Latest KFF Health News Stories
No deaths have been reported so far, but this strain of bacteria is the same one that caused outbreaks the last 2 years and wreaks havoc on kidney functions.
Investigators found no malicious intent, and no one was punished as a result of the unread scans.
Medical examiners have found that the crib bumpers have been linked to at least 35 deaths across the country. But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission health science team keeps rejecting the rulings. Other news coming out of federal agencies focuses on a panel that helps consumers navigate alternative medical approaches and questions about how medical research is being used.
Even the application fees can be prohibitive, let alone the rest of the cost of medical school. In an industry that leans predominately toward the upper class, low-income students are left wondering how that’s ever going to change.
Artificial intelligence is starting to take over some jobs that nurses typically perform, like asking a patient about symptoms. But experts say there will always need to be the human touch when it comes to care. Meanwhile, HIPPA’s in the spotlight following Google’s Project Nightingale revelation. What exactly does it cover?
Data from the opioid crisis shows just how much racial bias about the pain tolerance of African American patients plays out in real life. In other news on the crisis: a growing concern that babies will be left out of financial settlements from drugmakers, a ban on addiction treatment dollars going to medical marijuana research, needle exchanges, overdose training and more.
Brigham Young University-Idaho requires that students have health insurance, but the university no longer accepts Medicaid. The cheapest option available is the university’s student health plan, which does not comply with the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections. Medicaid news comes out of Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and New York.
“We will soon be putting more options on the table…” President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday. But it’s unclear how or if the proposal differs from one outlined this summer. Both drug companies and Canada — where the drugs would supposedly come from — oppose the idea. In other pharmaceutical news: Trump backs off from Medicare negotiation pledge, Novartis bets on heart drugs, an experimental dengue vaccine looks promising, and more.
The closely watched meeting between President Donald Trump and the vaping industry, medical professionals and others with a vested interest in the e-cigarette discussion was held on Friday. Trump said he feared that if there was a flavor ban, that people would simply turn to black market products. He also asked for information about letting states set their own rules, and he reiterated his support for raising the age limit to 21.
Most of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates agree on certain positions — like supporting the removal of the Hyde amendment — that may have divided the field in previous eras. “What you’ve seen is that it’s no longer OK for any candidate just to say they’re pro-choice,” said Jacqueline Ayers, of Planned Parenthood. “They’re being very specific on how our rights are under attack, how access to abortion is being undermined in this country, and putting forth plans to protect and expand rights.”
A so-called “public option” would allow people to buy a government-run health plan that competes with the private marketplace. In previous years, the policy was considered extreme, while now it’s starting to sound like the moderate option in the current political landscape. Meanwhile, Politico takes a look at the army being built to fight “Medicare for All.”
During open enrollment season, health experts say to watch out for “junk” insurance plans that were expanded under the Trump administration and don’t have to meet standards set by the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, investors are betting that the Supreme Court rules in favor of insurers in a case over “risk corridor” payments.
First Edition: November 25, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Not Yesterday’s Cocaine: Death Toll Rising From Tainted Drug
While the U.S. continues to focus mainly on the opioid crisis, cocaine is quietly making a comeback and has become one of the biggest overdose killers of African Americans when tainted with fentanyl.
Last-Minute Loophole Could Undermine Texas Law Against Surprise Medical Bills
Texas passed a bipartisan law against surprise medical billing, but advocates warn that a proposed rule could severely weaken it, continuing to allow surprise bills outside of emergencies.
UVA Doctors Decry Aggressive Billing Practices By Their Own Hospital
In the wake of a Kaiser Health News investigation, doctors want the University of Virginia’s health system to stop suing its patients over unpaid bills.
Readers React: UVA Doctors Outraged Over Their Own Health System’s Billing Practices
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
This Story Contains A Warning That Might Cause Alarm — Or Apathy
Proposition 65 requires California businesses to label products and buildings with warnings about substances the state deems as toxic, ranging from aloe vera to asbestos. A state panel plans to debate whether to add acetaminophen, the active ingredient of common over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, to the toxics list, raising questions about the value of these ubiquitous warnings.
Timeline: History Of Blocking Regulation Of Electronic Health Records
Over the past decade, government efforts to create a national system to track and analyze deaths, injuries and other adverse incidents linked to electronic health records repeatedly have failed amid opposition from the technology industry and its supporters in Congress.