miércoles, 9 de abril de 2025
martes, 8 de abril de 2025
Public Health Risks of Urban Wildfire Smoke Prompt Push for More Monitoring By Katharine Gammon April 8, 2025 ++
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/fires-los-angeles-toxic-chemicals-air-quality-monitors/
Rural Hospitals Question Whether They Can Afford Medicare Advantage Contracts
By Arielle Zionts
April 8, 2025
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/rural-hospitals-private-medicare-advantage-contracts-reimbursements/
Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries ++++++
Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries
Tuesday, Apr 8 2025 8:45 AM
HHS Chief RFK Jr. Urges More States To Outlaw Fluoride In Drinking Water
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/hhs-chief-rfk-jr-urges-more-states-to-outlaw-fluoride-in-drinking-water/
Trump Administration Bumps Payment Rates For Medicare Insurers By 5%
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/trump-administration-bumps-payment-rates-for-medicare-insurers-by-5/
Federal Judge Blocks Nursing Home Staffing Mandate
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/federal-judge-blocks-nursing-home-staffing-mandate/
CDC Again Sends Team To Texas To Assess Growing Measles Outbreak
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/cdc-again-sends-team-to-texas-to-assess-growing-measles-outbreak/
Strict Abortion Laws In Louisiana, North Carolina Could Get More Severe
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/strict-abortion-laws-in-louisiana-north-carolina-could-get-more-severe/
Invasive Group A Strep Infections Are Rising In US, CDC Study Shows
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/invasive-group-a-strep-infections-are-rising-in-us-cdc-study-shows/
Clinical Trials in Global Health 2025
https://www.thelancet.com/series/clinical-trials?dgcid=hubspot_update_feature_langloclinicaltrials25&utm_campaign=update-langlo&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8YT6LMnrCdzuUVcYYfqkFEuNqvoF4hi9DQ5PQSQwJ7W9YMeJOnfqJNYzfgz_-wZ52iZtJVcexgBS6zMBEKCfjxD1UCvA&_hsmi=355542770&utm_content=355488121&utm_source=hs_email
The landscape of clinical trials has undergone significant changes, as highlighted in the current Series of six papers published in The Lancet Global Health. The WHO guidance provides a comprehensive framework to enhance clinical trial infrastructure, focusing on patient and community engagement, especially for under-represented populations. Key barriers identified include poor trial design, lack of inclusivity, inadequate infrastructure in low and middle-income countries, and inefficient approval processes. The guidance advocates for risk-proportionate approaches and aims to support local policymakers. The Series aims to strengthen the clinical trial ecosystem, emphasizing ethical research, stakeholder collaboration, and quality improvement through strategic investments. This initiative seeks to promote equity, efficiency, inclusion, and engagement in clinical trials, ultimately improving global health outcomes.
Working Group Talk "Tackling Inequalities and Disparities in Cardiovascular Health: The Lancet Regional Health-Europe commission on inequalities and disparities in cardiovascular health" Live Online Event of the ESC Working Group on Coronary Pathophysiology & Microcirculation Tuesday, 15 April 2025 from 17:00 to 18:00 CEST
https://www.escardio.org/Working-groups/ESC-Working-Groups-Online-Events/working-group-talk-tackling-inequalities-and-disparities-in-cardiovascular-health-the-lancet-regional-health-europe-commission-on-inequalities-and-disparities-in-cardiovascular-health?utm_campaign=conferencealerts&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9cwz_dhLQIIANLHg_0aCQIHwHXE4s3z_psAF5YdzcEQ2QqLzliiJ0rJDI3pH6VVKpCuPM5iBF4PXcmhoII4yf4XNhZoQ&_hsmi=355015960&utm_content=355015960&utm_source=hs_email
We are pleased to invite you to our virtual event for the Lancet Regional Health – Europe Commission on inequalities and disparities in cardiovascular health, hosted by the ESC Working Group on Coronary Pathophysiology & Microcirculation. Hear from our Commission authors as they discuss persistent disparities in cardiovascular health among disadvantaged populations and explore solutions for achieving equity in cardiovascular care.
lunes, 7 de abril de 2025
‘Most effective way’ to prevent measles is vaccination, RFK Jr. says, in most direct remarks yet Statement came during HHS secretary’s trip to Texas for funeral of second U.S. child to die in outbreak there Manage alerts for this article Email this article‘Most effective way’ to prevent measles is vaccination, RFK Jr. says, in most direct remarks yet Statement came during HHS secretary’s trip to Texas for funeral of second U.S. child to die in outbreak there
Border Region Emergency Medical Services in Migrant Emergency Care
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2832135?guestAccessKey=c0957767-f5eb-4d6d-88a4-15c747418b57&utm_term=040325&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_medium=referral&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9mof2hIRtXJ1BIgZWfahYnCjtuuTRLP9y3EAGazzsLTMATjg07ufLPVmUM8izxWlcaT1zxpdJtlWrD9m0eAEdJyHYgsA&_hsmi=355451370&utm_content=tfl&utm_source=for_the_media
The dangers of migration
When President Trump and other national leaders talk about migration at the southern U.S. border, they talk about security in the sense of building an impenetrable boundary. Less of a concern appear to be the health and safety of the people making the journey. But interviews with 67 emergency medical service clinicians who work along the border between Mexico and Arizona, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, paint a picture of “numerous, continuing, mass casualty-like events,” where EMS workers are sometimes overwhelmed and ill-equipped to treat their patients.
“I feel [like] we’re serving a federal issue at a municipal level and without the support or without the finances or without the resources,” one clinician said. The EMS workers interviewed are employed by local fire departments, and their work is not subsidized by federal resources.
At the actual border fence, traumatic injuries are typical. “Usually it’s [the] lower half of the body because that’s sometimes what hits first,” a clinician said. One clinician reported having to use hand signals and Google translate to communicate with some migrants who’d been shot. Border patrol, meanwhile, can’t transport people when they’re patients — only EMS is certified to do that.
The study authors call for more federal funding to support these workers, and predict that any increased effort to lock down the border will only increase the burden on EMS clinicians who work there.
Whiplash. Disbelief. Chaos. Therapists hear tales of trauma from federal health workers Some clinicians are offering low or no fees to workers reeling from HHS restructuring
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/07/hhs-rifs-therapy-psychologists-network/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_5qnvXJYSBmtnQf9mEoij9UOf7QeN74LJdupVUHvKyIa4U-QBIKtZOL3S2G5pGQJaRzSUBUdxBUryo0XuaVmV-fTc7Lg&_hsmi=355451370&utm_content=355451370&utm_source=hs_email
Gonorrhea, HIV, asthma, and lead poisoning
STAT reporters have dug deep over the last week into all the different ways that disease prevention and management are already being affected by President Trump’s massive cuts to staff and funding. Here’s the latest:
At the CDC’s STD lab, all 28 full-time employees were fired last week, Helen reports. The shuttering of the premiere facility comes at a time when the whole world is down to one single drug that can reliably cure gonorrhea, leaving experts fearful about what lies ahead. (The disease has developed resistance to nearly all antibiotics used against it, and it appears possible that even the last one standing could soon be conquered). Read more from Helen on the consequences, and what explanation HHS gave for the decision.
Myriad HIV prevention efforts have also been hamstrung, STAT’s Jason Mast reports. Last week’s cuts gutted CDC branches responsible for a national at-home testing program, long-running surveys, statistical analysis, and guidance. Funds have been suspended for the two most prominent networks for testing prevention drugs and vaccines, Jason also learned. The exact toll to date is difficult to quantify. Still, “what we’re seeing can only be summarized by the words chaos and terror,” said Colleen Kelley, chair of the HIV Medicine Association.
U.S. may be reverting to a time when measles deaths were not very rare, experts warn ‘My concern is this does become a new normal for us’
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/06/measles-third-death-new-normal/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9GMVq3zf7PVoWRv54-jwnmIgiG6KvwtLUlKpnJ9smscefLhnH2kIPc8m8coiOW0Jl7PVFSctRWSIjJ6YjGBBrPwn1j6Q&_hsmi=355451370&utm_content=355451370&utm_source=hs_email
A second unvaccinated child has died from measles in West Texas. She was 8 years old, and previously healthy. On Sunday, after news of her death, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a post on X that “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.” It’s his most direct statement yet on the issue, after saying less than a month ago — against current evidence — that the measles shot caused deaths every year.
The child’s death represents a tragedy that experts worry is about to become a lot less rare, STAT’s Helen Branswell reports. “With two, maybe three deaths already, I don't think it's implausible that we'll see more,” said Caitlin Rivers, an infectious diseases epidemiologist. Peter Marks, the recently ousted top vaccines regulator at the FDA, said it a little differently.
“Unless we dramatically change course, drastically change course, it's going to be a problem,” he told Helen. “This is what measles does.” Read more from Helen about the challenges ahead.v
A US judge rules that frozen embryos are not divisible goods in parental disputes By Bioethics Observatory Published On: April 3rd, 2025
domingo, 6 de abril de 2025
Webinar: Making Healthcare Safer by Design
https://www.ahrq.gov/action-alliance/webinars/healthcare-safer-by-design.html
Data Feature: Data on Physician Burnout and Work-Life Balance
The National Action Alliance’s July 2024 webinar highlighted a Mayo Clinic study of a survey involving 2,440 U.S. physicians, to evaluate burnout and work-life integration (WLI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey used standard instruments to assess burnout, WLI, depression, and professional fulfillment, comparing results to previous years. The Mayo Clinic study revealed a sharp increase in physician burnout and a decline in WLI during the first two years of COVID-19. These data underscore the urgent need for interventions to address physician well-being, which is vital for maintaining quality patient care and reducing turnover in the healthcare system. Explore the solutions discussed in the National Action Alliance’s July webinar.
National Action Alliance: Webinars
https://www.ahrq.gov/action-alliance/webinars/index.html
Recap of Our March Webinar: “Improving Safety Culture Using Teamwork and Patient Safety Norms.”
March’s webinar focused on the use of teamwork and patient safety norms to improve the safety culture at the work setting level within hospitals. Dr. Kyle Rehder, MD, began by emphasizing that effective teamwork is not an innate skill, but it can be learned. He reinforced this concept by promoting the TeamSTEPPS framework as a proven method for training healthcare teams that is highly adaptable to any healthcare setting.
Patricia Posa, RN, BSN, MSA, CCRN, subsequently shared that harm is not the cost of doing business. Instead, it can be prevented by applying safety measures universally in any inpatient unit by using the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP). She also shared use case examples leveraging errors to learn from defects on a consistent basis. Take advantage of this opportunity to acquire strategies for transforming safety culture.
A recording of “Improving Safety Culture Using Teamwork and Patient Safety Norms”, as well as all of our previous webinar recordings and their accompanying PowerPoint slides are available on the National Action Alliance website.
Measuring and Responding to Safety Culture across Healthcare (Session 3), April 15 12-1 PM ET April 15, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
https://cma.ahrq.gov/cma/welcome.jsp?code=naaapr2025
Registration Is Open for Our April 15 Webinar: “Safety Culture: Measuring and Responding.”
By assessing the experiences of our frontline teams, we can identify areas for improvement and implement effective strategies to foster a safer environment for both patients and staff. Join us on April 15, 12:00–1:00 PM ET, for the last of a three-part series on Safety Culture in Healthcare. The session will feature research and evidence-based strategies discussed by Bryan Sexton, PhD, Director of the Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science, Jonathan Bakdash, PhD, Social Science Analyst at the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and Joann Sorra, PhD, Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Vice President for Behavioral Health and Health Policy at Westat. Our experts will explore key strategies for assessing and strengthening safety culture, providing an in-depth look at AHRQ Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS) and sharing real-world examples of how organizations have used them to drive meaningful change. They will also highlight the latest pulse version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) and discuss how tracking data over time can inform quality improvement efforts. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and enhance patient safety in your organization. Register today!
sábado, 5 de abril de 2025
Trump’s new drug policy mixes ‘harshest’ penalties for dealers and test strips for users White House document stresses enforcement but also supports addiction medication
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/trump-drug-policy-enforcement-addiction-medication/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9hkv_ODUYX31Z5EtPn48MjCndyt8OqNYCSwwgIjo-ocFyjnKj-RI9d-hxYuTxnyx4Xm2kLJmD_gGCL6jR0owFbV0lh5g&_hsmi=355169589&utm_content=355169589&utm_source=hs_email
How the Trump administration will fight drug overdoses
In an effort to reduce overdose deaths caused by fentanyl and other illicit substances, the Trump administration plans to “disrupt the supply chain from tooth to tail,” according to a not-yet-public strategy document obtained by STAT.
The outline, which consists of just over three pages of text, represents the first formal indication of the drug policy that the new Trump administration intends to pursue. And while it focuses in large part on enforcement, it also devotes substantial attention to drug use prevention, addiction recovery, medication-based treatment, and the opioid overdose antidote naloxone.
Notably, the document makes no mention of harm reduction, tactics embraced by the Biden administration that aim to preserve substance users’ well-being while acknowledging they may continue to consume drugs. Read more from STAT’s Lev Facher.
Trump administration orders NIH to eliminate $2.6 billion in federal contracts April 8 is the deadline for a 35% cut in services that could affect specimen storage, genetic counseling, administration
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/nih-35-percent-cut-contracts-trump-administration/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--FFv2uBo9RH6jPWlzSewoF-lSAKaOwKDOol5FNgjYGXCYunyGk2sWSLv0HeUHkdABM36zcZtun-bcWeR7J7AX5qTOWYQ&_hsmi=355169589&utm_content=355169589&utm_source=hs_email
National Institutes of Health leaders must figure out how to cut $2.6 billion in contracts from the biomedical research agency’s budget by April 8, according to several sources.
Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon told STAT that the 35% reduction in NIH contracts is part of a strategic cost-savings initiative across all divisions of HHS. It’s worrisome news for an already-troubled agency. After Tuesday’s cuts, the NIH is down 1,200 employees, including the directors of five institutes and the heads of several labs, and has had key grantmaking, research training, and science communication functions severely limited since Trump’s return to the White House.
To understand the unique needs met by the agency’s contractors, including long-term freezer storage of biospecimens and genetic counseling for clinical research volunteers, read the story from STAT’s Megan Molteni (and stay for the kicker quote).
Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Mon, Apr 14, 2025 16:15 - 17:15 CEST Hall 16
https://www.escmid.org/congress-events/escmid-global/programme/final-programme/?utm_campaign=conferencealerts&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--hMiB2CvPsAd7FYxHqarOY1pyh-Ncw6oQq-0qElEeKi0jMAQWxPmj9XebV7Rh8aA33ARON0OzHbqhRzkYL7APJsOwS0g&_hsmi=354531093&utm_content=354531093&utm_source=hs_email
Late-breaker research from The Lancet Group: new interventions for familiar and new infectious diseases
Mon, Apr 14, 2025
16:15 - 17:15 CEST
Hall 16
We are pleased to announce Ursula Hofer, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, and Syeda Saleha Hassan, Senior Editor at The Lancet Infectious Diseases, will co-Chair the session on late-breaking research from The Lancet Group focusing on new interventions for familiar and new infectious diseases. If you would like to discuss your research, or have any questions on publishing with us, please contact Ursula and Saleha.
infectiousdiseases@lancet.com
Systemic Sickness
https://kffhealthnews.org/systemic-sickness/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-91gkpa_0TEENK5h4psQdCjQ7b9k4YqiXI_xMj33Yz-BpabyYJTNLOO0L-eNWfbzS1GBxMFxu7csk3LHh_N8La16xgGvA&_hsmi=355242397&utm_content=355242397&utm_source=hs_email
Over the past two decades, Black Americans have continued to suffer a higher mortality rate when compared to whites. Some suggest these health disparities stem from genetics and personal choices. But, as this series shows, behind many of the most pressing problems are federal, state and local government policies that have protected the interests of business and the powerful over the well-being of Black residents.
How Much Will That Surgery Cost? 🤷 Hospital Prices Remain Largely Unhelpful. By Daniel Chang April 2, 2025
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/hospital-prices-health-insurance-rates-consumer-transparency/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--pDJMLubCVL1ds4NyTWXHtL8SkCCppkTZsN-HNc6SO9tawetkyMa7Wo9XvR_AtMjrN09L8wqtDfU5-pG6BfFQpzKyuIA&_hsmi=355242397&utm_content=355242397&utm_source=hs_email
How Much Will That Surgery Cost? 🤷 Hospital Prices Remain Largely Unhelpful.
By Daniel Chang
Health care price transparency is one of the few bipartisan issues in Washington, D.C. But much of the information that hospitals and health plans have made available to the public is not helpful to patients, and there’s no conclusive evidence yet that it’s lowering costs or increasing competition.
Feds Move to Rein In Prior Authorization, a System That Harms and Frustrates Patients By Lauren Sausser March 13, 2023
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/prior-authorization-patient-frustration-federal-regulations/
Deadly Denials
Designed to prevent doctors from deploying expensive, ineffectual procedures, prior authorization — sometimes called pre-authorization or pre-certification — has become a confusing maze used by health insurance companies that denies or delays care, burdens physicians with paperwork, and perpetuates racial disparities. Proposed federal rules may not be enough to solve the problems.
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/tag/prior-authorizations/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_e85dleo_ZofITbrmZ3C_v88yZip9gonRBxQla95Swnl94TF9HJTsnYsdHAdlAcn3FCT6bN45_TaWeAcjFyYSu40-8uw&_hsmi=355242397&utm_content=355242397&utm_source=hs_email
‘They Won’t Help Me’: Sickest Patients Face Insurance Denials Despite Policy Fixes Republicans and Democrats agree prior authorization needs fixing, but patients are growing impatient. By Lauren Sausser March 31, 2025
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/prior-authorization-bipartisan-reform-health-insurance-outrage-ceo-killing/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9OjEaQ6uoe_LBYajGP8MJldqHn9dtRagNjrJUtoJqd3KdEzMCx0uP5EydCJRNniX8EEgL6xUwZ-fWyw2tiIKA4sJzXhQ&_hsmi=355242397&utm_content=355242397&utm_source=hs_email
‘They Won’t Help Me’: Sickest Patients Face Insurance Denials Despite Policy Fixes
By Lauren Sausser
The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson prompted both grief and public outrage about the ways insurers deny treatment. Republicans and Democrats agree prior authorization needs fixing, but patients are growing impatient.
Trump Says He’ll Stop Health Care Fraudsters. Last Time, He Let Them Walk. By Brett Kelman April 1, 2025
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/trump-health-care-fraudsters-leniency/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9QCClxCcOfD-9adNddUatlBGsJji1su2PYcW1hw9ZAfud4FZ1iQp5twpHYxaJgiMCoFmn3blyV4OotlhXHdlelEL27dA&_hsmi=355242397&utm_content=355242397&utm_source=hs_email
Hello. I’m Brett Kelman, a KFF Health News correspondent based in Nashville, Tennessee. I write about medical devices, dentistry, health care fraud, and lots of other topics. Send me tips at brettk@kff.org.
By Brett Kelman
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has made combating fraud a centerpiece of his administration. Trump has said he will target fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs, and his Republican allies in Congress have made combating fraud a key argument in their plans to slash Medicaid. Trump also has empowered the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to make massive cuts to government spending, often claiming to snuff out fraud and waste in the process.
Trump’s present-day crackdown starkly contrasts with his history of showing leniency to convicted fraudsters. In his first and second terms, Trump has granted pardons or commutations to at least 68 people convicted of fraud crimes or interfering with fraud investigations, according to a KFF Health News review of court and clemency records, Department of Justice press releases, and news reports. At least 13 of those fraudsters were convicted in cases involving more than $1.6 billion in fraudulent claims filed with Medicare and Medicaid, according to the DOJ.
In interviews with KFF Health News, two experts on health care fraud said that Trump’s claimed focus appears to be a pretext for slashing spending that was legally appropriated by Congress.
“What’s been the focal point to date of the administration is not what anybody has ever referred to as health care fraud,” said Jacob Elberg, a former assistant U.S. attorney and law professor at Seton Hall University. “There is a real blurring — a seemingly intentional blurring — between what is actually fraud and what is just spending that they are not in favor of.”
Jerry Martin, who served as a U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee under President Barack Obama and now represents health care fraud whistleblowers, said Trump’s stepped-up interest may embolden informants to come forward.
“I’ve had clients repeat back to me ‘President Trump says fraud is a priority,’” Martin said. “People are listening to it. But I don’t know that what he’s saying translates into what they believe.”
Even so, Trump’s past leniency to fraudsters might discourage the Justice Department from pursuing the whistleblowers' claims, Martin said.
“There are a lot of rank-and-file people who are operating at the lowest point in their professional careers, where they’ve seen a lot of their work essentially be water under the bridge,” Martin said. “That’s got to be really demoralizing.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
viernes, 4 de abril de 2025
AHRQ Safety Program for HAI Prevention
https://safetyprogram4hai-prevention.ahrq.gov/page/home
AHRQ Safety Program for HAI Prevention Recruitment Is Open
AHRQ is recruiting adult intensive care units (ICUs) and non-ICUs to participate in a free 9-month program to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rates in acute care hospitals with a minimum of 50 beds. Participants of the AHRQ Safety Program for HAI Prevention: CLABSI will gain free expert consultation to promote infection prevention procedures and patient safety culture, learn tools to enhance teamwork and communication, and receive regular benchmarking reports comparing progress with similar units. Participants will also receive continuing education (CEU/CME) credits. Recruitment for the CLABSI cohort is open through June 2025.
jueves, 3 de abril de 2025
Morning Briefing Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations ++++++
HHS Guts Health Agencies, Ousts 5 NIH Directors In Broad Reduction In Force
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/hhs-guts-health-agencies-ousts-5-nih-directors-in-broad-reduction-in-force/
23 States Sue Trump Administration Over $11B In Health Funding Cuts
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/23-states-sue-trump-administration-over-11b-in-health-funding-cuts/
'Liberation Day' Arrives; Some In GOP Try To Stop Tariffs On Canadian Drugs
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/liberation-day-arrives-some-in-gop-try-to-stop-tariffs-on-canadian-drugs/
House Panel Discusses Vulnerability Of Aging Medical Devices
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/house-panel-discusses-vulnerability-of-aging-medical-devices/
Wisconsin High Court Keeps Liberal Tilt With Abortion Rights On Docket
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/wisconsin-high-court-keeps-liberal-tilt-with-abortion-rights-on-docket/
Prosecutors To Seek Death Penalty For Mangione In UnitedHealthcare Slaying
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/prosecutors-to-seek-death-penalty-for-mangione-in-unitedhealthcare-slaying/
Supreme Court sides with the FDA in its dispute over sweet-flavored vaping products The justices’ unanimous decision is not the final word in the case, however
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/02/supreme-court-fda-sweet-flavored-vaping-products/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_1D6i285mgisoM9YYnmydIaZIPkvaZURo8U2kWR-j6VrImNSGb-swsxa2tsmQrldxjh5KrUbMC30tAH3efDugOXfiHPA&_hsmi=354890839&utm_content=354890839&utm_source=hs_email
Meanwhile, at the Supreme Court
Three health-related cases came before the high court yesterday. Here’s what you need to know:
The justices ruled unanimously in favor of the FDA in a case regarding the agency’s crackdown on sweet-flavored vapes. It did not violate federal law, they said, by denying a company’s application to sell flavors like “Jimmy The Juice Man in Peachy Strawberry” and “Suicide Bunny Mother’s Milk and Cookies.” But the battle isn’t quite over yet — read more.
The court also ruled in favor of a truck driver who failed a drug test and lost his job after taking a CBD supplement for chronic pain that was advertised as not having THC in it. In a 5-4 decision, the justices decided that Douglas Horn can continue with an anti-racketeering lawsuit to hold the company that made the product responsible.
Later in the morning, the court heard oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. In 2018, the governor of South Carolina issued an executive order prohibiting any clinic where abortions are performed from participating in state Medicaid. The Supreme Court is considering one specific question: Can people on Medicaid sue the state over a ban like this, citing the Medicaid Act’s free choice of provider? Planned Parenthood argued that patients should be able to do so, while the Trump administration and South Carolina said no.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/supreme-court-sides-with-truck-driver-fired-for-taking-cbd-oil?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_JbwEHMsJYXWiZ5kxbv6_7astB8c5xB9gTKd_k2M86iHkWgTi0bi6wzEHlJSCdLFjU7iYRTzPveKV3DLrry__xPtT8Bg&_hsmi=354890839&utm_content=354890839&utm_source=hs_email
The justices are expected to issue a ruling by the end of the term this June. The outcome will have implications for people seeking reproductive care in South Carolina, but also in several other states that have similarly attempted to keep Planned Parenthood out of their Medicaid networks. If you want to learn more, KFF published a great primer on the case, and Vox’s Ian Millhiser wrote some helpful analysis after the arguments about how politics could interfere with the law.
What’s at Stake in the Supreme Court Case Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic?
Laurie Sobel, Usha Ranji, and Alina Salganicoff
Published: Apr 01, 2025
https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/whats-at-stake-in-the-supreme-court-case-medina-v-planned-parenthood-south-atlantic/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8WX2Nyizl-4srKIzA8f8lorOYaxAuASSAm5r3Bppr6ALLX7kOsdhPXVjtZaA6SNTmmmzGZAc9gHt_qmrmerx9_ORAkkQ&_hsmi=354890839&utm_content=354890839&utm_source=hs_email
The Johnson & Johnson cancer drug scandal that encapsulates corruption in health care The EPO disaster in many ways exceeds that of prescription opioids
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/erythropoietin-epo-scandal-cancer-drug-johnson-and-johnson-no-more-tears-excerpt/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8lWIBauKpgnAPLDP5IEtwdx-YX2z13QwEsDiL3BTjtFmMzIqwCPUtO3z4EH_L2Ij2KVsmOJayTFjbiIM42ac-sBxwu6A&_hsmi=354890839&utm_content=354890839&utm_source=hs_email
The pharma scandal you forgot
Erythropoietin — also known as EPO — is mostly remembered as one of the drugs that cyclist Lance Armstrong used to win seven Tours de France wins. But what you may have forgotten, or never known, is the role this blood thickener played in a disaster that by one estimate cost nearly half a million people their lives.
It started in 2003, when a study concluded that EPO could be killing cancer patients. Johnson & Johnson sold it as a cancer treatment under the brand name of Procrit, and experts initially assumed the study was an outlier. But it wasn’t the first study to come up with these alarming results — months earlier, a study found that almost three times as many participants died when taking Procrit as did in the placebo group. So what happened?
“Lies, feckless government oversight, and the participation of nearly every oncologist and cancer hospital in the country are all part of this story,” writes Gardiner Harris in a new First Opinion essay.
Trump administration begins mass cuts of federal health policy researchers Two small HHS subagencies took big hits, and former and current employees say data-driven work will be severely impaired
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/02/trump-administration-begins-mass-cuts-of-federal-health-policy-researchers/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8PXJlua3JqgKxQjuuSdQ0Of7nVjliEELZ2tWnffHfosfco5ZT7qV2GDt16r6dYvwwGqswMK5VsGEau1XLvYi07HHEcFw&_hsmi=354890839&utm_content=354890839&utm_source=hs_email
STAT reporters have continued to get a clearer picture of how the cuts to federal health agencies are playing out, and the specific groups getting hit the hardest:
More than half of employees at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have been laid off, STAT’s Bob Herman and Tara Bannow report. The two agencies made up about 0.04% of the federal government’s health care spending, but experts worry that gutting the departments will undercut efforts to improve care delivery and introduce political interference into data-driven organizations. Read more.
The majority of staff, including the entire management and regulation divisions, were cut from the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, STAT’s Sarah Todd reports. The center has drawn criticism from all sides in recent years, and former officials, researchers, politicians, and others told Sarah that the cuts will only exacerbate problems with tobacco regulation and enforcement in the U.S. Read more.
What FDA cuts could mean for the future of tobacco
Sweeping cuts at the Center for Tobacco Products have experts worried about implications for chronic disease
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/trump-fda-cuts-raise-questions-tobacco-control-regulation-stop-smoking-efforts/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8YUuP9Cxzp-FAewXmgU2H5zvG3plu4EhfrcwmHaMBeckvL9RxbU4F64gPLxCVQmdUMnatj0isdV398vv15vVC0Rhit6Q&_hsmi=354890839&utm_content=354890839&utm_source=hs_email
At the NIH, scientists and other staff are left wondering where the agency is headed amid the cuts. Yesterday afternoon, a group of scientists sued the agency, arguing that an “ideological purge” of research funding is illegal and threatens medical cures. But a paper published last week — titled “A Blueprint for NIH Reform” — is circulating in academic circles, and may provide a clue to what agency leadership has in mind. It was written by Martin Kulldorff, a collaborator of the agency’s new director, Jay Bhattacharya, who is also on the editorial board of the publication, called the Journal of the Academy of Public Health. STAT’s Anil Oza wrote about the details of the blueprint and what scientists think about it.
Scientists sue NIH, saying politics cut their research funding
The suit aims to restore funding of grants that have been cancelled
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/02/scientists-sue-nih-over-grant-cuts/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ykJ_luPfhupGznX-IGHDLAUuTT-7TfkGOOeTjIN0VihsYswDkvWk3TZyMAe4JxgnesjB6xVrIIf2Z37c8hj_tpdZj9A&_hsmi=354890839&utm_content=354890839&utm_source=hs_email
miércoles, 2 de abril de 2025
Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Resume Routine Operations Following the Unwinding of the Pandemic-Era Continuous Enrollment Provision Tricia Brooks, Jennifer Tolbert, Anna Mudumala, Amaya Diana, Allexa Gardner, Aubrianna Osorio, and Shoshi Preuss Published: Apr 01, 2025
Decoding the HHS Reorganization Drew Altman Published: Apr 01, 2025
https://www.kff.org/from-drew-altman/decoding-the-hhs-reorganization/
In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines the implications of Secretary Kennedy’s reorganization of HHS and why it’s a sharp break from past efforts to reorganize the department, noting: “Prior reorganizations at HHS were mostly dedicated to building new capabilities and the federal role in health…Secretary Kennedy’s reorganization…represents an effort to cut back the size and role of the department as part of broader administration-wide effort to reduce the role of the federal government in health.”
martes, 1 de abril de 2025
Advance care planning intervention improved end-of-life documentation but increased potentially burdensome care
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/advance-care-planning-intervention-improved-end-life-documentation-increased-potentially?&utm_source=nia-eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=general-20250331
A clinical trial found that advance care planning interventions increased documentation of end-of-life preferences. A subgroup of participants who died from a serious illness also demonstrated an increase in care choices that may prolong suffering or cause harm at end of life. The findings highlight the importance of ongoing discussions and support for making end-of-life decisions.
Review of Medicare data reveals potential new statistics on dementia diagnosis
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/review-medicare-data-reveals-potential-new-statistics-dementia-diagnosis?&utm_source=nia-eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=general-20250331
A study of Medicare data showed that around 9% of beneficiaries — around 5.3 million people — may have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. The study used diagnostic and prescription-drug codes to count these cases.
Risk and future burden of dementia in the United States
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/risk-and-future-burden-dementia-united-states?&utm_source=nia-eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=general-20250331
New research suggests that lifetime dementia risk may be higher than previously thought. The study estimated that nearly 42% of Americans over 55 may develop dementia, more than double the previous estimates. The dementia risk was 4% by age 75 and 20% by age 85, with the majority of the risk occurring after 85.
Morning Briefing: HHS Workers Begin Getting Pink Slips ++++++
HHS Workers Begin Getting Pink Slips
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/hhs-workers-begin-getting-pink-slips/
Nearly 2,000 Scientists Call Out Trump For 'Assault On US Science'
Nearly 2,000 Scientists Call Out Trump For ‘Assault On US Science’
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/nearly-2000-scientists-call-out-trump-for-assault-on-us-science/
Doctors Will No Longer Be Required To Record Patients' Sexual Orientation
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/doctors-will-no-longer-be-required-to-record-patients-sexual-orientation/
Feds Freeze Family Planning Funds From Planned Parenthood
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/feds-freeze-family-planning-funds-from-planned-parenthood/
Hospitals Reportedly Receive Extortion Threats Over Alleged Oracle Hack
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/hospitals-reportedly-receive-extortion-threats-over-alleged-oracle-hack/
'Say Something' School Shooting Tip Line Is Successfully Saving Lives
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/say-something-school-shooting-tip-line-is-successfully-saving-lives/
HHS starts layoffs of thousands of workers across its agencies As many as 10,000 — one-quarter of the department — are expected to be let go
https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/01/hhs-layoffs-start-under-rfk-jr-trump-administration/?utm_campaign=breaking_news&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_iTY8jJCfxHAd8W334i6qY37QxJc5Jc2DvstpbtYQeTD3VKcNpKUpbqxxcvaCeNXE2E-QPG67zpxt50nDZcP5aVLNs3Q&_hsmi=354561829&utm_content=354561829&utm_source=hs_email
Layoff notices began arriving early Tuesday for thousands of employees of the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services and its subsidiary agencies, with as many 10,000 workers potentially expected to be hit by the cuts.
“I regret to inform you that you have been affected by a reduction in force (RIF) action,” an email to affected employees said. It went on to tell the recipients that they were placed on immediate administrative leave, offering no details of the length of that leave. The email also stated that their firing was not a reflection of their work.
lunes, 31 de marzo de 2025
Annual Medication Use and Costs Among Children
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2831871
An AHRQ-supported study in JAMA Network Open identified opportunities for improved patient safety and cost savings if medication therapy management coverage is made available to pediatric patients. For adult beneficiaries who meet the pharmaceutical cost threshold, Medicare covers the cost of a comprehensive management program proven to reduce spending and medication-related problems. Researchers reviewed the records of 529,055 children prescribed one or more medications annually in the 2022 Colorado All Payers Claims Database and found that 50 percent of patients had no concurrent medications, 44 percent had two to four concurrent medications and 6 percent had five or more concurrent medications. Of the $1.1 billion spent on prescriptions, 47 percent was spent for patients taking five or more medications. According to the article, 5 percent of pediatric patients in Colorado met the 2022 medication cost threshold for adults enrolled in Medicare to receive medication therapy management.
AHRQ Summit to Address Emergency Department Boarding
https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/topics/ed-boarding-summit-report.pdf
A new AHRQ report released today shows the causes of emergency department (ED) boarding originate at the hospital or health system level and require solutions beyond the walls of the ED. ED boarding occurs after the decision is made to admit a patient to the hospital but there is no inpatient bed available, so the patient ends up waiting in the emergency department for hours, days or even weeks. Boarding has serious impacts on patients, including excess in-hospital mortality, increased medical errors and costly delays in care delivery. It also negatively impacts hospital staff and public safety. The report presents solutions from this broad contextual view and notes opportunities for health systems, states and federal partners to lead efforts moving forward. The report highlights findings from the AHRQ Summit to Address Emergency Department Boarding held on Oct. 8, 2024, in response to a bipartisan letter from 44 members of Congress to HHS.
AHRQ in the Professional Literature ++++ ++++
AHRQ in the Professional Literature
Randomized controlled trial to evaluate a new tool to support patient decision-making on transplant centers. McKinney WT, Israni K, Schaffhausen CR, et al. Clin Transplant. 2024 Dec;38(12):e70043. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39620865/
Workflow analysis of breast cancer treatment decision-making: challenges and opportunities for informatics to support patient-centered cancer care. Salwei ME, Reale C. JAMIA Open. 2024 Jul;7(2):ooae053. Epub 2024 Jun 24. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38911330/
Birthing parent and companion verbal reactions following interactions with inpatient postpartum health care team members: an observational study using naturalistic filming. Mangas M, Saggi NS, Macias MP, et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024 Dec 20;24(1):841. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39707269/
Reducing stigma through conversations in primary care about unhealthy alcohol use. Bishop D, Parsons D, Villalobos G, et al. Ann Fam Med. 2025 Jan 27;23(1):83. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39870537/
Hospital-level variation in cardiac rehabilitation metrics. Pollack LM, Chang A, Thompson MP, et al. Am Heart J. 2025 Apr;282:58-69. Epub 2024 Dec 13. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39675500/
Changes in coverage stability and churning for private, individual insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Hill SC, Jacobs PD. Health Affairs Scholar. 2025 Jan;3(1):qxae169. Epub 2024 Dec 10. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39839084/
A systems engineering approach to alarm management on pediatric medical-surgical units. Ruppel H, Luo B, Rasooly IR, et al. J Hosp Med. 2025 Jan;20(1):98-103. Epub 2024 Oct 17. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39417242/
Developing a clinical decision support framework for integrating predictive models into routine nursing practices in home health care for patients with heart failure. Chae S, Davoudi A, Song J, et al. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2025 Jan;57(1):165-77. Epub 2024 Nov 7. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39508345/
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