- Pertussis
California Sees Surge in Pertussis Cases: Whooping cough, a highly contagious and potentially dangerous illness, has surged in California this year. Fewer than 300 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, were reported in 2023. This year, 1,744 cases were reported as of the end of September, according to the California Department of Public Health. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
- Drug Overdoses
Drug Overdose Deaths Decline as Drug Supply Changes, Reports The New York Times
After years of relentless rises in overdose deaths, the United States has seen a remarkable reversal. For seven straight months, according to federal data, drug fatalities have been declining. Expanded treatment, prevention and education efforts are playing a role, but drug policy experts believe there is another, surprising reason: changes in the drug supply itself, which are, in turn, influencing how people are using drugs. ... Some epidemiologists theorize that the growing prevalence of other drugs, sold on their own and also mixed in with fentanyl, is having an impact on how people use fentanyl itself. Fentanyl is now often diluted with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that can cause horrific skin ulcers, which have even led to limb amputations. But drug policy experts said that xylazine, in some cases, might also be having a lifesaving effect. People addicted to fentanyl often need the drug numerous times a day. But xylazine can sedate users for hours. (Hoffman and Weiland, 11/21)
CNN: DEA Attributes Decline in U.S. Overdose Deaths to Less-Potent Fentanyl Pills
The US Drug Enforcement Administration says that less fentanyl is present in the nation’s illicit pill supply and that is helping drive down overdose deaths in the United States. But experts say that there are limitations to this claim and that many other factors are probably playing a role. (McPhillips, 11/21)
- Health Coverage
The New York Times: Medicaid Could See Major Cuts and Imposed Work Requirements
With Republicans set to control Washington, conservative lawmakers and policy experts who could advise the next Trump administration are discussing long-sought cuts to Medicaid, the government health program that covers roughly a fifth of all Americans and makes up about 10 percent of the federal budget. Some of the changes are being proposed as a way to pay for a law that would extend the tax cuts from the first Trump administration, most of which benefited corporations and wealthier Americans. The policies might slash funding for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion — which added roughly 23 million people to the program — or require that many enrollees work in order to receive benefits. (Kliff and Weiland, 11/20)
Disability Scoop: Advocates Warn of Potential Medicaid Cuts
With Republicans set to assume control in Washington, disability advocates are warning that proposals are in the works to drastically reshape Medicaid and undermine the nation’s system of home and community-based services. (Diament, 11/21)
KFF Health News: How Shifts in Washington Could Impact the ACA
President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House could embolden Republicans who want to weaken or repeal the Affordable Care Act, but implementing such sweeping changes would still require overcoming procedural and political hurdles. Trump, long an ACA opponent, expressed interest during the campaign in retooling the health law. In addition, some high-ranking Republican lawmakers — who will now have control over both the House and the Senate — have said revamping the landmark 2010 legislation known as Obamacare would be a priority. They say the law is too expensive and represents government overreach. (Armour, Whitehead and Rovner, 11/21)
KFF Health News: California Aims to Allocate 15% of Health Spending to Primary Care Over the Next Decade
A California agency charged with slowing health costs has set a lofty goal for insurers to direct 15% of their spending to primary care by 2034, part of the state’s effort to expand the primary care workforce and give more people access to preventive care services. The board of the state Office of Health Care Affordability in October set its benchmark well above the industry’s current 7% primary care spending rate, in hopes of improving Californians’ health and reducing the need for costlier care down the road. (Sánchez, 11/21)
- Women’s Health
ABC News: Exploring the Doubling of Postpartum Depression Rates Over the Past Decade
Rates of postpartum depression -- a serious mood disorder affecting new moms within the first 12 months after childbirth -- have doubled over the last decade, according to a new study of more than 440,000 people from Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The rate of diagnosis jumped from about 9% in 2010 to 19% in 2021. This is part of a larger trend. Mental health conditions are now the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Zusstone, 11/20)
Los Angeles Times: Federal Officials Express Concern Over Maternal Care for Black Patients at Cedars-Sinai
Federal investigators looking into the treatment of Black pregnant patients at Cedars-Sinai Health System have found evidence that federal laws against discrimination may not have been followed, according to a “letter of concern.” “Our investigation has uncovered evidence that Cedars-Sinai may have engaged in a pattern of inaction and/or neglect concerning the health risks associated with Black maternity patients,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights said in its Nov. 12 letter to Cedars-Sinai officials. (Alpert Reyes, 11/20)
- RSV
CIDRAP: Studies Highlight the Severe Health Impact and Costs of RSV Infections
A new study published today in JAMA Network Open shows 1 in 20 US adults were hospitalized within 28 days of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection during the during the 2016 to 2022 RSV seasons. A second study, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases estimates the cost of RSV infections and hospitalizations in US infants to be $1.6 billion annually, with infants 3 months and younger accounting for 43% of the costs. (Soucheray, 11/19)
- Hospital Errors
CNN: Study Finds Over One-Third of Surgical Patients Experience Complications, Many Due to Medical Errors
Despite decades of calls for more attention to patient safety in hospitals, people undergoing surgery still have high rates of complications and medical errors, a new study finds. More than a third of patients admitted to the hospital for surgery have adverse events related to their care, and at least 1 in 5 of these complications is the result of medical errors, the researchers found. (Goodman, 11/15)