‘We’re Flying Blind’: CDC Has 1M Bird Flu Tests Ready, but Experts See Repeat of Covid Missteps
By Amy Maxmen
Three months into the U.S. bird flu outbreak, only 45 people have been tested. Laboratories that are the foundation of diagnostic testing have yet to get approval to detect the bird flu virus. They say their path forward has been slowed by miscommunication and uncertainty from the CDC and FDA.
Presidential Politics, Polka and Wisconsin
By Angela Hart
Wisconsin, the land of fried cheese curds and the Green Bay Packers, is one of a half-dozen key battleground states where President Biden is trying to make health care a key issue in his expected November matchup with former president Donald Trump. Biden narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020, after it went for Trump in 2016. […]
Daily Edition for Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Mpox Cases Spike in Los Angeles County: Alarmed after 10 more cases are reported in the last two weeks, officials advise anyone who shows symptoms to seek medical attention. Read more in the Los Angeles Times.
Older Women Are Different Than Older Men. Their Health Is Woefully Understudied.
By Judith Graham
The White House has launched an initiative on women’s health. Studying the health of older women, a largely neglected group in medical research, should be a priority.
Daily Edition for Monday, June 17, 2024
UCSF Hospital Can Be Built, Appeals Court Rules: Neighborhood opponents of a huge hospital planned for UCSF’s Parnassus Heights campus said it would violate city height and zoning restrictions, and a judge said they could try to prove their case. But a state appeals court says the university is exempt from the restrictions and can go ahead with the construction. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Americans With HIV Are Living Longer. Federal Spending Isn’t Keeping Up.
By Sam Whitehead
Advances in medicine mean more people are living longer with HIV. But aging with HIV comes with an increased risk of health complications, and many worry the U.S. health care system isn’t prepared to treat this growing population.
¿Cómo Se Dice? California Loops In AI To Translate Health Care Information
By Paula Andalo
Illustration by Lydia Zuraw
State officials want to use artificial intelligence to translate public health care and social services documents and websites, which they say will speed up translations, save money, and improve Californians’ access to critical information. But some IT and language experts worry AI may introduce errors in wording and understanding.
¿Cómo se dice? California recurre a la IA para traducir información sobre atención médica
By Paula Andalo
Funcionarios estatales quieren usar la inteligencia artificial para traducir documentos y sitios web de servicios sociales y de salud pública. Pero expertos en esta tecnología y en idiomas temen que la IA pueda cometer errores en la comprensión de los textos y en su redacción.
Daily Edition for Friday, June 14, 2024
CalPERS Switches To Blue Shield: The California Public Employees’ Retirement System has named Blue Shield of California as the only health plan in its preferred provider organization. CalPERS’s previous carrier for two decades was Anthem Blue Cross. The retirement system oversees health benefits for more than 1.5 million members. Read more from Fierce Healthcare.
California Lawmakers Preserve Aid to Older, Disabled Immigrants
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
Lawmakers passed a budget that rejected Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to save nearly $95 million by eliminating in-home support services for qualifying older, blind, and disabled immigrants lacking legal residency. Advocates say Newsom’s plan would have cost more in the long run. Newsom has not indicated whether he’ll veto.
