👶 Million dollar baby has two of her own! Hilary Swank announced today that she is pregnant with twins.
In healthcare today, new projections from federal funds find that bivalent BA.4/BA.5 COVID boosters can prevent tens of thousands of deaths and billions in medical costs.
Welcome to Overnight Health CareFollow the latest developments in policy and news that affect your health. This is Joseph Choi from The Hill. Would someone forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here.
COVID boosters could save 90,000 lives
Omicron’s unique bivalent COVID-19 booster could prevent tens of thousands of deaths and save billions of dollars in health care costs in the United States in a successful vaccination campaign, according to new research.
New projections released by the Commonwealth Fund on Wednesday showed that about 90,000 deaths from the coronavirus could be prevented if 80% of eligible people received the latest boosters by the end of this year. .
- The foundation estimates that a broader and faster vaccination campaign could prevent more than 930,000 hospitalizations, $56 billion in medical costs and nearly 26 million infections between October and December. I’m assuming it can.
- In a statement, the Commonwealth Foundation said: “Hospitalizations and deaths could surge in the coming fall and winter as herd immunity weakens and new variants continue to emerge that can evade protection from previous vaccines and natural infections. is getting higher and higher,” he said.
Only about half of the US population receives their first booster, and only about two-thirds of the population completes the first two-dose regimen required to qualify for a bivalent booster.
Kaiser Family Foundation’s September poll data showed that only about a third of adults said they planned to get the updated booster, while about 5% said they already had it. .
Please check this out for details.
Governor signs bill banning gender-affirming care
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed a bill Tuesday that would block one of the state’s largest hospital systems from receiving federal funding if it continues to provide gender-affirming care to transgender youth. Did.
The bill, signed Tuesday, was passed by state legislators during a special session last week to allocate the state’s $1.87 billion to federal American Relief Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
Under a proposal by two Republican congressmen and two Republican senators, the University of Oklahoma (OU) hospitals will use about $40 million allocated to children’s mental health facilities if Children’s Hospital of Oklahoma is closed. You are only permitted to receive $108 million in ARPA funding, including: Provide gender-affirming care.
On Tuesday, Stitt said signing the bill was just the first step to protect children from “permanent sex reassignment surgery and treatment.”
- “It is highly inappropriate to use taxpayer dollars to condone, promote or carry out these types of controversial treatments for healthy children,” Stitt said in a statement.
- “We can’t turn a blind eye to what’s happening across the country. As governor, I will not allow life-changing transitional surgeries for underage children in Oklahoma,” Stitt said.
Oklahoma’s governor has asked the legislature to ban gender-affirming care for minors altogether when it reconvenes in February. Some state legislators have asked Stitt to hold another special session with the aim of passing a law banning such care for young people.
Please check this out for details.
9 in 10 Labeled Mental Health Crisis in US: Survey
A new poll from CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that
10 Adults Think There’s a Mental Health Crisis in the US The organization surveyed about 2,000 adults this summer.
- More than half of respondents say the mental health of children and adolescents is at risk.
- When it came to their own mental health, more than 20% of respondents described their mental health as “fair” or “bad.”
- Polls show that about half of people say they are facing a serious mental health crisis within their family, which includes “family members who pose a threat to themselves or others, or who are engaged in themselves.” It includes direct treatment for family members who are suffering, according to CNN.
This subset included adults under the age of 30, those who identified as LGBT, and the majority of those earning less than $40,000 a year. 60% of him in this group said they were not getting the care they needed for their mental health.
The survey is consistent with other research suggesting that mental health is on the decline. A study earlier this year found that insurance claims for children and adolescents for mental health reasons increased during the pandemic.
Please check this out for details.
Nearly 3 in 4 Maryland voters support marijuana legalization: poll
An overwhelming majority of voters in Maryland said they were in favor of legalizing marijuana ahead of November’s midterm elections, according to a new poll from The Washington Post and the University of Maryland.
- A poll released Wednesday found 73% of respondents said they supported the proposed legalization, while 23% of those polled opposed it.
- Poll shows 87% of respondents under 40 support legalizing weed in their state, as do 77% of African American participants and 70% of white participants .
- 81% of registered independent voters in Maryland support the proposed referendum, along with 78% of registered Democrats.
Fifty-three percent of Republicans.
Maryland could become the 20th state, along with Washington, DC, to legalize recreational weed use for adults if state voters pass this bill.
A proposed referendum would allow residents to legally own up to 1.5 ounces of recreational drugs, creating support for cannabis businesses and community reinvestment and repair funds.
Please check this out for details.
Judge orders Texas AG to testify in abortion lawsuit
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, to testify in an abortion lawsuit, reversing policy after Paxton was accused of fleeing to evade a subpoena.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pittman was the first to grant Paxton’s request to revoke his subpoena at the last minute, but it was revealed that there had been several attempts to serve him on the subpoena beforehand. He then ordered him to testify before the Attorney General of Texas.
On one occasion, Process Server said the Texas Attorney General ran away from him to avoid a subpoena.
- In Tuesday’s order, Pittman said the court initially granted the request on the premise that Paxton “had a candid opinion.”
- Upon learning more about the attempt to serve Paxton, the judge reconsidered his previous order. Pittman this time denied the Attorney General’s request, noting that he has unique first-hand knowledge of his own policies.
- “Paxton has been embroiled in this controversy by repeatedly tweeting and giving interviews about the trigger ban,” Pittman wrote in Tuesday’s order. Only Paxton, who has added his voice many times from his role as Attorney General in purposeful ways designed to reach Texans, can explain his thoughts and statements.” Stated. .
How I got here: The group that litigated in this lawsuit — made up of several nonprofit abortion funds and the OB-GYN — clarifies Paxton’s earlier remarks about enforcing Texas’ trigger laws on out-of-state abortions. requested Paxton’s testimony.
After the Abortion Fund sued Paxton in August, claiming that Paxton’s remarks violated their ability to promote abortions out of state, Paxton replied that there was “no immediate threat of enforcement.” rice field. However, he said his office considers out-of-state abortions illegal.
Please check this out for details.
what we are reading
- Errors have plagued doctors’ insurance rosters. Government wants to clean them up in its own way (Stat)
- These LSD-Based Medications May Help Anxious and Depressed Mice – No Travel (NPR)
- Medicine alone won’t stop diabetes epidemic, scientists say (The New York Times)
by state
- Addiction experts fear repercussions if California voters legalize sports betting (Kaiser Health News)
- Medicare Cuts for Kentucky Home Health Leaders (Kentucky Today)
- What Causes Pregnant Deaths in Louisiana? Accidental Overdose, Heart Disease Top the List (NOLA.com)
The Hill OP-EDS
Rethink contraception and pregnancy planning as a national priority
That’s all for today, thanks for reading. For the latest news and coverage, visit The Hill’s Health Care page. see you tomorrow.
