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Visit KFF Health News for the latest headlines | Morning Briefing | In This Edition: From KFF Health News: 1. Evidence Shows ACA's Mandated Benefits Alone Don't Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues. The Affordable Care Act put in place a package of benefits that health insurance plans must cover. Critics contend this mandate has jacked up premiums. Evidence supporting that claim is mixed. (Julie Appleby and Sarah Boden, 3/18) 2. Maker of Device To Treat Addiction Withdrawal Seeks Counties' Opioid Settlement Cash Some researchers and recovery advocates see the NET device as the latest in a series of products pitched as the solution to the addiction crisis that have been overhyped to capitalize on money from the opioid settlements. (Aneri Pattani, 3/18) 3. Listen to the Latest 'KFF Health News Minute' The "KFF Health News Minute" brings original health care and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week. (3/17) Here's today's health policy haiku: PINK SLIP FOR JR., STAT! One year of failure.
The Lancet has got it right:
Let's lose RFK. - Catherine DeLorey 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. VA Worker Hospitalized After Shooting At Outpatient Clinic In Rural Georgia The injuries suffered by the unidentified employee, as well as their condition, are unclear. USA Today reported that police officers killed the shooter after confronting them at the clinic in Jasper, about 60 miles north of downtown Atlanta. USA Today: Suspect Dead After Shooting At Veterans Affairs Clinic In Georgia
A suspect is dead, and another person is injured after a shooting erupted at a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in northwestern Georgia, authorities said on Tuesday, March 17. In a statement to USA TODAY, VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said the victim shot at the Pickens County VA Clinic was an employee. The employee was "airlifted by helicopter for medical attention," according to Kasperowicz. (Nguyen, 3/17) More health news about veterans — Military Times: VA's Review Of Disability Claims For Fraud Won't Include Past Filings, Officials Say
The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing a tool that will analyze veterans' disability claims applications for fraud — a program VA officials say could identify providers or companies that abuse the system. The tool will not, however, be used to pursue potentially fraudulent past claims, a concern that arose recently among veterans following a congressional hearing that divulged the program's development. (Kime, 3/17) In other health care industry news — San Francisco Chronicle: Sutter Health To Combine With Midwest Provider Allina
Sutter Health, Northern California's largest hospital system, is poised to combine with Allina Health, a major health care provider based in Minneapolis that will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sutter, the two organizations said Tuesday. The two providers have signed a letter of intent to combine Sutter's 27 hospitals in Northern California with Allina's 13 hospitals in Minnesota and Wisconsin. (Ho, 3/17) Barron's: Google Partners With CMS On Linking Medical Records To Fitbit
Google is partnering with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on an initiative for consumers to gather and store their personal medical records on the Fitbit app, the company said at an event Tuesday. Rishi Chandra, who leads the Fitbit team at the tech giant, said the collaboration with the government agency, along with several other firms, will facilitate app users in verifying their identity to collect their own health records from medical providers, and link them to the app. (Dunn, 3/17) Stat: How A Texas Couple Is Getting Rich Off Out-Of-Network Medical Bills
When they met, it was at a party in Las Vegas, music bumping. Alla Kosova, newly divorced, told her friend to pick out her next husband, and she ushered over a stranger from the crowd. The next day, just before their first date, Scott LaRoque, an entrepreneur visiting from Texas, rushed to the Bellagio to swap out his $20 shirt for a Giorgio Armani one. Alla picked him up in a Ferrari. (Bannow, 3/18) Modern Healthcare: How Primary Care Is Expanding Into Senior Living Communities
Primary care is moving into senior living communities as companies add more healthcare options in order to keep residents living there longer. The trend is helping some senior living operators move the needle on health outcomes and lower healthcare costs for older, sicker residents. On average, people living in senior communities have up to three chronic conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Eastabrook, 3/17) KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
Katheryn Houghton reads the week's news: Looming Medicaid cuts could mean states stop covering dental care for adults, and a growing number of U.S. nurses are moving to Canada. (Cook, 3/17) 5. Order To Restore Prior Vaccine Policy Leaves 20 States, Clinicians In Limbo The CDC has not updated its guidance on the childhood vaccine schedule, putting the states that signed onto Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s pared-down recommendations in a tough spot. The ruling also inadvertently blocks the use of a free monoclonal antibody that protects against RSV. The New York Times: Ruling On RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Policy Changes Leaves Health Groups Scrambling
On Tuesday, experts in public health, law and government said they were still trying to understand its ramifications. In at least one case, some unintended harm may result: The decision leaves unresolved questions about the status of a shot that protects against respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., the leading cause of hospitalization among infants. That shot may no longer be available for free to children who need it because its inclusion was authorized by the current vaccine advisers. (Mandavilli, 3/17) CIDRAP: Vaccine Lawsuit Against Kennedy Could Reach Supreme Court
Although a federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's changes to the US childhood immunization schedule, the US Supreme Court could have two chances over the next year to weigh in on the decision, legal experts say. US District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy said the sweeping overhaul of federal vaccine recommendations by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated a law that governs how public policy changes are made, as did Kennedy's firing of all 17 members of an influential immunization advisory panel. (Szabo, 3/17) NBC News: Bernie Sanders Demands Bill Cassidy Hold A Hearing To Debunk RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Claims
Sen. Bernie Sanders is demanding that Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy hold a hearing to set the record straight that there is no link between vaccines and autism. Cassidy, R-La., a doctor, has been outspoken about his belief that vaccines are "safe and effective and will not cause autism." (Leach, 3/17) On cancer vaccines — The Wall Street Journal: Exclusive | HHS Has A Potential Solution For Cancers That Keep Coming Back: Vaccines
The Trump administration, which has been skeptical of vaccines that prevent infections, is going all in on a new initiative to deploy novel vaccines against cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services, through the National Cancer Institute, has initiated a potential $200 million public-private partnership to fund clinical trials of vaccines that spark an immune attack on tumors. These vaccines may ward off cancer in patients who have been treated for the disease, but are at high risk for recurrence. (Gormley, 3/17) More health news from the Trump administration — NPR: The Threats To Minnesota's Medicaid Funds Are Unprecedented. Other States Could Be Next
When Sarah Lindbo's 14-year-old daughter Greta is thriving, she is playful, engaged and not in pain. Greta, who has cerebral palsy, requires a range of supports to get to that point. That includes doctors, medical equipment, prescriptions, a paraprofessional at school and a care assistant at home. Many of these services depend on Medicaid. (Kim, 3/18) KFF Health News: Evidence Shows ACA's Mandated Benefits Alone Don't Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues
In January, when President Donald Trump unveiled his one-page outline to address health care spending, dubbed "The Great Healthcare Plan," he specifically mentioned the Affordable Care Act's role in driving up costs. "I call it the unaffordable care act," he said. He reprised the line in his 2026 State of the Union address, blaming "the crushing cost of health care" on Obamacare. (Appleby and Boden, 3/18) 6. Health Care Workers Might Get Relief From Trump's $100K H-1B Visa Fee The bipartisan Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act, intended to stem the clinician shortage, also would restrict other fees beyond what is stipulated in immigration law. Plus, President Trump has been mostly mum about his housing affordability proposal that is stalled in Congress. Fierce Healthcare: Bipartisan Bill Would Exempt Health Workers From $100K Visa Fee
Lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill Tuesday that would exempt physicians and other healthcare workers from a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions critics said would exacerbate workforce shortages. The Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act (PDF) is endorsed by a slew of provider and hospital associations. Alongside addressing the elevated, $100,000 fee outlined in President Donald Trump's September executive order and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shortly after, it would also block additional fees for healthcare workers beyond those already outlined in immigration law. (Muoio, 3/17) Stat: NIH Head Pledges To Spend Full Budget Despite Slow Start On Grants
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya promised a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday that, despite the sluggish pace of grant awards, the agency will spend its full budget by the end of the 2026 fiscal year. (Wosen, 3/17) The Hill: Bravo's 'Real Housewives' Stars Push HIV Prevention On Capitol Hill
A housewife's place … is in the Capitol: A heavy dose of "Housewives" are hitting the Hill. Several stars from different iterations of Bravo's "Real Housewives" — including Nene Leakes, Erika Jayne, Luann de Lesseps, Phaedra Parks, Melissa Gorga, Candiace Dillard Bassett and Marysol Patton — will be swapping their on-camera fireworks for the political drama in Congress with a visit to Congress. The group — which ITK is dubbing the Housewives Caucus — will head to the Russell Senate Office Building on Wednesday to advocate for expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment. (Kurtz, 3/17) Politico: Trump Is Pressuring The Hill On Voter Verification — But Not His Own Housing Plan
President Donald Trump is aggressively pushing the Senate to pass voter verification legislation, speaking about it at length, posting repeatedly on social media and threatening to withhold endorsements from defectors. But as a marquee housing bill containing one of his signature affordability proposals flounders on the Hill, he's been virtually silent on it. (Messerly and Gangitano, 3/18) 7. In A First, Smoking Rates Fell Below 10%; CDC Missed It Due To Cuts Only 9.9% of U.S. adults reported smoking cigarettes in 2024 — a historic low — down from 10.8% in 2023. But federal cuts put an end to the CDC's Office of Smoking and Health last year, leaving them short on experts to analyze the data they had collected. Stat: Cigarette Smoking Dips Below 10%. The CDC Didn't Tell You
The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults fell below 10% for the first time in recorded history in 2024. That's a big deal in itself. Also remarkable is how everyone is finding out about it. (Todd, 3/17) More on smoking, vaping, and addiction — The Hill: Smokeless Nicotine Seen As 'Bridge' For Military Members, Veterans Quitting Cigarettes
Smokeless nicotine products are being seen as a "bridge" to quitting cigarettes for former and current members of the military, which has an entrenched culture of tobacco use, multiple experts said during a Tuesday event for The Hill. "I'm a vascular and intervention radiologist, so, over, again, over my career, I've taken care of a lot of folks with critical limb ischemia, stroke to, you know, that are sequelae of cigarette smoking from past years, and so we're trying to get folks away from the combustible cigarettes," Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs Stephen Ferrara told The Hill's Kathleen Koch during the event titled "Serving Those Who Serve, Embracing Tobacco Harm Reduction." (Suter, 3/17) Stat: Severe Burns From Smoking Opioids A New Factor In Harm Reduction
As U.S. drug use behavior has shifted away from injecting and toward smoking, public health experts have been almost uniform in their reaction. The development, they've said, is almost entirely positive: Smoking drugs like fentanyl, instead of injecting, can help reduce infections, disease transmission, and potentially even overdose rates. (Facher, 3/18) KFF Health News: Maker Of Device To Treat Addiction Withdrawal Seeks Counties' Opioid Settlement Cash
In the early 2000s, Michelle Warfield worked at a factory, hauling heavy seats for Ford trucks on and off an assembly line. To suppress daily aches in her back and hips, her doctor prescribed opioid painkillers. They worked for a bit. But by 2011, Warfield struggled to walk. And "by that time, I was addicted," said Warfield, now living in Shelbyville, Kentucky. (Pattani, 3/18) The Hill: New Study Links Vaping To Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
Using cannabis vape cartridges could lead to faster-developing symptoms of an increasingly common marijuana-related disorder, according to a recent study. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) causes recurring bouts of severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting in some long-time chronic cannabis users. (Kaplan, 3/17) The New York Times: An Army Reservist Owns A Cannabis Dispensary. It May End His Career.
Last summer, William Norgard, a major in the Army Reserve, was taken into custody at the military base where he was stationed in Germany and hauled in front of a unit that investigates soldiers. Investigators asked him if he knew why he was in trouble as they ordered him to partly undress. They fingerprinted him, swabbed his cheeks for DNA and briefly locked him in a holding cell. He was sent home to New York to await his fate. (Southall, 3/18) 8. Study Links PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' To Decreased Bone Density In Kids Researchers found that the chemicals, particularly PFOA, may interfere with children developing their full potential for bone density, possibly raising the risk of fractures and osteoporosis later in life. Also: Eating more ultra-processed foods raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and dying from heart disease. CNN: PFAS Chemicals Linked With Lower Bone Density In Kids
The "forever chemicals" known as PFAS are increasingly known to potentially pose many threats, the latest of which may be child bone health, according to a new study. (Rogers, 3/17) More health and wellness news — The Wall Street Journal: Eating A Lot Of Ultraprocessed Food Raises The Risk Of Heart Attacks, Strokes
People who eat around nine servings a day of ultraprocessed foods like chips and doughnuts have about a 67% higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and dying from heart disease compared with those who eat about one serving a day, according to a new study. The risks rose with each additional serving a person ate, according to the study published Tuesday in JACC: Advances, a journal of the American College of Cardiology. (Petersen, 3/17) CNN: Brain Aging Slowed By Over 2 Years With Unique Diet
Eating a combination of two award-winning diets slowed aging in key structures inside the brain by over two years, according to a new study. (LaMotte, 3/17) The Hill: Cancer Helpline Adopts Famous 867-5309 Number From Tommy Tutone Song
It likely won't be hard to remember the new phone number for a cancer support line: CSC-867-5309. The seven digits, made famous by the 1981 Tommy Tutone hit, "867-5309/Jenny," now directs callers to the nonprofit organization, the Cancer Support Community (CSC), which provides information, support and advice from trained specialists to people affected by cancer. Securing the earworm-inducing number for the free and confidential calls was part of a joint effort by CSC, Gilda's Club locations and the health marketing agency Klick Health, according to organizers. (Kurtz, 3/17) In global news — Bloomberg: Progress In Reducing Child Mortality Has Slowed, UN Report Finds
Reductions in child mortality have slowed around the world and even stalled in some places, with communities in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia particularly at risk, a United Nations report has found. Nearly 7 million people died before turning 25 in 2024, with 4.9 million children dying before the age of 5, according to an analysis released late Tuesday by the UN entities that estimate child and adolescent mortality. (Del Valle, 3/18) Politico: 'Worst-Case Scenario': Middle East Nuclear Concerns Haunt Top Health Officials
World Health Organization officials are preparing for a nuclear catastrophe if the U.S.-Israel war with Iran escalates further. U.N. staff are monitoring the fallout of U.S-Israeli attacks on Iran's atomic sites and remain "vigilant" for any type of nuclear threat, Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, told POLITICO. (O'Neill, 3/17) 9. Bill Targeting 'Forever Chemicals' Awaits Wisconsin Governor's Signature On Tuesday, Wisconsin's Legislature sent the $133 million package to Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, who has said he will sign it. AP: Wisconsin Senate Passes $133M Package To Combat Forever Chemicals
The Wisconsin Legislature sent a $133 million plan to combat contamination from so-called forever chemicals to Gov. Tony Evers for his approval Tuesday, promising an end to years of squabbling between the Democratic governor and Republican lawmakers over the issue. Evers said immediately after the Senate approved the bills Tuesday afternoon that he would sign them into law. The rare bipartisan compromise offers at least some hope for the scores of Wisconsin villages, towns and cities grappling with PFAS pollution in their groundwater. (Richmond, 3/17) Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Department Of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm Has New Role
Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday that former Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm will work with Minnesota hospitals to address financial challenges. (Zurek, 3/17) Jackson Hole Community Radio: About A Dozen Patients Turned Away After Last Week's Abortion Ban
By the end of last week, more than 10 patients had been turned away and two scheduled procedures have been cancelled at the state's only clinic for medication and procedural abortions. (McMurtry, 3/17) St. Louis Public Radio: Rolla Bans Some Forms Of Kratom And Regulates Other Supplements
Rolla is the latest municipality in Missouri to restrict the sale and possession of plant-based supplements including Kratom. The Rolla City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Monday night making synthetic kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7-OH) illegal to possess or sell. The measure also makes natural kratom, delta-7 THC and delta-8 THC available only to people over 21. (Ahl, 3/17) St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis Wraps First Year Of Code Blue Homeless Shelter Plan
Homeless services providers and city officials agree that St. Louis' new protocol to help vulnerable people during the coldest days of winter was an improvement over other years. The city activated its new Code Blue cold-weather plan more than four dozen times this winter to protect homeless residents, according to officials. (Fentem, 3/17) On the spread of measles and bird flu — CIDRAP: South Carolina Measles Outbreak Reaches 997 Cases
The South Carolina measles outbreak stands at 997 cases after just one new case was reported in recent days, suggesting the outbreak may be nearing containment. The outbreak began in the Upstate region last October, and was linked to several private schools with low vaccination rates among the student body. Cases mounted and then soared over the holidays, with multiple exposures at churches noted. (Soucheray, 3/17) The Texas Tribune: 136 Measles Cases Reported In Texas So Far This Year
At least 136 measles cases have been reported in Texas this year. The vast majority of them are in federal detention facilities, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. (Nguyen, 3/17) MedPage Today: New Mexico Offers Model To Manage Measles Outbreaks
New Mexico paired a broad public communications campaign with expanded statewide access to measles vaccination for children and adults to end a 2025 measles outbreak and boost statewide measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. The state's multipronged strategy could offer other states a model as the U.S. grapples with local and regional outbreaks of the highly infectious respiratory virus, said Chad Smelser, MD, of the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) in Santa Fe, and colleagues in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Rudd, 3/17) CIDRAP: More Animals Die From H5N1 Avian Flu At Ano Nuevo State Park In California
California officials have confirmed that nine more elephant seals, a sea lion, and an otter have died from avian flu H5N1 at Ano Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County. "As you probably imagine, this count reflects only the animals that have gone through sampling and confirmatory testing in multiple labs," Christine Johnson, VMD, PhD, director of the Institute for Pandemic Insights at University of California, Davis told local media. "So there are likely more animals that we will be updating on in the coming weeks." (Soucheray, 3/17) 10. Viewpoints: ER Patients Deserve Better Than A Hallway Bed; Why Is There A 'Culture Of Silence' Around Ozempic? Editorial writers delve into these public health issues. Stat: The ER Hallway Bed Can't Be The New Normal
Cara M. squints and shields her eyes against the flood of hallway light, a blanket clutched at her chest, a vomit bag at the ready. She describes her migraine as an icepick stabbing through her right eye. At home, the glow from her laptop screen kicked off waves of nausea. Birdsongs landed like hammering spikes. For most of my ER career, I'd be examining Cara M. in a low-lighted, quiet-ish room. Not in today's diluted version of health care. (Jay Baruch, 3/18) Harper's Bazaar: The Silence Around Ozempic Has Never Been Louder
I started taking a GLP-1 ten months ago. I'm still floored by the ways we are—and aren't—talking about it. (Elizabeth Angell, 3/16) The Washington Post: Unraveling The FDA's Shortsighted Ban On Flavored Vapes
The Food and Drug Administration recently signaled that it's planning to let e-cigarette companies sell a broader range of flavors in the United States. It's a welcome change, but the FDA isn't going nearly far enough. (3/17) Stat: How I Gave Myself Permission To Walk Away From Medicine
Somewhere along the decade-plus in training, physicians are imbued with a damaging idea: that we can't succeed anywhere outside of medicine. Keep your head down, we're taught. Don't ask too many questions. And the age-old line: You may not love your work anymore, but who else will hire you? In May 2025, after three years of full-time practice as an ENT surgeon, I left clinical medicine to find that out for myself. (Frances Mei Hardin, 3/18) The New York Times: We Study Mass Shooters. Something Terrifying Is Happening Online.
Until recently, if asked to profile a typical mass shooter, we would have described a middle-aged man who was socially isolated and in despair. Over the past several years, something has changed. We are witnessing the emergence of a different paradigm: a mass shooter no less despairing about life's hardships but younger, highly connected to online social networks and seemingly convinced that in acting violently he or she is carrying out the only meaningful act possible in a world otherwise devoid of meaning. (James Densley and Jillian Peterson, 3/17) | | | | | |
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