Hospital Shouldn’t Be Forced To Give Ivermectin For Covid: Wisconsin Supreme Court
May 3, 2023
Morning Briefing
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court sided with Aurora Health Care in a case with implications for court interventions in health care provider decisions, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. In other news, the CDC has opened a probe into a covid outbreak at its own annual conference.
NC Plan Would Ban Abortion At 12 Weeks; Utah Abortion Ban Halted
May 3, 2023
Morning Briefing
Abortion is currently legal until the 20th week of pregnancy in North Carolina, and the state has been a haven for women in the South. The Washington Post says that in the first two months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, North Carolina experienced a greater spike in abortions than any other state.
Rocky Senate Health Committee’s PBM Bill Markup Adjourns Early
May 3, 2023
Morning Briefing
Procedural differences derailed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s first markup which was expected to kick off a bipartisan effort to address high drug prices. The disagreements led to the panel recessing until after next week’s hearing with pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical executives.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, May 3, 2023
May 3, 2023
Morning Briefing
Fentanyl deaths, abortion laws, drug prices and PBMs, hospital infections, covid and flu shots, dementia risks, and more are in the news.
Fatal Overdoses Spike Over 5 Years; Fentanyl Deaths Rise 279%
May 3, 2023
Morning Briefing
More than tripling from 2016 to 2021, CDC data shows that fentanyl overdose death rates were the highest across every age and racial group. Fatalities due to methamphetamines and cocaine also jumped significantly over that period, while heroin deaths declined.
First Edition: May 3, 2023
May 3, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Ask a Chatbot: ‘What’s for Dinner?’
By Tarena Lofton
May 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The AI program ChatGPT can save time and energy spent meal planning, especially for people with dietary restrictions. But be sure to double-check its work, users say.
Federal Rules Don’t Require Period Product Ingredients on Packaging Labels. States Are Stepping In.
By Erica Zurek
Illustration by Oona Zenda
May 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
New York and California have passed laws requiring disclosure of ingredients on menstrual product packaging. Advocates want more transparency across the U.S.
More Than 8 Teeth Now Allowed: NY Alters Rules For Medicaid Dental Care
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Under a deal reached Monday, the New York Department of Health must lift some of its most restrictive rules for low-income recipients, including the “eight points of contact” policy that “was set up to pull your teeth rather than treat them.”
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, May 2, 2023
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The loneliness epidemic, LGBTQ+ mental health crisis, emergency abortion access, long covid, asthma’s cancer link, and more are in the news.
Having Asthma Linked To Higher Overall Cancer Risk: Study
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on a new study that is said to be the first revealing a positive association between asthma and overall cancer risks in the U.S. population. Researchers found that people who treat their asthma with inhaled steroids may experience some protection, however.
Though Shortage Of Nurses Continues, Some Flock Back To Hospitals
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
A survey shows that around a third of nurses nationwide are likely to leave the profession due to the pandemic. But The Wall Street Journal reports that “many” who left hospital staff jobs during covid (out of exhaustion, or to try well-paid temporary work) are coming back.
Viral Reservoirs Inside Patients May Be Linked To Long Covid
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Microbiologist Amy Proal, quoted in NPR, says, “There’s enough evidence to place viral reservoirs as one of the leading drivers of long covid.” Reservoirs allow the virus to persist in the body. Also, research in Ohio showed that omicron covid was a common cause of reinfections of the virus.
Federal Government Says 2 Hospitals Illegally Denied Emergency Abortion
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The AP says that a first-of-its-kind investigation by the government has concluded that two hospitals, acting under new abortion restrictions, violated federal law and endangered a woman’s life when they refused to provide an emergency abortion during a premature labor.
LGBTQ+ Youth Report High Suicide Risk, Poor Mental Health Care Access
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
An annual survey by The Trevor Project has found an alarming deterioration in the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S., with 41% saying that they have seriously considered killing themselves in the last year. The numbers are even higher for transgender or non-binary kids.
Surgeon General Declares Loneliness To Be Next Big Public Health Threat
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Warning that loneliness poses a similar level of danger to physical and mental health as smoking or obesity, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory Tuesday stressing the importance of building back the “social fabric” of the U.S. Nearly half the nation was estimated to be lonely even before the isolation of the pandemic.
Doctors Concerned As Buprenorphine Access Set To Be Rolled Back By DEA
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The opioid substitute drug had been more accessible during the pandemic, but the Drug Enforcement Administration is now proposing to roll back the policy and require patients to visit a doctor or clinic after getting a telehealth prescription. The worry is how this will impact people in recovery.
First Edition: May 2, 2023
May 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The Nation’s Health Secretary Has This Doctor on Call
By Samantha Young
May 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Carolina Reyes, a physician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, says providers and health systems have a role in tackling systemic racism. She’s also married to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.