CT nursing home oversight bill clears final hurdle Avatar photo by Jenna Carlesso May 7, 2026 @ 11:42 am

https://ctmirror.org/2026/05/07/ct-nursing-home-oversight-bill-clears-final-hurdle/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_jb8ufpZgiv8GTJ1ee6lf86Wc_a_1HLRQs4Dvlo5HUTvUZRGghgClsVAWn_-Me8w6xS76ieXChqEpXmLVKyp0JnSV59w&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email The CT Mirror: CT Nursing Home Oversight Bill Clears Final Hurdle A bill that seeks to bring more scrutiny to nursing home ownership and analyze private equity investment in nursing facilities gained final passage in the Connecticut House Wednesday. (Carlesso, 5/7)

Full-body MRI scans are selling reassurance doctors say they can’t deliver The scans try to spot hidden diseases like cancer before symptoms appear. ByDr. Crystal Joseph and Liz Neporent May 7, 2026, 8:51 PM

https://abcnews.com/Health/full-body-mri-scans-selling-reassurance-doctors-deliver/story?id=132748299&utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8AHmJBLsXjaKil5IR0l7byQ-3GuBlQwMXC2TF88u66dNwprpMQiowjR7Xa6u9jOfU25WNkoXz7oxXk0pUU9CibBmlhcw&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email ABC News: Full-Body MRI Scans Are Selling Reassurance Doctors Say They Can’t Deliver The promise of finding health problems early with a head-to-toe MRI scan is fueling a growing business. For someone who is generally healthy, however, these scans may be more likely to cause potential harm than benefit, according to a new editorial in the science journal JAMA. A full-body MRI scan uses magnets to create detailed images of organs and tissues across the body, to try to spot hidden diseases like cancer before symptoms appear. (Joseph and Neporent, 5/8)

Federal funds for domestic violence services are falling short. California survivors are pushing for a fix.

Federal funds for domestic violence services are falling short. California survivors are pushing for a fix. Advocates are asking for the state to again cover a gap of $100 million caused by a drop in federal funding. https://19thnews.org/2026/05/federal-funding-domestic-violence-services-california/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9lb9U7u_dwjeD1W5EA6xnnRm8-3oBjKHF1qIzjsMhJJEJnFEE2e4nMBPayM-JFtssUXak0TzAjXpdxWnGnT0M4VfB12g&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email The 19th: In CA, Survivors Call On Gavin Newsom For Funding To Combat Domestic Violence “Before I say anything, I want everyone here to take a moment and think about someone finally reaching out for help and there’s no one here to answer,” Jazz LedBetter said to a crowd of over 250 survivors of abuse and advocates against domestic violence and sexual assault. (Mithani, 5/6)

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY +++ +++ +

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY San Francisco Chronicle: 18 Legionella Infections At Bay Area Kaiser Hospital Kaiser Permanente confirmed late Wednesday that 18 people were infected with Legionella at its Santa Clara medical center, where officials are still trying to determine the source of the contamination. The health system said it found the infections during routine monitoring. The hospital and its nearby medical office building remain open and are operating normally. (Vaziri, 5/7) https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/legionella-kaiser-santa-clara-22245643.php?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9N1KVIscr7UZk1maGTPieuidfbDsydV3PfkV961XIb6NRPz4KjdaTI2XrtJJXoJ4Gtkudf5peM55B0yDjlfBxEdJioBA&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email Modern Healthcare: Nonprofit Hospitals Spent $7.8B On Consultants, JAMA Study Finds Nonprofit hospitals are spending millions of dollars on management consulting services, but the outcomes may not be worth the price tag. More than 20% of nonprofit hospitals hired management consultants from 2009 to 2023, spending an average of $15.7 million for consulting services, according to a study published this week on the JAMA Network. Nonprofit hospitals altogether spent more than $7.8 billion on those services during that time frame, the study found. (Hudson, 5/7) https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/mh-nonprofit-hospitals-consultants-jama-study/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz---u1Q-hTDHnxqYar8ySX52sd61VWVDUKV35e_rpoZa9a-xyYDZL6rRd5FwQqFRK7yMrme_D8o7sfAa9cGZSv5o4bTUIQ&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email Cardinal News: State Moves Toward Closing Hiram Davis Medical Center, But Lawmakers Express Concern About Plan The Hiram W. Davis Medical Center has been slated for closure since August 2024, but some Virginia lawmakers remain hesitant to support the plan as families raise concerns about where residents with complex medical needs will go. The state-operated medical center in Petersburg provides long-term care for patients with intellectual or developmental disabilities. (Schabacker, 5/8) https://cardinalnews.org/2026/05/08/state-moves-toward-closing-hiram-davis-medical-center-but-lawmakers-express-concern-about-plan/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--kq6uZ__r5_r5wWmc_0WhvSFzTyfCPeSIXRn52xf_xoj_hiyZu-5G-PW53iUZhGH7Emk4IH5YAMo2NiJvMxJj1RA2TpQ&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email Modern Healthcare: Knox Lane To Acquire Cross Country Healthcare Cross Country Healthcare has entered a definitive agreement to be acquired by private equity firm Knox Lane for $437 million. The transaction would take the staffing technology company private, according to a Wednesday news release. Under the agreement, Knox Lane would acquire all outstanding shares of Cross Country Healthcare common stock at $13.25 per share, for an all-cash transaction totaling $437 million. The deal is slated to close in the third quarter, pending regulatory approval. (DeSilva, 5/7) https://www.modernhealthcare.com/mergers-acquisitions/mh-cross-country-healthcare-knox-lane-acquisition/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-86ExY5LqXN3wuRa05OJMtqAG0KAzQ_jJvJsrAU1Qdgi02aurWrNS2QgvLo7tzk8h7MSe4pDiDheVaX3YuqtzgCqNgsQQ&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email MedPage Today: CMS Mulls Auto-Enrolling Seniors Into Medicare Advantage When your patients turn 65, will they automatically be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or accountable care organization (ACO)? That idea is now on the Trump administration's radar. CMS is currently mulling a plan that would automatically enroll beneficiaries into either Medicare Advantage plans -- in which private insurers contract with CMS to serve Medicare beneficiaries -- or ACOs, such as those that participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, according to a report in STAT. (Frieden, 5/7) https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicare/121161?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9U83zH1pQw46Xb6toLBtEXrPSpNrnroFp_vtTJjgKdQ-s-o2KGm3o_vzst-V5mU6TRCoysKVs_zMhxcjq1LPh8432Bxw&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email Modern Healthcare: States Curb Insurer AI, Prior Authorizations As Congress Stalls States are increasingly targeting insurance companies over hot-button issues such as prior authorization and artificial intelligence in the absence of federal action. President Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican-led Congress have consistently attacked “Big Insurance” since Trump returned to the White House last year. Yet that rhetoric has not led to much federal legislation. Congress has taken only small steps toward addressing provider and patient complaints about cost, denials, delayed payments, prior authorizations, AI and other matters. (McAuliff, 5/7) https://www.modernhealthcare.com/politics-regulation/mh-states-insurer-ai-prior-authorization-congress/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ycnuxwLhp2hWcvU3L46W9lGe0QXgt_-HEOHpPr7iuVyW-AMhcz9VHWWF6B6MYJp_GCEp0jUmq6T31J33nPjl6Rca9Vg&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email Central Florida Public Media: AdventHealth Nurses Address Hair Care Disparities For Black Patients AdventHealth Hospital for Children in Orlando reported that Black pediatric patients needed different kinds of shampoo to care for their hair. The hospital listened. (Pedersen, 5/7) https://www.wusf.org/health-news-florida/2026-05-07/national-nurses-week-orlando-nurses-address-hair-care-disparities-for-black-patients?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9-PfcqFW4YSICfK1gbAsIxMjyyFs-lWT8w_svILspazm12kCSJ3zpnjReCm2R-X54onAKGMYHJ00PGl7p3H0vPr9iF0w&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS ++++

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS ABC News: Many Medicare Enrollees Can Get GLP-1 Drugs For $50 Starting In July More access to affordable weight-loss medications is coming this summer for adults on Medicare. Starting in July, certain Medicare enrollees can pay $50 a month for specific prescription GLP–1 medications, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare announced the pilot program for the popular weight loss medications on Wednesday. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program will run between July 1, 2026, and Dec. 31, 2027. (Yu, 5/7) https://abcnews.com/GMA/Wellness/medicare-enrollees-glp-1-drugs-50-starting-july/story?id=132738089&utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--8Uo4JCizm4gUWGDeTd-SFkA821s0jvPstR92LCq0tt9BfjluasotMf3Eca06am6KUHGUuB-Kw-Ai5oP1-bL8Uhq1e1A&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email Fierce Healthcare: Amazon Pharmacy To Offer Home Delivery For Novo's Ozempic Pill Amazon Pharmacy will make Novo Nordisk's Ozempic pill available for home delivery, the company announced Thursday. Per the announcement, Amazon customers will be able to secure the oral GLP-1 medication via same-day delivery or pickup within minutes at its kiosks in short order. The drug, which is approved to manage blood sugar in individuals with type 2 diabetes, was originally sold as Rybelsus but was recently rebranded to Ozempic by Novo. (Minemyer, 5/7) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/retail/amazon-pharmacy-offer-home-delivery-novo-nordisks-ozempic-pill?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--n_hFT0ohBQJI88FTk35RCM0RxBUi8LFz1LQoefpcszSRFRUuY6BRODvOSnY7egbKJ377BW1qWzq-_8vu-Mh2LjrmKNg&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email The Washington Post: GLP-1s May Not Shrink Muscle Mass As Much As We Thought, Study Suggests Are GLP-1 weight-loss drugs hard on your muscles? That question has sparked controversy and concern among some scientists, doctors and the general public. Several large studies in recent years had suggested that people taking GLP-1 drugs such as Zepbound or Wegovy were losing outsize proportions of their muscle mass while also shedding body fat. In some of those studies, nearly 40 percent of people’s weight loss with GLP-1 drugs seemed to come from muscle, a much higher percentage than would be considered normal among people losing weight by dieting or other lifestyle changes. (Reynolds, 5/7) https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/05/07/glp-1-muscles/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Y64fS1Q16WAv0XQ_h10mUr790SgN1e8c1PhEoUL_uzG8bfgSCKzjqTr4xSmDxdTbqx2VZr6FNSZxDahzmL_mOaXsdWQ&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email MedPage Today: Teens With T1D, Obesity Reaped Benefits Of GLP-1s, Case Studies Suggest Two insulin-dependent adolescents with type 1 diabetes and obesity had metabolic improvements after starting a low-dose GLP-1 agent, a case series showed. (Monaco, 5/8) https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/type1diabetes/121164?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9jl7BuA55WTQXNxaJwEP_FNUUC4q9OZdo9ZtbK5_ajqP_FWZWZYNNGiFQ1X2iM16dcNOiLTkTrQ9bB9QDGXTMvQnJW7g&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ++

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH North Carolina Health News: NC Loses Abortion Clinic As Pressures Mount On Providers North Carolina now has one fewer abortion clinic, shrinking access to the procedure in a state where nearly 48,000 abortions were provided in 2025.Last week, A Woman’s Choice closed its clinic in Greensboro, North Carolina’s third-largest city. The closure leaves 17 abortion clinics in North Carolina, scattered over nine counties across the state, that provide in-person abortion care to thousands of patients — including people traveling from more restrictive states across the Southeast. (Crumpler, 5/8) https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/05/08/nc-loses-abortion-clinic-as-pressures-mount-on-providers/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9vFWIhmbqvO0NNCp6jsaOXJQAqufimgvS6_Jtp7eD0ljPnLMYuAJBoDOJvDgk5KdRSP2kCXhcX8nVc5VxUvew8LopSWw&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email HR Dive: Dems Urge EEOC To Retain Pregnancy Rule’s IVF Protections The letter addresses EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas’ condemnation of the EEOC’s PWFA final rule, which was solidified in April 2024. Lucas has been “vocal in her opposition” to certain parts of the final rule, the agency said in a previously released statement. ... According to the Democrats who signed the open letter, Lucas’ position is at odds with Trump’s fertility-related agenda. In August 2024, after the PWFA final rule and before he took office once more, Trump said he would champion in vitro fertilization, either through securing public funding or mandating that insurance companies cover IVF. (Colvin, 5/7) https://www.hrdive.com/news/removing-ivf-protections-from-pwfa-rule-may-mislead-employers-senate-dems/819629/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_FxU3UswSwg_B9tzTwuTh-pnQxwcDlclv414ufbWKLcPJBX3BDx5Sh2qQ9-admTl8OqaSqZu-wIB4IKaZpUqwOmv0Vkw&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email

VACCINES ++++

VACCINES The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: RFK Jr. Defends Hepatitis B Vaccine Rollback At Cleveland Forum A family physician pressed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Thursday on one of the most contentious decisions of his tenure — the rollback of a longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. The question at Cleveland’s City Club came from Dr. Patricia Kellner, who said she has practiced family medicine for 40 years. (Eaton, 5/7) https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/05/rfk-jr-defends-hepatitis-b-vaccine-rollback-at-cleveland-forum.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_TyiWHNzPqn3LGPWqDc2j3wcHUdafVh2UuqrodM7Z-V4BLelP1CGi1ddKAxuE4c2SagBEG7O6Akmt0gSxSsFQp6N_Pcw&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: Lawmakers Ask Kennedy About Blocked COVID Vaccine Study Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers about the suppression of a study on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acting director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD. In a letter sent yesterday to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, ranking members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce said Bhattacharya’s decision to prevent the study from being published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC’s flagship publication, “appears to be a deliberate effort to suppress evidence of vaccine effectiveness by your hand-selected ideological ally.” (Dall, 5/7) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/adult-non-flu-vaccines/lawmakers-ask-kennedy-about-blocked-covid-vaccine-study?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_jlTpgPIe4UWblqKIhufdJNsstdYVXs4_T6sSFQzyEia0FF8j41VLD3Ij9RnueiaGNhhoOjXRSRkt5wyxNw6Rb5SBFBQ&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email The Washington Post: As Measles Roars Back, Scientists Search For A New Therapy Using the blood of a 56-year-old woman vaccinated against measles, scientists have isolated a fighting force of four potent virus-blocking antibodies that could pave the way toward a treatment for people exposed to the highly contagious respiratory disease making a comeback in the United States. A safe, highly effective vaccine for measles has been available since the 1960s, and the U.S. officially eliminated the disease in 2000, with sporadic cases and outbreaks. But dropping vaccination rates have sparked large outbreaks in multiple states, and the country is edging closer to the virus spreading freely again—which puts more people at risk. (Johnson, 5/7) https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/05/07/measles-roars-back-scientists-search-new-therapy/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_N2V0KiFuouwt_HCGbwEslhhwEXyE51kJ6kbQTHjrIQIaqylb4aTUz_-t1fbLxcRIXwZqpaTX7ZWQcICNcJ_lzYCliPg&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: Aluminum In Vaccines Not Linked To Autism, Other Health Problems, Study Finds Aluminum additives used in vaccines are not linked to serious medical problems or long-term conditions in children, according to a report published today in The BMJ. In particular, researchers found no increased risk of asthma, autism, or autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes. The analysis, which included 59 studies conducted over many years, adds to a large body of research finding no ties between aluminum in childhood vaccines and serious health problems, including a 24-year study of more than 1.2 million Danish children published last year in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (Szabo, 5/7) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/anti-science/aluminum-vaccines-not-linked-autism-other-health-problems-study-finds?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Wov0t5DU08uIj7dUvccAjI_qHf-yfeaqxlGHl7SaRTnyFTOWsSyp-q4iCsQ1kY8nQT7epsMSDC2bGRpjyrhBVGWptzg&_hsmi=417857248&utm_content=417857248&utm_source=hs_email