Latest KFF Health News Stories
Opinion writers weigh in on these health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from Missouri, Washington, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas, Massachusetts, Texas, California, and Illinois.
House Majority Leader Presses Lawmakers To Move Ahead With Solution For Surprise Medical Bills
So far the legislation has hit road bumps despite the bipartisan interest in addressing an issue that voters care about. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) wants lawmakers to come up with a deal. In other health industry news: supply chain integration, earnings reports, job cuts, and more.
CMS To Invite States To Apply For Waivers To Transform Medicaid Programs Into Block Grant Model
The letters to state officials are expected to go out on Thursday. Proponents and critics alike expect any changes to face legal challenges. Allowing block grants in Medicaid has been a prime objective for CMS Administrator Seema Verma since she arrived in Washington. Medicaid news comes out of Kansas, Iowa and Mississippi.
FDA Warns Purell To Stop Claiming Hand Sanitizers Can Prevent Flu, Ebola
The agency doesn’t allow brands to make such claims. The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water as the most effective way to prevent spread of germs and to use a hand sanitizer that is 60% ethyl alcohol when they’re not available.
Better TB Vaccines Needed?: Strength Can Vary Greatly From One Manufacturer To The Next.
Researchers from around the world are questioning whether some vaccines are more protective than others and if a new costly trial would be worthwhile. But it would be costly. Public health news is on cystic fibrosis, improving long-term heart health, dangers from air pollution, aid-in-dying medications, care for NFL concussions, managing type 2 diabetes, curbing violent policemen, and rising cycling fatalities, as well.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a 2020 hopeful, would fully fund the CDC’s pandemic prevention and response programs with her plan. The proposal comes amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak.
States Grapple With Emerging Threat Of Coronavirus As They Prepare For More Possible Cases
News stories from across the country look at where patients are being monitored over concerns of infections.
Researchers and doctors are still trying to fully grasp the scope of the coronavirus as the world watches the outbreak nervously. But in the early stages, it’s hard to know exactly what’s real and what’s skewed by the fact that the sickest people tend to be identified first. Meanwhile, scientists are racing to create a vaccine. And, how do bats live with all these viruses?
The opioid company connected to the alleged scheme to encourage doctors to prescribe more painkillers to patients wasn’t named, but court watchers say the documents in question provide clues. And those might point to Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.
Prominent Harvard Scientist Arrested By U.S. Authorities, Charged With Hiding Ties To China
Charles Lieber—a leading nanoelectronics researcher and the chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology—is accused of making false statements to the Department of Defense about his role in China’s Thousand Talents program. The complaint says, Lieber was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for his work as a “strategic scientist” at Wuhan University of Technology.
There are only five confirmed cases in the U.S. at the moment. HHS Secretary Alex Azar, along with other top health officials, urge Americans not to panic about a potential outbreak. Meanwhile, the government is taking steps to regulate air travel to and from China.
China Agrees To Allow International Experts To Visit To Help Bolster Country’s Coronavirus Response
Chinese authorities agreed to work with experts from other countries after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization. The number of cases in China has now surpassed the SARS outbreak total. As of Wednesday, there were 5,974 confirmed cases of the virus in mainland China, including 132 deaths.
First Edition: January 29, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Are Social Media Influencers Boosting Pharma Sales? The FDA Wants To Investigate
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Terminally Ill, He Wanted Aid-In-Dying. His Catholic Hospital Said No.
Neil Mahoney had terminal cancer. He also had a legal right to aid-in-dying. But his faith-based hospital called it “morally unacceptable.” So he turned to a network of Colorado doctors to fulfill his last wish.
Bike Fatalities Are On The Rise
More than 450 cyclists died in traffic accidents in California from 2016 through 2018, marking the highest three-year death rate in 25 years. Among the factors at play: more cars on roads, distracted driving and a pronounced consumer shift toward SUVs.
Response To Nation’s 1st Coronavirus Case Draws On Lessons From Measles Outbreak
When the first confirmed U.S. patient was pinpointed in Washington state, health clinic workers there weren’t rattled. They were prepped by new statewide protocols on contagion containment, in the wake of last year’s measles scare.
California reabre el debate sobre un sistema universal de salud
El gobernador de California Gavin Newsom abogó desde su campaña por un sistema de pagador único que cubriera a todos los californianos.