Latest KFF Health News Stories
The cases hinge on the debate of whether a landmark federal law forbidding sex discrimination in the workplace protects gay and transgender employees. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch repeatedly suggested that the words of Title VII may well bar employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status. The question was “really close, really close.” But he added that he was worried about “the massive social upheaval” that would follow from a Supreme Court ruling saying so.
First Edition: October 9, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: Pelosi’s Drug Plan: Common-Sense Reform Or A Killer Of Innovation?
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
A weekly round-up of stories related to pharmaceutical development and pricing.
Medicare Fraudsters Now Tap Telemedicine In Medical Equipment Scams
Scammers bent on defrauding Medicare are embracing the new technologies of remote diagnosis. Federal law enforcement is cracking down.
They Enrolled In Medical School To Practice Rural Medicine. What Happened?
Eight years ago, a new medical program opened in Salina, Kan., as an experimental way to promote rural medicine. Hailed as a solution to the rural doctor shortage, only three of its eight newly minted doctors are now working in the most rural communities.
Medicare: comienza la inscripción sin una herramienta popular para comparar precios
El viejo buscador de planes proporcionaba grandes ahorros, según expertos. Pero luego de un rediseño, perdió muchas de sus funciones clave.
La sífilis congénita sigue aumentando a un ritmo alarmante
A nivel nacional, 1,306 bebés adquirieron sífilis de su madre en 2018, un aumento del 40% con respecto a 2017, según datos federales. Este tipo de transmisión es prevenible.
Congenital Syphilis Continues to Rise at an Alarming Rate
The number of U.S. infants who acquired syphilis from their mothers during pregnancy rose 40% last year. Just five states, including California, accounted for nearly two-thirds of the cases.
Editorial writers focus on on these public health stories and others.
Opinion writers weigh in about health care issues.
Media outlets report on news from New York, District of Columbia, Wyoming, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Arizona, Iowa, Texas, and Maryland.
Smuggled Video Reveals Glimpse Inside Florida’s Shockingly Dangerous Prisons
As more attention focuses on the safety and quality of care inmates receive behind bars, the video that was secretly recorded by a Florida man reveals just how perilous the conditions can be behind bars. News on jail safety comes out of Ohio and North Carolina, as well.
For individuals with private insurance, out-of-pocket costs increased 6.1 percent and premiums rose 5.2 percent over the past two years, outpacing wages and inflation. “So, that’s the second year in a row that the cost to individuals, if you will, was rising faster than the cost of the overall system,” says Ray Campbell, executive director of the state Center for Health Information and Analysis
Ohio Governor Releases Gun Violence Plan With ‘Red Flag’ Laws Noticeably Absent From Final Proposal
Following the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine promised to “do something” about gun violence in the state. While he previously voiced support for “red flag” laws, the governor’s administration felt that the legislation would be “inadequate and unworkable.” The proposal in DeWine’s final version builds on the existing “pink slip” law, which allows for people assessed by mental health experts in a psychiatric facility.
How Long Is It Safe To Play Football? CTE Risk, Severity Increases With Years Played, Study Shows
The study in the Annals of Neurology reported athletes who played more than 14.5 years were 10 times more likely to develop the brain-wasting disease, though several players with careers 15 years or longer were found not to have CTE. Public health news looks at a possible virus behind a rare disease paralyzing children, eye exams aided by smartphones, the toll chronic stress plays on blood sugar levels, unsafe sleeping positions while pregnant, a popular video game’s impact on children’s brains, and new worries for parents about sleepovers, as well.
California To Allow Patients To Get HIV Prevention Pills Without Having To Get Doctor’s Prescription
Supporters of the legislation say PrEP significantly reduces the risk of infection, but only if started within 72 hours of exposure to the virus. Not everyone can get to a doctor within that time frame, they say. The California Medical Association was initially opposed to the legislation but became neutral on it after it was amended to limit the number of PrEP pills patients can get without a physician’s note to 60 days.
Although the information is already available to people, CMS says that currently it’s difficult to access and understand. In other Medicare news: President Donald Trump’s new executive order may have unintended consequences and a price comparison tool is missing just as enrollment nears.
Hiring Decisions In Trump Administration Reflect A Focus On Border Control, Veterans
An analysis by The Wall Street Journal shows that the Department of Veterans Affairs leads the cabinet agencies in average yearly growth. Hiring practices can often highlight the broader priorities of an administration. Under the Obama administration, for example, CMS saw its workforce expand more than 44% as the government implemented the Affordable Care Act.
The bacteria are common and often harmless but can cause disease in “very fragile patients,” said Dr. Frank Maffei, the chair of pediatrics at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania. The premature babies were in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit when they were infected. Five other babies also became sick.