Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Judge ‘Inclined To Accept’ USC’s Landmark $215M Settlement Over Allegations Against Campus Gynecologist

Morning Briefing

Under the terms of the settlement, each woman who saw Dr. George Tyndall during his time at USC would be guaranteed a $2,500 payment, whether or not she had alleged abuse. Women who allege the worst abuse and would be willing to be screened by a psychologist could be eligible for payments of up to $250,000.

Sweeping ‘Reassuring’ Study Concludes There’s No Strong Link Between Baby Powder And Ovarian Cancer

Morning Briefing

These kinds of observational studies cannot determine cause and effect, but a more rigorous study isn’t likely to be done. “This represents the best data we have on the topic,” said the study’s lead author Katie O’Brien. The researchers did find hints of a potentially small increased risk for cancer for women who had never had a hysterectomy or fallopian tube-tying surgery.

Can Darwin’s Theory Of Evolution Better Help Scientists Battle Ever-Mutating Cancer Cells?

Morning Briefing

The cutting-edge strategy seeks to reduce the treatable cancer cells, stop treatment, and wait for those cells to grow back before treating them again, recognizing that cancer cells are always evolving to fit their environment. In other public health news: a cancer moonshot, the emerging virus in China, how to pack for hospital stays, male infertility, processed food and obesity, dementia, and more.

Earthquake Batters A Puerto Rico That Has Yet To Recover From Hurricane Maria’s Bruising

Morning Briefing

Gov. Wanda Vazquez has declared a state of emergency following a 6.4 earthquake that hit Puerto Rico on Tuesday. The island has been struggling to recover since Hurricanes Irma and Maria wreaked havoc back in 2017.

Major Pharmacy Chains Claim Doctors, Other Providers Are Responsible For Opioid Crisis In New Lawsuit

Morning Briefing

“The pharmacist is not supposed to be second guessing the medical necessity of the doctor’s prescription,” said Timothy Johnson, an attorney for Discount Drug Mart. Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart and others who have found themselves in the cross hairs over who was responsible for curbing the opioid crisis filed their own suit against providers.

FEMA Details U.S.’ Vulnerability To Natural Disasters, Terrorism’ In Annual Report

Morning Briefing

Advocates decried the annual National Preparedness Report because it didn’t mention climate change, which experts say exacerbated the deadly wildfires and storms of recent years. Other administration news focuses on water pollution and a case against the “public benefits” immigration rule.

Local Officials Across Country Push Back Against Federal Policy Barring Pre-Trial Inmates From Medicaid Benefits

Morning Briefing

“Just because you’ve been in jail for a short period of time, that shouldn’t automatically knock you off the [Medicaid] rolls,” said David Davis, the Democratic sheriff of Bibb County, Georgia. “You then have to go through enrollment all over again.” The disruption in enrollment can often negatively effect an already vulnerable population of people. Other Medicaid news comes from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, California and the South.

Cost Of Administrative Work Within Health Care System Drops Dramatically Within A Single-Payer System

Morning Briefing

A new study found that in Canada, a country with a single-payer system, the cost of administrative work is $551 per person, a year. In America, it’s $2,497. Other news on costs looks at what states are –and aren’t– doing to keep health care affordable and more on surprise medical bills.

Group Aligned With GOP House Leadership To Pump $4M Into Fighting Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Bill

Morning Briefing

The American Action Network, which received $2.5 million from PhRMA in 2018, derided House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing plan as socialism. The group is trying to build support for the House Republicans’ plan, which would not allow price negotiation but does cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors on Medicare.

Democrats Press High Court To Make Call On ACA. How It Could Play Out At Polls.

KFF Health News Original

Democrats have asked the Supreme Court to take up an appeals court ruling that could invalidate some or all of the federal health law. It’s not clear the court will take the case, but the efforts will carry consequences for both Democrats and Republicans.

5 Things To Know As California Starts Screening Children For Toxic Stress

KFF Health News Original

California now will pay pediatricians to screen Medi-Cal patients for traumatic events known as adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. The program is based on research showing that children who endure chronic stress have an increased risk of developing serious health problems. Here are five things to know about the new program.