We have sympathy for retail workers at this time of year. All they want for Christmas is NOT To hear Mariah Carey’s ubiquitous holiday anthem.
Today in health, we look at two West Coast states that have achieved legislative victories in their goals of improving public health.
More: Anthony Fauci’s latest comments on his time working in the Trump administration.
Welcome to night health care, where we follow the latest developments in policies and news concerning your health. For The Hill, we are Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? register here or in the box below.
SCOTUS refuses to block flavored tobacco ban
The Supreme Court on Monday denied a request by a group of big tobacco companies to block California’s recently passed ban on flavored tobacco products, allowing a lower court’s decision to allow the continuation of flavored tobacco products. the ban.
Major tobacco companies, including RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company and Modoral Brands Inc. filed an application for an injunction in court last month, asking judges to consider whether California had the authority to institute the ban.
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, who handles emergency cases stemming from the Ninth Circuit, denied the request in a response on Monday, saying it had been sent back to the full court. No dissent from other judges was noted.
Previous actions:
- Prior to this Supreme Court denial, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had denied a similar claim by tobacco companies, finding that states retained the ability to regulate tobacco products despite federal statutes granting regulatory powers to the state. Food and Drug Administration.
- The California State Legislature had passed a bill in 2020 banning most flavored tobacco products. However, because the law was eligible for a referendum, it was put on hold pending the statewide vote.
The ban is expected to come into effect from December 22.
Washington to extend health care to undocumented immigrants
The Biden administration has approved a Washington state request to expand access to health insurance to all residents, regardless of immigration status, by allowing it to waive statutory requirements on Affordable Care (ACA).
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury Department approved Washington’s request for a state innovation waiver, issued under ACA Section 1332. The waiver request was filed in May.
Washington State specifically sought an exception from part of the ACA that excluded people living illegally in the United States from being eligible for qualified health plans, which are federally certified plans that meet the requirements set by the ACA.
- “The waiver will help Washington achieve its goals of improving health equity and reducing racial disparities by expanding access to coverage for the uninsured population through the state exchange, while n ‘not increasing costs for those currently enrolled,’ the departments said in a statement. .
- Approval of this waiver is contingent on the state agreeing to specific conditions. If these requirements are agreed, the waiver will come into effect from the beginning of 2024 until the end of 2028.
About 20 other states have sought and received approval for ACA Section 1332 waivers, including Alaska, Georgia, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. In cases where applications were not approved, agencies often determined that they were incomplete.
FAUCI: ‘I COULDN’T STAND THERE AND BE COMPLICIT’ WITH TRUMP
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said in an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace that he could not be “complicit” with former President Trump over the misinformation he spread while he was Commander-in-Chief amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fauci told Wallace in Sunday’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace” interview that Trump was clearly making statements throughout the pandemic that weren’t based on fact and science.
- “I have so much respect for the office of the presidency that it just made me very uncomfortable, but I had to do it, Chris, because I couldn’t sit there and be complicit in saying that the hydroxychloroquine works when it doesn’t. t, you know, bleach works. This is not the case. The virus will magically disappear. It’s not,” he said, referring to false claims Trump made about the virus while president.
- Fauci, who is stepping down from government at the end of the year, said he acknowledged he created “growing enmity” from Trump and his allies to disagree with him, which he said that he didn’t want.
SCIENTISTS ASSOCIATE 1 IN 100 HEART DISEASE DEATHS WITH SEVERE WEATHER
Sifting through four decades of global data on patients with heart disease, the authors of a new study found that these extremes were collectively responsible for around 11.3 additional cardiovascular deaths per 1,000 such incidents.
Patients with heart failure were more likely than those with other types of heart disease to face the negative impacts of very cold and hot days, the authors observed, publishing their findings Monday in the journal Circulation of the American Heart Association.
- According to the study, these people had a 12% increased risk of dying on days of extreme heat and a 37% increased risk of dying on days of extreme cold, compared to days of optimal temperature in a given city.
- While the precise measurement of weather extremes varied from city to city, the researchers defined it as the top and bottom 1% of temperature at which the lowest death rate is reached.
The apparent link between extreme temperatures and patient outcomes “underscores the urgent need to develop measures that will help our society mitigate the impact of climate change on cardiovascular disease”, study co-author Haitham Khraishah, member of the medical school of the University of Maryland. , said in a statement.
White House: Attacks on Fauci “incredibly dangerous”
The White House on Monday condemned social media attacks on Anthony Fauci days after Twitter owner Elon Musk posted a tweet mocking the infectious disease expert.
Publicist Karine Jean-Pierre, when asked about Musk’s tweets criticizing Fauci, called them “personal attacks” that are “incredibly dangerous”.
- “They are disgusting and they are divorced from reality, and we will continue to speak out against that and be very clear about that,” Jean-Pierre said, noting that Fauci has served under seven presidents in total, Republicans and Democrats.
- “We are fortunate that he has dedicated his career, his life and his exceptional talent to American public health, and that is what needs to be discussed now,” she continued. “That’s what we should be grateful to them for, and again, they are incredibly dangerous and should be reported.”
Musk over the weekend caused a stir when he tweeted, “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci,” and shared an edited meme to show Fauci telling Biden, “Just another lockdown, my king.”
WHAT WE READ
- Cause of death: Washington faltered as fentanyl gripped America (Washington Post)
- Diabetes management is getting a major update: a more aggressive approach to weight loss, cholesterol and disparities is recommended (USA today)
- Coming soon: Permanent Covid-19 safety rules for healthcare staff (Statistical)
- LGBTQ, health groups see division on digital protection bill (Call)
STATE BY STATE
- Fentanyl cuts a bitter swath through Milwaukee (The New York Times)
- Will abortion access be on Ohio’s ballot in 2023? One group is aiming for next year (Cincinnati Applicant)
- “At the end of the race”: the respiratory season pushes daycare centers and parents to a breaking point (News & Observer)
OPED HILL
Undiagnosed cancer could be the next health crisis – and we’re not ready
That’s all for today, thanks for reading. Discover The Hill’s Healthcare page for the latest news and coverage. Until tomorrow.