View this email in your browser<http://mailchi.mp/statnews/isyuoki1g1-577817?e=4aad33fd68> [STAT]<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=80f69a9bec&e=4aad33fd68> Wednesday, November 1, 2017 [Morning Rounds by Megan Thielking] Sponsored by [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f8609630ae206654824f897b6/images/48568367-30a2-48cb-9ab7-0d1579d29577.png] Welcome to November, everyone! And welcome to Morning Rounds. The ACA marketplaces are officially open Happy open enrollment day! Today marks the official start of the enrollment period for 2018 health insurance plans, but this year’s signup season comes with big hurdles. The repeated efforts in Congress to repeal Obamacare have created confusion among some consumers. And on top of that, the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding for enrollment advertising and for “navigators” that assist consumers in signing up for ACA plans has made it more difficult to notify people. There’s also a tighter deadline this year — consumers can only enroll in marketplace plans through Dec. 15. For more, check out our guide<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=b6054173e9&e=4aad33fd68> to this year's enrollment. The House is holding a hearing on a new abortion ban The House judiciary committee is holding a hearing today on a controversial "heartbeat bill" that aims to ban abortions as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected — roughly six weeks into gestation — and would imprison doctors who provide abortions after that time. The proposal is widely seen as unconstitutional, and similar measures passed on the state level have been struck down by federal judges. In 2015, North Dakota appealed to the Supreme Court after a federal judge blocked its own “heartbeat law" from going into effect; the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. But the new bill likely won’t get to the point of being challenged in court: Even if it does pass the House, it’s not expected to garner enough votes to pass the Senate. You can watch the hearing live here<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=366942d8eb&e=4aad33fd68> at 11:30 a.m. ET. Patients with cancer help crowdsource research A crowdsourced project that allows patients with metastatic breast cancer to partner in research has released its first data set<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=c9624e00f1&e=4aad33fd68>. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project has registered 4,000 patients who are willing to contribute genomic data, treatment history, health data, and reports about their own experience with cancer care. Most breast cancer patients receive care at health facilities that don’t run research on tumor samples, which has made it difficult for scientists to garner enough data for large studies. So the MBC made a massive push on social media to recruit patients across the country to participate in a crowdsourced project. Now, the public can look at the first round of data they’ve collected, including genetic data from 103 tumor samples. The MBC says it’ll keep releasing new data every six months. Sponsor content by EMD Serono MS LifeLines When a loved one is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), you may not know where to find information about caring for someone with this chronic condition. MS LifeLines provides practical tips and resources to help people impacted by MS. For more than 15 years, MS LifeLines has provided support services to help develop meaningful connections within the MS community with 24/7 support, information and peer programs. To learn more about the resources available, visit MS LifeLines<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=554ae1efcb&e=4aad33fd68>. Inside STAT<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=0699d00122&e=4aad33fd68>: She said she had cancer. Then a stranger’s email raised questions [87396691-e5ca-4560-8a09-e04a5b7a5bdb.png]<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=ecb52e24ca&e=4aad33fd68> Rob Wootten stands inside the Department of Public Works building in Ardsley, N.Y. (ENID B. ALVAREZ FOR STAT) It didn’t take long for the news of Shivonie Deokaran’s cancer diagnosis to spread through the tiny town of Ardsley, New York. She had just 18 months to live, and the bills for her care were stacking up. She and her sons were relatively new to the area, but the town’s residents knew they had to help. First, they held a raffle. Then, the deputy fire chief and Rob Wootten, the president of the high school’s booster club, organized a spaghetti dinner. They dished up some 75 pounds of pasta at a fundraiser that raised around $16,000. Wootten had a pile of checks he was waiting to deliver to Deokaran in early December 2015 when he got an email from a stranger. It began: “Hi Rob, It is with great regret that I must tell you that you … have been scammed.” STAT’s Eric Boodman has the story — read here<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=4522f4e8ba&e=4aad33fd68>. Why hospitals should invest in affordable housing Housing has long been known to be an excellent predictor of health outcomes. And in a new paper in JAMA<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=ad1205aec8&e=4aad33fd68>, pediatrician Dr. Megan Sandel says hospitals should invest in housing to cut costs and build healthier communities. Sandel tells me that investing in housing — such as hospitals partnering with community groups and developers to start affordable housing programs — could create economic returns, improve community health, and help reach population health goals. “Together, it can be a slam dunk,” she says. An A+ example: Bon Secours Baltimore Health System, which opened an affordable senior housing unit in 2007 and is now building an affordable apartment complex. Health officials convene to talk hepatitis prevalence Health officials from across the globe are convening in Brazil this week for the World Hepatitis Summit, and ahead of the meeting, the WHO released a new report on the issue. The good news: Hepatitis B infections among kids are down as vaccination rates rise. And nearly 1.8 million people were newly treated for hepatitis C in 2016, a big increase from 1.1 million the year before. But the organization says most countries still don’t have enough funding to provide key hepatitis services, including treatment. Aid groups might be able to address at least a small part of that gap — this week, Medecins Sans Frontieres announced<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=ab3e1d711d&e=4aad33fd68> it has negotiated a deal with the makers of generic hepatitis C drugs to buy the medications at a significantly lower price than the brand-name versions. What to read around the web today § The largest jail in the country is leading an effort to reduce births behind bars. Rewire<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=2f43f0eda1&e=4aad33fd68> § In a city ravaged by heroin, a needle exchange stalls. AP<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=30fa65b064&e=4aad33fd68> § Notre Dame will drop birth control coverage for students, faculty, and staff. Vox<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=5842961a45&e=4aad33fd68> More reads from STAT § Preterm births in the U.S. rise<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=e680721425&e=4aad33fd68> again, signaling worrisome trend. § Overdiagnosis and disease labels: the case of polycystic ovary syndrome<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=feab6e97e5&e=4aad33fd68>. The latest from STAT Plus § Q&A: Forget repeal, says Toby Cosgrove. Focus on cutting regulations and drug prices<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=e7388e3f65&e=4aad33fd68>. § Mylan president is targeted by states probing price fixing by generic makers<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=b08ef5c6b9&e=4aad33fd68>. Thanks for reading! More tomorrow, [Megan] [Facebook]<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=8ef8f8ffd5&e=4aad33fd68> [Twitter]<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=792e2d89f7&e=4aad33fd68> [STAT]<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=8373cdc9c0&e=4aad33fd68>