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Most lung cancer screening guidelines hinge on how much people smoked tobacco and when they last smoked, but the American Cancer Society now says it doesn’t matter how long ago they quit. On Wednesday, the ACS released guidance recommending that anyone with a significant smoking history get an annual low-dose CT scan for lung cancer. (Chen, 11/1)

In 2023, ACS researchers estimate 238,340 new cases of lung cancer (117,550 in men and 120,790 in women) will be diagnosed. By the time people are symptomatic, treatment options can be limited, so screening offers a better chance for new treatments to succeed. ... The expanded screening recommendations "could make a real difference in saving lives," says Dr. Robert Smith, who leads early cancer detection science at ACS and is the lead author of the screening guideline report. (Noguchi and Webber, 11/1)

The Alex Trebek Fund launched Wednesday to support research into pancreatic cancer, the type of cancer the longtime “Jeopardy” host died from in 2020. ... “Alex knew that knowledge equaled power. He was a man that really loved to know things and stayed very curious,” Jean Trebek said in the statement. “Since Alex was all about the right answer, I think it’s very fitting that this fund is now established in his name. It’s a way for the community that loved him to put resources directly into the hands of scientists working tirelessly to fight a disease shrouded by many unknowns.” (Valdez, 11/1)

The Air Force has been investigating cases of rare pediatric brain cancers diagnosed in three military children at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico to determine whether the disease is more widespread in the region than previously reported or is occurring at higher rates than average. Epidemiologists from the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine began assessing cases of diffuse midline glioma, or DMG, and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, at Cannon and in the surrounding area in January after concerns arose among families who have lived on the installation, according to a press release last week from the 27th Special Operations Wing. (Kime, 11/1)

Better care for cancer patients may be on the horizon. A new prescription medicine for treating cervical cancer has been showing positive results in clinical trials. In phase 3 global trials, TIVDAK (tisotumab vedotin) was linked to a 30% overall reduction in the risk of death compared to chemotherapy. (Stabile, 11/2)

An Idaho woman and her son have been charged with kidnapping after prosecutors say they took the son’s minor girlfriend out of state to get an abortion. Court documents show Idaho police began investigating the mother and son earlier this summer after a 15-year-old girl’s mother told authorities her daughter had been sexually assaulted and later taken to Oregon to have an abortion. (Kruesi, 11/1)

Attorney General Ashley Moody late Tuesday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to ensure abortion rights, describing the measure as an effort to “hoodwink” voters. Moody filed a 39-page brief contending that the proposal should be kept off the 2024 ballot because the wording of the ballot summary would be misleading to voters. (Saunders, 11/1)

An abortion ballot measure in Ohio is driving a surge in early voter turnout in what is seen as the most important referendum on reproductive rights this year. ... Turnout has been high since early voting started on Oct. 11, with the Ohio secretary of state’s office noting that the state had seen more than 200,000 people voting early in person by Oct. 24 and roughly 110,000 mailed absentee ballots, according to The Columbus Dispatch. In comparison, at this point during the August special election, 192,000 people voted in person early, and 93,000 mailed absentee ballots were received. (Vakil, 11/1)

Volunteers canvassing in favor of a ballot initiative to establish a constitutional right to abortion stopped Alex Woodward at a market hall in Ohio to ask if they could expect her vote in November. Ms. Woodward said she favors abortion rights and affirmed her support. But as the canvassers moved on through the hall, she realized she was not sure how to actually mark her ballot. “I think it’s a yes,” she said. “Maybe it’s a no?” ... The measure in Ohio is the first time that voters in a red state are being asked to affirmatively vote “yes” to a constitutional amendment establishing a right to abortion, rather than “no” to preserve the status quo established by courts. Ohio voters have historically tended to reject ballot amendments. (Zernike and Lerer, 11/2)

House Republicans unveiled a revised version of their fiscal 2024 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill that includes a number of new conservative social policy riders related to abortion, gun control and diversity. The revised bill, posted on the House Rules Committee’s website Monday night, comes ahead of possible floor action the week of Nov. 13. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced plans to discharge the bill from committee in a Dear Colleague letter ahead of his election as speaker, meaning it is expected to head to the floor without a full committee markup. (Raman and Hellmann, 11/1)

It’s time to pick health coverage for next year on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces, and experts caution against focusing your choice on price alone. In order to prevent thousands of dollars in financial surprises, buyers should know what a plan covers, how it works and what costs you may have to pay upfront for care. (Murphy, 11/1)

Patients who buy health insurance on the federal marketplace will be able to select a plan that includes BJC HealthCare locations in its network, thanks to a last-minute deal with insurer Aetna, health system officials confirmed Wednesday. The announcement comes as another health insurer, Cigna, stopped offering marketplace plans in Missouri for 2024. Cigna’s announcement worried some patients, who were concerned that the health insurer’s exit left patients without a marketplace plan that offered BJC providers in its network. (Fentem, 11/1)

Humana on Wednesday said it expected elevated demand for non-urgent surgeries to spill over into next year and hurt its profit growth, sending its shares down nearly 4%. Humana and rival UnitedHealth had in June warned that older adults were getting more comfortable opting for surgeries delayed during the pandemic. (Mandowara, 11/1)

As Congress takes on companies managing prescription drug benefits, newly emboldened unions are sending a message to lawmakers: Don't mess with our health plans. Unions have a history of shaping the health care agenda, and their voice could be especially notable as organized labor flexes its muscle this year. (Goldman, 11/2)

The number of Medicare Advantage plans offering seniors help affording groceries has skyrocketed in the few years since it's become easier for insurers to offer an expanded set of benefits. Next year, 1,475 plans — about a quarter of the market — will offer certain eligible enrollees financial assistance for food and produce, according to an analysis from consulting firm ATI Advisory. (Goldman, 11/2)

Home health providers will receive a 0.8% Medicare reimbursement increase in calendar 2024 under a final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued Wednesday. CMS had proposed a 2.2% Medicare payment cut in a draft regulation published in June, which triggered a tsunami of criticism from home health providers and a lawsuit from the National Association of Home Care and Hospice. (Bennett and Eastabrook, 11/1)

CVS Health Corp and Walgreens Boots Alliance on Wednesday said that a work action by some U.S. pharmacists this week had minimal impact on operations, with most stores remaining open. CVS Chief Executive Karen Lynch said in an interview that employees had called in sick at a few stores this week, but there were no store closures or disruptions to shifts due to the action. The company has about 30,000 pharmacists across stores and operates over 9,000 retail locations. (11/1)

CVS Health beat third-quarter forecasts thanks partially to its growing pharmacy benefits management side, but the health care giant is cautious about next year. Interim Chief Financial Officer Tom Cowhey told analysts Wednesday that it would be “prudent for investors to ground their expectations” for adjusted earnings at the low end of a range of $8.50 to $8.70 per share. That’s also what the company expects for full-year earnings this year. (Murphy, 11/1)

A pharmaceutical company and its chief executive — who once defended Martin Shkreli for raising drug prices to controversial heights — agreed to pay up to $50 million to settle allegations of purposely underpaying Medicaid rebates. (Silverman, 11/1)

A Chicago nonprofit just got a $9 million donation – but it almost didn't happen, because the recipient thought the initial call was a scam. Billionaire MacKenzie Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Scott has made it her mission to give away millions to worthy nonprofits. Aunt Martha's helps more than 100,000 people in Illinois every year. It is also the only Federally Qualified Health Center in Illinois that is also licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and family Services for young people in out-of-home placements. (Kraemer, 11/1)

Legislators and health care workers gathered at the state capitol on Wednesday to advocate for increased health care workplace safety measures following the murder of a visiting nurse in Willimantic. The calls for action focused particularly on home settings, where many health care workers are behind closed doors with patients and vulnerable to dangerous conditions, including physical and verbal abuse. (Golvala, 11/1)

Year after year, nurses top the list of the most trusted professions. At the same time, politicians rank at the bottom when it comes to the public’s trust. That fact didn’t deter nearly three dozen nurses from participating in a program earlier this year to prepare them to run for public office. (Hoban, 11/2)

In 2011, a startup called Avolonte Health set up shop in a small office park in Palo Alto, California. ... Avolonte wasn’t just any health-care company. It was a project of Apple Inc., and its mission came directly from Steve Jobs. Apple’s co-founder and then-chief executive officer, ill with the pancreatic cancer that would take his life near the end of that year, had tasked a group of his key executives to develop a noninvasive blood sugar monitor. (Gurman and Bennett, 11/1)

Vaccine misinformation, which first began spiraling during the Covid-19 pandemic, has grown in the United States in the years since, according to a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. More than 1,500 adults responded to the survey between October 5 – 12 and according to the results, the share of people who viewed vaccines as less safe and effective has increased since April 2021, when the group was first included on a panel for the survey. (Hassan, 11/1)

Moderna on Thursday posted a steep loss for the third quarter as the drugmaker recorded a large write-down due to unused Covid vaccines, its only marketable products. Moderna’s total revenue for the period topped Wall Street’s expectations, even amid plummeting demand for its shot. Its outlook for next year, however, came in lower than what analysts were projecting. (Constantino, 11/2)

The state of Tennessee has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a federal lawsuit by its former vaccine leader over her firing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement in the case brought by Michelle Fiscus includes provisions that limit what each of the parties can say about each other, according to a copy provided by the Tennessee Department of Health in response to a public records request. (Mattise, 11/1)

The Mass General Brigham health system does not plan to require masking for patients and visitors during the coming cold-weather months, though the organization may mandate staff to wear masks in some circumstances if respiratory illnesses rise above certain levels. The policies were released Tuesday by the state’s largest health system, developed in response to recommendations from the Department of Public Health, to mitigate the spread of not only COVID this winter, but influenza and other respiratory illnesses. (Bartlett, 11/1)

Nearly a billion dollars went to trying to boost domestic manufacturing of PPE like masks and gloves. Experts say the effort is foundering and the nation isn't better off than it was three years ago. (Greenfieldboyce, 11/1)

Authorities are investigating an unprecedented outbreak of opioid overdoses at a single high school in Sterling, Virginia. Eight students at Park View High School have overdosed in the last three weeks, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. In total, the sheriff’s office is investigating nine opioid overdoses at Park View this year among male and female students. None of the overdoses were fatal, but each required some sort of medical intervention such as treatment, CPR or transport to a hospital. (Bendix, 11/1)

For the first time, attorneys working for LGBTQ+ rights have asked the Supreme Court to rule on a gender-affirming care ban for transgender youth. Lawyers with Lambda Legal and the ACLU, alongside other legal partners, are asking the court to block Tennessee’s law preventing trans youth from accessing gender-affirming care. (Rummler, 11/1)

After putting the policy on hold earlier this year, Republican lawmakers are proposing a narrower version of a bill that would restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth in New Hampshire. The original version of House Bill 619 would have banned any type of gender transition-related medical care for people under 18, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy. That bill was retained in committee. (Cuno-Booth, 11/1)

A man in his 70s has become the sixth Massachusetts resident infected with West Nile virus and was likely exposed in Middlesex County, the state Department of Public Health said Wednesday. The county remains at moderate risk for the mosquito-borne virus, the statement said. Despite colder temperatures, some risk for the virus will continue until areas have a “hard frost,” or when temperatures fall below 28 degrees, the department said. (Lawler, 11/1)

New York City officials on Wednesday announced a sweeping agenda “to achieve healthier, longer lives for all New Yorkers” and raise the city’s average life span to at least 83 years, as public health leaders across the country grapple with declining life expectancy and seek strategies to reverse the trend. (Diamond, 11/1)

All the chairs in the waiting room were filled by dozens of newly arrived migrants waiting to be seen by a Cook County health worker at a clinic in Chicago. Julio Figuera, 43, was among them. He didn’t want to talk much about traveling to Chicago from Venezuela, where a social, political and economic crisis has pushed millions into poverty and led 7 million to flee, Figuera and three of his kids included. But somewhere along the way, he’d gotten pneumonia. (Shastri, 11/2)

This month, Mississippi becomes the latest state to partner with ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to ferry residents to their medical appointments. ... Ryan Kelly, executive director of the Mississippi Rural Health Association, said groups such as his have been working to promote more regular annual checkups, but added that transportation barriers have contributed to high rates of missed appointments. The no-show rate for some providers can be as high as 75%, he said. (Claire Vollers, 11/1)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: ‘Worse Than People Can Imagine’: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Breeds Chaos In States 

More than two dozen people lined up outside a state public assistance office in Montana before it opened to ensure they didn’t get cut off from Medicaid. Callers in Missouri and Florida reported waiting on hold for more than two hours on hotlines to renew their Medicaid coverage. The parents of a disabled man in Tennessee who had been on Medicaid for three decades fought with the state this summer to keep him enrolled as he lay dying from pneumonia in a hospital. (Galewitz, Houghton, Kelman and Liss, 11/2)

A lawsuit over the death of a 21-year-old with a heart condition who died last year after drinking a highly caffeinated lemonade at Panera Bread has renewed longstanding questions about the safety of energy drinks. The woman’s parents, who filed the lawsuit last week, said that she was likely unaware of how much caffeine was in the lemonade, which they claim was not labeled an energy drink. A large size of the drink contains nearly the same amount of caffeine as five 8-ounce cans of Red Bull. (Blum and Callahan, 11/1)

A new study shows that race may play a role in depression among college students who are minorities at both predominantly white institutions and historically Black universities. The research was conducted by a team at the University of Georgia and the findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of American College Health. ... The team also found that moderately severe and severe depression was more prevalent among the minority race at both universities. (Martin, 11/1)

When Air Force trainees step off the bus for basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, they undergo a rigorous introduction to military life, where they learn about principles like discipline, physical fitness and teamwork. It’s a stressful transition by design. Trainees lose access to their cell phones and social networks, receive uniforms and basic supplies, and move into dorms with little privacy. But the Air Force also wants to make sure they have the tools to cope. (Frame, 11/1)

In the middle of January of 2011, 16-year-old Jacob Peters developed a bad cough. Doctors initially diagnosed him with an upper respiratory infection. But when Jacob didn’t improve, his father, Gary Peters, said they started feeling around his son’s neck. "Then they ordered a chest X-ray and found a three-inch tumor right below his collarbone that was compressing his trachea," he said. (Krebs, 11/1)

In a study published today in Microbiome, a team led by researchers from the University of Warwick found that new and degraded plastics submerged for a week in a river harbored opportunistic "microbial hitchhikers" like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, as well as a distinct set of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The study authors say the findings highlight concerns that the "riverine plastisphere" could serve as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance. Dall, 11/1)

Too much stress isn’t good for you — on top of feeling relentless burnout, it can lead to sleep problems, a poor immune system, higher blood pressure and lower cognitive function. And occasionally, chronic or acute stress can affect your skin, too. (Nicioli, 11/1)

The harsh reality is that misdiagnosis happens a lot — and sometimes with the gravest consequences. Each year, approximately 371,000 people in the U.S. die because of diagnostic error, according to a July 2023 study in the medical journal BMJ Quality & Safety. A medical second opinion can increase the chances that you get the correct treatment from the start, saving money, distress and maybe your life. “Second opinions are probably the single fastest way to address diagnostic errors today,” says Dr. David Newman-Toker. (Rossheim, 11/1)

Ady Barkan, a well-known activist who campaigned for Medicare for all while struggling with the terminal neurodegenerative disease A.L.S., has died. He was 39.His death was announced on Wednesday by Be a Hero, a political organization he co-founded in 2018. Mr. Barkan died of complications of A.L.S. at about 6 p.m. local time at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif., the group said. (Ives, 11/2)

A new study presents exciting future possibilities for the management of type 1 diabetes and the potential reduction of insulin dependency. The study's findings suggest repurposing of the drug alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) may open doors to innovative therapies in the future. (Indiana University, 11/1)

A study based on 211 pregnant women given the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (Paxlovid) during pregnancy for acute COVID-19 infections shows no increased risk of adverse events in the women or their babies and a reduced risk of complications called the maternal morbidity and mortality index (MMMI). (Soucheray, 11/1)

A pair of studies sheds new light on the SARS-CoV-2–related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), with Dutch researchers finding that previous COVID-19 infection helps protect children against the condition, and a US study showing that low-dose corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) were tied to shorter hospital stays and less severe disease. Both studies were published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. (Van Beusekom, 11/1)

A simulation looking at coughing and droplet spread in cruise ship passenger cabins meant for two or more passengers shows that higher ventilation does not necessarily lead to the best viral protection. The study is published in Physics of Fluids. (Soucheray, 11/1)

If you’ve spent as much time as I have surveying the dark corners of the anti-vaccine and free-birthing social media worlds, you won’t be surprised by the fact that wellness influencers pushing “natural” birth control are all over the place. Sometimes they’re promoting some version of the rhythm method, also known as fertility awareness (tracking your menstrual cycle to figure out when you’ll ovulate and avoiding sex or using condoms on or near those days); sometimes they’re selling some poultice of herbs. (Jessica Grose, 11/1)

The new obesity drugs are so much in demand that the food industry has grown concerned that they might threaten future profits. The entertainment industry is speculating about which celebrities might be taking them. Amid the noise, it can be easy to miss a much more fundamental question: Will these new medications improve the health of the country? (Peter Laurie and Joshua Sharfstein, 11/2)

The power and peril of Crispr was up for debate at a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee meeting yesterday. Their task: to consider the risks and benefits of a gene therapy for sickle cell disease developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Crispr Therapeutics Inc. Given the positive tenor of the meeting, the therapy is expected in early December to become the first Crispr-based therapy to reach the market. (Lisa Jarvis, 11/1)

At the bustling Chicago O’Hare airport, my luggage and I collided with an elderly couple. My heart sank when I realized my vision had failed me again. Because of a connective tissue disorder, my peripheral vision and balance were impaired, making such unintentional mishaps part of my journey. Moments like these are stark reminders of the day-to-day issues that patients with rare diseases often face. (Vivian G. Cheung, 11/1)

Earlier this year, the University of Pittsburgh released the results from three studies focusing on the health impacts on people who live near shale gas operations — sometimes called fracking — in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The results of these studies showed that Pennsylvania must do more to defend the health of residents, not just in areas of heavy industrial activity, but all across the commonwealth. (Alison L. Steele, 11/2)

As the memory care director at Blakeford Senior Life, I have had the chance to care for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and learn more about the symptoms that come with the disease. The health care industry is making strides in treatment, but until there is a cure, the best thing we can do to help is to spread awareness about the effects of the disease. (Ashley Briggs, 11/1)

Only 7 percent of American adults have received the updated coronavirus vaccine, according to the National Immunization Survey. Among older adults, the uptake is higher but still lagging: Just 1 in 5 of those 75 and older have received the shot.These numbers are alarming. (Leana S. Wen, 11/2)