Morning Briefing for Wednesday, November 20, 2024
November 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
Trump’s Dr. Oz pick for CMS, eye banks, veteran health care, hospital merger, abortion law, bird flu, vaccines, cyber safety, and more.
Trump Chooses Dr. Mehmet Oz To Run Medicare And Medicaid Agency
November 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
A former cardiothoracic surgeon and professor at Columbia University, Dr. Oz is better known to the public as a TV personality and has no experience running a government agency. If confirmed as the CMS administrator, he would be influential in major policies around how states run their Medicaid programs and regulations on Medicare Advantage private plans.
Wide-Ranging Bill Aimed At Expanding Veteran Care Outside VA Passes House
November 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
Stars and Stripes reports on the bill’s intent to expand private-sector health care for veterans, noting that among other elements, it addresses issues related to in-home care, mental health counseling, ambulance transportation, and breast screening. Also in the news from Capitol Hill: the bathroom bill introduced by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
Legislators Prod Texas To Add Exceptions To Abortion Ban
November 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
Two measures filed last week would allow doctors to intervene to preserve the mental or physical health of a patient or when the fetus has a catastrophic anomaly.
First Edition: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024
November 20, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Listen: A Tussle With a Rattlesnake Can Take a Bite Out of Your Wallet
By Jackie Fortiér
November 20, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Listen to KFF Health News’ Jackie Fortiér recount how a backyard snakebite led to a harrowing hospitalization — and big bills — for a San Diego family.
Ex-Eye Bank Workers Say Pressure, Lax Oversight Led to Errors
By Madelyn Beck, WyoFile Rae Ellen Bichell
November 20, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Corneas, the windshields of the eye, are the most transplanted part of the human body. But four former employees at Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank told of numerous retrieval problems, including damage to eyes and removal from the wrong body.
FTC, Indiana Residents Pressure State To Block Hospital Merger
By Samantha Liss
November 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Hundreds of people and the Federal Trade Commission weighed in on a proposed hospital merger in Terre Haute, Indiana, with most arguing that the creation of a monopoly would increase costs and worsen patient care.
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
November 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.
Smoking Rates Decline But Disparities Remain, Surgeon General Warns
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
A report released Tuesday by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy shows higher rates of smoking among indigenous populations and people living in poverty. In other public health news: undiagnosed diabetes rates; the link between sitting and heart health; and more.
Study: 38% Of Surgical Patients Have Complications, 1 In 5 Are Preventable
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
CNN reports on a new study, published Thursday in the BMJ, which seems to suggest that hospitals haven’t made significant progress on patient safety. Other health industry news is on CVS Health, Ascension Wisconsin, UnitedHealth, and more.
Abortion Bans, By Pills Or Otherwise, Ruled Unconstitutional In Wyoming
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
The bans go against the will of the people, who in 2012 voted for a Republican-backed amendment to guarantee adults the right to make their own health care decisions, the district judge determined.
As Trump Allies Plan To Pare Safety Net Programs, States Rush In Requests
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
New York is among the states looking to shore up Medicaid funding while President Joe Biden, whose administration is amenable to social services, is still in office.
RFK Jr.’s Role As Possible HHS Chief Faces Pushback On Multiple Fronts
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
The FDA doesn’t have the resources to take on the food industry as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed, an expert says. Moreover, those in the agriculture community see problems ahead if tariffs are imposed. His stance on vaccines — he’s still sowing doubt about them in courts — rankles the public health community. And the American Public Health Association wants to see a qualified pick.
Asheville, NC, Finally Has Clean Water To Drink, Nearly 2 Months After Helene
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
A boil-water notice — put in place because of lingering sediment from the destructive September storm — was lifted Monday. In related news, the Biden administration has asked Congress for $100B in emergency disaster funds.
Bird Flu Strain In Canadian Teen Mutated Into Easier-To-Spread Version
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
Stat reports there’s no evidence that the teen has infected anyone else. The source of the infection has not been determined. Meanwhile, Hawaii — which has strict agricultural rules to prevent the spread of disease from the continental U.S. — has announced its first bird flu outbreak in poultry.
Can Covid Cure Cancer? Study Suggests Maybe
November 19, 2024
Morning Briefing
In a study by the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute in Chicago, the RNA in the SARS-CoV-2 virus was found to “trigger the development of a unique type of immune cell with anti-cancer properties,” which could lead to the development of cancer-fighting treatments in the future.
