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Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare, told senators a combination of investments, technology, and regulatory changes could both bring down costs and make America healthy again. “We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer,” Oz told senators on the Finance Committee on Friday. (King and Cirruzzo, 3/14)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Watch: The Dr. Oz Show Comes To Congress

The Senate Finance Committee got its chance March 14 to question Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the vast Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the largest agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Oz, with his long history in television, was as polished as one would expect, brushing off even some more controversial parts of his past with apparent ease. (Rovner, Pradhan and Armour, 3/17)

The New York Times analyzed claims Dr. Oz has made about preventive health measures across 2,500 television appearances, clips from “The Dr. Oz Show,” social media posts and other public statements. We then asked experts to weigh in on the evidence behind some of his common claims. (Blum, Agrawal and Datar, 3/14)

The Kentucky Senate passes House Bill 695, adding work requirements and oversight to Medicaid amid budget efficiency debates. Governor Beshear may veto. (Scheele, 3/16)

Candice Fee isn’t sure who’s right in the debate over the future of Medicaid: the Republican president whose party says it will leave federal health funding intact as it seeks to slice billions in government spending or the Democrats who warn that the broad cuts the president has promised can’t happen without carving into one of the government’s most costly programs. But if Medicaid is axed, Fee knows exactly what will happen to the life she has pieced back together after decades of addiction. “If it were to go away today, I would be homeless tomorrow. I would lose everything. All my counseling, all my treatment. I would absolutely be homeless tomorrow,” said Fee, 42. (Wootson Jr., 3/16)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Checking The Facts On Medicaid Use By Latinos

Spending cuts, immigration, and Medicaid are at the top of the Washington agenda. That climate provides fertile ground for misinformation and myths to multiply on social networks. Some of the most common are those surrounding immigrants, Latinos, and Medicaid. These claims include assertions that Latinos who use Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people and those with disabilities, “do not work” and exaggerations of the percentage of people with Medicaid who are Latinos. (Andalo and Rubio, 3/17)

Rural hospitals may have to cut investments into telehealth and remote patient monitoring programs as they deal with potential changes beyond their control. The policymaking uncertainty in Washington, D.C., is affecting all of healthcare and is particularly challenging for providers in rural areas. Cuts to Medicaid are on the table and the fate of Medicare telemedicine reimbursement flexibilities is in doubt. (Perna, 3/14)

Congress completed work on a government funding bill Friday that modestly trims spending, gives President Donald Trump greater flexibility to cut programs and extends expiring healthcare priorities. In a 54-46 vote, the Senate approved legislation the House passed Tuesday that prevents the partial government shutdown that would have commenced at midnight EDT. Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, broke with the minority party to vote in favor and Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) was the lone Republican to vote nay. Trump intends to sign the bill. (McAuliff, 3/14)

Long-term acute care hospital operator Landmark Holdings of Florida filed for Chapter 11 protections this week, citing high costs and “plateaued” reimbursement rates in the years following the onset of the pandemic. The Naples, Florida-based company currently owns and operates five hospitals in Georgia and Missouri and manages a sixth in Florida, none of which it plans to immediately close. It employs about 625 workers (340 full-time) and brought in revenue of $79.4 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023. (Muoio, 3/14)

The Minnesota Attorney General's office reached a settlement with Mayo Clinic related to the nonprofit system's charity care practices. Mayo Clinic must continue to provide charity care to "presumptively eligible" patients and streamline its application process, according to a Friday news release from the attorney general's office. The system is barred from suing to collect medical debt outside of extraordinary circumstances, such as when a patient keeps payment from an insurer that is intended to cover care costs. (Hudson, 3/14)

The nursing home industry is slowly recovering from the “gut punch” the COVID-19 pandemic dealt the industry five years ago, said Clifton Porter, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association. Porter said capacity and staffing are improving for an industry that saw nearly 700 nursing homes shut down and 250,000 workers leave their jobs as the coronavirus infected more than 2 million skilled nursing facility residents and staff. (Eastabrook, 3/14)

The next time you’re due for a medical exam you may get a call from someone like Ana: a friendly voice that can help you prepare for your appointment and answer any pressing questions you might have. ... Ana has been trained to put patients at ease — like many nurses across the U.S. But unlike them, she is also available to chat 24-7, in multiple languages. That’s because Ana isn’t human, but an artificial intelligence program created by Hippocratic AI, one of a number of new companies offering ways to automate time-consuming tasks usually performed by nurses and medical assistants. (Perrone, 3/16)

Dr. Sheldon Greenfield, whose pioneering research found that older patients with breast and pancreatic cancer got subpar treatment and that patients who grill their doctors during consultations receive better care, died on Feb. 26 at his home in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 86. The cause was colon cancer, his daughter Lauren Greenfield said. (Roberts, 3/14)

A new Marine Corps policy says troops with a genetic skin condition that can cause pain and scarring from shaving and mainly affects Black men can be separated if the health issue persists. The "interim guidance" issued Thursday gives military health care providers 90 days to reevaluate Marines diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB. If they don't recover based on a four-phase treatment program outlined in the message, have to remain on a shaving waiver for more than a year, and a commander deems it fit, the Corps can administratively separate them "due to incompatibility with service," according to the message. (Lawrence, 3/14)

For decades, detaining undocumented immigrant families has been a contentious enforcement tactic. Critics of “family detention” have said young children suffer in confinement. Proponents say that locking families up while they await likely deportation sends a stark message about the consequences of entering the United States illegally. Now, after falling out of use under the Biden administration, family detention is being resurrected by President Trump, as his administration marches forward on its promise to crackdown on immigrants. (Ulloa and Jordan, 3/17)

Diplomats in Vietnam warned Washington that halting USAID’s efforts to clean up the massive deposit of postwar pesticides would be a catastrophe for public health and relations with a key strategic partner in Asia. (Barry-Jester, Murphy and Van, 3/17)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub MRNA References On Grants

National Institutes of Health officials have urged scientists to remove all references to mRNA vaccine technology from their grant applications, two researchers said, in a move that signaled the agency might abandon a promising field of medical research. The mRNA technology is under study at the NIH for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including flu and AIDS, and also cancer. It was deployed in the development of covid-19 vaccines credited with saving 3 million lives in the U.S. alone — an accomplishment President Donald Trump bragged about in his first term. (Allen, 3/16)

When the National Institutes of Health terminated dozens of research grants that focused on why some people are hesitant to accept vaccines, many researchers were taken aback, outraged, disheartened. Nisha Acharya read her letter in disbelief. Acharya, an ophthalmologist and professor at the University of California at San Francisco, doesn’t study how to combat vaccine hesitancy or test ways to increase vaccine uptake. ... Instead, she studies how well the shingles vaccine works to prevent the painful infection. (Johnson, 3/15)

The Health and Human Services Department aims to fast-track policymaking by scrapping procedures it followed for more than 50 years to collect public feedback on government decisions. The Supreme Court and several federal laws may stand in the way. As such, healthcare interests could cite decades of legal and statutory precedent supporting the notice-and-comment process for federal policies to push back against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan to reduce transparency, according to legal and policy experts. (Early, 3/14)

For almost three hours, Linda McMahon sat through a confirmation hearing last month in which senators pressed her on everything from teacher pay to transgender athletes. But none from either party asked her about school shootings. (Nittle, 3/14)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reportedly targeted a manufacturer of poppers, an inhalant drug that has gained increasingly mainstream popularity as an adjunct to clubbing and sexual activity. The drug has long been sold in convenience stores under a legal loophole. Double Scorpio, an Austin-based poppers manufacturer, issued a statement on its website Thursday stating that the company had “stopped all operations following a search and seizure at our offices by the FDA.” (Ryan, 3/14)

U.S. health officials are tracking a rise in injuries tied to the misuse of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, including some brands that are sold in small canisters containing flavors like blueberry, strawberry and watermelon. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned consumers that inhaling the gas for its euphoric effects can cause dangerously low blood pressure, leading to loss of consciousness and injuries. (Perrone, 3/14)

The results of a small randomized controlled trial in Italy suggest that probiotics may be helpful in treatment of children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), Italian researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open. (Dall, 3/14)

Pfizer had a problem. Doctors weren’t prescribing its migraine drug Nurtec because they assumed insurance coverage would be too much of a hassle. So last year the company created a phone line for doctors and patients to call Pfizer directly for help. Pfizer now credits that and other changes for a 31% increase in Nurtec’s U.S. sales last year. (Hopkins, 3/17)

It’s easy to make a medical case for blockbuster weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, which have been shown to prevent heart attacks and strokes and save lives. But for the employers and government programs being asked to pay for the medications, the financial case for them is less clear. Are the drugs’ benefits worth their enormous cost? The answer right now is no, according to a new study published on Friday in the journal JAMA Health Forum, by researchers at the University of Chicago. (Robbins, 3/14)

The number of measles cases associated with an outbreak in western Texas has grown to 259, with 36 cases reported over the last three days, according to new data released Friday. Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown. Two cases have occurred in persons vaccinated with two doses, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Breakthrough infections, when a vaccinated person is infected are rare, as the measles vaccine provides up to 97% protection after 2 doses. (Kekatos, 3/14)

Struggling to contain a raging measles epidemic in West Texas, public health officials increasingly worry that residents are relying on unproven remedies endorsed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, and postponing doctor visits until the illness has worsened. Hospitals and officials sounded an alarm this week, issuing a notice explaining which measles symptoms warranted immediate medical attention and stressing the importance of timely treatment. (Rosenbluth, 3/15)

"The measles outbreak that we are currently witnessing is the result of misinformation," Dial Hewlett Jr., M.D., medical director of tuberculosis services at the Westchester County Department of Health, said during a media briefing hosted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). "When I was completing my fellowship in the New York area back in the 1980s, the attending physicians said to me, 'You will never see a case of measles.' And so I thought at that time that we were never going to see measles, but we ended up seeing it." (Landi, 3/14)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s failure to install a fellow vaccine critic to a key government post is testing the limits of how far the US health secretary can go to promote his public-health agenda. The White House late Wednesday informed Dave Weldon that officials were pulling his nomination to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after his views on vaccines alarmed key Republican senators. Weldon had been scheduled to attend a Senate panel hearing the following morning, but “there were not the votes” to confirm the nominee, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said. (Cohrs Zhang and Court, 3/14)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Scientist Whose Work Led FDA To Ban Food Dye Says Agency Overstated Risk

When the FDA announced in January, before President Joe Biden’s term ended, that it would ban a dye called red dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, the federal agency cited just one 1987 study on rats to support its action. The industry-funded study, based on data from two prior studies, was led by a Virginia toxicologist who said then — and still believes today, decades after concerns first arose that the chemical could be carcinogenic — that his research found the petroleum-derived food coloring doesn’t cause cancer in humans. (Galewitz, 3/17)

Beef tallow, the fat that remains after meat is boiled, has become the latest craze to gain momentum online, with some creators touting it as a skin care product and others calling it the healthier alternative to “seed oils” like canola and safflower oil. ... But some dermatologists and nutrition experts said they do not recommend incorporating high levels of beef tallow into diet or skin care regimens. On skin, one dermatologist said, tallow could cause acne rather than eliminate it. For cooking, some nutritionists said beef tallow may even be worse than seed oils. (Richardson, 3/17)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: �鶹Ů�� Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Share How Additives Enter Food Supply And Measles Harms Kids' Immune Systems

�鶹Ů�� Health News senior correspondent David Hilzenrath discussed how the FDA allows risky chemicals in America’s food supply on CBS’ “CBS Mornings Plus” on March 11. ... �鶹Ů�� Health News editor-at-large for public health Céline Gounder discussed the measles outbreak on CBS’ “CBS Mornings” on March 7. She also discussed how measles affects the immune system on CBS 24/7’s “The Daily Report” on March 5. (3/15)

How old are your organs? The answer might not match your chronological age — and a new analysis finds that an organ’s biological age might predict a person’s risk of diseases such as cancer, dementia and heart disease. The research, published in the Lancet Digital Health, analyzed data from Whitehall II, a long-running British study of aging that has followed over 10,000 British adults for more than 35 years. (Blakemore, 3/15)

Republican state legislators unveiled a new effort on Friday to derail the health care network that has helped people in Texas continue accessing abortion years after the Lone Star State banned the procedure. (Luthra, 3/14)

The Florida Senate unanimously passed a measure aimed at improving the lives of children with autism and their families. The bill works to increase early detection and intervention, while filling in the gaps in educational opportunities. One part of the bill is directed at research to learn why autism is increasing. (Menzel, 3/14)

At 9 years old, Orlando resident Landon Chase has survived some pretty serious and scary things; cancer and chemotherapy are at the forefront. His big challenge now, though, is healing from chemo, a process his mom, Erin Booth, says is being hindered and made more difficult by Florida’s children's health insurance program. (Pedersen, 3/14)

A St. Louis judge has granted a new trial in a case Abbott Laboratories won in the fall, in which a mother alleged that the company’s cow’s milk-based products for premature infants contributed to her son’s severe illness. The ruling is a setback for Abbott, which continues to face nearly 1,500 other lawsuits over the issue of whether its cow’s milk-based products for premature infants contribute to the development of a life-threatening intestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). (Schencker, 3/14)

Staffing at Missouri nursing homes ranks among the worst in the nation, with the latest federal data showing the state falls second-to-last for time spent caring for residents. Each nursing home resident in Missouri receives just 3.37 hours of nursing care per day, on average, according to quarterly data released by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services late last month. (Bates, 3/14)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Without Federal Action, States Wrestle With Kratom Regulation

Montana lawmakers are grappling with how — if at all — the state should rein in kratom, an unregulated plant-derived substance with addictive properties sold mainly as a mood and energy booster at gas stations, vape shops, and elsewhere. Kratom, which originates from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia, is also touted for helping relieve pain and opioid withdrawal symptoms. But it can have wide-ranging mental and bodily effects, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, addiction medicine experts, and kratom researchers. (Silvers, 3/17)

On St. Patrick’s Day, most will celebrate the holiday in its traditional revelry, including drinking glasses of whiskey and green beer. While you’re at it, raise those glasses and cheer to the metabolic wonders of—your liver. (Hasne, 3/12)

A concept called the Yerkes-Dodson curve shows that when people have very high levels of anxiety, they don’t tend to perform well. They might be so worried about a big work project that they avoid getting started, for example. But at very low levels of anxiety, performance also suffers: They might be so relaxed that they rush through the project to watch Netflix. “There’s actually the sweet spot in the middle, where anxiety is really adaptive,” or helpful, says Shannon Sauer-Zavala, a clinical psychology professor at the University of Kentucky. (Richardson, 3/16)

With nearly 700 species of bacteria inhabiting the human mouth, experts say maintaining good oral hygiene could benefit both heart and brain health. There is growing evidence suggesting good oral health could help prevent Alzheimer's disease. One study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that people who flossed regularly had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who did not. (Novak, 3/14)

A Tennessee cancer clinic is beaming doctors out to rural areas, a new model of telehealth that goes beyond clunky videoconferencing systems. (Bousquette, 3/11)

Shawn Moyer’s high school prom date bailed on him. Although it stung at the time, he’s now grateful she did. “A week before prom, she had gotten a better offer,” said Moyer, now 55. He ended up asking Elena Hershey — who was a year younger and in his brother’s class at Dallastown Area High School in York County, Pennsylvania — to be his date. To his delight, she said yes. He had no idea, then, that 37 years later, his fill-in prom date would be the reason he received a life-saving kidney donation. (Page, 3/11)

Kristina Ulmer does the kindness challenge each year in memory of her sister who died in a car crash. She said students run with it. Free, 3/15)

Americans are losing confidence in the safety of vaccines. According to a recent Gallup poll, 20% of adults believe they’re more dangerous than the diseases they’re intended to prevent. That’s up from just 6% in 2001. This growing skepticism is proving deadly. (Howard Dean, 3/17)

A measles outbreak in West Texas has claimed two lives, and President Trump’s secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is spreading false claims about the disease and the vaccines that nearly eliminated it. (Jessica Grose and Alexandra Sifferlin, 3/17)

The health care industry faces a critical security challenge. While organizations invest millions in advanced medical technologies, their approach to protecting sensitive data remains notably outdated. This isn’t merely a compliance issue; it’s a fundamental gap in implementing the hardened security architecture and advanced governance frameworks needed to protect vital medical information. The latest proposed amendments to HIPAA attempt to address these challenges, but without a foundation of robust security infrastructure, even the strongest regulations prove insufficient. (Patrick Spencer, 3/17)

As the world’s richest men slash American aid for the world’s poorest children, they insist that all is well. “No one has died as a result of a brief pause to do a sanity check on foreign aid funding,” Elon Musk said. “No one.” That is not true. (Nicholas Kristof, 3/15)

In an instant, more than 1,000 patients at my health care clinic outside Nairobi lost access to lifesaving HIV treatments. Thousands more could no longer receive treatment for tuberculosis or contraception that prevents teenage pregnancies, hurting the well-being of our communities and threatening the progress we’ve made in their medical care. (Jeffrey Okoro, 3/15)