15 states sue HHS; orthopedic surgeon gets 8.5-year sentence for $145M health care fraud; weight-to-height ratio is the strongest predictor of teen diabetes – Morning Medical Update

15 states sue HHS over changes to childhood vaccine recommendations

A coalition of 15 Democratic-led states — represented by 14 state attorneys general and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — filed suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over January’s shift in the federal childhood immunization recommendations.

The complaint alleges that the administration sidestepped the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and moved several vaccines — including COVID-19, rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, RSV, hepatitis A and hepatitis B — away from universal recommendation toward high-risk or shared clinical decision-making categories.

State officials argue the change will confuse parents and clinicians, lower vaccination rates and increase outbreaks of preventable disease. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office cited the ongoing measles outbreak, which is the worst in the nation since the 1990s. HHS has defended the shift and dismissed the lawsuit as political. More from Reuters.

Texas surgeon gets 8.5 years in $145M compound cream fraud scheme

A Texas orthopedic surgeon was sentenced to 102 months in prison for his role in a $145 million health care fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary prescription compound creams billed to the Department of Labor. Prosecutors said Michael Taba, M.D., 61, of McKinney, Texas, accepted bribes and kickbacks to write thousands of prescriptions for injured federal workers, with pharmacies billing as much as $16,000 per cream despite production costs of about $15. The pharmacies billed more than $145 million and were paid over $90 million. Taba was also ordered to pay more than $13 million in restitution.

Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. teens has prediabetes or diabetes, and waist-to-height ratio is the strongest warning sign

Almost 31% of U.S. adolescents ages 10-19 have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, according to a new analysis of 1,998 teens in the 2021-2023 NHANES cycle published in PLOS Global Public Health. Researchers found that abdominal fat — measured by waist-to-height ratio — was by far the strongest independent predictor of abnormal blood sugar, even after accounting for BMI, diet and activity. Male teens and younger adolescents were at higher risk.