Latest KFF Health News Stories
Beyond Burnout: Docs Decry ‘Moral Injury’ From Financial Pressures Of Health Care
Doctors and other clinicians say they’re enduring moral injury because the business of health care interferes with patient care.
Opinion writers focus on these public health issues and others.
Editorial writers weigh in on these health care policies and others.
Planned Parenthood Gets Kentucky’s Approval To Provide Abortions At Louisville Clinic Again
The green light follows a four-year fight by Planned Parenthood with former Gov. Matt Bevin, an anti-abortion Republican who lost in November to Democrat Andy Beshear. News on abortion is from Utah, as well.
After Home Health Companies Abandon Merger Deal, FTC Drops Investigation Into Consolidation
While the deal between Atlanta-based Aveanna and Maryland-based Maxim won’t go forward, the fact that it drew FTC’s attention shows how closely the agency is watching for consolidation issues in the marketplace.
Media outlets report on news from Georgia, California, Oregon, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
CMS Considers Tightening Rules To Ensure Ineligible People Aren’t Receiving ACA Subsidies
In particular, CMS is looking at possibly cutting automatic re-enrollment for low-income consumers.
Any tough measures aimed at halting the Trump administration’s attempt to shift Medicaid funding into a block-grant system could imperil other bipartisan health efforts members want to pass this year. Meanwhile, because the new plan, dubbed “Healthy Adult Opportunity,” is optional for states, its impact could vary from region to region creating even more geographical health disparities in the country.
School Safety Tip Lines Meant To Curtail Mass Shootings Are Also Saving Lives Of Suicidal Teens
Allowing students to report concerns through texts provides an anonymity that is saving lives, police officers say of SafeOregon, which has received nearly twice as many reports of potential suicides than threats on school since its inception in 2017. Public health news is on funds for rare diseases, dangers of data apps, doctors on TikTok, social media ads for alcohol, dementia, eye health, Down syndrome, technology for the deaf, and longevity, as well.
Health officials in Northern California announced Sunday that three more people have been infected in the state. Media outlets take a look at how states are responding to the outbreak and possible cases within their borders.
Critics call into question the Department of Agriculture’s decision-making process that has huge implications for struggling farmers, food stamp recipients and workers in dangerous meatpacking jobs, among other aspects of America’s food system. “They operate much more on anecdote and ideology than facts and data,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine).
Aimmune Therapeutics believes its treatment, Palforzia, could deliver annual sales exceeding $1 billion. But critics say Palforzia is more likely to be a niche treatment given its tolerability and side effect issues, which include higher rates of gastrointestinal problems and allergic reactions.
There are conflicting studies about whether employers trade off wages and health insurance costs dollar-for-dollar. That means if they’re no longer responsible for paying for insurance, it doesn’t necessarily mean workers will see a comparable pay bump. Meanwhile, a poll finds that a narrow majority of Americans still favors “Medicare for All” and voters get ready for the Iowa caucus.
“It’s very, very transmissible, and it almost certainly is going to be a pandemic,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. “But will it be catastrophic? I don’t know.” Meanwhile, Dr. Mike Ryan, the head of the WHO’s Emergencies Program, says it’s not too late to try to contain the virus. In other news on the outbreak: first death outside China reported; criticism mounts against China’s response in the early days of the crisis; a look at the hospital China built in just 10 days; and more.
As worries escalate, scared Americans are being inundated with a flood of false or misleading information about the virus. “It is much faster to make something up while waiting for information to come in,” says Johns Hopkins Associate Professor Mark Dredze. Meanwhile, scientists race to find out more about the virus, such as how it’s transmitted, how contagious it is, and whether an Ebola drug might work as a vaccine.
While U.S. health officials have declared a public health emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, they are still trying to minimize Americans’ fears and urging calm. “The risk is low … but our job is to keep that risk low,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Media outlets take a look at how the outbreak is effecting air travel, U.S. hospitals, and Americans who were in Wuhan, China.
First Edition: February 3, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Why Home Health Care Is Suddenly Harder To Come By For Medicare Patients
Medicare has changed how it pays for services. In response, agencies across the country are firing therapists, limiting physical, occupational and speech therapy, and terminating services for some longtime, severely ill patients.
As VA Tests Keto Diet To Help Diabetic Patients, Skeptics Raise Red Flags
The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with Virta Health, a California startup that offers remote coaching and monitoring for people with Type 2 diabetes to help them follow the ultra-low carbohydrate diet.
Public Health Officials Offer Scant Details On U.S. Coronavirus Patients
To date, the U.S. has multiple confirmed cases of the viral infection that originated in Wuhan, China. That includes cases in which the virus passed from person to person within this country. So why don’t health officials share more information with the public?