Latest KFF Health News Stories
At the Mayo Clinic, Zachi Attia is one of five software engineers and data scientists who make the rounds with physicians and discuss way to use AI to improve heart care. News on technology in heath care is on blood-sugar monitoring devices and problems with hackers and electronic records, as well.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Tennessee, California, Massachusetts, Georgia, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida and Maryland.
Fed Up With Poor Health Outcomes, Navajo Nation Aims To Take Medicaid Coverage Into Its Own Hands
The Navajo Nation is seeking to create a one-of-a-kind Medicaid program to address the inequities in care for its members.
Nationally, since late last year, meth has turned up in more deaths than opioid painkillers. But in some instances, advocates hands are tied in trying to combat it. In other public health news: Alzheimer’s, athletes’ brains, food fetishes, racial health gaps, and more.
Of 12th graders surveyed, 14 percent said they had vaped marijuana in the last month, nearly double the 7.5 percent reported a year ago. The data also echoed earlier statistics about e-cigarettes, with a quarter of high school seniors reporting that they had vaped nicotine within the last month. Meanwhile, the FDA has approved the sales of a low-nicotine cigarette that could help smokers who are trying to quit.
Suicide Accounts For Far Fewer Opioid Overdose Deaths Than Previously Thought, Research Finds
Researchers had previously suggested suicide accounted for about 20-30% of all opioid overdose deaths, but a new study suggest that it’s more like 4%. In other news on the crisis: a possible bonus for a Purdue Pharma CEO, another suit against opioid distributors, and more.
As we near the end of the decade, The Wall Street Journal takes a look back at the way the Affordable Care Act has left a lasting impact on the country.
The Democratic lawmakers say the agency is being difficult about their request for more information about the contracts that were, in part, meant to help raise CMS Administrator Seema Verma’s public profile. Health department officials, meanwhile, insist they are complying with Democrats’ requests.
The girl was born with colon problem and global activists say that she was “at great risk of possible systemic infection.” Border agents can exempt migrants from “vulnerable populations,” which has in practice included people with serious illnesses.
The proposed changes, which would take effect in 2022, could increase organ donation and transplantation from about 36,000 annually to 42,000 by 2024, officials said.
The Department of Justice said CVS Health’s troubled Omnicare business was routinely filling prescriptions that had expired or run out of refills. Omnicare distributes drugs to skilled-nursing and assisted-living facilities across the country, and this isn’t its first brush with legal trouble.
The House passed the sweeping legislation on Tuesday, sending it to the Senate ahead of a Friday deadline for a government shutdown. The bill will, among other things, repeal three health law taxes in a win for insurers. Media outlets dive into the particulars of what’s included — like a tobacco age ban and money for wildfire safety — and what is not. Provisions in the latter category might act as a cautionary tale for progressive Democrats as they try to push ahead with “Medicare for All.”
First Edition: December 18, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: When It Comes To Pricey Cancer Drugs, Pharma Doesn’t Know When To Quit
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Listen: The Cost Of PrEP, The HIV Prevention Pill
KHN correspondent Shefali Luthra was among the guests on the podcast “Today, Explained” to talk about PrEP.
Don’t Toss That E-Cig: Vaping Waste Is A Whole New Headache For Schools And Cities
E-cigarettes may look sleek, but they create toxic trash, especially at high schools where vaping is widespread. Disposable nicotine pods can be poisonous, and vape pens contain batteries and metals. Safely disposing of them can mean a trip to the local recycling center.
Kaiser Permanente: atención de salud mental aún recibe críticas, a pesar de arreglos
Entrevistas con docenas de terapeutas, pacientes y expertos pintan un cuadro de mejoras superficiales, pero que no se traducen en una atención más efectiva y accesible.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others.
The report supports findings by the media last year that revealed a far more widespread toxic impact than authorities publicly reported. Known carcinogens were among the industrial toxic substances released into surrounding neighborhoods. And recently, dozens of people in Houston were possibly exposed to a plant’s mercury spill.