Axios

A 43-year-old Israeli flight attendant died after contracting measles in late March on a flight from New York and falling into a coma, according to Israeli media reports Tuesday.

Why it matters: It's uncommon that someone in a developed country such as Israel dies from measles. This is the third measles-related death in Israel since November, per the BBC — but it is unclear how the flight attendant contracted the mostly vaccine-preventable disease.

Recent research showing stronger links between an enterovirus and the polio-like illness called acute flaccid myelitis has led the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to start work on an EV-D68 vaccine, director Anthony Fauci tells Axios.

Why it matters: While rare, the devastating illness AFM suddenly strikes children, causing abrupt muscle weakness, paralysis or sometimes death. Researchers have been on the hunt for its cause — and while not definitive, the link with enterovirus D68 has grown stronger, including via a new study in the peer-reviewed journal mBio.

The universe of people covered by the Affordable Care Act keeps narrowing.

Between the lines: People who make too much money to qualify for help paying their premiums are fleeing the ACA’s insurance exchanges. But the exchanges are still pretty stable for people who receive premium subsidies, according to new federal data.

Surprise medical bills have gotten more common and more expensive, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Why it matters: These bills can be devastating to patients, even those who have some savings and a steady source of income.

Public health officials announced Monday they had gathered enough preliminary data to determine that 2 of the 4 investigational treatments for Ebola performed better than the others. The current trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been dropped to focus on a new extension trial for the 2 monoclonal antibodies.

Why it matters: There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for Ebola. Researchers testing drugs during the DRC's largest outbreak found a cocktail of 3 antibodies called REGN-EB3 was most effective, followed closely by monoclonal antibody 114.

Hospital prices for inpatient services increased more than the prices paid to doctors providing these services between 2013 and 2017, according to a new data brief by United Health Group.

By the numbers: Hospital prices for inpatient services increased by 19% over this time period, or by 4.5% per year. Physician prices for inpatient services increased by 10%, or 2.5% per year.

American hospital care is so expensive that some employers are paying patients to receive care in other countries, and they're sending an American doctor with them to provide the care, the New York Times reports with Kaiser Health News.

Why it matters: Hospital care costs are so high in America that it makes financial sense for employers to pay their employees to receive care from an American doctor in another country. Think of what that means for the vast majority of Americans who don't have this opportunity.