Monday, November 20, 2023 – KFF Health News

AP:
The Flu Is Soaring In Seven US States, Health Officials Say

The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina. It was also high in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory where health officials declared an influenza epidemic earlier this month. (Stobbe, 11/17)

CIDRAP:
US Flu Activity Continues To Rise Steadily

The percentage of outpatient visits for flulike illness, at 3.5%, is above the national baseline for the second week in a row and is at or above baselines in 5 of 10 US regions. The percentage of respiratory specimens that were positive for flu rose to 4%, up from 3% the week before. Among positive samples at public health labs, 75.8% were influenza A, and, of subtyped specimens, 87.2% were the 2009 H1N1 strain. (Schnirring, 11/17)

Meanwhile, in news on other respiratory illnesses —

Stat:
Respiratory Viruses Appear To Be Falling Back Into Seasonal Order

In the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, something strange happened: For a year or two, illnesses that used to emerge like clockwork when fall and winter arrived — flu, RSV, and the myriad viruses that cause colds — did not sicken us. (Branswell, 11/20)

CIDRAP:
COVID Data Show Small Rise Ahead Of The Holidays

After declining trends since the end of September, US COVID indicators rose slightly last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates. The rise comes just ahead of Thanksgiving gatherings and as other respiratory viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continue to increase. In a survey update today, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that Americans’ concerns about COVID-19 are lagging, which it says may explain lukewarm uptake of the updated vaccine. (Schnirring, 11/17)

In news on covid shots —

Axios:
Why Some People Who Got The COVID-19 Vaccine Aren’t Getting Boosted Now

About 6 in 10 adults who previously got a COVID-19 vaccine have not received an updated shot this fall — and about half of them don’t plan to get one, according to a new KFF survey. The survey shows decreasing public concern about COVID near the beginning of respiratory virus season, including among people who’ve previously protected themselves against COVID. (Millman, 11/17)

KFF Health News:
Is Novavax, The Latecomer Covid Vaccine, Worth The Wait?

Erin Kissane, a co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project, rolled up her sleeve for the Novavax covid-19 vaccine in mid-October soon after it was finally recommended in the United States. Like many people with autoimmune diseases, she wants to protect herself from a potentially devastating covid infection. Kissane’s autoimmune arthritis seems to make her susceptible to unusual vaccine side effects. After getting an mRNA booster last year, her joints ached so painfully that her doctor prescribed steroids to dampen the inflammation. She still considers the mRNA vaccines “miraculous,” knowing covid could be far worse than temporary aches. (Maxmen, 11/20)

Des Moines Register:
Ron DeSantis Dismisses Ohio Abortion Rights Victory, Blames Skewed Ads

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged to continue their efforts to restrict abortion, regardless of recent elections that revealed a groundswell of support for abortion rights even in Republican-led states. Over a Saturday night brisket dinner, attendees of the Pulse Life Advocates Christmas Gala heard speeches from activists who oppose abortion rights, Reynolds and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, and DeSantis and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. (Akin, 11/19)

Politico:
Newsom TV Ad Hits DeSantis On Abortion As Fox Debate Looms

California Gov. Gavin Newson is sending a warning shot at Florida’s Ron DeSantis over abortion ahead of their anticipated clash on Fox News later this month. On Sunday, Newsom is debuting a new TV ad that accuses the Republican governor and presidential candidate of pushing policies that criminalize women and doctors who pursue abortions after six weeks. The ad, narrated by Newsom, shows pictures of a woman and a doctor under a “Wanted” sign and states that their possible arrest is “by order of Governor Ron DeSantis.” (Cadelago, 11/19)

The Hill:
Christie Knocks RNC Chair For Remark On Abortion: ‘She’s Never Governed’

GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie took aim Sunday at Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel for suggesting that abortion is more than a state’s issue. NBC’s Kristen Welker pressed Christie on “Meet the Press” over McDaniel’s abortion comments on the show last week, where she said “there’s a lot of discussion to be had, but we can’t just say it’s a state’s issue and be done.” Christie pushed back on these remarks, saying “every state and its people should make its own judgment on this issue.” (Sforza, 11/19)

Also —

Philadelphia Inquirer:
When Applying To Colleges Out Of Town, Students Consider Rights Abortion In The State

Increasing numbers of young women applying to colleges are avoiding schools in states that ban or severely restrict abortion, according to polls, scholarly research, and interviews with Philadelphia-area students, their families, and college consultants. “This is one of the big issues for us,” said Rosanna Kahn, 48, an MBA student at Drexel University, and the mother of a 20-year-old daughter who’s a sophomore studying public health at Gwynedd Mercy University in Montgomery County. “My daughter was very concerned about abortion access when she applied to schools. (Lubrano, 11/20)

The Hill:
Senate Democrats Demand Answers From Manufacturers Over RSV Drug Shortage

In a letter led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) sent Friday, the lawmakers asked manufacturers AstraZeneca and Sanofi for more information about the current supply of nirsevimab, when the companies first became aware of the shortage, and why they were so unprepared for the demand. “As our nation braces for the 2023-2024 RSV season, we are concerned that health care providers and families are having difficulty accessing this new immunization product that can be used to prevent severe RSV infections in infants,” the senators wrote. (Weixel, 11/17)

From the White House —

Politico:
Biden Campaign Facing Heat Over Plans To Deal With His Age

At the Democratic National Committee’s September fundraiser retreat, a donor pressed Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, about one of the more oft-discussed topics in party circles: the president’s age. How, the person asked during a question-and-answer session on the 2024 campaign, should donors handle the stream of concerns they’ve heard about it? Fulks acknowledged the obvious: You can’t change the age of the president, who will turn 81 on Monday. Instead, he advised the donor to focus on Biden’s historic accomplishments. (Schneider, Otterbein and Lemire, 11/19)

Stat:
National Cancer Institute Gets New Leader, A Vanderbilt Oncologist

President Biden on Friday said he plans to appoint cancer researcher and doctor Kimryn Rathmell to lead the National Cancer Institute. Rathmell will assume leadership of the $7.3 billion agency amid the administration’s efforts to relaunch Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative with an emphasis on screening, prevention, and better treatment. Her work over the years has focused primarily on kidney cancer and its underlying drivers. (Owermohle, 11/17)

In news concerning the FDA —

Stat:
Medtronic High Blood Pressure Device Wins FDA Approval 

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Medtronic device to lower blood pressure, the company announced Friday evening. The decision comes after an advisory panel narrowly voted against the device in August. The FDA approved a similar product, part of a device class called renal denervation, from startup Recor Medical earlier this month. (Lawrence, 11/17)

Reuters:
US FDA Approves Medtronic’s Blood Pressure Treatment Device For Use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the use of Medtronic’s (MDT.N) treatment device in a surgery called renal denervation in patients whose high blood pressure cannot be controlled by drugs, the company said. The agency’s decision is in contrast with the recommendation of a panel of independent experts, who narrowly voted against allowing the use of the device in August. (11/18)

CBS News:
Court Orders Balance Of Nature To Stop Sales Of Supplements After FDA Lawsuits

A federal court ordered the brand Balance of Nature to stop producing and selling its dietary supplement products this week, after the Food and Drug Administration accused the two Utah-based companies behind it of repeatedly breaking the law in how they made and marketed their supplements. The FDA says the company marketing Balance of Nature, Evig LLC, and its CEO Lex Howard had flouted years of federal warnings about overstepping limits in what they could claim about diseases their supplements could cure or prevent. (Tin, 11/17)

Reuters:
FDA Identifies Recall Of B. Braun Medical Pump System As Most Serious 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday said it had identified the recall of B. Braun Medical Inc’s medicine-delivering pump system as most serious. The Pennsylvania-based company had recalled some models of its Infusomat Space Volumetric infusion pump system in September due to faulty occlusion alarms, which may cause the pump to stop the delivery of medications pre-emptively or cause interruption. (11/17)

Reuters:
FDA Panel Flags Insufficient Data For Merck’s Chronic Cough Drug

Advisers to the U.S. health regulator said on Friday that data on Merck’s (MRK.N) chronic cough drug does not provide sufficient evidence to prove its clinical benefit for patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) panel voted 12 to 1 against the late-stage data submitted by Merck for the drug gefapixant, which showed a small reduction in cough frequency compared to a placebo. (Mandowara and Santhosh, 11/17)

Also —

KFF Health News:
US Military Says National Security Depends On ‘Forever Chemicals’

The Department of Defense relies on hundreds, if not thousands, of weapons and products such as uniforms, batteries, and microelectronics that contain PFAS, a family of chemicals linked to serious health conditions. Now, as regulators propose restrictions on their use or manufacturing, Pentagon officials have told Congress that eliminating the chemicals would undermine military readiness. (Kime, 11/20)

NBC News:
Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady And Tireless Humanitarian Who Advocated For Mental Health Issues, Dies At 96

Rosalynn Carter, the Georgia-bred former first lady and humanitarian who championed mental health care, provided constant political counsel to her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, and modeled graceful longevity for the nation, died Sunday, according to the Carter Center. She was 96. (Arkin, 11/19)

The Washington Post:
Rosalynn Carter, First Lady Who Championed Mental Health, Dies At 96

Rosalynn Carter, a close political and policy adviser to her husband, President Jimmy Carter, who created the modern Office of the First Lady and advocated for better treatment of the mentally ill during her years in the White House and for four decades afterward, died Nov. 19 at her home in Plains, Ga. She was 96. (Holley and Sullivan, 11/19)

The New York Times:
Rosalynn Carter, First Lady And A Political Partner, Dies At 96 

More than 15 years before Mrs. Clinton caused a stir by leading President Clinton’s effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system, Mrs. Carter sought to upgrade the mental health system and expand services and protections for older Americans. Barred by statute from serving in an official capacity, Mrs. Carter was named honorary chairwoman of her husband’s mental health commission and led the White House Conference on Aging. She conducted nationwide hearings on both topics, testified before Congress and pressed for legislation. (Seelye, 11/19)

The former first lady’s death triggered many responses —

The Hill:
Jill Biden Remembers Rosalynn Carter For Efforts With Mental Health, Caregiving

First lady Jill Biden on Sunday remembered former first lady Rosalynn Carter for her efforts with mental health, caregiving and women’s rights while meeting with service members and their families in Norfolk, Va. “[Rosalynn] was well known for her efforts on mental health and caregiving and women’s rights,” Biden said, standing alongside President Biden. (Nazarro, 11/19)

CBS News:
Tributes For Rosalynn Carter Pour In From Washington, D.C., And Around The Country

Vice President Kamala Harris also spotlighted Carter’s work bringing the “issue of mental health out from the shadows into the national spotlight.” “After leaving the White House, Mrs. Carter continued to serve our nation and the world—in particular, through her leadership of the Carter Center, which she founded with President Jimmy Carter to promote peace, improve public health, and support freedom and democracy around the globe,” Harris said in a statement. (Chasan, 11/19)

Bloomberg:
Ozempic, Weight-Loss Drugs Make Thanksgiving Less About The Food

Thanksgiving this year will look very different for Julissa Alcantar-Martinez and her family. The Houston-area realtor has been taking the appetite suppressing medication Mounjaro for one-and-a-half years following fifteen months on Ozempic. She has lost 115 pounds after years of struggles with dieting and diet-related disease. Her son, 17, has lost 65 pounds on Ozempic, and her 21-year-old daughter has lost 50 on it. (Shanker, 11/19)

AP:
No More Thanksgiving ‘Food Orgy’? New Obesity Medications Change How Users Think Of Holiday Meals

For most of her life, Claudia Stearns dreaded Thanksgiving. As a person who struggled with obesity since childhood, Stearns hated the annual turmoil of obsessing about what she ate — and the guilt of overindulging on a holiday built around food. Now, after losing nearly 100 pounds using medications including Wegovy, a powerful new anti-obesity drug, Stearns says the “food noise” in her head has gone very, very quiet. (Aleccia, 11/20)

More on weight loss drugs —

Stat:
Mounjaro, Zepbound: Why Two Names For The Same Drug?

Whether you’re a fan of the drug name Zepbound or, like one X user, think it sounds like “an off brand bus line,” you’re likely to have some opinion about the new moniker for Eli Lilly’s blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro. The company announced the new name on Nov. 8 following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug for weight loss as well. (Merelli, 11/20)

Reuters:
Boom In Weight-Loss Drugs To Drive Up US Employers’ Medical Costs In 2024 – Mercer

Booming demand for newer weight-loss and diabetes drugs is expected to accelerate the rise in medical expenses for employers in the United States next year, staff health benefits consultant Mercer said on Friday. GLP-1 medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could contribute between 50 and 100 basis points to the trend, Mercer’s Chief Health Actuary, Sunit Patel, told Reuters in an interview. (Leo and Mandowara, 11/17)

On diet culture and mental health —

CNN:
How To Help Teens Can Avoid Diet Culture This Holiday Season 

The fact that diet culture all over social media targets grown women is bad enough, but such messaging also trickles down to tweens and teens. (And let’s be honest, a lot is aimed directly at young people too.) It couldn’t happen at a worse time: There’s been a noticeable spike in eating disorders, particularly among adolescent girls, since the beginning of the pandemic. (Hurley, 11/18)

AP:
Israel-Hamas War: Fighting Breaks Out Around Another Gaza Hospital

Heavy fighting erupted Monday around a hospital in northern Gaza where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks, as Israeli forces focus on clearing medical facilities that they say Hamas militants use for cover. A shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing at least 12 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza and a medical worker inside the facility. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. (Jobain and Magdy, 11/20)

Meanwhile, patients, staff leave Gaza’s biggest hospital —

Reuters:
Humanitarian Team Describes Al Shifa Hospital As ‘Death Zone’

A humanitarian assessment team visited Al Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza and saw signs of shelling and gunfire in what was described as a “death zone,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday. The WHO-led team, which included public health experts, logistics officers and security staff from various U.N. departments, was able to spend only an hour inside the hospital on Saturday due to security concerns, WHO said in a statement. (11/19)

Associated Press:
Patients, Staff Leave Gaza’s Biggest Hospital; Dozens Killed At Camp

Hundreds of patients, medical staff and people displaced by Israel’s war against Hamas left Gaza’s largest hospital Saturday, with one evacuee describing a panicked and chaotic scene as Israeli forces searched and face-scanned men among those leaving and took some away. …Elsewhere in northern Gaza, dozens of people were killed in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp when what witnesses described as an Israeli airstrike hit a crowded U.N. shelter in the main combat zone. (Jobain, Mroue and Magdy, 11/18)

The New York Times:
Gaza Infants Evacuated From Al-Shifa Hospital

Four days after it was seized by Israeli troops, the Gaza Strip’s largest hospital has become a “death zone,” the World Health Organization said, as 31 premature babies in extremely precarious health there were evacuated on Sunday. Emergency medical workers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the W.H.O., a United Nations agency, transported the babies by ambulance from the hospital, Al-Shifa in Gaza City, to the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in the city of Rafah, about 25 miles away in southern Gaza. (Yee, Shankar, Kershner, and Levenson, 11/19)

Also —

CBS News:
New Jersey Health Care Workers Call For Protection Of Hospitals In Gaza

Health care workers in New Jersey are calling for the protection of hospitals in Gaza. A surgeon who worked at Al-Shifa Hospital this past summer says she’s still in contact with many of her colleagues, who say they are under siege. “Despite a shortage of medical supplies and … antiseptics, they preserved immense challenges, such as lack of electricity, oxygen and water,” she said. (11/18)

The Washington Post:
Women’s Body Temperatures Are No More Variable Than Men’s, Study Finds

Women’s body temperatures are no more variable than men’s, despite menstrual cycles and hormonal variability, a recent monitoring study suggests. The analysis, published in the journal Biology of Sex Differences, casts doubt on an idea that has long colored biomedical research — that ovarian cycles make females unsuited for drug trials and other clinical experiments. (Blakemore, 11/18)

Fox News:
Kids’ Sleep Problems Could Be Inherited, New Research Suggests

For the 30% of children who have problems falling or staying asleep — their genes may be to blame. That’s according to a 15-year study recently published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, which found that certain genetic variants can have an impact on children’s sleep quality and quantity. Researchers from the Department of Sleep and Cognition at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam analyzed the sleep patterns of 2,458 children, as reported by their mothers. (Rudy, 11/17)

The Mercury News:
Cat-Borne Parasite May Cause People To Become More Frail, CU Boulder Research Finds

A cat-borne parasite that infects about 40 million people in the United States may cause adults to be more frail as they age, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study. The parasite is already associated with risk-taking behavior and mental illness, according to a release, and the CU Boulder study found it may also contribute to signs of frailty including exhaustion and loss of muscle mass. The parasite, called Toxoplasma gondii, affects about 11% of people in the United States. (Doak, 11/17)

NBC News:
New Study Reveals Racism May Increase The Risk Of Stroke In Black Women

Black women who reported experiencing racism may be at an increased risk of having a stroke, a new study finds. Participants who said they experienced racism in employment, housing and interactions with police had an estimated 38% higher chance of experiencing all types of strokes compared to Black women who didn’t perceive experiencing racism, the study found. (Bellamy, 11/17)

NBC News:
A Type Of Belly Fat Is Linked To Alzheimer’s Risk, Research Finds

People who have large amounts of fat stored around their organs as they age may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. This type of fat isn’t necessarily reflected in a high body-mass index. Visceral fat, which can accumulate around the organs of even people at healthy BMIs, is associated with changes in the brain potentially decades before any symptoms of cognitive decline are seen, according to the study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America on Monday. (Carroll, 11/20)

Stat:
CRISPR Pioneers React To Casgevy, First Gene-Editing Treatment

The revolution started in silence. Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, now Nobelists, published their first paper announcing a new enzyme for editing DNA in Science in June 2012. It was called CRISPR-Cas9. It wasn’t until January 2013 that the first paper showing the enzyme would work in cells, from Feng Zhang, was published, also in Science. A similar paper from George Church came out at the same time. (Herper, 11/19)

CIDRAP:
Study Shows Modest Flu Vaccine Protection Against Serious Disease In Kids Last Season

An analysis of US national data finds a flu vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe outcomes of 48% overall in kids in 2022-23, 53% among preschoolers, and 38% among children aged 9 to 17 years. The study was published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The 2022-23 flu season saw the highest influenza-associated pediatric hospitalization rate in the United States since 2010-11. Most of the illness was caused by the H3N2 strain. (Soucheray, 11/17)

On research into covid —

NBC News:
Neck Injection Could Improve Smell Issues In Some Long Covid Patients

New research from Jefferson Health in Philadelphia suggests that a procedure called stellate ganglion block is somewhat effective at reducing parosmia in patients who suffered from the condition for at least six months after their Covid illness and didn’t respond to pharmaceutical or topical therapies. (Bendix, 11/20)

CIDRAP:
High-Dose Fluvoxamine Did Not Shorten COVID Recovery Times

Results from a randomized clinical trial today of 1,208 participants show that high-dose (100-milligram [mg]) fluvoxamine did not improve time to sustained recovery in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infections. Fluvoxamine, known as Luvox, is a selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Its potential use for COVID-19 was considered as part of the Accelerating Coronavirus Disease 2019 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV-6) platform, which aims to investigate repurposed medications in the outpatient setting for mild to moderate COVID-19. (Soucheray, 11/17)

CIDRAP:
Organized Efforts To Debunk COVID Untruths Helped, But More Work Needed

A systematic review by Brown University researchers of studies on countering COVID-19 misinformation finds that only 18% included public health measures such as vaccination, and some seemed to give credence to conspiracy theories and other unproven claims. The review also revealed challenges in studying health misinformation, including a need for more study of measures aimed at stemming video-based misinformation. The team also said inconsistent definitions of misinformation make it hard to evaluate intervention studies. (Van Beusekom, 11/17)

Also —

Stat:
A Digital Pill Could Help People With Opioid Addiction Avoid Overdose

Gathering health data remotely is a pain. Forgetting to slip on a wearable is easy, and hooking yourself up to a large monitor is intrusive. Celero Systems has another idea: What if your remote patient monitor was small enough to swallow? (Lawrence, 11/17)

The New York Times:
A Simple Way To Save Premature Babies 

Shortly after a baby is born, doctors clamp the umbilical cord linking the infant to the placenta, which is still inside the mother’s uterus, and then cut it. New research shows that if doctors wait at least two minutes after the birth to clamp the cord, they significantly improve in-hospital survival rates for premature infants. Delayed cord clamping — an intervention that can be introduced at relatively little cost — is believed to help because it allows umbilical cord blood, which is rich in iron, stem cells and antibodies, to flow back to the baby. Some experts say that it’s not entirely clear why the strategy seems to help, but that the data is convincing. (Caryn Rabin, 11/17)

Reuters:
Bayer Ordered To Pay $1.56 Billion In Latest US Trial Loss Over Roundup Weedkiller

A Missouri jury ordered Bayer (BAYGn.DE) to pay $1.56 billion to four plaintiffs who claimed the company’s Roundup weedkiller caused injuries including cancer, a verdict that could intensify investor pressure on the German drugs and agricultural chemicals company to change its legal strategy. The Cole County, Missouri jury found on Friday that Bayer’s Monsanto business was liable for claims of negligence, design defects and failing to warn plaintiffs of the potential dangers of using Roundup, according to court documents. (Hals, 11/19)

Reuters:
Bayer Woes Pile Up As Blood Thinner Drug Trial Fails

Germany’s Bayer (BAYGn.DE) has aborted a large late-stage trial testing a new anti-clotting drug due to lack of efficacy, dealing a fresh blow to the embattled drugmaker and throwing its most promising development project in doubt. Its shares slid 16.4% at 0903 GMT on Monday to their lowest in 12 years, with separate news overnight the company had been ordered to pay $1.56 billion in the latest U.S. lawsuit over its commonly-used Roundup weedkiller also hitting sentiment. (Burger, 11/20)

In other industry news —

The Boston Globe:
CVS Pharmacists Face Long Hours, Staff Shortages

CVS Health Corp.’s plans to transform into a 21st century health care organization is running smack into a twin reality: There are not enough pharmacists in the pipeline, and the ones the company employs are reaching a breaking point. CVS pharmacists recently staged a three-day walkout along with colleagues at Walgreens and Rite Aid, a sign of intensifying unease about working conditions. Pharmacists across the country have reported widespread staffing shortages, safety problems, and overloaded work schedules. (Lee, 11/19)

USA Today:
UnitedHealth’s Artificial Intelligence Denies Claims In Error, Lawsuit Says

For years, vital decisions about who got medical care coverage took place in back offices at health insurance companies. Now, some of those life-altering decisions are being made by artificial intelligence programs. At least that’s the contention of the two families who sued UnitedHealth Group this week, saying the insurance giant used emerging technology to deny or shorten rehabilitation stays for two elderly men in the months before they died. (Alltucker, 11/19)

On financial matters across the industry —

Modern Healthcare:
Tenet Healthcare To Sell 3 S.C. Hospitals To Novant In $2.4B Deal

Tenet Healthcare has agreed to sell three South Carolina hospitals and related facilities to Novant Health in a $2.4 billion cash deal, the health systems said Friday. The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, involves Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville, Hilton Head Hospital on Hilton Head Island and East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, plus affiliated physician practices and operations. (Hudson, 11/17)

Reuters:
Tenet Healthcare To Sell 3 South Carolina Hospitals For About $2.4 Bln

Tenet Healthcare (THC.N) said on Friday it would sell three of its hospitals and related operations in South Carolina for about $2.4 billion in cash, in a move aimed at reducing its debt. (11/17)

Modern Healthcare:
Health Equity AI Intrigues Digital Health VC Investors

Amid a challenging venture capital market for digital health, AI remains a bright spot and an area of enthusiasm. According to a survey published in October from venture capital company GSR Ventures, 87% of healthcare investors are altering their strategies due to ChatGPT and other generative AI models. Investors see the potential of AI to improve efficiencies in healthcare and increase access for underserved patients. But VCs also recognize that AI can exacerbate issues of health equity. As a result, they want to know if portfolio companies are using unbiased AI datasets. (Perna, 11/17)

Stat:
Hospitals Put Tech Spending On A Tight Leash, Raise The Bar For Pilots

Health systems whose budgets were squeezed dry during the pandemic are creeping back into the black, but they’re far from the days when they had cash to blow on flashy tech pilots that might never pan out. (Ravindranath, 11/20)

Modern Healthcare:
FTC Will Sue To Block John Muir-Tenet Hospital Deal

The Federal Trade Commission will sue to block John Muir Health’s proposed $143 million acquisition of San Ramon (California) Regional Medical Center, alleging that it would increase costs and lower care quality. In January, Walnut Creek, California-based John Muir signed a definitive agreement to acquire San Ramon Regional from Tenet Healthcare Corp., a majority owner of the hospital also located in the East Bay near San Francisco. (Kacik, 11/17)

Modern Healthcare:
UCLA Health Sues Mattel Over Reneged $49M Donation Promise

UCLA Health is suing Mattel Inc. over a $49 million pledge it alleges the toymaker failed to honor. Mattel, the company behind Barbie and Fisher-Price brands, agreed in 2017 to donate $49 million incrementally over 12 years to the Regents of the University of California, on behalf of UCLA Health, and the UCLA Foundation to expand care at UCLA’s children’s hospital in west Los Angeles. Mattel paid $2 million in 2017, and the health system renamed the facility UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, according to a lawsuit filed Nov. 9 by UCLA in the Superior Court of California. (Hudson, 11/17)

Also —

Bloomberg:
AstraZeneca Starts Health-Tech Business, Evinova, To Add AI To Pharma

AstraZeneca Plc has formed a health-technology unit that strives to bring digital solutions and artificial intelligence to clinical trials. The unit, dubbed Evinova, will reduce the cost and time of clinical trials, Astra said Monday. Parexel and Fortrea, two of the world’s biggest drug-testers, have agreed to work with Evinova. (Mulier, 11/20)

Axios:
Exclusive: CISA Rolls Out Guidance To Beef Up Health Care Sector Cybersecurity

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is rolling out a new plan for health care organizations and hospitals trying to fend off an influx of ransomware and nation-state cyberattacks, an agency official first shared with Axios. Hospitals and health care organizations have become prime targets for ransomware hackers who are eager to steal sensitive patient information and shut down critical services in order to get a payout. (Sabin, 11/17)

Stat:
Cedars-Sinai Essentially Gives The Insured 84% Off Its List Prices

Hospitals’ list prices for surgeries, therapies, and other procedures always come with massive discounts. Financial documents at a prominent hospital system in Los Angeles show just how large those discounts are — and how raw of a deal uninsured patients could be getting. (Herman, 11/20)

Bloomberg:
Shortage Of Generic Vyvanse For ADHD Worsening On US Limits, Group Says

A US shortage of the new generic version of Vyvanse, an ADHD medication, is due in part to federal limits on production, according to an industry group representing generic drug makers. Manufacturers haven’t been able to secure enough raw material “to launch their products at full commercial scale,” according to a letter from the Association for Accessible Medicines addressed to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which sets the limits on production that the industry must follow. (Swetlitz, 11/17)

AP:
The FDA Is Screening US Cinnamon Imports After More Kids Are Sickened By Lead-Tainted Applesauce

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is screening imports of cinnamon from multiple countries for toxic lead contamination after growing reports of children who were sickened after eating pouches of applesauce and apple puree. Cinnamon from a manufacturer in Ecuador is the “likely source” of high levels of lead found in recalled pouches of applesauce puree linked to illnesses in at least 34 children in 22 states, the FDA said Friday. (Aleccia, 11/17)

CBS News:
Why Is There Lead In Some Applesauce? FDA Now Screening Cinnamon Imports, As Authorities Brace For Reports To Climb

The Food and Drug Administration has begun screening incoming shipments of cinnamon from multiple countries, the agency announced this week, as reported illnesses have climbed to 34 in the investigation of lead poisonings linked to pouches of cinnamon-flavored applesauce. The FDA has ramped up its investigation in recent weeks, after authorities in North Carolina first warned of the possible link to applesauce when investigating cases of lead poisonings in the state. (Tin, 11/17)

Meanwhile, salmonella is also sickening people —

AP:
Salmonella In Cantaloupes Sickens Dozens In 15 States, U.S. Health Officials Say

U.S. health officials are warning consumers not to eat certain whole and cut cantaloupes and pre-cut fruit products linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. At least 43 people in 15 states have been infected in the outbreak announced Friday, including 17 people who were hospitalized. Several brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes and pre-cut fruit have been recalled. They include Malichita brand whole cantaloupe, Vinyard brand pre-cut cantaloupe and ALDI whole cantaloupe and pre-cut fruit products. (Aleccia, 11/17)

The Hill:
Dozens Sick From Salmonella Poisoning Linked To Cantaloupes, Health Officials Say

Impacted fruit includes whole cantaloupes sold between Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 and pre-cut Vinyard brand cantaloupe sold between Oct. 30 and Nov. 10. The risk also includes Aldi brand whole and pre-cut cantaloupe sold between Oct. 27 and Oct. 31 in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The CDC has asked consumers to throw out recalled fruits and to wash their food carefully. (Robertson, 11/18)

In other public health developments —

The Washington Post:
Why The Phrase ‘Profound Autism’ Has Parents And Advocates At Odds

Against a backdrop of a burgeoning neurodiversity movement portraying wide variations in human behavior as differences, not deficits, many autistic adults have come to see their traits as a gift and source of pride. Yet parents such as Maria Leary, the mother of two autistic, nonverbal sons — one of whom frequently injured himself and others before his death in 2018 — fear the neurodiversity revolution is leaving her family behind. (Ellison, 11/18)

CNBC:
AMR: A Hotter World Makes It Harder To Stop The Spread Of Superbugs

Already recognized as one of the leading public health threats facing humanity today, it is feared that a warming world is making it harder to stop the insidious spread of drug-resistant superbugs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which the World Health Organization has referred to as the “silent pandemic,” is an often overlooked and growing global health crisis. (Meredith, 11/20)

USA Today:
Why Suicide Hotline Number 988 Is Still Not Running At Full Capacity

While the 988 Lifeline has likely helped millions of people in crisis since its launch in July 2022, mental health experts say the nationwide public health program is far from perfect. The lack of stable funding, lack of awareness and the absence of mental health resources have prevented the lifeline from realizing its full potential, experts say. “It’s an entry point for people who haven’t had access before, but it’s ultimately still limited,” said Angeleena Francis, …executive director of AMFM Healthcare (Rodriguez, 11/20)

Also —

KFF Health News:
Extra Fees Drive Assisted Living Profits

Assisted living centers have become an appealing retirement option for hundreds of thousands of boomers who can no longer live independently, promising a cheerful alternative to the institutional feel of a nursing home. But their cost is so crushingly high that most Americans can’t afford them. (Rau, 11/20)

The Associated Press:
Officials Stock Up On Overdose Antidote Naloxone After Fentanyl-Laced Letters Disrupt Vote Counting 

The suspicious letters sent to vote centers and government buildings in six states this month were undeniably scary, some containing traces of fentanyl or white powder, accompanied by not-so-veiled threats and dubious political symbols. Harkening back to the anthrax attacks that killed five people in 2001, the mailings are prompting elections officials already frustrated with ongoing harassment and threats to reach out to local police, fire and health departments for help stocking up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone. (Johnson and Komenda, 11/18)

Axios:
Older Americans Are Embracing Cannabis Now More Than Ever

The number of U.S. seniors who report using cannabis has climbed in recent years, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In 2022, 8.4% people age 65 or older said they used marijuana in the past year, a significant increase from about 0.4% of seniors who reported using it in the past year when polled in 2007. (Knutson, 11/17)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer:
As Americans Accept Marijuana, Use Of LSD And Other Psychedelic Drugs As Medicine Could Also Grow 

With the seismic shift in Ohio’s attitudes toward marijuana — from a felony-level drug to one that voters made completely legal last week — might we see a growing acceptance of other long villainized drugs with medical promise? We’re talking about psychedelic drugs like LSD, ketamine, and magic mushrooms. (Kroen, 11/19)

WLRN 91.3 FM:
‘Just The Beginning’: How Miami’s Syringe Exchange Program Plans To Grow 

Florida’s first syringe exchange program will mark its seventh anniversary on Dec. 1, and Emilie Ashbes is a testament to its success in helping people avoid contracting infectious diseases, like HIV and hepatitis C, and conquer drug addiction. Ashbes, 34, overcame her drug addiction and is now helping others in Miami do the same through the program founded at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. (Zaragovia, 11/17)

AP:
Oregon’s Drug Decriminalization Law Faces Pushback Amid Fentanyl Crisis

Oregon’s first-in-the-nation law that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs in favor of an emphasis on addiction treatment is facing strong headwinds in the progressive state after an explosion of public drug use fueled by the proliferation of fentanyl and a surge in deaths from opioids, including those of children. “The inability for people to live their day-to-day life without encountering open-air drug use is so pressing on urban folks’ minds,” said John Horvick, vice president of polling firm DHM Research. “That has very much changed people’s perspective about what they think Measure 110 is.” (Rush, 11/19)

In Medicaid news from across the states —

North Carolina Health News:
NC Preps For Medicaid Expansion Challenges 

If not for Medicaid, the majority of residents of Robeson County wouldn’t have health insurance. Fifty-four percent of people in this rural community — home to 116,530 at the 2020 Census — are beneficiaries of the government-funded program. The county had 63,549 Medicaid enrollees in October, the eighth highest number recorded of the state’s 100 counties. (Baxley, 11/20)

Axios:
States Rethink Medicaid Enrollment Efforts As Millions Lose Coverage

The largest-ever purge of the nation’s Medicaid rolls has exposed major cracks in the system for covering the poorest Americans — and is prompting some states to rethink how they connect vulnerable residents to benefits they’re entitled to receive. Millions have been booted from the safety-net program seven months after the expiration of pandemic-era protections, most often due to bureaucratic reasons and not necessarily because they no longer qualify. (Goldman, 11/20)

San Francisco Chronicle:
Big Changes Coming To Medi-Cal, Health Plan For 40% Of Californians

Some big changes are coming to Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid health care program for low-income people, next year. Starting Jan. 1, two groups of people that had not been eligible for full-scale Medi-Cal will gain access: low-income adults ages 26-49 and some people who are disabled or older than 64. On the other hand, some current Medi-Cal enrollees will lose coverage as the state finishes unwinding the federal “continuous coverage” program that kept people on Medicaid in the pandemic, even if they no longer qualified. (Pender, 11/19)

On other health news developments across the country —

St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Messenger: Are Public Hospitals In Missouri Really Public?

For most of his life, Joe Hutchison has been known as “Dr. Joe” around these parts. Hutchison was a dentist in Perry County, about 90 minutes south of St. Louis, for 50 years. Last year, he retired from his practice. This year, he decided to try his hand at public service. (Messenger, 11/19)

The Boston Globe:
R.I. Attorney General Sues Hospital Owner Prospect Medical Holdings

Prospect Medical Holdings, the Los Angeles-based private equity firm that operates two Rhode Island hospitals, was sued this month by Attorney General Peter Neronha for a series of violations that Neronha said raise “significant concerns” about the financial viability of the hospitals. Prospect owes tens of millions of dollars to vendors, according to court documents that state Superior Court Judge Brian Stern unsealed on Friday. (Gagosz, 11/17)

Associated Press:
Michigan Health Official Is Taking Her County To Court Over $4 Million Resignation Offer

The top health official in one of Michigan’s largest counties is asking a judge to uphold a $4 million settlement in exchange for her resignation, coming after months of conflict with local conservative leaders who were elected in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Ottawa County leaders had attempted to fire Adeline Hambley in January after they took majority control of the county’s board of commissioners. Finding themselves unable to, the board opted to offer her $4 million — equivalent to a quarter of the health department’s 2024 budget — in return for her resignation. She also would have had to drop her lawsuit against the county. (11/17)

CBS News:
New Public Health Vending Machines Now Available At 5 Chicago Locations

Public health vending machines equipped with first aid essentials are now available in five locations across the city. The Chicago Department of Public Health officially kicked off the program Friday morning as part of a new initiative to keep residents safe. …The machines are free to anyone in Chicago. They’ll be stocked with Narcan, fentanyl test strips, general hygiene kits, socks, and underwear. (11/17)

Also —

KFF Health News:
Journalists Delve Into Open Enrollment, School Nurse Shortages, And More

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (11/18)

The New York Times:
This Is Not The Way To Help Depressed Teenagers

Ever since the pandemic, when rates of teenage suicide, anxiety and depression spiked, policymakers around the world have pushed to make mental-health resources more broadly available to young people through programming in schools and on social media platforms. (Darby Saxbe, 11/18)

USA Today:
Organ Donation Is Too Tough On Donors. Transplant System Must Fix It

For many years I debated: Should I be an organ donor? As a faith leader who regularly speaks about the value of life, and as a healthy individual with an interest in organ donation, I was genuinely excited about the possibility to save another person. Nonetheless, it was a very big decision and one I did not take lightly. (Shmuly Yanklowitz, 11/20)

Modern Healthcare:
Technology Can’t Replace The Patient-Provider Relationship

While booking a medical appointment for our dog recently at a large veterinary practice, I held out for a time with a doctor who’d seen the dog before, reasoning that the vet knew her background and my dog might recognize the doctor. The two had, I guessed, a relationship. (Mary Ellen Podmolik, 11/20)

Scientific American:
Transgender People’s Neurological Needs Are Being Overlooked

As a transgender neurologist, I advocate for the improved health care of other transgender people. I present my research findings to professional organizations and medical colleges throughout the U.S. While doing so, the most frequent criticism I receive from neurologists is: “What does being transgender have to do with neurology, the branch of medicine focused on the nervous system?” (Z Paige L’erario, 11/17)

The Baltimore Sun:
Pediatrician: Gun Safety Laws Save The Lives Of Children And Teens 

As a pediatrician, I am well aware of the toll that gun violence is taking on the youth of America. The statistics are frightening. According to provisional 2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, guns remain the leading cause of death for children and teens ages 1 to 19, climbing 87% in the decade from 2013 to 2022 and accounting for 4,590 deaths in 2022. Gun violence continues to have a disproportionate impact on Black children and teens, who have a gun homicide rate 20 times higher than their white counterparts. (Beryl Rosenstein, 11/20)

The New York Times:
The Big #MeToo Moment For Doctors Is Finally Here

In January of 2016, Aja Newman went to the emergency room at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City for discomfort in her right shoulder. What should’ve been a routine visit instead unfolded as a harrowing, grotesque distortion of the doctor-patient interaction. (Helen Ouyang, 11/20)

The Atlantic:
The Other Ozempic Revolution 

Ever since a series of studies showed semaglutide’s effectiveness for weight loss, Novo Nordisk has developed a problem. The Danish company simply cannot make enough Ozempic and Wegovy—its other brand name for the drug. In September, Novo Nordisk overtook the luxury-goods retailer LVMH to become Europe’s most valuable company. Its market capitalization—an estimated $450 billion as of Friday—was higher than Denmark’s annual GDP. (Helen Lewis, 11/19)

Stat:
The FDA Is Not Keeping Pace With Cell And Gene Therapies 

Cell and gene therapies are the next frontier in medicine and promise long-sought hope for people living with incurable and fatal conditions. As their promise increasingly becomes reality, the FDA’s gatekeeping role is important. To truly serve the people who need these medications, the FDA must be a good-faith partner and deploy the tools my fellow congressional lawmakers and I helped secure. (Richard Burr, 11/20)