The CDC advised U.S. clinicians on Thursday to be on the lookout for suspected cases of the Marburg virus, a rare but fatal disease that has similarities to Ebola.
Why it matters: No cases of the virus have been reported in the U.S. and officials say the risk is low. But the two distinct outbreaks reported in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania this year raise the prospect of imported cases, they said.
The FDA on Thursday sealed the fate of a controversial premature birth drug that's been on the market for more than a decade by withdrawing its approval of Covis' Makena.
Why it matters: Covis had suggested a gradual withdrawal from the market so patients could finish their 21-week course treatment. But regulators cited the lack of evidence it worked to justify an immediate end to distribution.
More than two years after Congress acted to shield patients from surprise medical bills, lawmakers are turning to another source of unexpected medical costs: the fees that hospitals tack on for services provided in clinics they own.
Why it matters: As health systems push more care outside hospital walls, they're charging extra "facility fees" for common services like blood tests, X-rays and, in some cases, even telehealth visits.
The Supreme Court has rejected West Virginia's bid to enforce a transgender athlete ban against a 12-year-old girl.
Driving the news: The court issued the rejection on Thursday in an unsigned order that did not provide details behind the decision.
Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Clarence Thomas, dissented from the rest, saying they would have granted West Virginia's petition to enforce the law against the transgender athlete.
Nearly three decades old, HIPAA appears obsolete and riddled with new technology-induced gaps.
Why it matters: With regulators unable and politicians unwilling to address the shortcomings of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, private companies are offering a fix.
Idaho could be at the center of a free speech battle over abortion care.
Driving the news: The American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday that it's suing the Idaho Attorney General for "threatening health care providers who exercise their First Amendment right to give patients information about out-of-state abortion care."
