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As climate change pushes summer temperatures ever higher and for longer stretches, and with more Americans moving into rapidly expanding cities in the Southwest, more people are suffering serious burns from contact with hot outdoor surfaces. For some, the burns are so extensive that they prove fatal, according to burn experts. In 2022, the Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix ... admitted 85 patients for contact burns over the summer. ... This year, the center has already treated 50 patients, and four of them died. (Hassan and Taft, 7/14)

A dangerously hot summer is shaping up in the U.S. West, with heat suspected in dozens of recent deaths. ... Heat is the top cause of weather-related fatalities nationwide. But because investigations of suspected heat deaths can take months, and a mishmash of methods is used by counties to count them, it is unknown exactly how many people died in the recent heat wave beginning July 1. (Snow, 7/13)

Extreme heat can raise the danger of heat-related illnesses and threaten health in a more subtle way — by amplifying the side effects of many common medications. Hot weather, too, can damage medicines such as insulin that require refrigeration. Inhalers can explode. Epinephrine injectors such as EpiPens can malfunction. Meds delivered in the mail can deteriorate. (Johnson, 7/12)

After blasting the western United States for the past 10 days, record heat is poised to shift into the eastern United States over the weekend and early next week. Some parts of the east could see their hottest weather of the summer so far. “Widespread record values” are predicted as it becomes “dangerously hot for many,” the National Weather Service wrote in a discussion Friday. (Livingston, 7/12)

The potential heat-related death of a prison inmate in California’s Central Valley this week is focusing renewed attention on conditions within correctional institutions as extreme heat, wildfire smoke and flooding pose increasing threats to incarcerated people. Though extreme heat endangers residents throughout the state, experts say California’s prisons are uniquely unprepared for climate change because of a variety of factors, including their remote locations, aging infrastructure and overcrowding. (Smith, 7/13)

The Philadelphia region is headed into yet another heat wave, and on Saturday, the city declared a heat health emergency that is to start Monday. High temperatures Monday through Wednesday are forecast to reach the mid- and high-90s, and the “feels-like” temperature is likely to top 100 degrees. Heat waves are defined as three consecutive days of temperatures in the 90s. (Bond, 7/13)

The gunman who authorities said tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump acted alone and wasn't on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's radar before the shooting, said Kevin Rojek, the agency’s special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office. “The shooter acted alone and there currently are no public safety concerns,” he said. Investigators were still trying to determine his ideology and motive. They were working to gain access into the gunman’s cell phone and other electronic devices as part of that effort. (Gurman, 7/15)

On Sunday, federal investigators said a gunman they identified as Mr. Crooks had used an AR-15 style rifle purchased by his father to open fire from a rooftop outside the rally where the former president, Donald J. Trump, was speaking. ... But many other details of Mr. Crooks’s life and motives of were still unclear. Federal authorities said he had no apparent history of mental health issues or previous threats, and had not been on the radar of federal law enforcement. (Robertson, Healy, Bogel-Burroughs and Thrush, 7/14)

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson (D) on Sunday pointed to the need for gun violence prevention measures while reacting to the assassination attempt against former President Trump, in which he was injured and a rally attendee was killed. Johnson, speaking on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” spoke on the importance of not letting political differences escalate into violence and argued the incident will unite Americans, including Democrats. (Nazzaro, 7/14)

When he was a child, Representative Gabriel Vasquez never heard his parents discuss politics, much less abortion, a topic that was off limits in many Mexican Catholic households like his. So he can see why some might think he is taking a risk by focusing on abortion rights in campaigning to Latino men. ... But Mr. Vasquez, who represents a border district in New Mexico, and several other Hispanic male Democratic candidates said there was no avoiding the abortion debate this year. (Ulloa, 7/13)

Phoenix pastor the Rev. Warren H. Stewart Sr. has had countless discussions this election season with fellow Black men on the economy, criminal justice, immigration and other issues dominating the political landscape in their battleground state of Arizona. But never abortion. “They’re about justice. They’re about Donald Trump potentially reversing all of the gains achieved by the Civil Rights movement. They are not about abortion,” said Stewart. (Sands, 7/13)

The claim: As the Biden administration’s most visible advocate in the fight for reproductive rights, Vice President Kamala Harris has been vocal about the U.S.’ reproductive health care’s shortcomings and how it often fails women of color. Harris has toured the nation railing against state abortion bans and touting the administration’s efforts to expand postpartum coverage. In a July 6 conversation at the Essence Festival of Culture, which bills itself as the nation’s largest African American culture and music event, Harris said Black women fare the worst in maternal mortality rates. (Putterman, 7/15)

There’s been a long lull in fighting between primary care and specialty doctors over how much they get paid by Medicare, but that truce might not last if Congress overhauls the system that determines physician payment. (Wilkerson, 7/15)

Medicare for the first time is proposing to reimburse doctors for digital mental health therapies like apps and software to treat behavioral health conditions. The move could be a boost for digital therapeutics like wellness apps or video games that have been slow to gain adoption because there aren't consistent payment and coverage pathways. (Goldman, 7/15)

When Republican National Convention meets in Milwaukee this week to nominate Donald Trump for another term in the White House, the party is not expected to reveal a detailed healthcare platform. But the former president's record and his allies' ambitions offer significant insight into what health policy might look like under a unified GOP government. (McAuliff, 7/15)

Lawsuits are expected from all corners of the healthcare industry after the Supreme Court overturned decades of deference to federal agencies, adding uncertainty into the regulatory landscape. The high court’s ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo weakened the executive branch’s authority to interpret laws and enhanced the judiciary’s power to resolve disputes about congressional intent. ... Insurers disadvantaged by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ changes to Medicare Advantage audits and the risk-adjustment program may use the new legal standard to challenge unpopular regulations. (7/15)

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating the nation’s two largest dialysis providers over allegations they illegally thwart smaller competitors, according to three people with knowledge of the probe. The investigation focuses in part on how the companies make it difficult for the physicians who work in their clinics to leave for rivals and start new businesses, said the three people, who were granted anonymity to speak about a confidential matter. (Sisco, 7/13)

Top Food and Drug Administration officials met multiple times earlier this year to discuss the regulation of ultra-processed foods, according to internal agency calendars obtained by STAT. Two FDA officials, Haider Warraich and Robin McKinnon, met multiple times in February to discuss regulating these edible industrial creations, such as sodas, prepackaged cookies, and most breakfast cereals. (Florko, 7/15)

Democratic U.S. Senate aides will meet with Novo Nordisk executives on Tuesday to discuss fallout from its decision to stop selling one of its long-acting insulins in the country, two sources familiar with the meeting told Reuters. Novo Nordisk will meet with the aides for Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Raphael Warnock, and Elizabeth Warren. In April, the lawmakers wrote to the company expressing alarm at its decision, announced in November, that it would permanently discontinue Levemir by the end of 2024. (Fick and Aboulenein, 7/12)

US Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that highlights concerns about revisions to FDA guidance on duration limits for antibiotic use in farm animals. Booker is concerned about revisions to Guidance for Industry ... which would eliminate a 21-day limit for medically important antimicrobials and instead allow the duration of use to be set on a case-by-case basis. Booker said that policy would contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). (Soucheray, 7/12)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Journalists Discuss FTC And Supreme Court Actions — And What's Up With The Bird Flu

�鶹Ů�� Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (7/13)

The Medicare pay cut looming for doctors next year comes with a sweetener for providers that participate in Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations. Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a 2.9% physician reimbursement reduction for 2025 on Wednesday — which would make five straight years of lower Medicare rates — the agency also wants to enable high-performing ACO providers to claim a share of the savings they generate early. (Early, 7/12)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services released its first No Surprises Act audit, listing a number of errors in how Aetna’s Texas division calculated reimbursement rates for air ambulance services. While the scope of the audit was very narrow, it shows how convoluted the reimbursement process is under the No Surprises Act, health policy experts said. (Kacik, 7/12)

Hard conversations are happening in the boardrooms of digital health companies, as directors assess whether the founding CEO with the great idea is the same person to lead the company's growth. The transitions are happening with increasing frequency as early-stage companies finding their footing and mature. In the last 18 months, the founders of Oscar Health, Calibrate, GoodRx, Tia, Particle Health, Eleanor Health and Clarify Health, among others, have stepped aside as CEO. (Perna, 7/12)

The Change Healthcare cyberattack shook U.S. health care to its core for months and exposed major cyber vulnerabilities. But the likely ripple effects on individuals are only now becoming apparent. (Reed, 7/15)

Inside a sprawling $43 million Veterans Affairs facility equipped with operating rooms, intensive care units and an outpatient clinic, there are no patients. At least not any real ones. (Capoot, 7/13)

A federal appeals court panel ruled 2-1 on Friday that Tennessee does not unconstitutionally discriminate against transgender people by not allowing them to change the sex designation on their birth certificates. “There is no fundamental right to a birth certificate recording gender identity instead of biological sex,” 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote for the majority in the decision upholding a 2023 district court ruling. (Loller, 7/13)

When it comes to our brains, neuroscientists have found that sex and gender are associated with distinct neural networks; and researchers hope that their findings will underscore the importance of considering sex and gender separately in medical contexts to ensure equal access to optimal treatment outcomes. ... In a new study, published in the journal Science Advances, Dhamala and colleagues set about untangling the influences of sex and gender on our brains. (Dewan, 7/12)

Sex and gender are often conflated or equated in everyday conversations, and most American adults believe a person’s gender is determined by sex assigned at birth. But a new study of nearly 5,000 9- and 10-year-olds found that sex and gender map onto largely distinct parts of the brain. (Christensen, 7/12)

Although the Covid-19 pandemic saw unprecedented speed in the development and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, experts say it was also marked by a significant and concerning drop in the rate of routine vaccinations. New data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund shows the world has yet to recover. (Davis, 7/14)

More children were left out of critical vaccination drives for diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough last year as a rise in conflicts across the globe hindered the supply of life-saving shots mostly in strife-torn regions, the United Nations said on Monday. About 14.5 million children failed to get vaccinated in 2023, compared with 13.9 million a year earlier, according to U.N. estimates. The number, however, was lower than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when about 18 million children missed out on vaccination. (Rigby and Santhosh, 7/15)

For the first time, scientists have unraveled the structure of proteins in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The findings provide clues into how these disease-causing proteins interact with each other and the brain and may help in the discovery of new targets for treating the disease. Alzheimer's affects roughly 5.8 million Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Dewan, 7/12)

Ozempic use is associated with a lowered risk for cognitive problems, researchers in a new study said. The findings, however, cannot be applied to users who do not have diabetes. The study, published Thursday, was conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford who analyzed more than 100,000 U.S. patient records, including 20,000 who were taking a semaglutide, commonly known as Ozempic or Wegovy. (Teshome, 7/12)

Novo Nordisk's, opens new tab popular diabetes treatment Ozempic could be tied to a lower risk of cognitive problems, according to an observational study published by researchers at Oxford University. The study, published in the Lancet's eClinicalMedicine journal on Thursday, explored more than 100 million medical records of U.S. patients to see if Ozempic increased the risk of several neurological and psychiatric conditions in the first year of use compared with three common antidiabetic drugs. (7/12)

West Virginia teacher Sierra Butler spent years of her life dealing with symptoms she couldn't connect including fatigue, joint pain and weight loss. In 2020, she lost over 100 pounds — and the ability to walk. Finally, she got a diagnosis: lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes pain and inflammation in the body. (Breen, 7/13)

Young adults pass up the opportunity to drink for a variety of reasons, including to avoid getting drunk, a recent analysis suggests. A study published in the journal Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research looked at the reasons young adults give for not drinking, which researchers say could help in crafting public health messaging aimed at reducing alcohol abuse. (Blakemore, 7/13)

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) today reported the state's sixth measles case of the year, which involves a child from Macomb County whose illness was diagnosed on July 3. In a statement, the MDHHS said an investigation is still under way into the source of the child's infection and that no known international travel is linked to the case. (Schnirring, 7/12)

Two adults living at a New York City migrant shelter were diagnosed with measles, a preventable but highly contagious respiratory illness, city health officials said on Friday. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is coordinating with the local hospital system “to ensure that anyone who’s been exposed gets the support and resources they need,” according to a news release from the department. (Meko, 7/13)

As state health officials monitor a cluster of measles in the Upper Valley, including at least one case in an unvaccinated New Hampshire resident, the state’s top epidemiologist says he wouldn’t be surprised if more cases emerge. (Cuno-Booth, 7/12)

Four poultry workers in Colorado have been diagnosed with bird flu, health officials confirmed Sunday. The new cases bring the U.S. total to nine since the first human case of the current outbreak was detected in 2022, also in a Colorado poultry worker. Eight of the nine were reported this year. Their illnesses were relatively mild — reddened and irritated eyes and common respiratory infection symptoms like fever, chills, coughing, sore throat and runny nose. None were hospitalized, officials said. (Stobbe, 7/15)

Three poultry workers tested positive for bird flu and more who showed symptoms of infection are being tested, state health officials announced Friday evening. The outbreak of human cases, if confirmed, is the largest in the United States from the strain of bird flu — also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza — currently circulating across the globe. (Ingold, 7/13)

There are more human cases of H5N1 bird flu infection, and another state has joined the list of those with infected dairy cow herds. Colorado announced Sunday night that five workers involved in the culling of chickens at an H5N1-infected poultry operation had tested positive for the virus. Four of the cases have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the fifth is currently deemed “presumptive” positive because the individual’s test sample hasn’t yet reached the CDC. All five had mild symptoms — conjunctivitis and minor respiratory complaints. None required hospitalization. (Branswell, 7/15)

Respiratory illness viruses as a whole remain at low levels, but many parts of the countries are experiencing consistent increases in COVID-19 activity, which has been trending upward from very low levels, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates. Test positivity, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations—the main markers the CDC uses to gauge virus activity—are all rising, especially in seniors and especially in western states. (Schnirring, 7/12)

Migrants, refugees, and internally displaced people have an 84% higher COVID-19 infection rate and a 46% higher COVID death rate than the general population, a new systematic review and meta-analysis in EClinicalMedicine reveals. "Even in the advanced stages of the pandemic, migrants faced higher infection risks and disproportionately suffered from the consequences of COVID-19 disease, including deaths," the study authors wrote. (Wappes, 7/12)

COVID is going around again this summer, with infections rising across Florida and the country. The good news is that the most common variants circulating in the country — KP.3, KP.2, and LB.1 — cause similar symptoms to previous COVID strains, such as cough, fever and fatigue. And many people can recover at home. The bad news: These variants have a mutation that make them more contagious. (Marchante, 7/12)

COVID-19 cases are growing or likely growing in 45 states and territories, and more than half of the states have virus levels that are "very high" or "high" as a summertime wave expands, according to the Centers for Disease Control. (Bettelheim, 7/15)

Nanoplastics and "forever chemicals" have been shown to disrupt the structure and function of key molecules in human breast milk and infant formula, raising concerns about their impact on infant health and development. Human-made compounds such as plastics and forever chemicals ... are becoming increasingly prevalent in our surrounding environment. They are both frequently found in every day products, such as food packing and baby bottles, and may leach into the foods and liquids contained inside. (Dewan, 7/12)

A growing body of research has raised concerns about a forever chemical known as TFA, which is short for trifluoroacetic acid and has been found in increasing amounts in rainwater, groundwater and drinking water. The chemical has a composition that scientists say may make it especially hard to filter, although scientists lack consensus on whether it poses a human health risk. (Ajasa, 7/13)

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday patients taking weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) Wegovy should inform their doctor ahead of surgery, due to the risk of respiratory complications potentially associated with such drugs. Weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Eli Lilly's (LLY.N) Zepbound and Mounjaro, belong to a class known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that slow the process of emptying food contents from the stomach, making users feel full for longer. (7/12)

European health authorities said patients due to undergo surgery should be warned of a risk of anesthesia complications if they’re being treated with diabetes and weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co. The safety committee of the European Medicines Agency advised patients treated with GLP-1 drugs to inform their doctor before undergoing surgeries with general anesthesia or deep sedation and said product information will be updated accordingly. (Mannion, 7/12)

Overconsumption of low-cal, highly caffeinated energy drinks is on the rise among young women with unhealthy eating and exercise habits, say doctors at more than a dozen of the nation’s top hospitals and eating-disorder treatment centers. Taking in too much caffeine can cause serious health problems, especially for people who aren’t eating enough, doctors say. (Jargon, 7/13)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, affects roughly 3 percent of adults around the world. However, many of those with the condition remain undiagnosed, especially women. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, men are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than women, but roughly 75 percent of women with the condition are undiagnosed. (Dewan, 7/15)

A growing number of undocumented immigrants are hitting retirement age without savings or the cushion of Social Security or Medicare, making up a contingent of baby boomers who are financially insecure and poised to strain community services. Many opt to continue working until they are physically unable, while others rely on help from younger family members. Some are making plans to head back to their native countries. (Flores and Campo-Flores, 7/13)

In 2011, Mark Costa moved to the U.S. from his native Brazil with his wife and two children. He had always wanted to experience life in America, his mother’s home country. Costa, who now lives in Hamden, worked for nearly two decades as a psychiatrist in Brazil and wanted to continue his career. (Golvala, 7/14)

The Summer Olympics continue getting closer, and the River Seine continues to be dangerously contaminated. With two weeks until opening ceremony, high levels of E. coli bacteria continue to make the historic river unsafe for swimming, but Paris officials remain confident the Seine will be suitable for swimmers for the three triathlon events and marathon swimming races. So confident, in fact, that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo plans on taking a dip herself. (Puleo, 7/12)

By now, Georgia officials expected their new Medicaid plan, the only one in the nation with a work requirement, to provide health insurance to 25,000 low-income residents and possibly tens of thousands more. But a year since its launch, Pathways to Coverage has roughly 4,300 members, much lower than what state officials projected and a tiny fraction of the roughly half-million state residents who could be covered if Georgia, like 40 other states, agreed to a full Medicaid expansion. (Thanawala, 7/14)

A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine to serve three-and-a-half years in prison after Oxendine pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones had one question for the 62-year-old Republican, who was elected four times to the office before mounting a failed run for governor: “Why?” (Amy, 7/13)

The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that just over one-fifth of Hispanic adults reported having a mental illness, defined in the report as a diagnosed mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that may have interfered with their lives. ... Mental health experts, community clinics and politicians are increasingly calling attention to barriers Latinos might face in seeking treatment — like the lack of mental health professionals who are Latino and speak Spanish or other languages — and working to create new programs to address access issues. (Figueroa, 7/13)

For at least the second time in eight months, fertility patients storing their frozen eggs and embryos at St. Luke’s Hospital were left frightened after getting a letter stating that the hospital laboratory had moved their tissues to a storage facility in Texas. (Munz, 7/12)

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health — one of the biggest providers of health care on the Eastern Shore — said it has gotten the final regulatory sign-off needed from the state to build a new medical center in Easton. (Roberts, 7/12)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: California Health Care Pioneer Goes National, Girds For Partisan Skirmishes

When then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for nearly all Californians to buy health insurance or face a penalty, Anthony Wright slammed the 2007 proposal as “unwarranted, unworkable, and unwise” — one that would punish those who could least afford coverage. The head of Health Access California, one of the state’s most influential consumer groups, changed course only after he and his allies extracted a deal to increase subsidies for people in need. The plan was ultimately blocked by Democrats who wanted the state to adopt a single-payer health care system instead. (Young, 7/15)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust

Rural regions like the one surrounding this southern Iowa town used to have a lot more babies, and many more places to give birth to them. At least 41 Iowa hospitals have shuttered their labor and delivery units since 2000. Those facilities, representing about a third of all Iowa hospitals, are located mostly in rural areas where birth numbers have plummeted. (Leys, 7/15)

As a physician in the field of reproductive medicine, I treat patients with infertility—a condition that impacts approximately one in five couples in the U.S. These are couples who dream of having a child of their own, but have been unable to achieve a pregnancy or to carry a pregnancy to term for various reasons. While we have a variety of treatments we offer in our fertility practice, approximately 70 percent of couples receive in vitro fertilization (IVF), and for them, IVF is the only way they can achieve a successful pregnancy. (Katherine McKnight, 7/15)

When even well-informed parents can’t distinguish between excellent and inappropriate care, our system is broken. As the United States faces a post-pandemic mental health emergency, we need immediate reform. As with medications, behavioral health treatments for teenagers must be required to be proved safe and effective before they can be sold. (Maia Szalavitz, 7/15)

Long Covid — the name adopted for cases of prolonged symptoms after an acute bout of Covid-19 — is an umbrella diagnosis covering a broad range of clinical presentations and abnormal biological processes. Researchers haven’t yet identified a single or defining cause for some of the most debilitating symptoms associated with long Covid, which parallel those routinely seen in other post-acute infection syndromes. These include overwhelming fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive deficits (often referred to as brain fog), and extreme dizziness. (David Tuller, Mady Hornig and David Putrino, 7/15)

Medicare’s new guidelines cover how it will conduct the drug price negotiations authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act. Unfortunately, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is interpreting the law in a way that will discourage companies from finding new uses — sometimes lifesaving new uses — for existing drugs. (Peter Rheinstein, 7/15)