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The Biden administration says it has invoked the wartime powers of the Defense Production Act to speed rebuilding of a major American factory of intravenous fluids that was wrecked by Hurricane Helene last month. Damage to the plant in North Carolina has worsened a nationwide shortage of IV fluids, and hospitals say they are still postponing some surgeries and other procedures as a result. (Tin, 10/15)

Tom Cotter, the executive director of Healthcare Ready, a nonprofit group that works to ensure the availability of medical supplies in emergencies, says hospitals will likely need to continue to manage stores of IV fluids carefully for some time. Federal officials are working to help obtain more IV fluids, but Cotter tells Chief Healthcare Executive® that it’s going to take a while before health systems see some relief. Even if more supplies come from abroad, they won’t arrive overnight. (Southwick, 10/16)

About 820 veterans previously kicked out of the military for their sexual orientation will have their dismissals upgraded to honorable discharges following a year-long review of their service records. The upgrades were announced Tuesday morning by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said the effort was undertaken “to redress the harms done by ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and other policies on these former service members.” ... The changes mean that those veterans for the first time will be able to access certain VA education, health and financial benefits, a potential windfall for them and their families. (Shane III, 10/15)

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate are calling for COVID-era flexibilities on telemedicine services to be extended to ensure access to “necessary and life-saving treatments,” and are speaking out against a proposed rule reportedly being advanced by the DEA that would limit telemedicine prescribing. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) led a group of 11 senators in a letter addressed to President Biden, objecting to a reported draft proposed rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to limit telemedicine prescribing. (Choi, 10/15)

Negotiations between Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield and major health care providers are still ongoing; an industry expert believes it may take congressional legislation to ease the financial burden on the health insurer to help get to a break through. In August of 2023, the federal government announced nearly $1 billion was headed for Upstate New York hospitals after adjustments were made in how Medicare reimbursements are calculated. At the time, Sen. Chuck Schumer said it was a massive win for hospitals hemorrhaging money and staff following the hit of COVID-19. Hospitals saw this as a victory after making complaints about imbalance in care provided versus what hospitals actually received in Medicare. However, insurance companies and non for profits are taking a hit. (Wight, 10/15)