That’s after seeing an increase in residency applications last year, according to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The report weighed potential impact of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that led to state bans and other restrictions on abortion, including in Wisconsin.

Nationwide, residency applications were down 2 percent, and decreased 3 percent in states with abortion bans.

In a statement, Dr. Ellen Hartenbach, chair of the OB-GYN department at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said the university is uncertain if abortion restrictions caused this year’s decrease in applicants.

“Applicants have asked about the state’s 1849 abortion ban during their interviews,” Hartenbach said in a statement. “We ensure residents meet the required training guidelines by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, so we are prepared for what the future holds.”

The most recent application cycle closed just after the court decision. While Hartenbach is unsure of the ruling’s direct impact on interest in the University of Wisconsin’s OB-GYN residency, the court decision poses obstacles for those training in Wisconsin, where OB-GYN residents cannot complete their family rotations in state.

“This law does place a burden on residents in terms of travel and time to attend training out of state,” she said.

Dr. Kate Dielentheis, Medical College of Wisconsin assistant professor and associate director of the OB-GYN residency program, said the school filled all its OB-GYN residency spots this year.

“We’re keenly aware of the potential, long-term impacts a shortage of OB-GYNs practicing in Wisconsin may have on the health of our communities in Wisconsin,” Dielentheis said in a statement. “We will continue to offer (OB-GYN residents) robust, comprehensive training in obstetrics and gynecology and will be proud to graduate excellent clinicians.”

Wisconsin OB-GYN programs are collaborating with Illinois-based residencies to provide mandatory family planning rotations and maintain accreditation.

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Wisconsin residency programs see decrease in applications appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

The FDA’s February draft also recommends “voluntary nutrient statements” for products with different nutrient compositions than dairy milk “to help consumers understand certain nutritional differences between milk and plant-based milk alternatives that use the term ‘milk’ in their name.”

Baldwin and the bipartisan group of senators behind the letter said the draft guidance does not distinguish dairy’s identity, leading to potential confusion over the products.

“Given the central role dairy plays in providing essential nutrients, the consumer misperception of nutritional equivalency between imitation products and dairy products can lead to serious health consequences,” the letter said.

Groups in favor of plant-based lifestyles are pleased with how milk substitutes “can be labeled with common and usual names,” said a spokesperson from Danone North America — the parent company of plant-based milk alternative producer Silk — in a statement. Still, some concerns regarding the voluntary nutrient statements remain.

The Good Food Institute’s senior regulatory attorney, Madeline Cohen, described the statements as “problematic,” considering how “consumers are smart enough to know that different products have different nutritional contents, and they know that they can find information about key nutrients on the Nutrition Facts Panel.”

“The guidance also ignores the fact that plant-based milks can offer nutritional qualities not found in cow’s milk,” Cohen said in the statement. “The new labeling scheme also puts an unfair burden on plant-based milk while giving animal milks a free pass.”

Baldwin said protecting the work of Wisconsin dairy farmers is among her priorities.

“Plant-based imitators that don’t meet those nutrition standards are tricking consumers,” she said in a statement. “It’s wrong and I am proud to stand up for our dairy farmers, our health and well-being.”

The senators advocated for representative labeling of plant-based imitators in the finalized guidance. Baldwin introduced legislation in February aimed at limiting this “mislabeling.”

The Good Food Institute reports that plant-based milk is the most robust plant-based food category, making up 35 percent of the industry’s market based on dollar sales.

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Baldwin opposes FDA draft guidance permitting non-dairy imitators to label products as milk appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

While the COVID-19 public health emergency expired last week, American Rescue Plan Act funding intends to handle the pandemic’s consequences. Last fall, Gov. Tony Evers dedicated $16 million in funding toward Wisconsin’s maternal and infant mortality issue specifically, particularly for Black families.

“Those health disparities that we know exist … were just exacerbated (during the pandemic),” said Renuka Mayadev, the maternal and child health program adviser at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “We all shut down. We didn’t go to hotels. We didn’t go to restaurants. We didn’t go to places where we see a lot of our mothers and birthing people work.”

UW is accepting applications for its grants geared toward nonprofit health systems until May 30. Healthcare service delivery providers that partner with a community organization are eligible to apply.

“With this application, because it’s infrastructure-based, there are many things that can sustain and build a legacy for this work,” Mayadev said.

A spokesperson on behalf of MCW confirmed the school’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment team is reviewing applications now. MCW expects grant recipient projects to begin this summer.

“Our statewide reach and the strong relationships we’ve built with grassroots organizations and health-focused networks ensures that these funds will be distributed efficiently and effectively to bridge serious health gaps in our communities,” said Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, endowment director, in a February statement.

The Department of Health Services already launched its grant program, with some Advancing Equity in Maternal and Child Health Grant recipients receiving over $400,000 in ARPA funding. DHS is beginning to track results of the funded projects.

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

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One bill would penalize companies increasing prescription drug costs faster than the rate of inflation. An Inflation Reduction Act provision required companies to pay rebates to Medicare if price hikes exceeded inflation. Under the bill, units of drugs sold to those with private insurance would factor into that rebate calculation.

Another bill would provide greater oversight to the Food and Drug Administration’s citizen petitions, which companies may leverage to slow the approval process for competitors. The bill aims to reduce these instances by allowing the FDA to reject petitions that intend to limit competition in the drug market.

“We cannot continue to allow big drug companies to get away with jacking up prescription drug prices while Wisconsinites are being forced to forgo their life-saving medications because they simply cannot afford it,” Baldwin said in a statement.

The FDA does not comment on proposed legislation, its representatives said.

“The agency remains committed to ensuring high-quality, affordable generic drugs are available to the American public,” they said in a statement. Its Drug Competition Action Plan strives to address “the so-called ‘gaming’ that frustrates and delays generic drug approvals,” according to its website.

Sarah Ryan, spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, expressed concerns over whether the bills address “middlemen” — like pharmacy benefit managers — who handle rebate distribution.

“We need reforms that will hold these middlemen accountable,” said Ryan.

While Ryan also said they’re open to collaborating with legislators, the citizen petition process “is critical to promote the transparent exchange of information and ideas about scientific, legal and regulatory matters.”

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Baldwin backs bills aiming to boost drug competition, lower costs appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

For 2023, monthly premiums increased by 7.1 percent in Wisconsin on average. Between 2019 and 2022, the state’s premiums decreased on average by 5.3 percent each year. Average premiums across the country went down annually from 2019 to 2022, but, this year, benchmark plan premiums went up by an average of 3.4 percent.

More than 1 million Wisconsinites live in places with low population density. Analysts attributed differences between premium hikes in urban and rural areas to heightened competition in large cities, which drives lower rates.

“Rural healthcare is always going to be expensive,” said Urban Institute Fellow John Holahan, who worked on the report. “In an ideal world, big teaching hospitals would be incentivized (to expand) … If there are more providers, insurers can maybe negotiate better premiums.”

Inflation and an uncertain future of enhanced premium tax credits also contributed to the higher premiums. While subsidies were extended last fall, insurers needed to prepare in case tax credits did not continue, Holahan said.

“Rule of thumb is that, the more subsidized something is, the more healthy people will be more likely to buy insurance or go into a marketplace,” Holahan said. “If they have to pay more, some healthy people will just forgo, figuring they’re healthy enough.”

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post ACA benchmark plan premiums increase in 2023 after reductions since 2019 appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

Rep. Joy Goeben, R-Hobart, and committee Chair Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers, introduced the legislation, which is aimed at addressing persistent licensing delays by the Department of Safety and Professional Services.

“Demand for these high-skilled jobs is growing,” Goeben said. “Though DSPS is improving and these delays are shortened, it’s not sufficient to meet the needs of employers and citizens.”

Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, co-sponsored the bill. She clarified that graduates of medical training programs have already completed their clinical and classroom experiences. She also said healthcare systems have no incentive to hire someone who could serve as a liability.

“For me, the safety issue is the understaffing,” said Cabral-Guevara.

Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde, D-Milwaukee, expressed logistical concerns about the bill. While the application for the preliminary license would likely consist of a form and documents the medical professional and their employer submit, it is still a separate application from the full licensing process.

“Do you think that we should be talking about more staffing for the department to do both of those?” said Moore Omokunde. “Are we potentially gumming up the system where it would take longer?”

In response, Goeben said, “We need to make sure that we are getting people working.”

Medical professionals leave Wisconsin when the licensing process takes too long, Cabral-Guevara said. She cited a recent experience with a Wisconsin-based dermatologist looking to onboard two physicians who had trouble getting licensed efficiently.

“One of them ended up leaving, one of them just kind of sat,” Cabral-Guevara said. “We’re losing folks.”

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Bill would pave way for preliminary licenses for providers awaiting credentials appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

Patient Beatriz Banuelos sued University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority after being charged more than $100 for copies sent to her attorneys. Banuelos incurred charges “per page” of her electronic health record. A circuit court in 2020 originally granted UW Heath’s motion to dismiss. The Supreme Court’s ruling follows an appellate decision in Banuelos’ favor.

With paper, microfiche/microfilm and X-ray copies, and prints listed under the current statute — each with delineated maximum fees per page — the state’s highest court sided with the appeals court.

“We further agree with the court of appeals that the statute does not permit charges for copies of electronic records because the statute does not enumerate electronic formats as one of the three formats for which a healthcare provider may charge a fee,” the court’s opinion said.

Following the appellate ruling, UW Health stopped charging for distribution of electronic medical records.

“This case involved the provision of medical records to a law firm, conduct that is not covered by federal law,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Therefore, UW Health charged law firms and other third parties based on the rates set forth in the Wisconsin medical record fee statute, but ceased charging third parties for copies of electronic medical records in the fall of 2021.”

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Supreme Court rules providers cannot charge patients for providing electronic health records appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

The report used insured Wisconsinites’ claims data documented by the Wisconsin Health Information Organization to track changes in oral antibiotic prescribing patterns throughout the state in outpatient facilities.

Per the study, most antibiotic prescribing happens with providers in outpatient facilities, including urgent cares, clinics and emergency rooms.

Less than 3 percent of reported antibiotic prescriptions in 2021 were in response to conditions that do not need antibiotics, like coughs and acute upper respiratory infections. Despite this decrease from 2018, DHS still hopes to work toward curbing unnecessary prescribing.

“Improving antibiotic prescribing in all healthcare settings is critical to combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” the report said.

Most initiatives to reduce overprescribing antibiotics have historically targeted hospitals. With 18.7 percent of urgent care visits in 2021 resulting in antibiotic prescriptions within three days, DHS also wants to see antibiotic use improvement efforts in urgent care centers specifically.

Researchers observed how female patients, patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, and those in the northern public health region had the highest rates of visits linked to antibiotic prescriptions.

Out of the Wisconsin Health Information Organization’s documented patients, 21.4 percent had at least one medical claim for an antibiotic prescription. The average antibiotic prescription claim count for those with at least one antibiotic prescription claim was nearly two.

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Concerns remain about unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions despite decline appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

Medical students found out about their residency programs last month during Match Day, when the National Resident Matching Program released its results.

According to the Medical College of Wisconsin, 72 out of 237 students matched to first-year residency programs will stay in the state. At the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 51 out of 153 matched students will remain.

The top specialty for both institutions was internal medicine. Forty-five students, or 18.9 percent, across MCW campuses will pursue internal medicine residencies.

At UW, 15.7 percent will specialize in internal medicine. The second most common specialty was general surgery, drawing 10.5 percent of matched residents. In 2022, 7.1 percent of incoming residents from the school were specializing in general surgery.

Other popular specialties among the two schools included family medicine, anesthesiology, pediatrics and emergency medicine.

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Nearly a third of medical students stay in state for residencies appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.

The bill would help those relying on Medicaid and government funding for health coverage obtain abortions by ending the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal dollars from being spent on abortions unless they’re necessary to save the life of the pregnant person or the pregnancy is the result of incest or sexual assault.

According to a 2022 Marquette University Law School poll, around 58 percent of Wisconsinites believe abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances.

“Every American deserves the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions without interference from politicians or the government,” Baldwin said. “Wisconsinites overwhelmingly agree.”

Senators noted in a statement last week that the amendment has a disproportionate effect on those with low income, people of color and immigrants.

Legislators have now proposed the bill in both chambers, with a House version of the bill introduced in January receiving support from Reps. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, and Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont.

“Your income shouldn’t deny you access to vital reproductive care,” Moore said. “We need this legislation now more than ever to protect this right and end the punitive bans imposed on women.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., introduced legislation earlier this year that would permanently bar federal funding for abortions. According to Johnson’s office, the bill would make permanent the Hyde Amendment and other restrictions that rely on yearly approval.

Last year, Johnson joined other GOP senators in a letter pledging “unwavering support for the Hyde Amendment and all other longstanding pro-life protections.”

– Elizabeth Casolo for Wisconsin Health News 

The post Wisconsin Democratic congressional delegation backs call to end Hyde amendment appeared first on Wisconsin Health News.