Latest KFF Health News Stories
Changing Clocks Is Bad For Your Health, But Which Time To Choose?
State legislatures are considering new bills proposing a permanent time standard instead of the spring-forward and fall-back clock changes. Most people want to stop adjusting clocks, but scientists and politicians are at odds over which time is better for society and our health.
Would ‘Medicare For All’ Cost More Than U.S. Budget? Biden Says So. Math Says No.
Biden’s statement misses the mark because of messy math.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: What We’ve Learned And What’s Ahead For The Show
For this bonus episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” Dan Weissmann gives up the host’s chair and answers questions from reporter and colleague Sally Herships.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Live from D.C. With Rep. Donna Shalala
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget includes billions of dollars in health spending cuts, Congress gets back to work on surprise medical bills, and health care remains a top issue for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), a former Health and Human Services secretary, joins the panel at a special taping before a live audience in Washington, D.C. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Coronavirus Tests Public Health Infrastructure In The Heartland
While Missouri has yet to have a confirmed case of coronavirus, the threat of the disease is siphoning resources from an already stretched-thin public health system.
Para combatir el COVID-19, usan drogas contra el VIH, la malaria y el Ébola
Cuando surge un nuevo virus y pone en peligro a un gran número de personas, los científicos a veces recurren a medicamentos ya existentes que pueden readaptarse.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others.
Research Roundup: Medicaid Work Requirements, Gender’s Role In Care, Air Pollution, And More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Editorial pages focus on public health issues triggered by the coronavirus.
Media outlets report on news from Iowa, Oklahoma, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Georgia and Hawaii.
Drugmakers argue that they’ve pumped millions into research and so they can charge a lot more for drugs that used to be available cheaply. But experts find flaws in their logic. In other pharmaceutical news: the price of insulin and CVS’ fourth-quarter profits.
The movements of patients with mobility-limiting conditions such as Parkinson’s disease can be tracked and give health care providers better data on the patient’s condition.
“We were intrigued by the idea that the opioid crisis might be behind the massive increase in hepatitis C,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. News on the epidemic is from Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, New York and Ohio, as well.
Legislation Stokes Abortion Wars On Hill Ahead Of Supreme Court Oral Arguments On Major Case
The Democrats are pushing for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, which critics say would protect abortion access, while Republicans want to vote on a 20-week ban. The moves come just before long-awaited and closely watched oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court on hospital admitting privileges for abortion providers.
Insurers, employers and labor unions oppose the method, but providers favor it. With so many powerful stakeholders involved, lawmakers are being bombarded with opinions on the matter. Meanwhile, at the state level, Kansas is also taking aim at surprise medical costs.
Gilead Bulks Up Operations In Case Its Promising Drug Proves Effective Against COVID-19
Gilead invented remdesivir several years ago and first developed it to treat Ebola. Although the treatment proved less effective than others in fighting Ebola, company researchers working with academic scientists found that remdesivir was effective in treating mice infected with another coronavirus. Meanwhile, other doctors and researchers are searching for existing drugs in hopes that they’ll land on one that’s effective against COVID-19.
Employers Tip Toe Around Requests From Younger Workers Seeking Help For Mental Health Conditions
Because they might have received treatment or special arrangements in school, a generation with a higher rate of mental health challenges wants the same accommodations at work. Businesses are weighing how to respond, a Wall Street Journal story reports. Public health news also looks at the backstory on the fly emoji, insulin pump recall, car booster seat probe, babies’ sleep schedules, early signs for altruistic behavior, childhood poisonings, easing childbirth pain with virtual reality, and longevity tips from the world’s oldest man.
Health care provided by school nurses falls outside the the privacy protections that protect other health data. That can lead to school officials and others having access to more medical information than parents realize.
Bayer Is Facing Tens Of Thousands Of Roundup Cancer Suits. But It Still Has A Product To Sell, Too.
Past mass-litigation suits often resulted in a company discontinuing their product, changing it, or adding a warning label. None of the options are workable for Bayer, who is still arguing that its weedkiller is safe, and so the company is stuck in a bind. “I don’t know how they can insulate themselves from future liability,” said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor.
The suit, filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, presents some of the starkest evidence to date that the company was targeting young, nonsmokers during its launch period.