What We’re Reading: New Short-Term Health Plan Rule; Increase in Meningococcal Disease; Record US Tuberculosis Cases

Biden Administration Finalizes Rule Curbing Short-Term Health Plan Use

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it finalized a new regulation that curbs the use of short-term health insurance plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to the New York Times. Under the new rule, the short-term plans will be available for only 90 days, with an option for a 1-month extension. This reverses a move by the Trump administration, which issued a rule in 2018 allowing the plans to last for just under a year, with the option of renewing them for a total duration of up to 3 years. The plans, which often have lower premiums than those found on the ACA’s marketplaces, do not have to cover people with pre-existing conditions; they are also free from the requirement that plans offer a minimum set of benefits. The White House explained that it cast the new rule to fortify the marketplaces.

CDC Alerts Health Care Providers of Meningococcal Disease Increase

The CDC issued an advisory on Thursday to alert health care providers about an increase in invasive meningococcal disease, urging them to ensure necessary vaccinations against the deadly disease, according to Reuters. As of Monday, the CDC announced that 143 cases had been reported in the US, compared with 81 cases this time last year. This increase in infections is mainly attributable to a particular bacterial strain in the meningococcal bacteria group Y. The CDC explained that an infection with this strain had disproportionately affected African American people, people with HIV, and people between the ages of 30 and 60. Consequently, the agency urged health care providers to have a heightened suspicion of meningococcal disease among these populations. Patients may present with bloodstream or joint infection and without symptoms typical of meningitis, like fever, stiff neck, or headache.

2023 US Tuberculosis Cases Were at the Highest Level in a Decade

A new government report found that the number of US tuberculosis (TB) cases in 2023 was the highest in a decade, according to the Associated Press. The CDC reported that 40 states had an increase in TB, with rates up among all age groups. More specifically, over 9600 cases were reported, marking a 16% increase from 2022 and the highest since 2013. Of these cases, an estimated 85% were infected at least a year or 2 earlier and had latent TB in which the bacteria enter the body and hibernate until the immune system is weakened. Experts also say this increase is part of a combination of a surge in TB cases internationally as most US TB cases are diagnosed in people born in other countries. Therefore, they can be correlated to increases in migration and post-pandemic international travel, as well as illnesses that weaken the immune system and allow latent TB infections to emerge. However, the annual number and rate of new TB cases remains smaller than it was in the past, and the US has a lower rate of new TB cases than most countries.