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Visit KFF Health News for the latest headlines | Morning Briefing | Each month, KFF Health News' Rural Dispatch newsletter covers health issues in places where accessing care can be more challenging. Check out our Montana, Colorado, Georgia, and California newsletters, too. Sign up here! In This Edition: From KFF Health News: 1. States Pay Deloitte, Others Millions To Comply With Trump Law To Cut Medicaid Rolls The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will add red tape and restrictions for those seeking Medicaid and SNAP benefits. And the costs to update computer systems that determine eligibility for those programs will be steep. (Samantha Liss and Rachana Pradhan, 3/31) 2. Trump's Hunt for Undocumented Medicaid Enrollees Yields Few Violators Federal health officials have ordered states to reverify the immigration status of hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees. After seven months, findings from five states show the reviews have uncovered few immigrants without legal status who are improperly receiving benefits. (Phil Galewitz, 3/31) 3. Political Cartoon: 'Comatoes?' KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Comatoes?'" by Bruce Quast. Here's today's health policy haiku: 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. Twice As Many People Are Now Paying Over $500 A Month For ACA Premiums CMS data show total enrollment in ACA plans dipped by about 5%. The decline is expected to deepen as people who can't pay the higher-priced premiums drop off plans. Plus, more than half of Medicaid beneficiaries could be at risk of losing coverage for not meeting work requirements, a study found. Bloomberg: Obamacare Health Plans Cost Over $6,000 This Year For Twice As Many People
The share of Affordable Care Act insurance customers in plans that cost more than $6,000 a year doubled, a sign of the squeeze on household budgets after Congress let Covid-era assistance expire. The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted data late Friday on ACA plans, also called Obamacare, that showed total enrollment this year dipping by about 5% to 23.1 million. That figure doesn't yet count people who still may drop off plans because they can't pay premiums, so the decline is expected to deepen. (Tozzi, 3/30) Miami Herald: Meals, Mortgage Or Medicine? Floridians On Obamacare Are Facing Tough Choices
The new year brought Kellie Brvenik a choice. She could pay to keep her cancer at bay, or cover life's other necessities, like food and her mortgage. Brvenik, 44, was diagnosed in 2024 with leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. A property manager in Lake Worth Beach, she stayed at work through 10 weeks of radiation, "until it became unbearable," and she's since lived off a $1,952 monthly disability check. (Klaver, 3/31) Stat: HSA Firms Boost Lobbying To Cash In On Trump's Great Healthcare Plan
Sellers of health savings accounts see an opening for expanding their market, and they're ramping up lobbying efforts to seize the opportunity. (Wilkerson, 3/31) NPR: How To Navigate The Maze Of Drug Discounts To Get The Best Price
When TrumpRx launched in February, it joined a chorus of websites claiming to have deals on prescription drugs. Despite the hype, many of the medicines on TrumpRx include brand-name drugs that patients can find cheaper elsewhere — as generics. (Lupkin, 3/29) Healthcare Dive: Tech Nonprofit Sues CMS Over Medicare AI Prior Authorization Pilot
A digital and privacy rights nonprofit is suing the CMS in an attempt to get more information on the agency's pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to manage prior authorization requests in Medicare. The Electronic Frontier Foundation argues the CMS has not responded to a Freedom of Information Act request it submitted relating to the technology companies participating in the pilot and any evaluations on accuracy, bias or hallucinations in their technology. (Olsen, 3/30) On Medicaid cuts and costs — MedPage Today: 8 Million People At Risk Of Losing Medicaid Under Work Mandate
More than 8 million people will be at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage once the Medicaid work requirement passed as part of last year's reconciliation bill is fully implemented by the states, a study found. Among a population of 16.5 million Medicaid beneficiaries ages 19 to 64, 50.4% of enrollees, or 8.3 million, would be at risk of disenrollment because they worked too few hours, Rishi Wadhera, MD, of the Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues reported in a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. (Frieden, 3/30) KFF Health News: States Pay Deloitte, Others Millions To Comply With Trump Law To Cut Medicaid Rolls
States are paying contractors such as Deloitte, Accenture, and Optum millions of dollars to help them comply with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — a law that will strip safety-net health and food benefits from millions. State governments rely on such companies to design and operate computer systems that assess whether low-income people qualify for Medicaid or food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as food stamps. Those state systems have a history of errors that can cut off benefits to eligible people, a KFF Health News investigation showed. (Liss and Pradhan, 3/31) The Colorado Sun: Head Of Colorado's Medicaid Program Resigns As State Senate Was Preparing To Take 'No Confidence' Vote
The head of the Colorado agency overseeing the state's Medicaid program abruptly announced her resignation Monday as the state Senate was preparing to debate a resolution of no confidence in her. (Paul, Ingold and Brown, 3/30) North Carolina Health News: North Carolinians Find Common Ground On Health Care Costs, Medicaid
North Carolinians feeling the heat of rising health care costs say they're making difficult choices — some even skipping care they need because of the financial pinch. This is just one finding from a telephone interview poll of 800 North Carolina residents at the beginning of March that asked a broad array of questions about the health care environment — ranging from vaccine support to oral health care costs to Medicaid policy. (Hoban, 3/31) 5. CMS Calls On Hospitals To Swap Out Junk Food For Wholesome Options In line with MAHA messaging, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has asked facilities to prioritize whole grains, get rid of sugary drinks, and provide meals that have fewer than 10 grams of added sugar. Plus, the American Heart Association's new dietary guidelines buck those issued by the government. Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Takes His Eat-Real-Food Campaign To Hospital Trays
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is asking hospitals to use his revamped food pyramid to redo their food menus offered to patients, regulators announced on Monday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a memo to hospitals asking them to limit ultra-processed food options for patients, though there's no formal definition for exactly what that means. Instead the agency wants hospitals to transition to serving whole grains, eliminate sugary drinks and ensure meals have less than 10 grams of added sugar. (Cohrs Zhang, 3/30) The Wall Street Journal: New Heart Association Diet Advice Contradicts Government Recommendations
New nutrition guidance from the American Heart Association advises getting protein from plants rather than meat, choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy and using olive, soybean and canola oils instead of beef tallow and butter. The recommendations, released Tuesday by the association, contrast with dietary guidelines that the Trump administration introduced earlier this year. (Petersen and McKay, 3/31) More MAHA updates — The Hill: Most Say Donald Trump Administration Has Not Done Enough To 'Make America Healthy Again': Survey
Most Americans say the Trump administration has not done enough to "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA), according to a Monday poll. In the Politico poll, 52 percent of respondents said the administration "has not done enough to Make America Healthy Again," while 26 percent said the opposite. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they were unsure if the administration has done enough in alignment with MAHA. (Suter, 3/30) The Washington Post: White House Reaffirms Backing Means As Surgeon General After Trump Remarks
The Trump administration threw its support behind Casey Means for surgeon general a day after President Donald Trump injected uncertainty into her nomination, which has been stalled in the Senate. The president Sunday night on Air Force One said he didn't know how she was doing in the confirmation process, noting that he was more focused on Iran. But he added, "We have a lot of great candidates for" surgeon general. (Weber and Roubein, 3/30) The New York Times: Why Some Teenage Girls Are Trading Medicine for MAHA
The newest evangelists of the Make America Healthy Again lifestyle aren't muscled bros crushing reps or wellness moms posting about vaccine schedules — they're high-school- and college-aged young women. In another, not-too-distant era, they might have channeled their energy into writing "Twilight" fan fiction or playing beer pong. In this era, they're making "pizza crust" from ground meat, perfecting their supplement regimens and posting Instagram reels about the supposed dangers of Tylenol and seed oils. (Kraft, 3/27) 6. Mexico Decries ICE Facility Conditions, Vows Action After 14th National Dies Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said the country will file a brief in support of a federal lawsuit over detention conditions at U.S. ICE centers and raise the matter with the Organization of American States, which promotes human rights. Plus, California alleges the government is still sharing private health data with immigration officials despite a court order to stop. The New York Times: Mexico Pressures U.S. Over Deaths Of Its Citizens In ICE Custody
The government of Mexico on Monday condemned the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and voiced concerns about the deaths of its citizens in immigration detention facilities in the United States. Top Mexican officials on Monday, including President Claudia Sheinbaum and diplomats in Los Angeles, vowed to take legal steps to pressure the Trump administration over conditions in detention facilities, including what lawyers and detainees have described as poor drinking water and inadequate medical care. (Arango, Ulloa and McCann, 3/30) More on the immigration crisis — WUSF: Terminating Protections For Haitians Could Deal A Blow To Elder Care In Florida
Florida has the largest population of Haitian TPS holders. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on whether they can continue to live and work in the U.S. will impact the state's caretaking industry. (Guan, 3/31) Harvest Public Media: Immigrants Lose Access To Food Aid, As Federal Rule Change Takes Effect
Recent changes to federal food aid mean some immigrants have been cut off from grocery assistance payments. Refugees, asylum seekers and human trafficking survivors without a green card are among the noncitizen groups who are no longer eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, under President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." (Pope, 3/30) San Francisco Chronicle: Private Health Data Still Being Given To ICE, California Says
The Trump administration has defied a federal judge's order by sharing private information, including street addresses, of millions of low-income Americans with immigration officers who are conducting mass deportations, California and other states say in a court filing. The Trump administration doesn't appear to be denying it. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of San Francisco issued an injunction last August ordering the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to stop providing data about recipients of Medicaid to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. (Egelko, 3/30) The Texas Tribune: Undocumented Immigrants In Texas Are Delaying Medical Care
After missing her chair and falling on the tile floor during a child's birthday party last October, the 54-year-old Edinburg woman begged: "Don't take me to the hospital." Her head was throbbing and sharp pain stretched down her back. The woman, an undocumented immigrant, told herself she'd have to brave through it. Immigration enforcement officials have detained two of her distant family members and deported another to Mexico, and she feared that going to a hospital would make her an easy next target. (Deguzman, Simpson and Langford, 3/30) KFF Health News: Trump's Hunt For Undocumented Medicaid Enrollees Yields Few Violators
Last August, as part of the federal government's crackdown on people in the country illegally, the Trump administration sent states the names of hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees with orders to determine whether they were ineligible based on immigration status. But seven months later, findings from five states shared with KFF Health News show that the reviews have uncovered little evidence of a widespread problem. (Galewitz, 3/31) Also — NPR: If The Supreme Court Ends Birthright Citizenship, What Will It Mean For Newborns?
Bruce Lesley is incensed at one dimension of the debate about birthright citizenship that he says is being completely overlooked. "It's in the words: 'birth' right citizenship — this is about babies." Lesley is the president of First Focus on Children, a bipartisan advocacy group for children and families, which submitted an amicus brief for the case Trump v. Barbara to be argued Wednesday, April 1 before the Supreme Court. (Simmons-Duffin, 3/31) 7. CVS To Open More Stores This Year Than It Closes, Signaling Comeback Over the past four years, as health insurers have cut drug reimbursements and consumers have increasingly turned to discount chains or online shopping, CVS has closed more than 1,100 locations while only opening 200. This year the company is predicting opening about 60 stores, including nearly 20 pharmacy-only sites, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg: CVS To Open More Stores In 2026 Than It Shuts In Retail Turnaround
CVS Health Corp. plans to open more pharmacies than it closes in 2026, marking the end of a four-year contraction for the largest American retail pharmacy chain. CVS will open about 60 stores this year, including nearly 20 small pharmacy-only sites, spokesperson Amy Thibault said. The company will also close a few dozen locations, she said. (Swetlitz, 3/30) Chicago Tribune: CVS Plans To Open 5 Pharmacy-Only Locations In Chicago
CVS Health plans to open five new locations in Chicago this year — but don't expect to see chips, candy or nail polish for sale. The new locations — on the South, West and Southwest sides — will offer pharmacy services only, unlike the larger stores that the company is known for. The sites represent a new tack for CVS, as retail pharmacies continue to struggle with how to best serve customers who are increasingly shopping for everyday items and medications online. (Schencker, 3/30) More pharmacy news — Modern Healthcare: FTC-Express Scripts PBM Deal Making Matters Worse, Pharmacies Say
A settlement between Express Scripts and the Federal Trade Commission designed to curb anticompetitive business practices may counterintuitively have the opposite effect, pharmacies warn. In February, Cigna division Express Scripts agreed to a series of changes to resolve a federal lawsuit alleging the pharmacy benefit manager inflated insulin prices. The settlement, Express Scripts' pledged shift to a rebate-free model, and other actions by lawmakers and regulators were viewed by some as positive developments that would foster equitable and transparent practices. (Tong, 3/30) In other pharmaceutical developments — Stat: Doctors Without Borders Calls Gilead 'Unconscionable' For Refusing To Sell HIV Prevention Drug To Organization
In the latest dustup over a groundbreaking HIV prevention medicine, Doctors Without Borders has harshly criticized the manufacturer for refusing to sell its treatment directly to humanitarian organizations. (Silverman, 3/30) CNN: Beta-Blockers Are Often A Lifelong Medicine After A Heart Attack – But Maybe They Shouldn't Be
For decades, surviving a heart attack has come with a lifelong prescription: Stay on medications called beta-blockers to help protect your heart. But doctors are taking a closer look at whether long-term beta-blocker use is really necessary, especially beyond the first year of recovery. (Howard, 3/30) The Wall Street Journal: Should You Take A Statin? A 10-Minute Scan Can Help You Decide
Measuring cholesterol levels has long been the main way doctors assess the risk of heart disease. Increasingly, people are opting, too, for a simple, relatively affordable test: a coronary artery calcium scan, or CAC. The tests recently got a boost from influential clinical guidelines issued earlier this month by leading cardiology groups. These guidelines also included, for the first time, recommended levels of LDL—known as low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol—based on calcium scores from the scans. (Reddy, 3/30) CIDRAP: Use Of Newer Antibiotics For Challenging Infections Is Rising, But No Improvement Seen In Death Rates
A new study suggests that newer antibiotics designed for some of the most drug-resistant bacterial infections are being used more frequently but aren't making a dent in survival rates. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, found that, among patients hospitalized with a difficult-to-treat (DTR) gram-negative bacterial infections, initial treatment with one of six antibiotics approved in recent years rose by nearly 300% from 2016 to 2023. But there was no observed reduction in mortality among the patients. (Dall, 3/30) MedPage Today: GLP-1 Drugs Pick Up Another Win, This Time In Psoriatic Arthritis
Adding a GLP-1 agonist to psoriasis medication significantly improved outcomes in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and overweight or obesity, a phase III randomized trial showed. (Bankhead, 3/30) 8. After 1-Year Delay, Montana Governor Signs Bill Defining Sex As Binary The bill — which defines sex as either male or female, depending on a person's reproductive system — technically passed the Legislature in April 2025, but it appears to have been delayed from the governor intentionally to prevent it from becoming entangled in litigation. Still, the new law likely will be challenged in court. Montana Free Press: What To Know About Montana's New Law Defining Sex As Only Male Or Female
Nearly a year after it passed the Legislature, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill Tuesday defining sex as binary, based on a person's reproductive system. The move officially amends wide ranging sections of Montana law to include new definitions of "male," "female," "sex," and "gender." Senate Bill 437 is largely similar to a 2023 law that was declared unconstitutional twice — first in June 2024, because its subject wasn't clear in its title, and second in February 2025 because a judge found it violated the equal protections clause of the Montana Constitution. (Fairbanks, 3/30) AP: Justice Department Targets Minnesota In Transgender Athletes Lawsuit
The Trump administration sued Minnesota and its school athletics governing body on Monday, carrying out a threat to punish the state for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. The lawsuit is part of a broader fight over the rights of transgender youth. More than two dozen states have laws prohibiting transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports and some have barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors. Courts have blocked some of those policies. (Karnowski, 3/30) The Colorado Sun: Gender-Affirming Care Still Suspended At Children's Hospital Colorado
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Oregon said he would strike down a declaration from President Donald Trump's administration targeting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, as well as hospitals that provide such care. The ruling was, at first glance, a win for supporters of transgender rights and hospitals. But Children's Hospital Colorado still has not resumed providing gender-affirming care, which it suspended earlier this year in the face of mounting federal threats. (Ingold, 3/30) More health news from across the U.S. — Bridge Michigan: 'Extreme Shortage' Of Paramedics, EMTs In Rural Michigan
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, face a harsh reality in Michigan — shrinking revenue has left emergency medical service agencies grappling with multiple financial issues at once, with staffing being their top expense. Despite the state investing millions of dollars in grants to train workers, staff shortages that began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to strain EMS agencies, especially in rural communities. (Newman, 3/30) AP: Florida Hospital Drops Lawsuit After Patient Who Refused To Vacate Room Finally Leaves
A Florida hospital has dropped its lawsuit seeking to evict a patient who refused to vacate a room for months after she was discharged because, the hospital said, she finally left. Tallahassee Memorial Hospital filed the lawsuit this month requesting an injunction to force the woman to leave room 373 and authorizing the county sheriff's office to assist if necessary. She was officially discharged from the hospital in early October. A hearing had been scheduled for Monday, but was canceled after the hospital filed a notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice. (3/30) Minnesota Public Radio: Family Of Man Killed At St. Peter Psychiatric Hospital Sues State
The family of a man killed at a state psychiatric hospital by a fellow patient alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that staff ignored warning signs and allowed the alleged killer to play a violent video game shortly before the attack, in violation of hospital rules. (Sepic, 3/30) San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco 'Orgasmic Meditation' Founder Gets 9 Years
The founder of a San Francisco company that built a national following around "orgasmic meditation" was sentenced Monday to nine years in federal prison, after a jury convicted her last year in a forced labor conspiracy case. Nicole Daedone, 58, the founder of OneTaste, was also ordered to forfeit $12 million. Seven victims were awarded about $890,000 in restitution, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York said. (Vaziri, 3/30) River City Journalism Fund: What's The Future Of A St. Louis Hospital 'Gradually Stripped' For Parts?
Kathy Cash walks down Miami Street with her chiweenie Charley Joe in her arms. In a hurry to cross Jefferson Avenue, she still makes time to comment on the looming empty medical complex beside her. "I think it needs to be turned into housing for the homeless," she says. "The city does nothing but make people complacent and comfortable while [others] are homeless." She doesn't use any of its recent titles — South City Hospital, SouthPointe, or St. Alexius — but its original, Lutheran Hospital. (Frommelt, 3/30) The Texas Tribune: Federal Trial Over Insufficient AC In Texas Prisons Starts
There were allegedly five heat-related deaths over the last two summers in Texas prisons, the plaintiff's attorneys presented on the first day of the federal trial over insufficient air conditioning in these facilities. (Nguyen, 3/30) NBC News: 15-Year-Old Texas Student Shoots Teacher At High School And Then Kills Himself
A student shot a teacher Monday morning at a Texas high school before fatally shooting himself, law enforcement said. The teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory High School was hospitalized and the student, a 15-year-old boy, died at the scene, the Comal County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. (Burke and Romero, 3/30) On Superfund pollution — The New York Times: Vermont Hits Back At Trump's Effort To Block 'Climate Superfund' Law
The Justice Department and the state of Vermont faced off in a federal courtroom on Monday over the state's landmark 2024 "climate superfund" law, which will require fossil fuel companies to pay for the mounting costs of climate change. Vermont's law takes its name from the federal Superfund program, created in the 1980s by requiring polluters to help pay to clean up land, such as old industrial sites, that has been contaminated with hazardous materials. (Zraick, 3/30) AP: About 100 Toxic Superfund Sites Vulnerable To Flooding, Storms, Wildfires
About 100 of the nation's most contaminated toxic waste sites are in areas prone to flooding and wildfires, a potential public health threat to millions of Americans in surrounding communities, the internal watchdog at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found. The EPA's Office of Inspector General issued two new reports last week that are part of a series assessing the weather-related vulnerabilities of the 157 federal Superfund sites prioritized for cleanup due to the serious risk they pose to public health and the environment. About 3 million Americans live within a mile of a Superfund site, while 13 million people live within 3 miles (4.8 kilometers). (Biesecker and Dearen, 3/30) 9. Seattle Sees Dramatic Decline In Syphilis Cases After DoxyPEP Rollout Using public data from January 2017 to June 2025, researchers saw a 52% relative reduction in overall syphilis cases after the post-exposure prophylaxis was introduced in March 2023 compared with the pre-implementation period. The process involves taking a dose of the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of unprotected sex and is recommended for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women who have sex with men. CIDRAP: Big Decline In Syphilis Seen After Introduction Of DoxyPEP
Syphilis diagnoses declined dramatically in the Seattle area following implementation of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP), researchers reported last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Dall, 3/30) More public health news — Stat: Lead Exposure Plays Little-Noticed Role In Cardiovascular Deaths
Lead may be out of gasoline and paint but it's not out of our hearts. Physicians and patients alike may assume that lead poisoning is a relic of the past, with the notable exceptions of contaminated water plaguing people in Flint, Mich., or Milwaukee in recent years. A new study analyzing lead levels in bones reminds us that lead lingers in the body for a lifetime, including in the heart's vital arteries, where it can elevate blood pressure, injure the lining of blood vessels, and raise risk of death from heart attacks. (Cooney, 3/30) CNN: A Common Plastic Toxin May Be Linked To Infant Deaths And Prematurity, Study Says
Two chemicals used to make plastic more flexible are linked to nearly 2 million premature births and the deaths of 74,000 newborns worldwide in 2018, according to a new study. (LaMotte, 3/31) Bloomberg: Review Challenges Claims That E-Cigarettes Are Safer Than Smoking
E-cigarettes are likely to cause cancer, including in the lungs and mouth, according to a sweeping review of scientific evidence that challenges their positioning as a safer alternative to smoking. Published Monday in the journal Carcinogenesis, the review concludes that nicotine-based vapes are "likely to be carcinogenic to humans," even though long-term population studies are still lacking. (Gale, 3/30) In global news about mpox, Ebola, and meningitis — CIDRAP: Tpoxx Should No Longer Be Used To Treat Mpox, European Drug Regulators Say
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is recommending that the antiviral drug tecovirimat (Tpoxx) no longer be used for treating mpox. The recommendation, made by the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, is based on four studies that have found that Tpoxx was no better than a placebo to heal active mpox lesions, relieve pain, or help clear the virus faster. (Dall, 3/30) CIDRAP: Ebola Virus May Linger In Breast Milk For Weeks After Recovery
The Ebola virus (EBOV) might persist in breast milk for weeks after maternal recovery, according to a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings raise the possibility of post-illness transmission to infants, even as blood tests and other measures of viral load are negative. (Bergeson, 3/30) CIDRAP: Meningitis Kills More Than 250,000 Worldwide In A Year, Report Says
More than 2.5 million people worldwide were infected with meningitis in 2023, according to a comprehensive global assessment published late last week in The Lancet Neurology. More than 250,000 people died from the condition, an infection that causes inflammation of the meninges, the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis, which causes symptoms such as headache, fever and a stiff neck, has a mortality rate of about 18%. (Szabo, 3/30) 10. Viewpoints: Will A New CDC Director Be Able To Regain Public Trust?; US Needs More Clinics Of Last Resort Editorial writers examine these public health issues. Stat: 6 Key Tasks For The New CDC Director
Five years after the peak of Covid-19, as the nation searches for its next Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, the most immediate threat to U.S. pandemic preparedness may not be a novel virus, but the erosion of public trust. The country remains vulnerable as avian influenza spreads, vaccination rates decline, and outbreaks of measles and dengue reemerge. (Charles J. Lockwood, Robert C. Gallo and Sten H. Vermund, 3/31) Stat: What Medicine Can Learn From The Undiagnosed Diseases Program
For decades, five siblings in rural Kentucky were slowly turning to stone. After walking for just a few minutes, their legs would painfully freeze up, as if turning to rock — an agony no doctor could explain. By the time the eldest sibling, Louise Benge, reached her 50s, she had come to believe that medicine might never figure out what ailed her family. (Alexandra Sifferlin, 3/31) The Boston Globe: I Studied Gender Dysphoria. Both Sides Tried To Shut It Down.
Activists challenged the work; conservatives championed it, then defunded it. (Adam Omary, 3/30) The Washington Post: The $2 Drug Test Sending Nearly 30,000 Innocent Americans To Jail
False positive results lead to nearly 30,000 people arrested on drug charges. (Tricia Rojo Bushnell, 3/31) Chicago Tribune: Safety Net Moonshot Would Not Help Community Hospitals
A new initiative declares that Chicago's hospital-centric infrastructure must be shrunk and proposes that Illinois defund the safety net hospitals. (Tim Egan, 3/31) | | | | | |
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