NBC News: Biden Proposes Requiring Medicare, Medicaid To Cover Weight Loss Drugs
The Biden administration plans to require Medicare and Medicaid to offer coverage of weight loss medications for patients seeking to treat obesity. The new rule, which was proposed by the administration on Tuesday, would dramatically expand access to anti-obesity medications like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro. Until now, Medicare and Medicaid have only provided insurance coverage for these drugs when they are used to treat conditions like diabetes. (Bush, 11/26)

The Washington Post: Medicare Proposes Covering Weight-Loss Drugs, Teeing Up Clash With RFK Jr.
In a statement, Biden administration officials said they had reinterpreted their long-standing rules blocking coverage for weight-loss drugs with a newfound recognition that obesity is “a chronic disease based on changes in medical consensus.” The new rules would apply only to people who are obese. Beneficiaries who are overweight would not be eligible unless they have another condition such as diabetes that qualifies for weight-loss drugs. The Trump administration is not required to finalize any or all of the proposal. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — whom Trump has selected to be the next HHS secretary, if confirmed by the Senate — is an avowed critic of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, which he has blamed for obfuscating the root causes of poor health in America. (Diamond, 11/26)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Bill Is Stuck In Congress
A popular bipartisan bill to curb the use of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage has everything it needs to pass Congress this year, except that it probably won't, and lawmakers who would like to move it are not sure it ever will. Enthusiastic senators and representatives rolled out the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2024 last summer, promising to increase transparency in Medicare Advantage prior authorization requests and mandate speedier responses. (McAuliff, 11/25)

Mother Jones: Congress Has One Month To Save A Key Medicare Benefit 
When Gwen Williams’ mother was dying, taking her to an in-person appointment to get more medicine seemed impossible. So Williams made a telehealth appointment with the doctor—a video call. It was that easy. “Her comfort was paramount,” Williams, who lives in Minnesota, recounts. “My mother wasn’t conscious during the visit, but [the doctor] was able to see her and was able to get the hospice medications and everything refilled.” ... The fact that Medicare will abruptly cut off that coverage for most specialties on January 1—barely a month away—Williams said, “just blows my mind.” (Metraux, 11/25)

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Pays Wildly Different Prices For The Same Drug 
Medicare is paying wildly different prices for the same drug, even for people insured under the same plan. As a result, people covered by Medicare can be on the hook for thousands of dollars in additional out-of-pocket costs depending on where they live and which drug plan they choose. Take commonly used generic versions of prostate-cancer treatment Zytiga. They have more than 2,200 prices in Medicare drug plans. The generics ring in at roughly $815 a month in northern Michigan, about half of what they cost in suburban Detroit, while jumping to $3,356 in a county along Lake Michigan, according to a recent analysis of Medicare data. (Hopkins and Ulick, 11/26)

Becker's Hospital Review: Cone Health Operating Margin Rises To 5.3% Ahead Of Kaiser Acquisition
Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health, a five-hospital system, reported an operating income of $167.1 million (5.3% margin) in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, improving on the $112.3M operating gain (3.9% margin) in the previous fiscal year. Revenue increased 10.3% year over year to $3.1 billion while expenses decreased 8.7% to $3 billion, according to financial documents published Nov. 25. ... Risant Health, a nonprofit formed under Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, plans to acquire Cone Health after entering into a definitive agreement with the health system in June. (Condon, 11/25)

Becker's Hospital Review: Kaiser Medical School Leans Into '3rd Pillar' Of Education
The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, which opened in July 2020 in Pasadena, Calif., graduated its first class in May and received full accreditation in June. This milestone coincided with the appointment of John Dalrymple, MD, as the school's dean and CEO. Dr. Dalrymple, a physician and educator, previously served as senior associate dean for medical education at Harvard Medical School in Boston. In an interview with Becker's, Dr. Dalrymple discussed the medical school's mission, its curriculum, and strategies to address the physician shortage and enhance patient care. (Gooch, 11/25)

Becker's Hospital Review: Why Stanford Isn't Doing Hospital At Home — Yet
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Health Care recently received a federal waiver to provide acute hospital care at home — even though the state of California doesn't allow it. CMS approved the academic health system for hospital at home in March, but the California Department of Public Health does not have licensing statutes in place for the care model. (Bruce, 11/25)

The Merced FOCUS: Rabies Exposure Confirmed After Person Bitten By Bat In Merced County, Health Officials Say
A Fresno County resident is being treated for rabies after being bitten by a bat in Merced County, health officials say. County officials did not elaborate in a news release how the bite happened or what area it occurred. The release said Fresno County Department of Public Health and Merced County Department of Public Health are working closely with the hospital and healthcare workers caring for the individual. (11/25)

Los Angeles Times: Bird Flu Warnings Are Going Unheeded At Many Dairy Farms
It was a late fall morning and hundreds of cows — black and white splattered Holsteins and cappuccino-colored Jerseys — milled about a San Joaquin Valley dairy farm in the largest milk-producing state in the nation. ... The scene seemed utterly unremarkable — except for the fact that five days earlier, the H5N1 bird flu virus that has ravaged California’s dairy herds for the last three months, had been confirmed on the farm. Although dozens of cows were sick, and their owner expected that number to climb, none of the farm’s workers wore personal protective equipment and vehicles from off site were let in and out with nary a hint of concern. (Rust and Gomez, 11/26)

Bay Area News Group: Raw Milk Nearly Killed Her Son. Now Avian Flu Is Bringing More Attention To Its Risk
“I almost killed my son when I made the decision to give him raw milk,”  said Mary McGonigle-Martin of Murrieta, whose son Christopher almost died in 2006 from hemolytic uremic syndrome from E. coli bacteria after drinking raw milk. “He recovered from renal failure, congestive heart failure, a collapsed lung, acute pancreatitis, high blood pressure and seizures,” said McGonigle-Martin, who now serves as board chair of the nonprofit Stop Foodborne Illness. “When I made the choice to give my son raw milk, I didn’t know something so horrific could happen to him.” (Krieger, 11/26)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Air District Issues Odor Advisory Weeks After Developing Air Quality System 
Just weeks after unveiling a new odor alert system, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District on Monday issued an advisory warning that levels of sewer gases above state thresholds were detected near the Tijuana River Valley. (Murga, 11/25)

The Oaklandside: Operator Of Shuttered East Oakland Foundry Fined For Pollution And Air Quality Monitoring Failures
Federal environmental regulators issued a $274,000 fine last week against the company that operated an East Oakland metal foundry over claims that the facility violated the Clean Air Act by emitting toxic chemicals and failing to monitor its air emissions. AB&I Industries was founded in 1906 and operated for over a century in East Oakland until the industrial plant was closed in 2022 and relocated to Tyler, Texas by AB&I’s parent company, the Alabama-based McWane. (BondGraham, 11/25)

Military.com: Trump Reportedly Weighs Immediate Discharge Of All Transgender Troops. Here's What That Would Mean.
President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is developing an executive order that would medically discharge the estimated 15,000 transgender service members from the military, according to several international news outlets. The sudden dismissal of so many troops would prove chaotic, advocates supporting LGBTQ+ service members say, and the military services would be forced to fill gaps and compensate for a loss of experience at a time when recruiting remains a struggle. Trump transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt did not deny the accuracy of the reports when emailed by Military.com, but said that "no decisions on this issue have been made." (Toropin and Novelly, 11/25)

The New York Times: Judge Allows San Jose State Transgender Volleyball Player To Compete
A transgender volleyball player at San Jose State University can continue to compete on the women’s team, a judge ruled Monday, despite complaints from other players who object to the participation of an athlete who is transgender. The decision by a federal judge in Colorado came two days before a conference tournament involving the team was set to begin. It is the latest chapter in the fierce national debate about whether transgender athletes, particularly transgender women, should be allowed to compete on teams that align with their gender identity. (Nostrant and Selig, 11/25)

The New York Times: Transgender Activists Question The Movement’s Confrontational Approach
Facing diminishing public support, some activists say all-or-nothing tactics are not working. “We have to make it OK for someone to change their minds.” (Peters, 11/26)

CalMatters: RFK Jr. Was On The Losing Side Of California Vaccine Fights. Now, Donald Trump Wants Him In His Cabinet 
Five years ago, hundreds of people crowded the halls of the state Capitol protesting legislation that sought to tighten California’s vaccine rules. Outside, music blasted something about a revolution and people carried signs that read “Vaccine mandates violate bodily autonomy. ”From the sea of red-clad protesters emerged a familiar face idolized by the anti-vaccine activists: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Ibarra, 11/25)

FiercePharma: RFK Jr.'s 'Biggest Threat' To Pharma Is Possible Ad Ban: Analyst
With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slated to take the top spot at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under President-elect Donald Trump, some in the biopharma industry are concerned about his tenure’s possible impacts on companies’ direct-to-consumer outreach. RFK Jr. has previously expressed a desire to put a stop to DTC pharma ads in the U.S.—which is one of only two countries in the world, along with New Zealand, where prescription drugs can be directly advertised to consumers. (Park, 11/25)

Becker's Hospital Review: Trump Tariffs Could Drive Up Generic Drug Costs: 5 Takeaways
President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign imports could lead to higher costs for generic drugs, policy experts say. While the tariffs would aim to boost U.S. manufacturing, experts note that most generic drugs are made overseas and tariffs could increase prices for consumers, NBC News reported Nov. 22. (Murphy, 11/25)

The Washington Post: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Push For FDA Changes Could Boost His Wealth 
Vivek Ramaswamy, an outspoken ex-biotech executive turned fierce critic of the industry’s main regulator, is now in a position to reshape the agency he derides as the “Failed Drug Administration” in ways that could benefit him personally. ... “It’s an obvious conflict of interest,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the nonpartisan think tank National Center for Health Research, who said that the FDA has already lowered its standards considerably to speed novel drugs to market. “Some people might think, ‘He’s a knowledgeable person.’ He’s a knowledgeable person with a vested financial interest in what he’s saying.” (Gilbert, 11/25)

Politico: Trump Weighing O’Neill For HHS Deputy Secretary 
President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Jim O’Neill, an associate of billionaire investor and early Trump backer Peter Thiel, as HHS deputy secretary, three people familiar with the deliberation granted anonymity to discuss transition planning told POLITICO. O’Neill held several roles at HHS during the George W. Bush administration including principal associate deputy secretary — but he does not have formal medical training. (Lim, Cancryn and Gardner, 11/25)

The Hill: Biden COVID Response Coordinator: Trump Picks For FDA, NIH ‘Pretty Reasonable’
Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and former White House coronavirus coordinator under President Biden, said President-elect Trump’s picks to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are “pretty reasonable.”  ... “While RFK Jr is an absolutely terrible choice for HHS Secretary, I think Marty Makary at FDA, Dr. Oz at CMS and Jay Bhattacharya at NIH are all pretty reasonable,” Jha posted Sunday morning on social platform X. “I have plenty of policy disagreements with them. They are smart and experienced. We will need them to do well.” Stanford University-trained physician and economist Jay Bhattacharya is rumored to be the top pick for the NIH. (Haner, 11/25)

AP: CDC Chief Urges Focus On Health Threats As Agency Confronts Political Changes 
The outgoing head of the nation’s top public health agency urged the next administration to maintain its focus and funding to keep Americans safe from emerging health threats. “We need to continue to do our global work at CDC to make sure we are stopping outbreaks at their source,” Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. “We need to keep that funding up. We need to keep the expertise up. We need to keep the diplomacy up.” Cohen, 46, will be leaving office in January after about 18 months in the job. (Stobbe, 11/25)

CalMatters: How Much Money CA Stands To Lose Under Project 2025 Abortion Plan
If President-elect Donald Trump goes forward with Project 2025, California could lose out on at least $300 million a year in funding for abortions, family planning and contraception for millions of low-income residents. Project 2025, a right-wing blueprint for the next president, targeted the state with an ultimatum that would require California to start reporting abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control or risk losing critical Medicaid funding. (Madan, 11/26)

CNN: Trump Says He’ll Leave Abortion To The States. It Won’t Be So Simple 
Despite his campaign promises to leave the issue to the states, President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will shape the national landscape around abortion and reproductive health. “Maybe Trump thinks he’ll face less backlash if he lets these nationwide attacks on abortion play out in court rather than in his agencies — but if Trump’s DOJ stops defending mifepristone in court, he’s reneging on his promise to voters just the same,” said Julia Kaye, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. Those in the anti-abortion movement argue there are policy changes Trump can adopt that wouldn’t violate his campaign pledges. They’re calling for, at the least, the reversal of Biden-era moves and a return to certain anti-abortion policies pushed in his first term. (Sneed, 11/25)

NPR: The Man Who Helped Roll Back Abortion Rights Now Wants To 'Crush Liberal Dominance'
Leonard Leo may not be a household name, but odds are most people in the country know his signature achievement: Leo was a key architect of the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court that rolled back the federal right to an abortion. The conservative activist advised President-elect Donald Trump during his first term on the nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The three picks gave conservatives their 6-3 majority on the high court. And all of them voted to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision. (Inskeep and Manuel, 11/25)

The 19th: The Biden Administration Has Two Months Left To Take Action On Abortion
With two months left before President Joe Biden leaves office, there are some areas where legal scholars and attorneys suggest the outgoing administration could still take action, even if the impact may be narrow or short-lived. (Luthra, 11/25)

NBC News: Why Abortions Rose After Roe Was Overturned
It seemed only logical after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade that abortion rates would go down and births would go up. Instead, the opposite happened: Abortions went up last year and the country’s fertility rate hit a historic low. More than 1 million abortions were recorded in the United States in 2023 — the highest in a decade, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion access. So far this year, abortion rates have remained about the same as in the last six months of 2023, preliminary data show. What happened to keep the abortion rates from falling? (Bendix, 11/26)

Military.com: VA Needs Extra $6.6 Billion, Not $12 Billion, In 2025, Officials Tell Congress 
The Department of Veterans Affairs has revised its estimated budget shortfall for fiscal 2025, telling Congress on Monday that it now needs $6.6 billion for veterans' medical care instead of the $12 billion it previously requested. Based on rising demand for VA medical services and benefits tied to passage of the PACT Act, the VA estimated in July it would need an extra $12 billion for the Veterans Health Administration in 2025 and $3 billion to cover veterans disability compensation and benefits through October. (Kime, 11/25)

The New York Times: Trial Of Controversial Alzheimer’s Drug Halted After Disappointing Results 
Texas, announced it would stop the advanced clinical trial for an experimental Alzheimer’s drug, ending a long-contested bid for regulatory approval. The company announced on Monday that the drug, simufilam, did not significantly reduce cognitive decline in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease in the trial, which enrolled more than 1,900 patients. (Rosenbluth, 11/25)

Voice of OC: Hunger Is On A Sharp And Silent Rise In Orange County This Thanksgiving
Ahead of Thanksgiving, OC Food Bank Director Mark Lowry found himself having to tell local pantry operators requesting food supplies, a phrase he hasn’t uttered since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: “I’m sorry but I can’t give you what I don’t have.” ... The need for food in the county that skyrocketed back in 2020 has still not dropped down to pre-pandemic levels and for a while now food bank leaders have said it’s unclear when it will. (Elattar, 11/26)

Times of San Diego: 'He's Finally Ours': San Diego County Celebrates National Adoption Month
The county’s Child and Family Well-Being Department (CFWB) recently held its annual Adoption Day celebration at the Juvenile Courthouse, marking National Adoption Month. Each November, dozens of children and their new parents celebrate officially becoming a family, with 31 families finalizing the adoption of 36 children this year, the county announced. (Sarup, 11/26)