Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
While Inflation Takes A Toll On Seniors, Billions Of Dollars In Benefits Go Unused
Millions of older adults are having trouble making ends meet, especially during these inflationary times. Yet many don’t realize help is available, and some notable programs that offer financial assistance are underused. A few examples: Nearly 14 million adults age 60 or older qualify for aid from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as food stamps) but haven’t signed up, according to recent estimates. Also, more than 3 million adults 65 or older are eligible but not enrolled in Medicare Savings Programs, which pay for Medicare premiums and cost sharing. And 30% to 45% of seniors may be missing out on help from the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy program, which covers plan premiums and cost sharing and lowers the cost of prescription drugs. (Graham, 9/12)
KHN:
‘An Arm And A Leg’: The New Cap On Medicare Drug Costs
On a Sunday afternoon in August, health services researcher Stacie Dusetzina was sitting alone in her office at Vanderbilt University, watching C-SPAN and crying. The U.S. Senate was voting on the Inflation Reduction Act, which among other things is designed to ensure that people on Medicare pay less for expensive drugs. (Weissmann, 9/12)
KHN:
Did The US Jump The Gun With The New Omicron-Targeted Vaccines?
Last month, the FDA authorized omicron-specific vaccines, accompanied by breathless science-by-press release and a media blitz. Just days after the FDA’s move, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed, recommending updated boosters for anyone age 12 and up who had received at least two doses of the original covid vaccines. The message to a nation still struggling with the covid-19 pandemic: The cavalry — in the form of a shot — is coming over the hill. But for those familiar with the business tactics of the pharmaceutical industry, that exuberant messaging — combined with the lack of completed studies — has caused considerable heartburn and raised an array of unanswered concerns. (Gounder and Rosenthal, 9/12)
KHN:
Journalists Delve Into Inflation Policy, Hospital Closures, And Needle Exchanges
KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act with Newsy’s “The Why” on Sept. 2. … KHN senior editor Andy Miller discussed the upcoming closure of a trauma hospital in metro Atlanta with WUGA’s “The Health Report” on Sept. 6. … KHN correspondent Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez discussed rural needle exchanges with The Nevada Independent’s “IndyMatters” on Sept. 6. (9/10)
Financial Times:
Scientists Discover How Air Pollution Causes Lung Cancer
An international team of scientists has made a breakthrough in identifying how air pollution causes lung cancer in people who have never smoked, a development that could help medical experts prevent and treat tumours. Researchers found the fine particles in polluted air cause inflammation in the lungs, which activates pre-existing cancer genes that had been dormant. It was previously believed that air pollution triggered genetic mutations that lead to cancer. (Cookson, 9/10)
BBC News:
Air Pollution Cancer Breakthrough Will Rewrite The Rules
The team at the Francis Crick Institute in London showed that rather than causing damage, air pollution was waking up old damaged cells. One of the world’s leading experts, Prof Charles Swanton, said the breakthrough marked a “new era.” And it may now be possible to develop drugs that stop cancers forming. (Gallagher, 9/10)
Fortune:
Uterine Cancer Is Close To Being Recognized As A 9/11-Related Illness
The World Trade Center Health Program recognizes dozens of conditions related to 9/11 and assists with their monitoring and treatment. Now, 21 years later, uterine cancer remains the only cancer that has not been recognized as one of them. Many of the 9/11-related illnesses, like lung cancer, correspond to those experienced by first responders, who are primarily men, says Sara Director, a partner at Barasch & McGarry who represents thousands of 9/11 survivors, many of whom have dealt with uterine cancer. (Mikhail, 9/10)
New York Post:
Schumer Vows To Seek $3B For Troubled Ground Zero Health Fund
Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday that he will push Congress for a $3 billion infusion of federal cash to rescue the financially troubled 9/11 health-care fund. The New York Democrat and Senate majority leader said he will seek to secure the funds in the federal budget to offset the expected shortfall in the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical care and services for first responders and others affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. (Schnitzer and Fitz-Gibbon, 9/11)
NBC News:
A Health Care Program For 9/11 Survivors And First Responders Is Running Short Of Money
On Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats are scrambling to address an impending $3 billion funding deficit for a federal health care program that pays for the ongoing medical care of 9/11 survivors and first responders. (Salam and Abou-Sabe, 9/9)
NBC News:
A Health Care Program For 9/11 Survivors And First Responders Is Running Short Of Money
If the funding shortfall is not addressed, the program will not be able to accommodate any new members starting October 2024, according to a letter from Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York and 11 other GOP House members to the Democratic chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. “If Congress does not quickly address this impending crisis, then the men and women who put their lives on the line and who survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks will lose health coverage to treat the physical and mental illnesses that they sustained on that fateful day,” reads the Sept. 8 letter to Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey. (Salam and Abou-Sabe, 9/9)
WFLA:
Health Care Problems Persist For Tampa Bay 9/11 Survivors Enrolled In Troubled Government Program
Bradenton’s Garret Lindgren, a retired New York City firefighter, has been receiving care from the World Trade Center Health Program for a long list of ailments. Lindgren said the program has helped treat several medical problems, but other claims involving a shoulder injury have been denied. Lindgren also suffers from toxic neuropathy, a type nerve damage caused by harmful substances that is not covered. (Buteau, 9/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Covid-19 Is Still Killing Hundreds Of Americans Daily
Mark Pfundheller promptly got his first two Covid-19 shots and a booster, his family said, knowing the disease was a threat related to treatment for an inflammatory disorder that compromised his immune system. The 66-year-old former aviation consultant for Wisconsin’s Transportation Department caught the virus in April at a family wedding near his home in southern Wisconsin, where many guests were infected. Mr. Pfundheller died in a Madison, Wis., hospital on July 2 after an illness including time on a ventilator. (Kamp, 9/11)
Los Angeles Times:
Even In 2022, L.A. COVID Death Rate Is Worse Than Car Crashes. Here’s Why
The Omicron coronavirus variant killed Angelenos at a higher rate than both the flu and car crashes during the early part of 2022, according to county health officials. (Lin II and Money, 9/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Covid-19 Illnesses Are Keeping At Least 500,000 Workers Out Of U.S. Labor Force, Study Says
Illness caused by Covid-19 shrank the U.S. labor force by around 500,000 people, a hit that is likely to continue if the virus continues to sicken workers at current rates, according to a new study released Monday. (Guilford, 9/12)
CIDRAP:
Long COVID Tied To Loss Of Smell That May Be Permanent
An observational study of 219 unvaccinated long-COVID patients with neurologic symptoms in the Amazon concludes that 64% had a persistently impaired sense of smell, which the authors said could be permanent. (Van Beusekom, 9/9)
Bangor Daily News:
A Troubling COVID-19 Indicator Has Risen By A Quarter In The Past Month
The number of Mainers hospitalized COVID-19 has risen by more than a quarter in the past month, a change that a hospital official said “bears watching” as students return to school and the summer tourist season winds down. (O’Brien, 9/10)
USA Today:
COVID Telehealth Fraud Cost Medicare $128M In First Year, Feds Say
A report by government investigators last week found that more-permissive remote care has come at a price. During the first year of the pandemic, 1,714 doctors and health providers billed Medicare nearly $128 million in “high risk” claims, according to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. (Alltucker, 9/11)
NBC News:
New York Declares A State Of Emergency Over Polio
“On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said in a statement. “If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real. I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all.” (Bendix, 9/9)
AP:
Poliovirus Detected In More Wastewater Near New York City
The sample is genetically linked to the polio case from Rockland and provides further evidence of expanding community spread, state health officials said. … Hochul declared a state disaster emergency that allows EMS workers, midwives and pharmacists to administer polio vaccines and allows doctors to issue standing orders for the vaccine. Data on immunizations will be used to focus vaccination efforts where they’re needed the most. (Hill, 9/9)
Stat:
Providers Urged To Be Alert For Rare Polio-Like Syndrome In Kids
Pediatricians and top health officials are warning about an uptick in activity of a common virus that in rare cases can cause a polio-like syndrome in young children. (Joseph and Branswell, 9/12)
CIDRAP:
CDC Warns Of Increasing Enterovirus D68 Infections
In a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory, it said health providers in several US regions reported increases in hospitalizations for children with severe respiratory illness who tested positive for rhinovirus and/or enterovirus. The two related viruses circulate year-round but typically peak in the spring and fall. EV-D68 is thought to peak in late summer or early fall. The two illnesses have similar clinical and testing profiles. (9/9)
AP:
Planned Parenthood Maps Strategy To Protect Abortion Rights
Planned Parenthood leaders from 24 states gathered in California’s capital Friday to begin work on a nationwide strategy to protect and strengthen access to abortion, a counteroffensive aimed at pushing back against restrictions that have emerged in more than half of the country after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Their goal is to emulate the success liberals have had in California, where state lawmakers passed some of the most robust abortion protections in the country this year, culminating in a statewide election this fall that would make abortion a constitutional right in the nation’s most populous state. (Austin and Beam, 9/9)
Politico:
Republicans Look To Restrict Ballot Measures Following A String Of Progressive Wins
Republicans across the country are working to make it harder to pass ballot measures — a direct threat to abortion-rights advocates and other liberal groups’ efforts to bypass governors and legislatures and take issues directly to voters. The next major test for the strategy comes in November: Arizona and Arkansas’ GOP-controlled legislatures are asking voters to approve constitutional amendments that would raise the threshold for ballot initiatives from 50 percent to 60 percent. Arkansas’ proposal would apply to constitutional amendments and citizen-initiated state statutes on any subject matter, including abortion. Arizona’s applies only to taxation-related measures, though some see it as a prelude to a broader version. (Messerly, Ollstein and Montellaro, 9/10)
The Guardian:
‘A Wakeup Call’: More Republicans Are Softening Staunch Anti-Abortion Stance
A growing number of Republicans are changing their positions on abortions since the fall of Roe v Wade as midterm elections approach in the US, signaling a softened shift from their previously staunch anti-abortion stances. Since the supreme court overturned the federal right to abortion in June, many Republicans are adopting more compromised positions in attempts to win votes in key states through a slew of changes in messaging on websites, advertisements and public statements. (Yang, 9/12)
The Washington Post:
The Most Telling GOP Flip-Flops And Walk Backs On Abortion
It has pretty much become abundantly clear that the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade has created at least a momentary political problem for Republicans. Perhaps nothing drives home the difficulty of that position like the flip-flops and walk backs by some key Republicans. Here are some of the biggest reversals on this issue of late. (Blake, 9/10)
AP:
EXPLAINER: ‘Morning After Pill’ Not Always Option After Rape
Some leaders in states with strict abortion bans say exceptions for rape or incest victims aren’t needed because emergency contraceptives can be used instead. But medical professionals and advocates for rape survivors say that while emergency contraception is a helpful tool, it’s not always foolproof, and getting access to these emergency measures in the short time frame in which they would be effective may not be realistic for someone who has just been assaulted. (Forliti, 9/11)
Reuters:
U.S. Starts Enrollment In Trial Testing Siga’s Antiviral For Monkeypox
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Friday it had started enrolling monkeypox patients in a late-stage study testing Siga Technologies Inc’s antiviral pill Tpoxx against the disease. The oral and intravenous formulations of Tpoxx are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of smallpox, but does not yet have clearance to treat monkeypox. (9/9)
CIDRAP:
Tpoxx Found To Be Well-Tolerated, Safe In US Monkeypox Patients
Today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided data on safety outcomes on 369 patients who receiving the monkeypox antiviral drug tecovirimat (Tpoxx), noting that few adverse events were reported. (Soucheray, 9/9)
The New York Times:
Can You Get Reinfected With Monkeypox?
The good news is that experts believe you are not likely to become reinfected with monkeypox after you’ve been infected or vaccinated. Based on what scientists know of other orthopox infections — such as smallpox, monkeypox’s close cousin — immunity to the disease should be lifelong. (Sheikh, 9/8)
AP:
Americans Give Health Care System Failing Mark: AP-NORC Poll
When Emmanuel Obeng-Dankwa is worried about making rent on his New York City apartment, he sometimes holds off on filling his blood pressure medication. “If there’s no money, I prefer to skip the medication to being homeless,” said Obeng-Dankwa, a 58-year-old security guard. He is among a majority of adults in the U.S. who say that health care is not handled well in the country, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll reveals that public satisfaction with the U.S. health care system is remarkably low, with fewer than half of Americans saying it is generally handled well. (Seitz, 9/12)
Stat:
Former Government Scientist Appointed First Leader Of ARPA-H
President Joe Biden plans to appoint longtime biologist and former government scientist Renee Wegrzyn as the first director of the nascent Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. (Owermohle, 9/12)
Stat:
FDA Funding Negotiations Heat Up Ahead Of September Deadline
Negotiations are intensifying over massive, multibillion-dollar legislation to fund the Food and Drug Administration, with just weeks left before the current agreement expires, four sources following the talks said. (Cohrs, 9/9)
Stat:
Experts Urge Medicare: Overhaul Secretive Panel Advising On Doctor Pay
A heavyweight group of former Medicare officials and payment experts are calling on the federal government to overhaul how Medicare pays physicians, which they say has morphed into a system that is “mind-numbingly complex and nontransparent.” (Herman, 9/12)
Stat:
USDA Cracking Down On Companies That Ship Animals Without Inspections
Earlier this year, a leading animal rights group asked U.S. authorities to investigate medical research labs for allegedly violating federal law after finding numerous instances where nearly 2,000 monkeys were shipped between facilities without required veterinary inspections. (Silverman, 9/9)
Modern Healthcare:
Blue Cross Antitrust Deal Appealed By Home Depot, Others
Three employers have appealed a $2.67 billion antitrust settlement with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, potentially altering the terms of the landmark federal agreement and extending the timeline of the 10-year case. (Tepper, 9/9)
CNBC:
Amazon Plans Job Cuts In Health-Care Unit After Shuttering Telehealth
Amazon is preparing to cut more than 150 jobs as it winds down its telehealth offering known as Amazon Care, according to filings submitted in Washington state. Amazon said 159 employees will be laid off from Amazon Care, based on Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings submitted late Thursday. The WARN Act requires employers to provide advance notice, generally within 60 days, of mass layoffs or plant closings. (Palmer, 9/9)
Crain’s Detroit Business:
Beaumont-Spectrum Lays Off 400 In Cost Cuts Post-Merger
Beaumont Health Spectrum Health is laying off 400 management and non-patient facing workers statewide, it confirmed Friday. The newly merged health system said in a statement that it will cut 400 positions from its staff of 64,000 as part of a cost-reduction plan alluded to in its first consolidated financial report Aug. 18. (Watson, 9/9)
AP:
Strikers Settle Contract At 13 Pennsylvania Nursing Homes
Hundreds of striking nurses prepared to return to work as their union announced a tentative contract agreement Friday with 13 of 14 nursing homes across Pennsylvania. After reaching agreement with Comprehensive Healthcare on Thursday, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania announced Friday that bargainers had come to terms with a second operator, Priority Healthcare. (9/9)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
UW Nurses May Avoid Strike After Tentative Settlement Reached
A proposed settlement that would avert a nurses’ strike at one of Wisconsin’s largest hospitals was reached Sunday by the negotiating teams for UW Nurses United and UW Health hospital officials in Madison. (Van Egeren, 9/11)
The Boston Globe:
Police Investigating Another Threat Called In To Boston Children’s Hospital
A threat was called in to Boston Children’s Hospital on Friday, less than two weeks after the hospital received a bomb threat, police said. Officer Andre Watson, a Boston Police Department spokesman, said the hospital reported the threat at 11:39 a.m. Friday. Watson said the hospital wasn’t evacuated, and details on the nature of the threat weren’t immediately available. It remains under investigation. (Andersen, 9/9)
Modern Healthcare:
Water Shortages Threatening Patient Safety
“What’s happening in Jackson and what’s happening around the state are also lessons that can be learned for the rest of the country,” said Scott Kashman, market president and CEO St. Dominic Hospital. “We’re starting to have a broader discussion around the water and infrastructure issues. It’s been a long time, and it’s a problem that’s going to need to be solved by some generation-–and it should be ours.” (Hartnett and Kacik, 9/9)
NPR:
New 988 Mental Health Crisis Line Sees Rising Use Since Launch
New data released Friday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that in August – the first full month that 988 was operational — the Lifeline saw a 45% increase in overall volume of calls, texts and chats compared to August 2021. (Chatterjee, 9/10)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Morehouse School Of Medicine Report Highlights Cost Of Mental Health Inequities
A lack of investment in mental health has taken nearly 117,000 lives and cost $278 billion from 2016-2020, with underserved and underrepresented communities across the country experiencing the brunt of the effects, according to a report released Wednesday by the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine. (Thomas, 9/12)
Fox News:
Sleep Disruptions May Be Linked To Mental Health Disorders, New Study Reveals
There may be a link between poor sleep and several mental health disorders, according to a new study. These mental health disorders include anxiety, Tourette syndrome and autism, researchers say, according to a press release from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) released earlier this month. (Reilly, 9/11)
The Washington Post:
After A Veterinarian’s Death, A DC Bridge Could Get A Suicide Barrier
On April 13, Dr. Peter Tripp, a 29-year-old veterinarian who made a career of taking care of animals and a habit of taking care of people, walked out of his Northwest Washington apartment to the nearby William Howard Taft Bridge and jumped to his death. (Vargas, 9/10)
The New York Times:
Expanded Safety Net Drives Sharp Drop In Child Poverty
For a generation or more, America’s high levels of child poverty set it apart from other rich nations, leaving millions of young people lacking support as basic as food and shelter amid mounting evidence that early hardship leaves children poorer, sicker and less educated as adults. But with little public notice and accelerating speed, America’s children have become much less poor. A comprehensive new analysis shows that child poverty has fallen 59 percent since 1993, with need receding on nearly every front. (DeParle, 9/11)
USA Today:
Pregnancy Stress Linked To Negative Baby Emotions, Crying: Study
The researchers asked questions such as, “Over the past hour, did you feel you could not control important things?” and scored the maternal stress levels. They looked at three patterns of stress: baseline levels, stress levels over a 14-week period, and how much these stress levels changed or fluctuated. (Martin, 9/10)
The New York Times:
Rise In Deaths Spurs Effort To Raise Alcohol Taxes
Oregon is a drinker’s paradise. The state boasts more craft distilleries than Kentucky and is second only to California in the number of wineries. Some call Portland “beervana” for its bevy of breweries. But Oregon also has among the highest prevalence of problem drinking in the country. Last year, 2,153 residents died of causes attributed to alcohol, according to the Oregon Health Authority — more than twice the number of people killed by methamphetamines, heroin and fentanyl combined. (9/11)
The Washington Post:
The Army Is Creating An Exoskeleton Suit For Soldier Back Pain
The new suit, which weighs just three pounds, is a soft harness that soldiers strap around their shoulders and legs. Soldiers can press a button on the suit by their left shoulder, which activates the straps running along their back to help ease the burden when lifting heavy objects like artillery rounds, boxes or guns. Its name is a mouthful, dubbed the Soldier Assistive Bionic Exosuit for Resupply, or SABER. It is developed by the U.S. Army and Vanderbilt University, and slated to be deployed in the field in 2023. (Verma, 9/10)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
