Axios

Despite recent progress, there's still a high incidence of chronic kidney disease among adults with diabetes, particularly in minority communities, a new analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine finds.

Driving the news: The review of more than 650,000 patient records found that Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Black, Native American and Hispanic patients with diabetes had disproportionately higher rates of chronic kidney disease than white patients.

Pfizer's Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccines are now available for kids as young as 5 years old.

Yes, but: While some parents will jump at the chance to get their children boosted, uptake of this version of the booster will likely remain low, unless there's a wintertime surge of new cases.

Paxlovid can have severe interactions with some of the most common heart medications, complicating treatment options for cardiac patients at increased risk of developing severe COVID, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Why it matters: Hospitalized COVID patients are at increased risk of facing major cardiovascular problems and could benefit from the antiviral pill. But doctors have to be aware of the potential adverse effects before they prescribe it.

A new nonprofit is connecting pilots of small airplanes with people seeking access to abortion and gender-affirming care.

Why it matters: As states such as Texas, Indiana and West Virginia pass new laws tightly restricting abortion access and other forms of care, residents in need of treatment are often forced to travel elsewhere.

The Indiana Supreme Court on Wednesday issued an order that keeps the state's near-total abortion ban blocked while it considers the constitutionality of the law.

Why it matters: An appeals court temporarily blocked the law in September, after health providers in the state filed a lawsuit arguing that the ban violated both the Indiana Constitution's right to privacy and equal privileges protections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday recommended a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for children as young as 5, aimed at the Omicron variant, hours after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the shot.

The big picture: The announcement comes as the White House continues to monitor a rise in the COVID-19 subvariants emerging and evolving throughout the world.

Half of all voters say that they are more motivated to cast a ballot in the midterms because of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Wednesday.

Why it matters: Three-quarters of those who say the decision is motivating them say they intend to back candidates who support abortion rights, compared to 17% who plan to vote for candidates who want to limit access.

Three disabled Medicare beneficiaries and two organizations are suing Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, alleging he restricted the availability of home health services for individuals who need aides for short periods of time.

Why it matters: The lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia comes as home health agencies face looming Medicare payment cuts that the providers say will reduce the number of visits for some patients, or result in the loss of care entirely.

Employers grappling with surging health care costs are embracing new tech-driven care arrangements and alternative payment models to cushion the financial blow to their workers.

The big picture: Companies anticipate a median 7% increase in medical costs for next year but know passing that on to employees could be disastrous in a tight labor market, experts said.