First Edition: May 30, 2018
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Veterans Find The Comfort Of Home In Foster Care, An Alternative To Nursing Homes
Ralph Stepney’s home on a quiet street in north Baltimore has a welcoming front porch and large rooms, with plenty of space for his comfortable recliner and vast collection of action movies. The house is owned by Joann West, a licensed caregiver who shares it with Stepney and his fellow Vietnam War veteran Frank Hundt.“There is no place that I’d rather be. … I love the quiet of living here, the help we get. I thank the Lord every year that I am here,” Stepney, 73, said. (Kime, 5/30)
Kaiser Health News:
To Lower Medicare Drug Costs And Get Around Gag Orders At Pharmacy, Just Ask For The Cash Price
As part of President Donald Trump’s blueprint to bring down prescription costs, Medicare officials have warned insurers that “gag orders” keeping pharmacists from alerting seniors that they could save money by paying cash — rather than using their insurance — are “unacceptable and contrary” to the government’s effort to promote price transparency. But the agency stopped short of requiring insurers to lift such restrictions on pharmacists. (Jaffe, 5/30)
California Healthline:
Health Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to defend California’s values.“If that translates into fighting Donald Trump, then so be it,” he said in a recent interview. Becerra has been one of the leading voices in California’s charge against the federal government, filing more than 30 lawsuits on health care and other issues since taking office in January of last year. (Gorman, 5/25)
The New York Times:
Supreme Court Allows Arkansas Abortion Restrictions To Stand
The Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to hear a challenge to an Arkansas law that could force two of the state’s three abortion clinics to close.As is their custom, the justices gave no reasons for turning away the appeal. The case will continue to be litigated in the lower courts. The law concerns medication abortions, which use pills to induce abortions in the first nine weeks of pregnancy. The law, enacted in 2015, requires providers of the procedure to have contracts with doctors who have admitting privileges at a hospital in the state. Abortion clinics in Arkansas said they were unable to find any doctors willing to sign such contracts. (Liptak, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Justices Allow Arkansas To Enforce Abortion Restrictions
The justices didn't comment in rejecting an appeal from the Planned Parenthood affiliate in Arkansas that asked the court to review an appeals court ruling and reinstate a lower court order that had blocked the law from taking effect. The law says doctors who provide abortion pills must hold a contract with another physician who has admitting privileges at a hospital and who would agree to handle complications — and Planned Parenthood says it has been unable to find any able to do so. The law is similar to a provision in Texas law that the Supreme Court struck down in 2016. (Sherman, 5/29)
The Wall Street Journal:
Supreme Court Allows Arkansas Restrictions On Abortion Drugs
The court’s announcement, in a one-line order, was a blow to abortion-rights advocates who said a 2015 Arkansas law effectively prohibited medication abortions, in which a woman can terminate an early-stage pregnancy by taking pills instead of undergoing a surgical procedure. The state law says a doctor who prescribes abortion-inducing drugs must contract with a physician who has admitting and surgical privileges at a hospital designated to handle any emergencies. Arkansas in court papers argued that the requirement promoted good medical practices and follow-up treatment. (Kendall, 5/29)
The Hill:
Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Arkansas Abortion Law
“Protecting the health and well-being of women and the unborn will always be a priority,” Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (R) said Tuesday after the Supreme Court decision. “We are a pro-life state and always will be as long as I am Attorney General.” Planned Parenthood had argued the law was strikingly similar to a measure in Texas that the Supreme Court struck down in 2016. That law required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles, a requirement the court said constituted an undue burden on abortion access. (Wheeler, 5/29)
Modern Healthcare:
Supreme Court Ruling Could Ease Wage Lawsuits Against Healthcare Employers
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing employers to require workers to sign individual arbitration agreements could sharply reduce class-action lawsuits against healthcare companies claiming violations of federal and state rules on wages, hours, and sexual and racial discrimination. In a 5-4 decision last week on three consolidated cases, the high court held that companies can include clauses in employment contracts that require employees to resolve disputes through individual arbitration, barring them from banding together to seek relief for common issues. The decision could affect about 25 million employees. (Meyer and Arndt, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Another Judge Blocks Feds From Ending Teen Pregnancy Grant
A federal judge in Seattle on Tuesday became the latest to block President Donald Trump's administration from prematurely cutting off funding for science-based programs aimed at reducing teen pregnancy. King County, which includes Seattle, sued after the Department of Health and Human Services decided to end funding two years early for what was supposed to be a five-year, $5 million grant through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. (5/29)
The Hill:
Fourth Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Cuts To Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Judge John Coughenour in Washington state ruled Tuesday afternoon that the administration unlawfully ended grants two years early for the King County Health Department in Seattle, which participated in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program. "This ruling is such a relief, as we are so close to the finish line for completing this study and building an evidence base for sex education nationwide," said Patty Hayes, director of public health for Seattle and King County. The ruling is significant as a class-action lawsuit filed by the remaining 72 grantees plays out in court. (Hellmann, 5/29)
The Hill:
Cassidy Plans Bill Mandating Price Transparency In Health Care
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Tuesday said that he hopes to soon introduce legislation mandating price transparency in health care to enable patients to compare prices before getting procedures. Cassidy told Fox News Radio that the legislation would mean that “if somebody gets an X-ray order for their child's belly, they will know the cost of that before they go in to get it done and they can price shop.” (Sullivan, 5/29)
The New York Times:
They’re Out Of Prison. Can They Stay Out Of The Hospital?
The night Ronald Sanders turned his life around, he had been smoking crack for two days in a tiny, airless room. His infant son, Isaiah, was breathing in the fumes. “His chest was beating really hard,” Mr. Sanders recalled. “So I pray: ‘If my son makes it through the night, that’s it.’” Mr. Sanders quit using drugs and stopped cycling in and out of prison more than two decades ago. He is now a community health worker who helps people getting out of prison deal with a host of medical, psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. (Brown, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Virginia Lawmakers Set To Expand Medicaid
Virginia lawmakers are set to end a budget stalemate and pass Medicaid expansion. Both chambers of the Republican-controlled General Assembly are scheduled to meet Wednesday to take up a state budget plan that expands the publicly funded health care program for the poor. About 400,000 low-income adults would be newly eligible. Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years to expand Medicaid in Virginia. Several state Republicans dropped their opposition this year, saying the state would be better off with increased federal funding for the program. (5/30)
The Washington Post:
Va. Senate Appears Primed To Expand Medicaid In Wednesday Vote
Supporters consider expansion a moral and economic no-brainer, since the federal government is offering to pay 90 percent of the cost. Opponents, fearful that Washington will renege on the funding and stick Virginia with the whole $2 billion-a-year tab, call it financially irresponsible. After wrestling with that question for the past four years, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a spending plan in February with expansion. And supporters say they have the votes they need to do the same when the full Senate meets Wednesday. But first, Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. made an unsuccessful last-ditch effort Tuesday to try to block Medicaid expansion for yet another year. (Vozzella, 5/29)
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Insurer WellCare To Acquire Meridian For $2.5 Billion
Managed-care company WellCare Health Plans Inc. has reached a deal to buy Meridian, which operates a pharmacy-benefit manager and health plans in Illinois and Michigan, for $2.5 billion in cash. The transaction allows Tampa, Fla.-based WellCare to expand its government-sponsored health plans by adding Michigan, where Meridian has the No. 1 Medicaid market position, and grow its Medicaid business in Illinois, the companies said Tuesday. The deal is expected to close by year’s end. (Al-Muslim, 5/29)
The Wall Street Journal:
Allergan Recalls Taytulla Birth-Control Packs After Pills Placed Out Of Order
Allergan PLC is recalling nearly 170,000 sample packs of its birth-control treatment Taytulla after placebo and active capsules were placed out of order, potentially raising the risk of an unintended pregnancy. The drugmaker said Tuesday the physician sample packs of Taytulla were designed to have 24 active birth control pills, followed by four placebo pills, taken daily over the course of 28 days. Allergan, which attributed the issue to a packing error, said the four inactive pills were incorrectly placed at the start of the package. The company said it recently learned of the issue from a physician report and launched a voluntary recall of 168,768 packs. (Hufford, 5/29)
Stat:
Allergan Recalls Birth-Control Pill Packs With Out-Of-Order Placebos
The blister packs should have contained pink capsules with oral contraceptive hormones for the first 24 days, followed by four days of maroon capsules without hormones. Reversing the order of the pills could have gone unnoticed by women taking them. Missing even a few days of the hormones could lead to unintended pregnancy if taken at the wrong time over 28 days. In a statement, Allergan said it is notifying customers by recall letter. It also encouraged patients to contact their doctors. (Cooney, 5/29)
Stat:
The Addyi Female Libido Pill Has Fewer Restrictions In Canada. Is The U.S. Next?
In a little noticed move, the company that sells the Addyi pill for female sexual dysfunction recently won regulatory approval in Canada, thanks to a follow-up study designed to address a nagging safety question. But while the endorsement may set the stage for a commercial revival in the U.S., where the drug has been a spectacular flop, it’s not clear the findings will put the safety concerns to rest. At issue is the extent to which women should drink alcohol while on the drug, since it must be taken every day to be effective. In fact, when it was first approved nearly three years ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the product labeling warned that alcohol and Addyi should not be taken together. But in approving Addyi, Health Canada decided only to place limits on that interaction. (Silverman, 5/29)
The Hill:
Puerto Rico Hurricane Death Toll 70 Times Higher Than Official Government Estimate, Says Study
Nearly 5,000 people died in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria, more than 70 times more than the official government death toll, according to a new study from The New England Journal of Medicine. The study, released Tuesday, calls the official government estimate a "substantial underestimate" while saying that an adjusted statistic could point to as many as 5,740 more deaths than the official estimate. (Wise, 5/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Hurricane Maria's Death Toll Was 70 Times Higher Than Puerto Rican Officials Have Reported, Study Says
If the analysis is correct, it means that for every hurricane-related death that's currently on the books, another 70 fatalities in the U.S. territory have gone uncounted. "Our results indicate that the official death count of 64 is a substantial underestimate of the true burden of mortality after Hurricane Maria," researchers concluded in a study published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Kaplan and Khan, 5/29)
NPR:
Hurricane Maria: 4,645 Died In Puerto Rico From Storm In 2017, Study Says
A research team led by scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health didn't simply attempt to count dead bodies in the wake of the powerful storm. Instead, they surveyed randomly chosen households and asked the occupants about their experiences. From that approach, they concluded that between Sept. 20 and Dec. 31, 2017, there were 4,645 "excess deaths" — that is, deaths that would not have occurred if the island hadn't been plunged into a prolonged disaster following the devastating storm. (Harris, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Study Estimates Higher Death Toll In Puerto Rico Post-Maria
"Indirect deaths resulting from worsening of chronic conditions or from delayed medical treatments may not be captured on death certificates," researchers said in the study. They calculated 4,645 more people died in the three months after Maria compared with the same period in 2016. One of the researchers, Rafael Irizarry of Harvard University, told the AP that the estimate is uncertain because of its limited size, but that the study still provides valuable information, including how some people died. (5/29)
The New York Times:
Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria Death Toll Could Exceed 4,000, New Study Estimates
Under pressure, the government announced in December that all deaths that occurred after Maria hit would be reviewed and that people who died either directly or indirectly from the storm and its aftermath would be included in a revised tally. The government commissioned a review by researchers at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, who had promised an initial report in May. But that analysis has barely begun. “They’re still acquiring data,” said Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, the school’s dean. The study will use the territory’s vital records and information from funeral homes, the medical system and the larger public. (Fink, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Health Officials 'Cautiously Optimistic' On Ebola Response
The World Health Organization said Tuesday it is "cautiously optimistic" about efforts to curb the spread of Ebola in an urban area in Congo, although the lethal virus is still reported in at least two remote areas. There have been 35 confirmed cases, including 12 deaths. The U.N. health agency and partners have vaccinated more than 400 people with an experimental Ebola vaccine, the first time it has been used in an emerging outbreak. (5/29)
Stat:
Ebola Outbreak Opens Way To Chaotic Jockeying To Test Experimental Drugs
Companies and other players involved in the development of experimental Ebola drugs are jockeying to have their products tested in the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, part of a chaotic and politically charged effort to use them in the midst of a crisis. With one vaccine already being used in the field, plans are underway to see if another might also be tested. And as many as five drugs, most of which are not supported by much human data, could be used in head-to-head trials. When considering one of those treatments recently, scientific experts told the World Health Organization they couldn’t recommend its use at this time, but the DRC government has already said it’s eager to move ahead. (Branswell, 5/30)
The Wall Street Journal:
Clues To Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s From How You Use Your Computer
How you type or move a mouse could help detect whether you have a serious disease like Parkinson’s. A Duke University doctor working with Microsoft researchers sifted through data on the physical movements of computer users that came from millions of internet searches. Their study found links between some behaviors—such as tremors when using a mouse, repeat queries and average scrolling velocity—and Parkinson’s disease. They used artificial intelligence, or a computer analysis, to identify which of the metrics separated a control group from those searching for Parkinson’s disease symptoms. (Reddy, 5/29)
Stat:
Research In Mice May Explain CAR-T Therapy's Toxic Side Effects — And How To Block Them
CAR-T therapy is a potent new tool for several cancers, but its toxic side effects have put a damper on some of the enthusiasm around its use. Scientists, however, are beginning to unravel why these dangerous toxicities crop up — and are proposing potential interventions that could make CAR-T therapy safer. Their work was published in two papers in Nature Medicine. While the research is based on rudimentary mouse models, it outlines the mechanisms that cause deadly side effects like cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. (Keshavan, 5/29)
Bloomberg:
Is There A Doctor On The Plane? Airlines Often Hope Not
In May 2016, Lewis Christman was flying from Chicago to Rome when he suffered a bout of acute pancreatitis. He curled into a fetal position on the floor. He spent the next seven hours in agony while the plane flew on. The next three months, he spent in hospitals. This month, Christman sued, accusing United Continental Holdings Inc. of ignoring a recommendation from a doctor on board to divert the flight and failing to contact medical consultants on the ground. It was another round of bad publicity for United and one that draws scrutiny to how U.S. air carriers treat passengers in distress and the pressure to keep flights in the air. (Levingston, 5/29)
The Washington Post:
A Doctor Removed Her Ovaries Because They Were ‘In The Way.’ Her Family Says It Led To Her Death.
The removal of her ovaries never came up during her surgery consultations. Lucinda Methuen-Campbell was considering treatment for a bowel disorder at the Spire Hospital in Bristol, England, in 2016. A surgeon there, Anthony Dixon, had gained international recognition for fixing patients’ bowel problems with vaginal mesh implants. Methuen-Campbell went ahead with the surgery — and was shocked to learn afterward that Dixon had removed her ovaries. She asked him why. “He said he thought he’d done me a favor. And he said, ‘I thought you know, a woman of your age wouldn’t really need her ovaries,’ ” Methuen-Campbell told the BBC. (Eltagouri, 5/29)
The New York Times:
Lowe’s Drops Paint Strippers Blamed In Dozens Of Deaths
Lowe’s, the large home improvement retailer, announced Tuesday that it will no longer sell paint strippers that contain the chemicals methylene chloride and NMP, which have been blamed in dozens of accidental deaths. The Obama administration, in its final days, concluded that the two chemicals represented “unreasonable risks” and moved to ban them for use as paint strippers. But the Environmental Protection Agency has not enacted the ban. (Lipton, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Legal Hurdles Loom For Prosecutors In USC Gynecologist Case
The University of Southern California has received hundreds of complaints about a former school gynecologist suspected of conducting inappropriate exams for decades, prompting the resignation of the school president and a police investigation. More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed and police are talking to more than 50 women who complained, so far. Whether Dr. George Tyndall faces charges, though, depends on if complaints about creepy comments, improper photos in the exam room and uncomfortable probing went beyond dubious doctoring and into the criminal realm. (Melley, 5/30)
Los Angeles Times:
LAPD Begins Sweeping Criminal Probe Of Former USC Gynecologist While Urging Patients To Come Forward
The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USC's longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. (Hamilton, Winton and Elmahrek, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
LA Police: More Than 50 Claims Of Sex Abuse By USC Doctor
Los Angeles police are investigating allegations by more than 50 women about possible sexual abuse by a University of Southern California gynecologist dating back decades, authorities said Tuesday. Police said allegations against Dr. George Tyndall date from 1990 to 2016 during a period in which they estimate he could have treated over 10,000 women. They encouraged any other potential victims to come forward. (5/29)
The New York Times:
San Francisco’s Homeless Crisis Tests Mayoral Candidates’ Liberal Ideals
In the bluest of blue cities, it can be hard to tell political candidates apart. The four front-runners in the June 5 San Francisco mayoral election, all Democrats, talk about the importance of protecting immigrants and the pernicious effects of income inequality. It goes without saying that they support gay rights, legalized marijuana and more funding for public transportation. Ron Turner, a book publisher and longtime San Francisco resident, compares the election to “trying to pick a leader at a family picnic.” (Fuller, 5/30)
Los Angeles Times:
It Took More Than A Decade To Open Public Bathrooms On Skid Row. After Three Months, They're Already Gone
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's unveiling of the first new public bathrooms on skid row in more than a decade was seen as a possible turning point for the homeless enclave, which remains mired in misery even as downtown development closes in around it. But after more than three months of operation, the trailers with toilets and showers shut down in late March for a planned expansion and now are gone. Across town, bathroom access for Venice's homeless people is hung up over approvals from other agencies. (Holland, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Conspirator To Be Sentenced In Massive Health Fraud Scheme
One of the principal figures in a large-scale health care fraud scheme is scheduled to be sentenced in New Jersey. Craig Nordman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe doctors and money laundering for his role in a yearslong scheme in which New Jersey-based Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services bribed doctors to send them blood samples for testing that often was unnecessary. (5/30)
The Associated Press:
Lawyer: Florida Governor Should End Medical Marijuana Appeal
The man who led the efforts to allow the use of medical marijuana in Florida two years ago implored Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday to drop the state's opposition to letting patients smoke it. Leon County Circuit Court Judge Karen Gievers ruled Friday that the state's ban on smokable medical marijuana is unconstitutional. Less than an hour after the ruling, the Department of Health filed an appeal that is currently in the state's 1st District Court of Appeal. (5/29)