Effective January 1, Medi-Cal Eligibility Opens to All Immigrants Regardless of Legal Status
In the new year, California’s Medicaid program will open to otherwise eligible immigrants ages 26 to 49 without legal residency. They will join children, young adults, and adults over 50 enrolled in Medi-Cal through previous expansions to residents lacking authorization. The change is expected to add over 700,000 first-time enrollees. (Bernard J. Wolfson, 12/15 )
CBS News: CDC Reports Hundreds of Young Children Fatally Injured While Playing with Guns
Hundreds of young children in the U.S. have been killed playing with guns over the last two decades, according to a study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vast majority of cases involved guns that were stored unlocked and loaded. The CDC report's authors say their new findings highlight the rising toll taken by accidental gun deaths that could be preventable. (Tin, 12/14)
Axios: CDC Reveals Most Children Killed in Gun Accidents Discovered Weapon in the Bedroom
Children and teens involved in unintentional fatal shootings most commonly found the gun inside or on top of a nightstand, under a mattress or pillow, or on top of a bed, according to a new federal study. (Reed, 12/14)
Bloomberg: The Contamination of Chemotherapy for Pediatric Cancer Patients
Methotrexate, a drug used to treat leukemia and other cancers, is commonly prescribed, usually tolerated, often given as an injection. Much of it is manufactured in India. It’s a pale yellow liquid that’s always supposed to be sterile, free from any bacteria. Employees at Naprod Life Sciences were rushing to complete orders for thousands of vials. No one had been in charge of the quality department for months. The methotrexate they were manufacturing was destined for the most vulnerable: leukemia patients, some of them children, in developing countries. (Taggart and Pulla, 12/15)
CIDRAP: Study on COVID Reveals 40% of Children Remain Infectious After Resolution of Symptoms
A study today of viral shedding dynamics in 101 children who had COVID-19 during the Omicron surge in Toronto shows that 40% were still infectious on the day after their symptoms resolved. Moreover, rapid antigen tests (RATs) were often negative early in the course of illness, and thus cannot be relied on to exclude infection, they authors say. The study is published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Soucheray, 12/12)
Reuters: U.S. Panel Advises Counseling for Children with Obesity to Begin at Age 6
Children with obesity should receive intensive counseling to promote healthy diet and exercise habits starting at age 6, according to a draft recommendation issued by a panel of U.S. experts on Wednesday. The government-backed U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) had recommended in 2017 that screening for obesity start at age 6.Research since then has shown the effectiveness of intensive behavioral interventions - defined as at least 26 hours of counseling with one or more health professionals - for achieving a healthy weight and improving the quality of life for children and adolescents, the panel said. The recommendation did not specify a timeframe. (Lapid, 12/12)
CIDRAP: 72% Decrease in Pneumococcal Disease Among Children Over Two Decades Following Vaccine Introduction
The rate of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children plummeted 72% from 2002 to 2021 and continued to fall after the 7-valent (7-strain) pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was replaced by the 13-valent version (PCV13), a Yale University–led team reports today in Pediatrics. (Van Beusekom, 12/13)
Modern Healthcare: Nemours to Introduce Pediatric Hospital-At-Home Program in the Coming Year
Nemours Children’s Health plans to launch a pediatric hospital-at-home program next year, despite questions about how it will be reimbursed for home-based care.The program would provide acute home-based care to patients within a 40-mile radius of the health system’s two hospitals in Wilmington, Delaware, and Orlando, Florida, said Dr. Eric Jackson, chief innovation officer. The care would include remote patient monitoring, telehealth and in-person visits to children with urgent, short-term illnesses such as respiratory syncytial virus, Covid-19, bronchitis and influenza. (Eastabrook, 12/12)
Medical and Dental Professionals in Los Angeles County Plan to Go on Strike: Physicians and dentists working at Los Angeles County-run hospitals, clinics, and other county facilities have made plans to go on strike shortly after Christmas to protest what their union describes as inadequate benefits and dire vacancies. The Union of American Physicians and Dentists said Wednesday that it had set a Dec. 27 date for a walkout. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
CalMatters: Surge in Food Insecurity in California as Pandemic Assistance Concludes
Food insecurity in California ticked upward over the past year, bringing the share of hardship back up to levels early in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released by the California Association of Food Banks on Tuesday. “Families are buying less food,” said May Lynn Tan, the association’s director of research and strategic initiatives, who conducted a survey of food aid recipients this summer. “They’re running out of food, not being able to afford nutritious meals, and worrying more about food.” (Kuang, 12/13)
Los Angeles Times: Parents Prepare for a Long Winter Break Amid a Mix of Holiday Joy, Panic, and Food Insecurity
Just looking at the winter calendar sends Michelle Homme into a panic. Monday marks the start of 2½ weeks with no child care, when her 3-year-old son’s Pacific Palisades preschool shuts down for the holidays. For Homme, a single mother and self-employed interior designer, that means 18 days of almost no time to earn the money she needs to support her family. “You cannot work with a preschooler at home. It doesn’t matter if there is one parents or two parents,” said Homme, who has neither help from extended family nor an employer that provides her with vacation days. Work has been slow this year and money tight. She looked for temporary care, but cannot afford the $100 a day it would cost. (Gold, 12/14)
The Hill: Bill Enabling Schools to Offer Whole Milk Passes in the House
The House has passed a bill allowing whole milk to be served in school cafeterias for the first time since 2012. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which permits the National School Lunch Program to serve whole milk, passed 330-99 in the House on Wednesday afternoon. It now heads to the Senate. Regulations have stipulated which kinds of milk can be offered in school cafeterias since 2012 when then-First Lady Michelle Obama moved to only permit low-fat milk variations. (Polus, 12/13)
Reuters: Healthcare Expenditures in the U.S. Reach $4.5 Trillion in 2022
Healthcare spending in the United States rose 4.1% in 2022 to $4.5 trillion, federal data showed on Wednesday, a rate that officials said indicated a return to pre-pandemic patterns after two years of volatility. The growth was driven by spending on Medicaid and private health insurance, with the insured share of the population surging to a historic high of 92%, data from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) showed. (12/13)
NPR: Report Highlights Insufficient Access to Mental Health Treatment in the United States
Roughly two-thirds of Americans with a diagnosed mental health condition were unable to access treatment in 2021, though they had health insurance. And only a third of insured people who visited an emergency department or hospital during a mental health crisis, received follow-up care within a month of being discharged. These are among the findings of a new report by the actuary firm Milliman, released Wednesday. The mental health advocacy group, Inseparable, commissioned the report and also released an accompanying brief offering policy solutions to address the gaps in mental health care. (Chatterjee, 12/13)
CBS News: Students Assert that the Cellphone Ban in Their New York School Contributed to Enhanced Mental Health
At Newburgh Free Academy in New York, cell phones are locked away for the entire school day, including lunch. Students like Tyson Hill and Monique May say it is a relief after constantly being on their phones during the COVID-19 lockdown, when screen time among adolescents more than doubled, according to a study last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. "I blame my darkest moments because of my phone," Tyson told CBS News. (Oliver, 12/13)
KFF Health News: Los Angeles County Allocates Significant Funds for Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy for K-12 Students
Los Angeles County public schools are rolling out an ambitious effort to offer free mental health services to their 1.3 million K-12 students, a key test of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping, $4.7 billion program to address a youth mental health crisis. Spearheaded by the county’s Medi-Cal plans — which provide health insurance to low-income residents — in collaboration with its Office of Education and Department of Mental Health, the LA school program relies on teletherapy services provided by Hazel Health, one of a clutch of companies that have sprung up to address a nationwide shortage of mental health services that grew much worse during the covid-19 pandemic. (Castle Work, 12/12)
Axios: Pew Study Reveals Many Teens Engage with Social Media "Almost Constantly"
Nearly 1 in 5 teens say they're on YouTube or TikTok "almost constantly," according to a Pew Research Center report. The report paints a picture of a rising generation whose lives are dominated by a handful of social platforms — amid ongoing debate over the possible mental health harms that could result. Pew's latest survey on teens and technology — which polled 1,453 kids online, ages 13-17 — found roughly the same amount of internet use as last year, but substantially more than when the survey was conducted in 2014-2015. (Kingson, 12/11)
Stat: Phase 1 Trial for Male Birth Control Pill Commences in the U.K.
From several types of hormonal pills to implants, IUDs, and vaginal rings, women have a lot of birth control choices that are both non-surgical and reversible. Men have just one: Condoms, which are 87% effective in preventing pregnancy, and thus less reliable than many other methods. Attempts to change the status quo have been scarce and unsuccessful. In 2016, a trial for a hormonal male birth control pill was halted after men reported side effects including acne and mood swings — though such side effects are also experienced by women on various hormonal contraceptives. (Merelli, 12/13)
NBC News: Study Finds Link Between Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Low Birth Weight
Women who use marijuana during pregnancy may be putting their babies’ health at risk, with risk increasing as use goes up, a new study suggests. An analysis of data from more than 9,000 moms-to-be from across the U.S. revealed that cannabis exposure during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of unhealthy outcomes, especially low birth weight. Moreover, the more cannabis moms-to-be consumed, the higher the risk, according to the report, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Carroll, 12/12)
Stat: Expanded Potential for Bone Marrow Transplants to Benefit More Sickle Cell Patients
The sickle cell community has for the past few days been buzzing with news of the first-ever approved gene therapies for the devastating disease. Meanwhile, researchers at the American Society of Hematology meeting on Tuesday are reporting advances in a less expensive and more established strategy proven to cure patients: bone marrow transplant. (Wosen, 12/12)
The New York Times: Availability of New Sickle Cell Therapies Limited in Areas Where They Are Most Needed
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval on Friday of two groundbreaking gene therapy treatments for sickle cell disease has brought a rare moment of hope and celebration to people with the agonizing blood disorder. But there is no clear path for the new therapies — one-time treatments so effective in clinical trials that they have been hailed as cures — to reach the countries where the vast majority of people with sickle cell live. Shortly after the approval their manufacturers announced sticker prices in the millions of dollars: $3.1 million for Lyfgenia, made by Bluebird Bio, and $2.2 million for Casgevy, made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. *Robbins and Nolen, 12/8)
Axios: Questions Arise Regarding Cost and Access with New Sickle Cell Gene Therapies
The Food and Drug Administration took a big step toward ending the most common inherited blood disorder on Friday by approving a pair of gene therapies for sickle cell disease. The one-time treatments are both grueling and could cost millions of dollars, raising questions about equity and access. (Bettelheim, 12/9)
Stat: ASH Experts Express Cautious Optimism Regarding Sickle Cell Gene Therapies
News of the Food and Drug Administration’s historic approval of the first gene therapies for sickle cell disease sparked discussion, debate, and, above all, measured optimism at this year’s meeting of the American Society of Hematology. (Wosen, 12/9)
KFF Health News: Individuals with Disabilities Anticipate Autonomous Vehicles Bringing Independence
Myrna Peterson predicts self-driving vehicles will be a ticket out of isolation and loneliness for people like her, who live outside big cities and have disabilities that prevent them from driving. Peterson, who has quadriplegia, is an enthusiastic participant in an unusual test of autonomous vehicles in this corner of northern Minnesota. She helped attract government funding to bring five self-driving vans to Grand Rapids, a city of 11,000 people in a region of pine and birch forests along the Mississippi River. (Leys, 12/12)
The Public Health Crisis of Gun Violence
In the United States, gun violence leads to roughly 30,000 inpatient hospital stays, 50,000 emergency room visits, and more than $1 billion in immediate medical costs every year — a veritable public health crisis. And with most of the associated costs borne by Medicaid and Medicare, it’s American taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill. In our International Insights newsletter, Commonwealth Fund Vice President Reggie Williams explores what the health system can do to help address gun violence, looking abroad for effective policies and programs the U.S. might consider.
Broadening State Services for Youth with Autism
Improved screening and greater awareness have led to a dramatic increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses in young people over the past two decades. But the supports available to youth with ASD haven’t kept pace with the rising need, particularly for the one of three children on the spectrum who live in households with low income. Expert Laura Conrad explains how states can improve Medicaid services for young people with ASD, such as by expanding youth-specific Medicaid autism waivers, helping families understand their coverage and care options, and expanding access to school-based Medicaid services.