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Visit KFF Health News for the latest headlines | Morning Briefing | In This Edition: From KFF Health News: 1. More Kids Are in ERs for Tooth Pain. Trump Cuts and RFK Jr.'s Anti-Fluoride Fight Aren't Helping. Dentists, hygienists, and researchers say a shortage of rural dental care professionals and worsening oral hygiene since the covid-19 pandemic mean more kids are ending up in the emergency room for tooth decay. (Farrell Brenner and Angela Y. Zhang, 3/10) 2. Banks Are Becoming Bulwarks Against Scams for Vulnerable Seniors Older Americans are losing billions of dollars annually to financial exploitation. Banks and investment firms are training employees to spot red flags and stop the transactions. (Paula Span, 3/10) 3. Political Cartoon: 'Contains No Nuts' KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Contains No Nuts'" by Marty Bucella. Here's today's health policy haiku: HOPE SHOULDN'T BE OUT OF REACH Lifesaving, costly:
It's cell and gene therapy.
These cures are for all. - Anonymous If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story. Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF. Summaries Of The News: 4. Wyoming Outlaws Most Abortions If Fetal Heartbeat Can Be Detected The procedure will be allowed to protect the life of a woman. Abortion advocates plan to ask the courts to block the ban. "Regrettably, this act represents another well-intentioned but likely fragile legal effort with significant risk of ending in the courts," Republican Gov. Mark Gordon has said. Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming Bans Abortion When There's A Heartbeat
Abortion is now illegal in Wyoming when there's a "detectable fetal heartbeat." In other states, this has been interpreted as a six-week ban. (Merzbach, 3/9) The 19th: In Post-Dobbs Era, Abortion Bans Reshape The Rental Market
People are leaving or avoiding living in states with abortion bans, a new paper shows — resulting in lower rental prices and higher vacancies than in states that protect reproductive rights. (Luthra, 3/9) On transgender health care — The 19th: Moms Are Risking Arrest To Protect Gender-Affirming Care For Trans Youth
Larissa Godfrey-Smith, a therapist living and working in Washington, D.C., recently spent 12 hours in a jail cell with five other people. There was no running water, since the sink wasn't working. There was one toilet. They were fed once: a baloney sandwich per person. One guard also gave them a few peanut butter crackers. By the end of the day, she just missed her kid. (Rummler, 3/9) More health news from across the U.S. — St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Bill Would Allow Nurse Practitioners To Prescribe Meds
The Missouri Senate is considering a measure supporters say would increase the availability of medical care in the state by allowing some nurses to prescribe medications without physician oversight. (Fentem, 3/9) The Colorado Sun: Colorado Looks To Cut Medical Education Funding To Patch Budget Hole
When Dr. Ben Hughes arrived in Colorado in 2009 for his medical residency — a multiyear training period for new doctors — his plan was pretty simple. He was going to complete his education, and then he was going to move back to his home state of Texas to pursue his career as a pediatrician. (Ingold, 3/9) The Colorado Sun: EMS Services Could Get Funding Boost While Saving Colorado Millions Under New Bill
State lawmakers are working on a bill that they say would create much-needed funding for Colorado's emergency medical services and save the state millions of dollars a year in health care spending. (Woods, 3/10) Politico: Mamdani Backs Health Care Savings Effort That Shares City Workers' Drug Data
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is supporting a cost-savings plan that involves sharing city employees' prescription drug data with a third-party health insurance administrator — a move that's raised privacy concerns among public sector unions. The controversial policy highlights how the city is scrambling to find unconventional ways to cut overhead as a multibillion-dollar budget deficit has thrown Mamdani's expensive policy agenda into disarray. (Sommerfeldt, 3/9) Minnesota Public Radio: Bill Would Require School Coaches To Be Trained In CPR And AED
A bill that would require all Minnesota high school coaches to be trained in CPR and to use an AED got bipartisan support in a state Senate committee Monday. (Kelley, 3/9) St. Louis Public Radio: Cahokia Heights Residents Find E. Coli In Drinking Water
Cahokia Heights residents have found E. coli in their drinking water through community-organized testing of samples from kitchen taps. The results raise new questions about infrastructure in a community plagued by sewage spills and flooding. (Cortes, Wimbley and O'Dea, 3/9) 5. FDA Aims To Streamline Rules To Boost Development Of Biosimilar Drugs According to the Food and Drug Administration, biologic medicines make up about 5% of prescriptions, yet they account for 51% of drug spending. Other FDA news is on a probe into rare-disease drug denials, flavored e-cigarettes, and more. Reuters: FDA Proposes To Ease Testing Rules To Speed Up Biosimilar Drug Development
The U.S. health regulator issued a draft guidance on Monday to help drugmakers develop cheaper versions of complex biologic medicines, aiming to lower the cost of treatments for diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. Biologic medicines, made from living cells, are among the most expensive drugs on the market. While they make up about 5% of prescriptions, they account for 51% of drug spending, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. (3/9) Bloomberg: FDA Investigated Over Rare-Disease Drug Denials By Senator
A key US Republican senator said he's launched an investigation into the Food and Drug Administration's recent denials of treatments for rare diseases, adding political pressure on an agency that's already in turmoil. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said he's seeking the FDA's written denials to drugmakers, known as complete response letters. He plans to write letters to the agency asking why it denied certain drugs. He said he's also considering having top FDA officials, including Commissioner Marty Makary, testify before the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that he chairs. (Langreth, Smith and Cohrs Zhang, 3/9) Undark: Why The FDA Is Embracing Old Math For New Drugs
Clinical trials for a new drug can take years to complete, and cost up to hundreds of millions of dollars. New draft guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aims to make that process faster and cheaper for some studies, by encouraging a tool called Bayesian statistics. The approach dates back more than 250 years, and proponents say its embrace by regulators is overdue, stalled at first by feuding camps of statisticians, then later by a lack of familiarity among trained professionals. (Talpos, 3/10) More FDA news — The New York Times: F.D.A. Opens Door To More Flavored E-Cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that it would open the door to e-cigarettes in flavors that it deems appealing to adults, shifting from the agency's unsuccessful ban on fruit and candy-flavored versions that have continued to flood the market. The agency said in a document released on Monday that it would consider vapes in flavors such as mint, coffees, teas and spices, possibly like clove or cinnamon. The F.D.A. said it would continue to reject those offering sweet or fruity flavors that are more appealing to teenagers. (Jewett, 3/9) Radiology Business: FDA Clears Next-Gen Image Viewer From GE HealthCare That Grants Radiologists 'Anywhere Access'
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a next-generation image viewer that grants radiologists "anywhere access" to scans, manufacturer GE HealthCare announced Monday. Leaders said the regulatory decision applies to GEHC's View, a key piece of the Chicago-based company's Genesis Radiology Workspace. The product is aimed at optimizing imaging workflows by letting radiologists work "virtually anywhere." (Stempniak, 3/10) 6. ACA Enrollment Might Be Artificially High Due To Dubious Sign-Ups, Oz Says The CMS administrator says he thinks fraud, duplicative sign-ups, and enrollment mistakes might have contributed to "too high of a number" of participants. Plus, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing to remodel the health insurance exchanges. NBC News: Mehmet Oz Says Obamacare Enrollment May Be 'Too High'
Although Obamacare sign-ups have fallen significantly this year over skyrocketing monthly premiums, Dr. Mehmet Oz believes enrollment is still too high. Oz, the Trump administration's top official overseeing the Affordable Care Act, told NBC News that millions of people may be fraudulently enrolled or eligible for other types of coverage. About 23 million people signed up for ACA coverage during this year's open enrollment period, which ended in January, according to the latest data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Lovelace Jr., 3/9) Modern Healthcare: 'Non-Network' Health Plans See Opportunity In ACA Proposal
A proposal to remake the health insurance exchanges could open up a vast new market to emerging companies that sell health plans without provider networks. Cash-pay startups and reference-based pricing companies such as Sidecar Health and Imagine360 say they are ready to jump at the opportunity. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a proposed rule last month that would enact major changes to how the health insurance exchanges from the Affordable Care Act of 2010 have operated for more than a decade. (Tepper, 3/9) More health news about the Trump administration — CIDRAP: GAO Calls For Greater Transparency On High-Risk Pathogen Research
A new report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should make more information public about how it evaluates and mitigates risks associated with high-risk pathogen research. (Bergeson, 3/9) AP: Cuban Doctors To Leave Another Country, Guyana, As US Applies Pressure
Cuban officials are preparing to withdraw the nation's medical brigade from Guyana after it moved to provide full salaries to doctors and nurses from the island instead of sending most of the payments to the Cuban government. Cuban doctors have worked in African, South American and Caribbean nations for decades under diplomatic agreements that earned the Cuban government money while providing medical care in places where it was otherwise scarce. But the Trump administration has sharply criticized it, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing it as forced labor. (Wilkinson, 3/10) On MAHA and RFK Jr. — KFF Health News: More Kids Are In ERs For Tooth Pain. Trump Cuts And RFK Jr.'s Anti-Fluoride Fight Aren't Helping
Eight-year-old Jonah woke up one May morning with a swollen face and a toothache. He refused the pain medication that his mom, Geneva Reynolds, tried to give him. He didn't sleep or eat and cried constantly. Within a few days, Reynolds became so desperate that she and her husband had to physically restrain Jonah, dumping pain medication down his throat as he screamed in pain. (Brenner and Zhang, 3/10) Politico: 'I Share Your Outrage': Democrats Woo MAHA Moms Ahead Of The Midterms
The MAHA base is furious with the Trump administration over its promotion of a controversial pesticide. Democrats up for election this fall see a prime political opportunity in the infighting. President Donald Trump's executive order on glyphosate, a chemical used in industrial farming, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s defense of that move, drove a wedge into the Make America Healthy Again movement. As Trump's Justice Department prepares to back the chemical maker's Supreme Court bid for legal immunity, it's exacerbating MAHA's existing frustrations with an administration that has had a checkered record on addressing their top priorities. (Ollstein and Reader, 3/9) The 19th: MAHA Movement Gains Democratic Ally In Rep. Chellie Pingree
Long before entering politics, Rep. Chellie Pingree was a self-described hippie, a back-to-the-lander and an organic farmer. In the 1970s, after attending college in Maine, she saw an opportunity to live a more sustainable life there. She decided to stay, and moved to an island off the coast where she and her husband started a small farm and sold their produce at a local market. (Kutz, 3/9) 7. To Remedy Past Bias, Black Patients Get Credit On Kidney Transplant List Researchers reported Monday that thousands of Black kidney transplant candidates have moved up in priority on the waiting list. This comes as a remedy for a racially biased medical test that's no longer in use. Other industry news is on infection-related cancers after transplants, shrinking health care jobs, and more. AP: Black Kidney Transplant Candidates Get Transplant Waiting List Credit, A Remedy For Biased Testing
An unprecedented effort to reverse the effects of a racially biased medical test that blocked or delayed Black people from getting kidney transplants seems to be working. Researchers reported Monday that thousands of Black transplant candidates have been given credit on the transplant waiting list for time they lost because of that misguided test, moving up their priority in an attempt at restorative justice. (Neergaard, 3/9) Also — MedPage Today: CDC Study Warns On Infection-Related Cancers After Organ Transplant
Cases of suspected Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infections in U.S. organ transplant recipients jumped in the last 5 years, highlighting the need for new screening tools and sharper clinical scrutiny in transplant patients, according to a CDC report. (Rudd, 3/9) In other health care industry updates — Fierce Healthcare: Leapfrog Ordered To Remove Safety Grade For 5 Tenet Hospitals
A federal judge has ruled against the Leapfrog Group in a suit brought by Tenet Healthcare subsidiary hospitals that said they were punished for not voluntarily submitting data to the hospital safety grading nonprofit. The ruling, handed down Friday, focuses on a methodology change Leapfrog implemented ahead of the fall 2024 publication of its hospital safety grades. The approach more heavily weighed "imputed" scores for four of Leapfrog's 32 safety measures that were assigned when recent safety data for the two preceding years are unavailable. (Muoio, 3/9) Fortune: Healthcare Jobs—Which Have Been Propping Up Labor Market—Just Shrank For First Time In Four Years
Despite making up nearly a fifth of the U.S. economy and providing a much-needed set of crutches, the latest health care jobs data highlights just how wobbly the labor market is. Over 28,000 jobs in the health care industry were lost in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report on Friday, making up nearly one-third of the 92,000 total jobs lost for the month. The dip marks the sector's first decline in more than four years. (Rogelberg, 3/9) Stat: Talkspace To Be Acquired By Mental Health Services Giant
Universal Health Services, a behavioral health provider that operates over 340 inpatient facilities across 40 states, announced Monday that it will acquire virtual mental health company Talkspace for $835 million, marking a new chapter for a digital health leader that has often been considered ripe to be picked up by a larger organization. (Aguilar, 3/9) 8. VA Would Fund Psychedelic Treatments For Veterans Under Proposed Bill The bill is sponsored by Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat and Marine Corps veteran. The legislation would designate the Department of Veterans Affairs' medical facilities as "innovative therapies centers of excellence" and calls for $30 million to be appropriated each fiscal year "to support the research and education activities of the centers." Military.com: 'Saving Lives': Bill Would Fund Psychedelic Therapies For Military Veterans
New legislation introduced in Congress would require the Veterans Affairs (VA) secretary to designate the department's medical facilities as "innovative therapies centers of excellence," which would include increasing federal funding to study the therapeutic uses of psychedelics for veterans, according to a copy of the legislation shared with Military.com. The "Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025" sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, would designate not fewer than five VA medical facilities that can offer these different therapeutic modalities. (Mordowanec, 3/9) More pharmaceutical developments — MedPage Today: Another Study Finds No Ties Between Tylenol In Pregnancy And Autism
Positive associations between maternal acetaminophen prescriptions during pregnancy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring became null in sibling-matched analyses, a nationwide cohort study in Taiwan found. (Henderson, 3/9) MedPage Today: Cancer Drug Pulled From Market Over Safety Concerns
The cancer drug tazemetostat (Tazverik) is being voluntarily withdrawn in the U.S. and all other markets over concerns about secondary cancers, drugmaker Ipsen announced. The company also said it is discontinuing all active trials of the EZH2 inhibitor and any expanded access programs. (Bassett, 3/9) CIDRAP: Study Links Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics To Increased Risk Of Panic Attacks
A new study by a team of Canadian researchers hints at a potential link between fluoroquinolone antibiotics and increased risk of panic attacks. Although fluoroquinolones are among the most widely prescribed antibiotics, they've been linked to an array of side effects, including tendinitis and tendon rupture, peripheral neuropathy (a nerve condition that causes weakness, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet), and central nervous system effects. (Dall, 3/9) CBS News: Penn Medical Student With Rare Genetic Form Of ALS On Mission To Develop Gene Therapy
A medical student at the University of Pennsylvania is on a special mission in the research lab that could save her life. Yentli Soto Albrecht's battle is against ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease. She has a rare genetic form of the disease. It's a race against time in the research lab for Soto Albrecht, who is an MD/PHD student at the Perelman School of Medicine. (Stahl, 3/9) 9. Study Finds Multivitamins May Delay Biological Aging In Older Adults Meanwhile, a small study has linked wildfire smoke inhalation to a decline in mental well-being. The data show that even a few days of exposure can lead to temporary bouts of depression. NBC News: Multivitamins May Slow Biological Aging In Older Adults, Study Finds
For older adults, a daily multivitamin may slightly slow the aging process, new research suggests. In a randomized study of 958 older adults, those who took a multivitamin daily for two years experienced slowed so-called biological aging by about four months. That is, during the 24 months, they aged only 20 months at a cellular level. (Leake, 3/9) More health and wellness news — KANW New Mexico Public Radio: Study Finds Link Between Wildfire Smoke Exposure And Depression
New research has linked moderate levels of wildfire smoke in the air to changes in people's mental health. The study, published in the journal, Respiratory Research, suggests that wildfire smoke does more than irritate your lungs — it can also affect your mood and mental well‑being. (Kinsey, 3/9) The Baltimore Sun: Smoking Link To Eye Damage Revealed. What's Your Best Defense?
Smoking or living with cigarette smoke can accelerate age-related degeneration of the eyes, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine found, and it hurts young eyes more. (Hille, 3/9) CIDRAP: Study Links Working While Sick To Higher Risk Of Future Absence
Workers who report going to work while sick, a phenomenon known as presenteeism, may be more likely to miss work due to illness in the future, according to a longitudinal study of South Korean employees published today in BMC Public Health. (Bergeson, 3/9) KFF Health News: Banks Are Becoming Bulwarks Against Scams For Vulnerable Seniors
The first call came just before Thanksgiving last year. She didn't recognize the phone number, but she answered anyway. "The person said he was an officer of the Department of Criminal Investigations looking into drug trafficking and money laundering," the woman recalled. He seemed to know a lot about her: the states where she and her late husband had lived; his name and occupation; and her current address in Washington County, Rhode Island. (Span, 3/10) 10. Viewpoints: Hims & Hers Has Changed Preventive Medicine; Sports Betting Is Ruining College Students' Lives Opinion writers weigh in on these topics and others. Stat: How Hims Has Transformed Medicine In A Few Short Years
As the Super Bowl approached halftime, Hims & Hers publicly staked its claim to preventive medicine in front of the American people. In a one-minute ad, the direct-to-consumer health company highlighted how America's wealth gap has translated into a health gap, ostensibly fueled by inequitable access to peptides, drugs, and concierge care. (Vishal Khetpal, 3/10) The Wall Street Journal: I'm A College Student. Gen Z Sports Betting Is Wrecking My Friends' Lives.
I've had friends who have lost hundreds, lied to their families and pulled away from the team, all while chasing the rush of a winning bet that may never arrive. ... When we do win, the rush of adrenaline can feel like a drug. The betting apps know how to capitalize on this, advertising "free bet" offers and same-day payouts. (Eli Thompson, 3/9) Hartford Courant: A Defining Moment For Health Care In Connecticut
Recently, UConn Health launched the UConn Health Community Network, a first-of-its-kind partnership designed to strengthen and sustain community hospitals across the state. The creation of this Network reflects UConn Health's long-term strategic plan to strengthen healthcare delivery statewide by expanding access, supporting community hospitals, and building a high-value health system that can grow thoughtfully over time. (Radenka Maric, 3/9) The New York Times: They Feel Bugs Inside Them. Doctors Don't Know Why.
Delusional infestation is one of the darkest embodiments of medical uncertainty. (Alexandra Sifferlin, 3/9) The Marshall Project: Mom's Last Gun
My mother has severe mental illness. Our family has spent decades trying to keep her from using firearms to hurt herself and others. (Kelli Caldwell, 3/6) | | | | | |
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