Morning Briefing for Tuesday, December 17, 2024
December 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
ACA enrollment extended, Trump’s picks for top health jobs, PBMs, opioids, polio vaccine, caregiver bill, gun violence, and more.
In A Push To Boost ACA Signups, Biden Extends Enrollment Deadline
December 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
Consumers can sign up for insurance on the federal marketplace through Dec. 18. Also: Latino health care coverage in the U.S.; an averted strike at George Washington University Hospital; and more.
Investigation: Drug Companies Secretly Paid PBMs To Not Restrict Opioids
December 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, how Endo Health Solutions avoided opioid penalty; Sens. Josh Hawley and Elizabeth Warren team up on legislation on PBMs; and more.
RFK Jr. Says He Supports Polio Vaccine As He Makes Rounds On Capitol Hill
December 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
Also in the news, President-elect Donald Trump held his first news conference since winning the election. He again drew a false connection between autism and vaccines, news outlets reported.
Congress Passes Veterans’ Caregiver Bill; Biden Expected To Sign It Into Law
December 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
Among its provisions, the bill expands access to home-based services at every VA medical center and closes a loophole to stop veterans from losing burial benefits if they die in hospice care, Military Times reported. Plus: Bickering continues over a potential government shutdown.
Female Shooter Is A Rarity in Wisconsin School Shooting
December 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
The suspect in Monday’s shooting has been identified as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow. News outlets are uncertain on exact numbers, but The New York Times reports that this year, nine shooting suspects were female, compared to 249 who were male when gender was identified.
First Edition: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024
December 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump’s Picks for Top Health Jobs Not Just Team of Rivals but ‘Team of Opponents’
By Stephanie Armour Julie Rovner
December 17, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The president-elect’s choices to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, FDA, and CDC, hold positions on issues including abortion and vaccination that are often at odds.
Trump Threat to Immigrant Health Care Tempered by Economic Hopes
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
December 17, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Donald Trump’s second term is reigniting mistrust in health services among California immigrants, making it harder for community health workers to get people enrolled in Medi-Cal. Yet the president-elect is also seen as someone who could improve their lives with a better economy, even if that means forgoing health care.
Inmigrantes temen por su salud bajo Trump, pero tienen esperanzas en la economía
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
December 17, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Los inmigrantes sin papeles han temido durante mucho tiempo que participar en programas gubernamentales los convierta en blanco fácil de las autoridades migratorias, y la elección de Trump ha exacerbado estas preocupaciones, según defensores comunitarios.
Texas AG Sues New York Doctor Accused Of Prescribing Abortion Pills
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
The case is one of the first challenges to the shield laws passed to protect physicians post Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, Black women face racial inequality in maternal health care; Missouri pregnancy resource centers close.
CEO Was Aware Of UnitedHealthcare’s PR Problem Before Shooting
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
CEO Brian Thompson months ago warned fellow executives that the average American did not understand the company’s role in the nation’s health system. Also, the CEO of parent company UnitedHealth Group acknowledged the U.S. health system is not as good as it should be.
US Obesity Declines; Weight Loss Drug Craze May Be Partly Responsible
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
The dip was slight but was the first such decline in a decade. Separately, a study links Ozempic with an increased risk of a rare form of vision loss, and another study links seed oils with an increased risk of colon cancer.
Louisiana Reports First Human Bird Flu Case; California Hits 34th
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, California announces a second recall for raw milk; respiratory illnesses are on the rise across the U.S.; Florida sees a huge increase in dengue cases; and more.
Rhode Island Health Benefits System Targeted In Major Cyberattack
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
The system, RIBridges, is used to apply for insurance coverage, Medicaid, food stamps, and other public assistance, The Boston Globe reported. Other health news is from North Carolina, Wyoming, Boston, California, and elsewhere.
GW Hospital Residents Plan 3-Day Work Stoppage If Deal Isn’t Struck
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Hundreds of resident physicians at George Washington University are prepared to strike Tuesday if their union can’t reach a deal with the medical school over issues like mental health support and raises. Other industry news stories report on insurance coverage, Medicare payments, and more.
Morning Briefing for Monday, December 16, 2024
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Opioid settlement cash, hospital safety, medical debt, childhood vaccines, abortion pills, obesity rates decline, bird flu, and more.
RFK Jr. Hopes To Win Over The Senate With Less Talk About Vaccines
December 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan is to play down his vaccine skepticism, and play up healthy food and chronic disease prevention in his attempt at confirmation to lead HHS. Meanwhile, Sen. Mitch McConnell, who battled polio as a child, said in a statement: “Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous.”
