A growing number of states are authorizing restrictions on gender-affirming care, stoking public confusion about what it entails and where it's permitted.
State of play: Individual states have started enacting bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth in 2023, and more than 100 anti-trans health care bills have been introduced in state legislatures so far, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Key indicators for respiratory illness declined for the first time in weeks after the holidays, signaling that the tripledemic of flu, COVID-19 and RSV may have peaked nationwide, according to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics.
What they found: 37 jurisdictions experienced high or very high incidence of fever plus cough or sore throat for the week ending Jan. 6, compared to 39 jurisdictions the previous week. COVID test positivity held stable while the percentage of positive lab tests for flu decreased nationally to 14%.
Quaker Oats expanded its recent recall by adding dozens of additional granola and cereal products at risk for possible salmonella contamination.
Why it matters: The bacteria can "cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems," the company said in its revised recall notice.
CVS is shutting down select pharmacies inside Target stores with closures starting in February, the retailer confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The drugstore industry has been hit by mounting challenges from worker shortages and surging competition from mail-order pharmacies, big-box stores like Walmart and online threats like Amazon.
Congress should raise Medicare payments for doctors and hospitals and give additional pay increases to safety-net providers next year, independent advisers to Congress recommended Thursday.
Why it matters: The recommendations from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission come as doctors urge Congress to reverse a 3.4% cut to their 2024 Medicare rates, which they say will make it harder to practice medicine.
Obesity drugs, buzzy new technology — including AI — and San Francisco's larger social and political problems, especially its homeless population, were the unavoidable topics at JPMorgan Chase's massive health care conference this year.
Why it matters: The 8,000-plus attendees at the annual event are a who's who in the health care industry, and the buzz in the hallways is a good barometer for the rest of the year.
An oft-delayed ban on menthol cigarettes is in doubt, as President Biden's pledge to "follow the science" runs into election-year politics.
Why it matters: Inaction on a ban that is expected to prevent the deaths of thousands of Black Americans each year has already left some usual allies questioning if the Biden administration is putting politics over public health.
A preliminary Food and Drug Administration review found no evidence linking a class of blockbuster obesity drugs to suicidal thoughts or actions, the agency said on Thursday.
Why it matters: It's the second such finding from U.S. health officials in a week, after a study of more than 240,000 patients' health records found people taking diabetes and weight-loss drugs including Wegovy and Ozempic had a lower risk of suicidal thoughts than people taking other drugs for those conditions.
Nearly 10,000 people died from COVID-19 in December, fueled by holiday gatherings, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
The big picture: The JN.1 variant has been the dominant COVID variant, and its rise suggests it's either more transmissible or better at dodging immune systems than other strains that are floating around.
Harbor Health, an Austin, Texas-based primary and specialty clinic group, raised $95.5 million in new venture capital funding led by General Catalyst.
Why it matters: That's a lot of dough for a primary care business operating in one state, even if it quadrupled to eight locations last year, which suggests some synergies with General Catalyst's recent announcement that it will acquire a health system (i.e., hospital).
As state legislatures get back to work across the country, state policymakers are eying measures to bolster their burned-out health care workforces, make prescription drugs more affordable and reform their Medicaid programs.
Why it matters: Policymaking in Washington tends to slow down in a presidential election year, and the current Congress — so far the least productive in decades — has struggled to advance even bipartisan health measures.
