
June 5, 2024
KFF Health News Original
California is the ninth state to set annual health spending targets for the industry. Already hospitals and doctors are voicing resistance to the fledgling Office of Health Care Affordability, even as they avoid overtly opposing its goals.
End of Pandemic Internet Subsidies Threatens a Health Care Lifeline for Rural America
By Sarah Jane Tribble
June 5, 2024
KFF Health News Original
As the Affordable Connectivity Program runs out of money, millions of people face a jump in internet costs or lost connections if federal lawmakers don’t pass a funding extension.
Health Worker for a Nonprofit? The New Ban on Noncompete Contracts May Not Help You
By Harris Meyer
June 5, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Provider groups are disappointed that the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule may not protect those who work for nonprofit hospitals and health care facilities, which employ the largest number of medical professionals.
Watch: Anthony Fauci Defends Feds’ Covid Response, Calling Lawmakers’ Accusations ‘Preposterous’
By Hannah Norman
June 4, 2024
KFF Health News Original
At a June 3 congressional hearing that underscored the nation’s deep political divide over the coronavirus pandemic response, the longtime National Institutes of Health official addressed the agency’s controversies head-on.
Research Suggests Thinking Twice Before Drinking Alcohol On A Plane
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
German scientists found that consuming alcohol during flights led to blood oxygen decreases and heart rate increases. Other health and wellness news is on projected rates of cardiovascular disease, salt’s effect on the microbiome, spirituality in health care, and more.
Viewpoints: White House Improved Rules For Research On Dangerous Pathogens; New Parents Need Help
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss dangerous pathogens, mental health, Alzheimer’s, and tobacco bans.
Skilled Nursing Provider LaVie Care Centers Seeks Bankruptcy Protection
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
In other health industry news, Cigna’s Evernorth Care Group will lay off 261 employees in Arizona, and a Pennsylvania hospital chain is planning a debt swap to try to turn around its ailing fortunes.
Cleveland Clinic Sued After Woman’s Anesthesia Fails During Surgery
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
The patient awoke during throat surgery at Cleveland Clinic’s Medina Hospital when an IV tube delivering anesthetics came loose. Separately, Johnson & Johnson must pay $260 million as part of the latest talc lawsuit, an Oregon jury has decided.
Grassley Quizzes Ascension Illinois Over Private Equity Staff Outsourcing
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has expressed concerns over the nonprofit’s outsourcing of a group of hospital workers to a private equity-backed staffing firm. Grassley is part of an investigation into the expansion of private equity into the health care system.
FDA Mulling JN.1-Specific Covid Shot As New Variant, KP.2, Emerges In US
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
Advisers will vote soon on their recommendation for this fall’s shot. Plus: As the need for blood donations continues, the Red Cross is reminding everyone that yes, you can donate if you’ve received a covid vaccine.
Louisiana Advances Bill Allowing Castration For Certain Sex Crimes
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
If Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, signs the legislation, his state would be the first in the nation with such a punishment. Also in the news: 10 states will receive Medicaid funding for 24-hour, all-in-one mental health and substance use clinics.
Potential Jurors Share Family Struggles With Addiction At Hunter Biden Trial
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
“Person after person” told the judge about parents, children, or friends who struggled with substance abuse, The Washington Post reported. President Joe Biden’s son faces felony charges related to a gun he bought while allegedly under the influence of drugs, which is illegal to do.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, June 4, 2024
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
Fauci’s covid testimony, bird flu, smoking rules, psychedelic drugs, cybersecurity, medical research and lawsuits, and more are in the news.
Fauci Faces Combative Questioning On Covid Origins, Masks, And Vaccines
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
During his much-anticipated public appearance Monday at a hearing of the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci defended the federal government’s response to the health crisis in fiery exchanges with Republican members of the panel.
FDA Advisory Panel Weighing Use Of Psychedelic Drug MDMA To Treat PTSD
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
Stat will offer live updates on committee action to determine whether the drug has therapeutic uses.
Bird Flu Found In San Francisco Market; Larger Outbreak Hits Iowa Turkey Farm
June 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
As cases tick up, officials launch WastewaterSCAN to find areas of the country affected most by the H5N1 virus. Meanwhile, despite public health officials’ concerns, lawmakers in several states are advancing measures to make the commercial sale of raw milk legal.
