The New York Times: Congress Recesses, Leaving More Stalemates Than Accomplishments
Congress limped out of town Thursday for a seven-week recess, leaving behind a trail of partisan fights, a failed bill to help fight the Zika virus, a stalemate on gun safety and a few mundane accomplishments that members hoped to sell as awesome to voters in an unsparing mood. The fierce partisanship was evident as some House Republicans filed a resolution to impeach the Internal Revenue Service commissioner, John A. Koskinen, while Hillary Clinton, over lunch at the Capitol with Senate Democrats, stressed that their hopes of reclaiming the majority were bound up with her aspirations of winning the White House. (Herszenhorn and Steinhauer, 7/14)

The Wall Street Journal: The Top Three Things Congress Couldn’t Get Done This Year
A partisan fight widened in recent weeks over how Congress should pay for money directed at combating the Zika virus and lawmakers didn’t resolve it before they left Thursday. House and Senate Republicans backed a measure that would have provided $1.1 billion in Zika funding, balanced with cuts to the 2010 health-law and money previously earmarked for fighting Ebola. Democrats said they could live with some of the budget cuts, but objected to a provision that would have prevented funding from going to ProFamilias, a group that partners with Planned Parenthood in Puerto Rico, which has been hard hit by Zika. (Peterson, 7/14)

The Associated Press: Lawmakers To Go On Recess Without Addressing Zika
Congress is about to leave for a seven-week vacation without giving the Obama administration any of the $1.9 billion it’s seeking to battle the Zika virus, and a Senate effort to revive the nuts-and-bolts process of passing agency budgets was dealt a significant setback at the hands of Democrats. (Taylor, 7/15)

Stat: Senate Still Stuck On Zika, Leaves Funding Unresolved Until September
Caught up in a partisan squabble about Planned Parenthood, the Senate once again failed Thursday to advance a $1.1 billion package to fund the US response to the Zika virus. The measure fell short in a procedural vote, 52 to 44. It needed 60 votes to advance. With the Zika funding question still unresolved, Congress is leaving town for the Democratic and Republican presidential conventions and won’t return until September. Leaders from both parties laid the blame at the other’s feet for the impasse. (Scott, 7/14)

The Hill: Senate Punts Zika Fight To The Fall
Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a deal to provide $1.1 billion to combat the Zika virus for a second time, effectively kicking the funding fight into September. Senators voted 52-44 on a procedural hurdle. Sixty votes were needed to move forward with the Zika money, which is attached to a larger military and veterans spending bill. (Carney, 7/14)

Roll Call: Senate Rejects Zika Package Again, No Signs Of A Deal
Democrats have repeatedly criticized Republicans for including language in the conference report that they say would would prevent funds from going to Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico. Republicans have shot back by saying their position represents a lack of support for pregnant women. ... The inability of the Republican-led Congress to pass the legislation is a politically risky move ahead of the recess. The number of infants born with microcephaly linked to the Zika virus will continue to grow in the coming weeks and months, experts say. Congress is slated to return in September and while the political parties could hash out a deal then, they may likely feel less pressure to act with summer over, unless Zika becomes a larger public health problem. (Shutt, 7/14)

Politico Pro: No Zika Deal, But The Mud Is Ready For Flinging
Republicans and Democrats can’t come together on a deal to fund the Zika response, but they are ready with talking points to blame one another if the crisis gets worse over the August recess. Minutes after a Republican-led Zika measure failed in the Senate for the second time on Thursday, Democrats blasted Republicans for leaving on a vacation as a public health crisis loomed. Republicans, with similar venom, blamed Democrats for filibustering a bill that would have helped prevent babies from severe birth defects. (Haberkorn, 7/14)

The Hill: GOP Calls Out Obama For Millions Of Unspent Dollars Amid Zika Fight
Top Republicans in Congress are demanding to know why the White House is holding onto more than $400 million that they say could have already gone to fighting the Zika virus. Six leading GOP appropriators wrote to President Obama on Thursday, voicing strong concerns about the administration's slow pace in exhausting its existing resources on Zika, as Democrats dig in their heels to demand a $1.1 billion emergency spending bill. (Ferris, 7/14)

Morning Consult: After Zika Funding Vote Fails, GOP Appropriators Write To White House
Republican appropriators urged President Obama to use already available funding to respond to the Zika virus Thursday after Senate Democrats blocked a procedural vote on a spending bill that included funding for the virus for the second time. In a letter, top appropriators from both chambers urged Obama to continue to shift money that was allocated for fiscal 2016 for the Zika virus should the administration need more funds to fight the outbreak. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has a transfer authority to shift funds toward Zika and the Secretary of State has the authority to reprogram funds to provide additional funding outside the country, they say. (McIntire, 7/14)

The Hill: House Panel Clears Final Spending Bill
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a $161 billion health and labor spending bill, clearing its 12th and final annual appropriations package on the final day before recess. The health spending bill — typically one of the committee’s most contentious — is about a half-billion dollars shy of last year’s total. It’s nearly $3 billion below the levels requested by President Obama. (Ferris, 7/14)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

USA Today: Republicans Say Abortion Clinics Broke The Law By Selling Fetal Organs
Republicans on a special House panel investigating the practices of abortion providers said Thursday those providers and their middlemen have violated federal law by selling tissues and organs from aborted fetuses. In an interim report to Congress, the panel’s GOP majority said it has uncovered evidence that some providers were so eager to profit from selling fetal tissue that they altered abortion procedures to put financial benefit above the health of women. (Collins, 7/14)

Reuters: Senators Urge U.S. To Close Lead Testing Gaps, Citing Reuters Investigation
Some influential U.S. senators are urging a federal agency to take action to ensure more children are tested for lead poisoning, citing a Reuters investigation that found millions are missing required lead tests, leaving some vulnerable to lifelong health effects. In a three-page letter to be sent on Friday, U.S. senators including Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Deborah Stabenow of Michigan, all Democrats, called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to re-evaluate its lead screening policy for millions of Medicaid-eligible children. (Schneyer and Pell, 7/14)

The Hill: White House Praises Trump’s VP Pick For Expanding Medicaid
Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick received praise from an unwelcome place Thursday: the White House. President Obama’s chief spokesman, Josh Earnest, lauded Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) for deciding to expand Medicaid in his state under ObamaCare. (Fabian, 7/14)

Modern Healthcare: Trump's Reported VP Pick Raises Questions About Medicaid Expansion
Donald Trump's reported selection of Mike Pence as his running mate means the Indiana governor will be in the position of calling for repeal of his own Medicaid expansion, which has extended coverage to more than 300,000 low-income adults. Pence, a strong opponent of the Affordable Care Act, nonetheless pushed through a conservative version of Medicaid expansion in his state that took effect last year. (Meyer, 7/14)

Politico Pro: How Mike Pence Embraced Obamacare
When faced with the decision of whether to embrace Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion or stick to his party’s ideology in rejecting the health care law, Mike Pence did what several Republican governors have done: He swallowed his pride and took the money for his state. But Donald Trump’s likely running mate decided to do it with a conservative twist: He added a litany of controversial rules and restrictions for how poor people in Indiana could qualify for the newly generous Medicaid coverage. (Pradhan, 7/15)

Politico Pro: Pence's Handling Of Public Health Controversies Could Become 2016 Issue
Mike Pence’s tenure has been marked by a series of public health controversies that have reverberated across the country — and would again be thrust into the national spotlight with Pence as Donald Trump's running mate. ... Pence’s positions on abortion, Medicaid, needle exchange and the human papillomavirus vaccine have largely drawn plaudits from conservatives, but some decisions stoked outrage among some public health experts. (Demko, 7/14)

Stat: Mike Pence Selection Would Make Women’s Health A Top-Tier Election Issue
Donald Trump may have just made women’s health a bigger issue in the 2016 election. With Mike Pence emerging as Trump’s likely vice presidential pick, the presumptive Republican nominee could strengthen his credibility with anti-abortion leaders who have been wary of him. But Pence’s selection won’t do Trump any favors with advocates of women’s health, who say the Indiana governor has supported some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country. (Nather, 7/14)

Politico Pro: GOP Tries Health-Themed Campaign Message — And It's Not Just Repeal And Replace
Congressional Republicans dined out on Obamacare repeal during the past three election cycles, but they’re broadening their message for 2016 to stress their record on drug addiction, mental illness and Zika as a way to appeal to home state voters. ... The idea is for the GOP to show it can govern effectively, and appeal to voters outside the die-hard Republican base. But it’s by no means a risk-free strategy. Much of this agenda is in legislative limbo — either because of funding fights or, in the case of Zika, because Republicans have tied it to unrelated but controversial provisions about clean water, contraception, even the Confederate flag. (Cook and Norman, 7/14)

In other news, Hillary Clinton has the edge over Trump on health care, a poll finds —

The Washington Post: Poll Finds Clinton Has The Advantage On Health Care, But It May Not Matter
A July poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that Hillary Clinton has the advantage when voters are asked which potential president best represents their positions on health care. Almost half of the respondents chose Clinton, while a third picked Donald J. Trump. But does it matter? (Johnson, 7/15)

Modern Healthcare: Sanders Endorsement Brings Dem Party Unity On Health Policy
Clinton and Obama touted the public plan option as a way to boost competition and make the exchanges more viable. Their proposals come as 15 of the 23 not-for-profit co-op plans created by the ACA have collapsed and a number of private insurers have left the exchanges, complaining that the customers tend to be sicker and more costly to cover than non-exchange members. ... But some observers question whether Clinton stepped up her support for the public option and the Medicare buy-in more to placate the sizable single-payer wing of her party rather than because she seriously intends to pursue those controversial policies if she's elected. (Meyer, 7/13)

And, looking ahead to the Democratic National Convention —

Richmond Times Dispatch: Virginia Lab Testing Democratic National Convention Food For Contamination
A state lab is working to ensure that the food served at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia is contamination-free. Virginia’s Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services is currently testing samples of the food — including massive blocks of hamburgers to a case of pork tenderloins — that will be served at the convention, which takes place July 25-28. (Demeria, 7/14)

The Hill: Centrist Dems Wary Of Public Option Push
Centrist Democrats appear reluctant to join their party’s embrace of a public option for ObamaCare. The idea of adding a government-run insurance option to compete with private insurers is making a comeback in the Democratic Party, with President Obama endorsing the idea Monday, two days after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton emphasized a public option as part of an effort to win over Bernie Sanders and his supporters after a contentious primary. (Sullivan, 7/14)

Politico: Why Obama's 'Public Option' May Disappoint
President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over the past week have both called for a new government-run insurance option. But the "public option"— which some Democrats have been trying to enact since health law negotiations in 2009 — isn't a panacea for the problems plaguing Obamacare, Harvard expert Katherine Baicker tells POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast. (Diamond, 7/14)

Bloomberg: All Co-Ops Likely to Fail, House Panel Chairman Says
All 23 of the ACA CO-OPs will likely fail, the chairman of a House subcommittee said July 13. “My guess is every single one of these is going to fail,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said at a hearing held by the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee, which he chairs. (Hansard, 7/14)

The Des Moines Register: Which Iowa Cities Have The Most Health Care Coverage?
Since the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014, the number of Americans who have health insurance has grown to 88.3 percent. A new study from 24/7 Wall St. did a deeper dive into the numbers to see how many Americans have health insurance by major metropolitan area, and communities in Iowa fared well. (Stapleton, 7/14)

Houston Chronicle: Nearly One-Third Of Texas Hispanics Still Lack Health Insurance
At least 2 million Hispanics in Texas remain uninsured even though nearly half of those residents are eligible for coverage, a local health care report has found. The findings by Houston's Episcopal Health Foundation and Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy were released Thursday as part of an ongoing series measuring the effectiveness in Texas of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. (Deam, 7/14)

Houston Chronicle: Poll: Why Eligible Latinos Are Not Enrolling In Obamacare
The percentage of Hispanics in Texas without health insurance has dropped by 30 percent since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect, but almost one-third of Hispanic Texans ages 18 to 64 remain uninsured. That's one of the conclusions of a new report released today by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. (Tallet, 7/14)

ProPublica: As Cases Multiply, Officials Scramble To Stop Abuse Of Nursing Home Residents On Social Media
When a certified nursing assistant in Hubbard, Iowa, shared a photo online in March of a nursing home resident with his pants around his ankles, his legs and hand covered in feces, the most surprising aspect of state health officials' investigation was this: It wasn't against the law. The Iowa law designed to protect dependent adults from abuse was last updated in 2008, before many social media apps existed. ... The Iowa incident is just one illustration of how regulators and law enforcement officials nationwide are struggling to respond when employees at long-term care facilities violate the privacy of residents by posting photos on social media websites. (Ornstein and Huseman, 7/14)

Health News Florida: State Shuts Down Valusia Assisted Living Facility For Turning ‘Blind Eye’ To Victims
The state of Florida has issued an emergency order to shut down Grace Manor Assisted Living and Memory Care in Port Orange... The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration wrote in an emergency order, available here, that the facility and its administrator turned a “blind eye to the health and well being of those residents known to have been victimized.” (Aboraya, 7/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Backs ID Numbers For Medical Devices
The federal Medicare agency has endorsed the use of unique identification numbers in billing records for medical devices, a move safety advocates say is crucial in helping detect malfunctions in devices such as heart defibrillators, blood filters and hip and knee joints. The move is a shift for the agency, which hadn’t recommended such a step before, though it has for years been advocated by many lawmakers and officials at the Food and Drug Administration. (Burton, 7/14)

Modern Healthcare: CMS And FDA Advocate For Device Identifiers On Claims Forms
The heads of the CMS and the Food and Drug Administration want universal health insurance claims forms to include unique device identifiers. The UDI would improve post-market surveillance and provide for better value-based reimbursement based on device performance, they say. CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt and FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf wrote Wednesday to the chair of the Accredited Standards Committee X12, or ASC X12, to ask that the organization add UDIs for implantable medical devices on claims forms. (Rubenfire, 7/14)

And in a surprise about doctors' pay —

Modern Healthcare: Holy MACRA! Half Of Docs Have Never Heard Of Medicare Payment Reform
Half of non-pediatric physicians have never heard of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015—a new CMS payment plan that will put 4% or more of their Medicare reimbursement at risk beginning in 2019, according to a new survey by Deloitte & Touche. With CMS preparing final rules this autumn, just 21% of self-employed or small-group physicians and 9% of physicians employed by hospitals or larger groups were even somewhat familiar with the pending reimbursement changes, the survey showed. (Barkholz, 7/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Trying To Serve More Veterans Faster, VA Opens Door To Disability Fraud
The Department of Veterans Affairs, fiercely criticized in recent years for slow and shoddy work, has reacted by expanding coverage and speeding up claims processing. Now critics say the reduced evidence requirements and briefer investigations can mean claims get padded, wasting funds and time better directed to more-qualified veterans, according to interviews with more than 40 current and former VA staffers, doctors, veterans and government agents. (Huang, 7/14)

The Fiscal Times: Thousands Of Vets May Have Been Diagnosed With Brain Injuries They Don’t Have
Thousands of veterans, many of whom served in Afghanistan and Iraq, were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) by medical personnel at Veterans Affairs hospitals who were unqualified to make such judgments, according to Military Times. And an investigation by a Minnesota TV station discovered that more than 300 vets at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, some of whom were denied benefits, were examined for TBI by doctors who did not have the proper credentials. (Scotti, 7/14)

The Washington Post: Zika’s Spread Can’t Be Stopped, Study Argues, But It Will Burn Out In 3 Years
Trying to stop the Zika virus from spreading in Latin America is probably pointless, according to a new study by medical modeling experts at Imperial College London, who predict the epidemic is likely to fizzle out on its own within three years. The findings, published Thursday in the journal Science, used Zika data collected across Latin America, where the outbreak erupted last year in Brazil. The study concludes that attempting to prevent Zika by eliminating the mosquitoes that spread the virus is a largely futile endeavor, because those methods haven’t eliminated dengue fever, which is carried by the same vector. (Miroff, 7/14)

Los Angeles Times: Zika Epidemic In Latin America May Have Peaked, And Scientists Predict It Will Be Over In 3 Years
Researchers modeling the rampant spread of the Zika virus say that, like a wildfire consuming a parched landscape, the epidemic that has caused a plague of birth defects in Brazil is already showing signs of slowing and is likely to largely burn itself out in three years. Peak Zika spread may already have passed, said researchers writing in the journal Science. At a slower rate and with seasonal ebb and flow, the Zika virus’ march across the Americas, they reckon, will likely grind to a halt. (Healy, 7/14)

Stat: Could The Zika Threat In Latin America Be Over In 1-2 Years?
The Zika outbreak in Latin America may blow through like a nasty storm, moving off in another year or 18 months, a new study suggests. In any one place the wave of transmission could last between six months and a year, the researchers suggested in the study, published in the journal Science. If these estimates are right, they represent good news and bad news. Women trying to hold off on getting pregnant because of the risk Zika poses to fetuses may have to wait less time before they can try to have children. (Branswell, 7/14)

Concord Monitor: AG Locked In Prolonged Battle With Drug Companies
One year after the state attorney general’s office filed subpoenas against five large drug companies to discover how addictive painkillers have been marketed in the state, the pharmaceutical giants have handed over nothing more than legal briefs. ... [Assistant Attorney General James] Boffetti’s three-person team is badly outnumbered by lawyers representing the pharmaceutical companies as they fight to get access to internal company documents. (Nilsen, 7/14)

Boston Globe: Health Connector Will Eliminate Copays For Addiction Treatment
People fighting addiction who get subsidized insurance will no longer have to pay for outpatient medication and counseling starting next year, a move officials hope will reverberate throughout the insurance market. The Massachusetts Health Connector, a state agency serving people who don’t obtain insurance through an employer, is requiring Connector insurers to eliminate all out-of-pocket costs for medication-assisted treatment that includes drugs such as methadone or Suboxone along with counseling. The Connector’s governing board approved the plan unanimously Thursday. The requirement applies only to health plans that come with federal and state subsidies, which together enroll 169,000 people, a small fraction of the 4.2 million Massachusetts residents who buy commercial insurance. (Freyer, 7/15)

The New Orleans Times-Picayune: New Orleans Overdose Deaths Outpacing Homicides, Coroner Says
Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Rouse says he's pleased the city's homicide rate is down so far in 2016, but his office's resources are still being stretched to handle a sharp increase in the number of overdose deaths involving opioids. The coroner said there were 65 opioid deaths in New Orleans this year as of May 21, compared with just 47 homicides over the same period. (LaRose, 7/14)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Gov. Wolf Announces 20 New Centers To Coordinate Opioid Addiction Treatment
Pennsylvania will open 20 centers around the state by fall to coordinate care for people addicted to opioids, the Wolf administration announced Thursday. The centers -- six of them in Southeastern Pennsylvania -- will not be new locations, but instead are existing organizations that will function as navigational hubs to coordinate a range of services for Medicaid patients. (Sapatkin, 7/15)

Kaiser Health News: Despite Opioid Concerns, Seniors Often Exit The Hospital With Prescription: Study
It’s a common scenario: Someone checks into a hospital for surgery or an illness and leaves with a prescription for an opioid painkiller, opening the door to long-term use and dependence. A recent study examined this pattern and found the prescriptions are used and renewed more often than you might imagine. ... The results, first published online in JAMA Internal Medicine in June, showed that 14.9 percent of the hospitalized [Medicare] beneficiaries filled a prescription for an opioid within a week after being discharged. Of those who filled the first prescription, 42.5 percent had another pharmacy claim for an opioid painkiller at least 90 days later. (Andrews, 7/15)

The New York Times: K2 Overdoses Surge In New York: At Least 130 Cases This Week Alone
Almost as soon as the young man crouching on a trash-strewed street in Brooklyn pulled out a crumpled dollar bill from his pocket and emptied its contents of dried leaves into a wrapper, he had company. A half-dozen disheveled men and women walked swiftly to where the young man was rolling a cigarette of a synthetic drug known as K2 to wait for a chance to share. The drug has been the source of an alarming and sudden surge in overdoses — over three days this week, 130 people across New York City were treated in hospital emergency rooms after overdosing on K2, almost equaling the total for the entire month of June, according to the city’s health department. (Nir, 7/14)

Stat: Synthetic Marijuana Drives A Growing Number Of Overdoses Nationwide
Just two days after a suspected synthetic marijuana poisoning in New York City sent 33 people to the hospital, a new report finds that overdoses related to the street drug are rising across the country. Tuesday’s mass overdose in Brooklyn left dozens of people shaking, vomiting, and passed out in the streets around the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Its suspected cause was synthetic marijuana, and law enforcement officials raided a number of stores on Wednesday to search for its source. Commonly referred to by the street names K2 or Spice, synthetic marijuana encompasses a large group of lab-made chemicals designed to mimic the effects of marijuana. (Wessel, 7/14)

Stat: Gonorrhea May Soon Become Resistant To All Antibiotics And Untreatable
Gonorrhea may soon become untreatable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that the wily Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria may be developing resistance to the only two antibiotics left that can cure the sexually transmitted disease. The drugs, azithromycin and ceftriaxone, are used in combination to treat gonorrhea, a strategy experts hope will prolong the period during which these critical drugs will work. (Branswell, 7/14)

USA Today: How To Avoid Deadly Flesh-Eating Bacteria
Warm waters and one case of a potentially deadly flesh destroying bacteria in Brevard County have prompted Florida health officials to urge the public to avoid exposure to the rare bacterial infection. Brevard's warning came two days after state health officials in Volusia County similarly urged residents and tourists to take precautions to prevent exposure to Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly saltwater bacteria that has killed four people so far this year in Florida. (Waymer, 7/15)

Stat: Are NYC Rats Disease ‘Sponges’? Scientists Want To Track Them To Find Out
But despite how commonplace rats are in cities around the world, they remain in many ways mysterious, including in the potential threat they pose to public health, experts say. ... Rats — and rodents more broadly — aren’t responsible for nearly as many disease cases or deaths as, say, mosquitoes. But they can transmit fevers, a type of meningitis, and, yes, plague. The diseases are spread through bites and scratches, pathogens in the animals’ feces and urine, and via fleas. (Joseph, 7/14)

The Washington Post: Here Are Some Scary Side Effects Of Common Medications
The Men’s Health article starts with a cautionary tale: A Michigan man named Bernard Zeitler was doing well at quelling his lottery addiction when suddenly he started to get renewed urges to buy a scratchable lottery ticket. What had changed? His doctor had prescribed a new antidepressant — one that the Food and Drug Administration has linked, in rare cases, to an uncontrollable urge to gamble. Reporter Cindy Kuzma quotes medical experts and FDA warnings to describe five drugs whose “scary side effects,” even though usually rare, are worth noting. (Szokan, 7/14)

Wyoming Public Radio: What Kills More People Each Year: TB, HIV-AIDS Or Viral Hepatitis?
Viral hepatitis is a sneaky killer, accounting for nearly 1.5 million deaths in 2013 — equal to or greater than the number of yearly deaths caused by malaria, tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS. That's just one unexpected finding from the first study to systematically assess the scope of the disease around the world. Also surprising: Deaths from viral hepatitis are evenly distributed between rich and poor countries. (Sohn, 7/14)

WBUR: Testing A Genetic 'Ad-Blocker' To Treat A Rare Neurological Disease
Researchers at the University of Chicago are using a novel approach to try to halt a rare neurological disorder: a sort of genetic "ad-blocker" that appears to be effective — at least in baby mice. The disorder, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, or SCA6 for short, is a rare neurological disease, as are ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and Parkinson’s. Researchers identified the gene that codes for the disease-causing protein in SCA6, but there was one problem. The gene that controlled the disease-causing protein also coded for a second protein that is essential for life. (Michaels, 7/13)

Reuters: Yogurt Maker Dannon Considers Ways To Cut More Sugar
U.S. yogurt maker Dannon, a unit of France's Danone, is looking at ways to make its products less sweet, in the latest industry response to rising concerns about excessive sugar consumption. The company, whose brands include Dannon, Oikos and Activia, is working with the American Heart Association and other health groups to find ways to reduce sugar after having cut the sweetener in most of its products to 23 grams or less per six-ounce serving, executives said at press conference on Thursday. (Prentice, 7/14)

Stat: Tainted Flour Recall Expands To Biscuits, Cake Mix, Jalapeno Poppers
First cookie dough, now cheddar biscuits — even more foods are getting dusted up in the flour recall that’s burning baked good lovers everywhere. Federal officials on Thursday announced a recall of Marie Callender’s Cheese Biscuit Mix, the latest in a string of recalls tied to flour tainted by E. coli bacteria. The contaminated flour — produced at a General Mills facility in Missouri — is behind at least 42 cases of food-borne illness across 21 states, leading to 11 hospitalizations. (Theilking, 7/14)

WBUR: Harvard Researcher: Data From Over 10M People Links Excess Weight To Earlier Death
A huge new four-continent study led by Harvard and University of Cambridge researchers looks at data on over 10 million people and concludes that no, if you control correctly for factors like smoking and chronic illness, heavier people do not live longer. Quite the opposite: The more overweight you are, it found, the higher your risk for premature death. (Being underweight also heightens risk.) WBUR intern Annika Leybold spoke with Shilpa Bhupathiraju, research scientist in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and co-lead author of the study. (Leybold with Alexander, 7/13)

The Associated Press: Planned Parenthood, ACLU Sue Over New Arizona Abortion Law
Arizona's Planned Parenthood affiliate and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state of Arizona Thursday over a just-signed law they say is a thinly-veiled attempt to illegally cut off Medicaid funding from abortion providers. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Phoenix on behalf of Planned Parenthood and doctors who provide abortions and deliver babies says the law is illegal because it will prevent women from choosing services from otherwise qualified providers just because they also provide abortion services. (Christie, 7/14)

Arizona Republic: Planned Parenthood Sues Over New Arizona Law On Abortions, Medicaid
Planned Parenthood of Arizona has turned to the federal courts to challenge a pending Arizona law that backers say will ensure taxpayer dollars do not flow to abortion providers but critics say will harm women's access to health care. The law requires the state's Medicaid program to kick out any health-care provider that does not show it has segregated out Medicaid dollars from abortions, including overhead costs due to abortions. (Pitzl, 7/14)

The Associated Press: Republicans Launch New Panel On Healthcare Reform
Republican lawmakers have announced a new workgroup focused on loosening government oversight of new or expanded health care facilities in Virginia. House Speaker William J. Howell and Senate President Pro-Tem Stephen D. Newman said Thursday they had created a new workgroup and were rededicating themselves to changing the state’s certificate of need law. (7/15)

Modern Healthcare: Blue Shield Of California Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Incorrect Rebates
Members who have health coverage through Blue Shield of California are suing the insurer, alleging the company owes $35 million in additional rebates because it included faulty payments within its medical-loss ratio a few years ago. Two Blue Shield members, Becky Ebenkamp and Rebecca Morris, filed the class-action lawsuit on behalf of more than 446,000 other people who bought an individual Blue Shield plan in 2014. (Herman, 7/14)

Kaiser Health News: Hispanics Least Prepared For A Major Disaster In Los Angeles
In Los Angeles County the question is not whether a major disaster will happen, but when. Experts expect an earthquake measuring 7.0 or greater in the next 30 years. The area is prone to wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters. Infectious disease outbreaks and terrorist attacks are also possible. Though aware of the risks, less than half of the population is prepared for such emergencies. Surveys show Hispanic communities are least prepared of all. (Craft, 7/15)

Stat: Columbia University Fined Nearly $10 Million For Sending Inflated Bills To NIH
Columbia University must pay $9.5 million to settle charges that it repeatedly overbilled the National Institutes of Health for hundreds of research grants, the Justice Department said Thursday. The university admitted to charging NIH on-campus overhead for psychiatric and neurological research that was actually conducted off-site, primarily in rent-free offices owned and operated by New York state and New York City. For 12 years, the university’s medical school sought and received a “facilities and administrative rate” that was about double what it should have been, according to the US attorney in Manhattan, Preet Bharara, whose office handled the case with Scott J. Lampert of the Department of Health and Human Services. (Kaplan, 7/14)

California Healthline: A Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health care deliberations in Sacramento for decades. This year, it has staked out strong and sometimes surprising positions on the legalization of marijuana, Medi-Cal provider rates and the role it believes nurse practitioners should play in patient care. California Healthline discussed these positions with current CMA president, Steven Larson, a primary care and infectious disease physician who practices in Riverside. Larson is also CEO of Riverside Medical Clinic, a multispecialty medical group. (Bazar, 7/14)

Health News Florida: Court Sides With Allstate In Medical Fee Fight
Adding to a legal debate before the Florida Supreme Court, an appeals court Wednesday sided with Allstate Insurance in a dispute with medical providers about fees paid to care for auto-accident victims. The ruling by the 3rd District Court of Appeal in five consolidated cases clashed with a decision last year by the 4th District Court of Appeal, which backed medical providers in similar cases. (7/14)

The Dallas Morning News: Texas Hospitals Work To Reduce Security Code Confusion
Color-coded emergency warning systems are frequently used to alert hospital staffers to events happening on their premises. While they generally prompt an immediate switch from standard operating procedure, some warn there might be too many colors on the palette. Lack of clarity caused by conflicting colors about major concerns -- such as bombs threats, fires, power outages and dangerous weather -- can result in poor coordination, delays in response and confusion for patients, experts say. (Rice, 7/14)

USA Today: Shuttered Business Ordered To Pay $8.7M
An Appleton-based business that was accused of running a multi-state medical insurance scheme, tricking seniors and Spanish-speaking customers, has been ordered to pay $8.7 million in restitution. The judgement against Partners in Health Care and its principal, Gary L. Kieper, concludes a nearly five-year case. (Safran, 7/14)

The Des Moines Register: Fort Dodge Health-Care Model Hailed By HHS Secretary
Other Americans should look to this town for lessons on how to save money by keeping people healthier, the nation’s top health-care official said Thursday. Sylvia Burwell, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, visited Fort Dodge to hear about its success at preventing serious health problems before they require expensive care. (Leys, 7/14)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's Health Score 17 Points Lower Than In 2012, Report Shows
Most Wisconsin communities scored in the top one-fifth of areas ranked in the Commonwealth Fund's local health system performance score card released Thursday. Milwaukee isn't among them. The city ranked 75th out of 306 local communities studied this year, 17 spots lower than its revised rank of 58th in 2012, when the organization released its last local health systems review. (Bekker, 7/14)

KQED: Oakland Soda Tax Backers To File Complaint Over Opposition Ads
Three Oakland City Council members are calling on local and federal agencies to investigate opponents of the city’s proposed soda tax on the fall ballot. They say the beverage industry’s advertising is deceptive. At issue are opposition TV ads and a flier that label the effort a ” ‘Grocery Tax’ [that] can be applied to any item in the store, not just sodas.” (Aliferis, 7/14)

Contra Costa Times: Free End-Of-Life Legal Planning Aid For Contra Costa Seniors
Decisions about end-of-life care are difficult, but planning ahead ensures that family members and health care providers respect patients' wishes. Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, in partnership with American Insurance Group and the city of Concord, is sponsoring a free monthly legal clinic to help seniors prepare an advance health care directive, a document that designates someone to make health care decisions on their behalf if they are unable to speak for themselves. Contra Costa County residents 60 and older are eligible to receive assistance from the new Community Partners Clinic. (White, 7/14)

The Associated Press: Ex-Dentist Gets House Arrest For Bilking Medicaid
A former Oklahoma oral surgeon whose filthy clinics led to thousands of patients being tested for HIV and hepatitis was sentenced Thursday to six months' house arrest for fraudulently billing Medicaid for anesthesia services that were performed by unlicensed dental assistants. W. Scott Harrington pleaded guilty in April to money laundering and agreed to pay nearly $30,000 in restitution under an agreement with federal prosecutors. He was also sentenced Thursday to two years' probation and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine within a month. (7/14)

The New York Times: Congress Takes A Vacation Without Doing Anything About Zika
Members of Congress are leaving Washington for seven weeks without passing a bill to pay for the fight against Zika. Their failure to do so will delay the public health response to the mosquito-borne virus that causes birth defects, unnecessarily putting thousands of people at risk. As of July 7, 649 pregnant women appeared to be infected with Zika in American states and territories and nine babies had been born with birth defects linked to the virus. (7/14)

Bloomberg: An Opioid Bill That's Good Enough To Sign
With a new bill, Congress is testing how much can be done to fight opioid addiction without spending any money. But while the legislation is less than what the epidemic demands, it's still good enough to merit President Barack Obama's signature. (7/14)

Modern Healthcare: Insurers Need To Look In The Mirror Before Complaining About ACA Exchanges
But if the ACA markets are so flawed, as policymakers and insurers claim, why have some insurers succeeded in those markets while others have floundered? ... a May report by the McKinsey Center for U.S. Health System Reform found wide variation in financial performance among insurers, and that many are turning a profit on their exchange business. So just turning to policymakers for solutions isn't enough, particularly when the federal government is deadlocked. In 13 states, more than half of insurers earned a profit in the individual market in 2014, the first year the exchanges operated. In six states, more than 75% of insurers had positive margins. That contrasted with 18 states in which less than 5% of insurers turned a profit. (Harris Meyer, 7/14)

The Dallas Morning News: ‘When Your Health Insurance Is Bigger Than The Mortgage, Something’s Wrong’
Health care spending nationwide will hit a new high this year, rising 4.8 percent, the government said this week. For over 1 million Texans who buy insurance on Healthcare.Gov, they can only dream about having it so good. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, which has about half the state’s exchange customers, wants to increase premiums almost 60 percent for 2017. Scott and White Health Plan wants to ratchet up premiums over 30 percent, and Cigna, 24 percent. Aetna and Oscar are planning double-digit increases, too. (Mitchell Schnurman, 7/14)

Los Angeles Times: Britain's Diabetic Leader Reflects Differing Healthcare Systems
Britain has a new prime minister – Theresa May – and much of the coverage this week has focused on her being only the second woman in the country’s history to run the government. An equally intriguing factoid is that, as far as anyone knows, May, 59, is the first contemporary world leader with Type 1 diabetes. This provides an opportunity to look at how Britain’s universal-coverage health insurance system compares with the largely for-profit, market-oriented American approach. The two key yardsticks in treating diabetes effectively are access to care and cost of drugs. In both cases, the Brits have it better. (David Lazarus, 7/15)

Houston Chronicle: Disabling Cuts
Texas lawmakers have taken steps to drastically cut Medicaid reimbursement rates for therapists caring for underserved children and seniors. These cuts (totaling about $350 million of state and federal funds over the biennium) were scheduled to go into effect today, but last month, the Texas Supreme Court granted an emergency motion to block them...The most charitable thing that can be said about the lawmakers who support these cuts is that they must be short on real-life experience. (7/14)

The Seattle Times: Washington’s Whack-A-Mole Approach To Mental Health Isn’t Working
The failures of Washington’s mental-health system have been targeted with increasing precision and vitriol over the past two years by local, state and federal courts. But the state’s response to the drip-drip-drip of judicial orders and fines — and to outcries from patients and their families — has been to treat each as its own drop of bad news, and throw money at the leak. What’s needed instead is for Gov. Jay Inslee and the Legislature to take a step back, view the welling pool at their ankles, and collaborate on a big picture reform of the state’s rickety mental-health system. (7/13)

Stat: Why Don’t Medical Schools Teach Us To Confront Racism And Police Brutality?
Police brutality against people of color persists as public health concern because as a nation we have a crippled conscience. As a new doctor, I can’t help but feel that my medical education has failed to prepare me to address this crisis in the communities I hope to serve. I’ve learned how to navigate around injustices, rather than fight them. We focus on helping our patients survive the trauma of our unjust society, rather than asking ourselves how we can ensure all our patients have the opportunity to thrive in an America free of legalized terror and intolerance. (Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu, 7/15)

The News & Observer: Why Angry NC Physicians Losing Faith In Certification Board
The American Board of Internal Medicine has imposed new Maintenance of Certification requirements that physicians all over the United States oppose. Most physicians in fact have chosen to let their certifications go. A new board, National Board of Physicians and Surgeons, even has emerged, showing not only dissatisfaction among the physician community but also a complete loss of faith in ABIM and its sister organizations. (Ghulam M. Shaikh, 7/14)