Presented by PBM Accountability Project — The Golden State has the highest number of confirmed infections{beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story California declares emergency over bird fluA case of severe bird flu has been confirmed by federal authorities while the state with the highest number of confirmed infections has declared a state of emergency in order to address the ongoing spread of the virus. © AP A patient in Louisiana was confirmed last week to have been hospitalized with a case of severe bird flu according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The individual was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, the first time an infection has been tied to such a source.  The strain that infected the Louisiana patient differs from the genotype found in cattle, which is responsible for most of the 61 bird flu cases that have been confirmed in the U.S. since March of this year.   According to the CDC, 37 bird flu cases were related to exposure to dairy herds, and 21 were related to exposure to poultry.   The vast majority of dairy herd-related bird flu cases — 33 — have occurred in California.   Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) on Wednesday declared a state of emergency to better mobilize resources, with his office saying this action will give state and local agencies “additional flexibility around staffing, contracting, and other rules to support California’s evolving response.”  Bird flu has maintained a low but consistent presence in the U.S. throughout 2024. Federal authorities, however, maintain that the virus does not pose a significant threat to the general public.   Nearly all cases have occurred due to exposure to livestock among farmworkers. The CDC has invested into partnerships with states to specifically target and mitigate bird flu transmission among farmworkers.   Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.  Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:  Hawley: RFK Jr. open to mifepristone restrictionsSen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, pledged to support efforts to reimpose restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone if Trump wants to. Hawley told reporters Wednesday he suggested to Kennedy during a Tuesday meeting that “it would be a wise idea to return to the rule under the last Trump administration, which required in-person …  Full Story  FDA warns companies over unapproved weight loss drug sales The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in a statement Tuesday that it has sent warning letters to companies selling unapproved weight loss drugs. The letter went to Xcel Peptides, SwissChems, Summit Research and Prime Peptides, four online companies it said were selling unapproved GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide and tirzepatide. Semaglutide is known for its use in Wegovy and Ozempic, while tirzepatide is found …  Full Story  Supreme Court to hear South Carolina’s attempt to defund Planned Parenthood The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments about whether South Carolina can disqualify Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program.   The case centers on a 2018 executive order from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) that ordered the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to deem abortion facilities “unqualified” to provide family planning services under Medicaid.   “Taxpayer …  Full Story   In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Senate passes $895B Defense bill; some Dems defect over transgender fight The Senate on Wednesday voted to pass the $895 billion Defense authorization bill, despite a provision on transgender care that turned off some Democrats, moving it along to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Full Story   Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: New York prosecutors may have trouble proving first-degree murder charge against Luigi Mangione, legal experts say (CNN)  Democratic senators ask watchdog agency to investigate Georgia’s Medicaid work rule (KFF Health News)  Tennessee woman accused of selling fake weight loss drugs as counterfeit concerns grow (NBC)  What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: What we just found out about microplastics and cancer (The Washington Post)  A rift in Trump world over how to make America healthier (The New York Times)  ‘I want help;’ behind bars pleas for addiction medications often go nowhere (Stat)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Social Security bill clears first hurdle in Senate  The Senate is plowing forward with consideration of the Social Security Fairness Act, clearing its first procedural hurdle on what supporters hope … Read more Johnson considers plan B amid Trump World opposition to spending deal Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking at a plan B to fund the government ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline as Republicans inside and outside the … Read more What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Instead of justifying murder, Democrats could do this to make health care betterGovernment-run health care systems also deny or delay treatment    Close Thank you for signing up! 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