New HIV infections among people ages 13 to 24 dropped 34% between 2017 and 2021, according to new data from CDC, but the drop was not even across racial and ethnic groups, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Georgia, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.

• Georgia: New HIV infections among people ages 13 to 24 dropped 34% between 2017 and 2021, according to new data from CDC, but the drop was not even across racial and ethnic groups. According to CDC, the drop in HIV infections among youth was primarily driven by a drop in infections among young gay and bisexual males, but infection declines were lower among Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual males, "reflecting broader disparities that hinder HIV prevention." CDC Director Rochelle Walensky noted that "[l]ongstanding factors, such as systemic inequities, social and economic marginalization, and residential segregation … stand between highly effective HIV treatment and prevention and people who could benefit from them." (Castillo, STAT, 5/23; Raman, Roll Call, 5/23; Knutson, Axios, 5/23)
• Massachusetts: Anxiety disorders, ADHD, depression, and eating disorders all increased among teenage girls during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study from Loreen Straub, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues. For the study, researchers looked at data from Optum's* Clinformatics Data Mart Database and identified youths given a mental health diagnosis from January 2018 to March 2022. They found that, among girls ages 13 to 18, eating disorders more than doubled from 0.26% in March 2020 to 0.56% in March 2022, and noted that, except for depression, the prevalence of mental health diagnoses among teenage girls increased at a faster rate during the pandemic than before the pandemic. "Seeing this evidence of that strong increase in mental health diagnoses, particularly among teenage girls, ever since the pandemic started was really, really concerning for us," Straub said. (Firth, MedPage Today, 5/23)
• Minnesota: Minnesota's state legislature this week passed a bill that would expand the state's government-funded health insurance program, adding a public option for residents with incomes above 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). The bill requires Minnesota to apply for a CMS waiver to implement the public option in 2027. The option would expand the state's current health plan, MinnesotaCare, which covers individuals at or below 200% of the FPL. The bill now goes to Gov. Tim Walz (D) who is expected to sign it this week. (Dreher, Axios, 5/24)

*Advisory Board is a subsidiary of Optum. All Advisory Board research, expert perspectives, and recommendations remain independent.