Health Highlights: June 24, 2019

Infant Formula Powder Recalled Due to Possible Metal ContaminationTrump to Announce New Rule Making Hospitals Disclose Prices to PatientsClimate Change is a 'Health Emergency': Medical GroupsBrand Castle Cookie and Brownie Mixes Recalled

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Infant Formula Powder Recalled Due to Possible Metal Contamination

Parent's Choice Advantage Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron that's made by Perrigo and sold exclusively at Walmart has been recalled due to the possible presence of metal foreign matter.

The recall covers more than 23,000 35-ounce, 992-gram containers with the Lot Code C26EVFV and "use by" date of February 26, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

The recalled product should not be used. It can be returned to any Walmart store for a refund.

No injuries associated with the recalled product have been reported, according to the FDA.

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Trump to Announce New Rule Making Hospitals Disclose Prices to Patients

Hospitals would have to tell patients ahead of time the actual prices of common tests and procedures under an executive order to be signed Monday by President Donald Trump.

It would also require patients to informed upfront about out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and copays for many procedures, the Associated Press reported.

The goal is to provide patients with information they can use to keep their health care costs down, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

For example, an echocardiogram that costs $3,500 in a hospital may cost $550 in a doctor's office, so the patient might decide on the lower-price procedure to save on copays, the AP reported.

The executive order "will put patients in charge and address the drivers of high health care costs...increasing choice and competition," according to Azar.

However, it could take months or even years before the executive order leads to changes, the AP reported.

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Climate Change is a 'Health Emergency': Medical Groups

Climate change is a "health emergency," 74 U.S. medical and public health groups say in a climate change agenda released Monday.

"The health, safety and well-being of millions of people in the U.S. have already been harmed by human-caused climate change, and health risks in the future are dire without urgent action to fight climate change," according to the agenda, the Associated Press reported.

The groups want elected officials and presidential candidates to "meet and strengthen U.S. commitments" under the 2015 United Nations climate agreement. President Donald Trump has said he will withdraw the U.S. from the deal.

The agenda also calls for carbon pricing and "a plan and timeline for reduction of fossil fuel extraction in the U.S," the AP reported.

Groups that endorsed the agenda include the American Medical Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American College of Physicians and numerous state-level and academic public health organizations.

The fact that the groups do not have "a political axe to grind" could help them get more people to pay attention to climate change, Ed Maibach, director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, told the AP.

"It's incredibly helpful when health professionals point out the actual reality of the situation, point out that this is also a threat to our health and well-being now ... and it's likely to get worse, much worse, if we don't take action to address it," Maibach said.

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Brand Castle Cookie and Brownie Mixes Recalled

Several brands of cookie and brownie mix have been recalled by Brand Castle, LLC because the flour in the mixes may be contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

The following mixes, sold in 25-oz and 32-oz glass jars, were recalled: Brand Castle Arctic Chill Chocolate Mint Cookie Mix, UPC: 6-54448-01035-2, Lot: L6112618; Brand Castle Hot Cocoa Cookie Mix, UPC: 6-54448-01036-9, Lot: L5111918; Sisters Gourmet Million Dollar Cookie Mix, UPC: 6-54448-00002-5, Lot: L2121818; Sisters Gourmet Billion Dollar Brownie Mix, UPC: 6-54448-00017-9, Lot: 31OCT2019BC8324; In the Mix Chocolate Mint Chip Cookie Mix, UPC: 6-54448-01081-9, Lot: LM101518; Brand Castle The Grinch Sugar Cookie Mix with Sprinkles, UPC: 6-54448-01038-3, Lot: 25JUL2019BC8324.

The products were distributed in Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Utah.

Consumers should not use or eat recalled flour or bake mixes, the FDA said.

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