Latest KFF Health News Stories
Perspectives: FDA Roadblocks For States’ Drug Importation Plans Make Them Unlikely To Succeed
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
A Bipartisan Senate Drug Pricing Bill Even Got Trump’s Thumbs Up. So Why Is It On Life Support?
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Texas, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, District of Columbia, Nebraska, Maryland, North Carolina, Michigan, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Florida Vascular Doctor Allegedly Took $26M In Insurance Scam To Fund Political Aspirations
From September 2015 to this month, Dr. Moses deGraft-Johnson submitted scores of fraudulent claims to health insurers, including Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, court papers said.
The New York Times explains why the numbers of soldiers with brain injuries kept rising after Iran’s missile attack and how CT scans and blood tests often come up short. Public health news is on pelvic exams, dementia, transplants, end-of-life care, genetic research, child abuse, pollution, foot health, assisted living care, test results, shingles, tattoos, alcoholic liver disease, and safe sex, as well.
Influencers Suggest No-Fluid Diets As Way To ‘Reset’ Your Kidneys. Experts Say: Don’t Do This.
“Your body likes homeostasis,” said Dr. Pauline Yi, a physician at UCLA Health Beverly Hills. “If you’re going to cut back on water, your body will produce hormones and chemicals to hold onto any water.” In other news: sneaky sugars, sleep and obesity, the Mediterranean diet, and exercise via video games.
Childhood Cancer Is No Longer A Death Sentence, But Long-Term Health Effects Linger Into Adulthood
A new study suggests that scientists need to get a better handle on the ways battling cancer can affect the health of a patient throughout their lives. For example, chemotherapy can weaken the heart and lead to long-term cardiovascular problems. Other oncology news focuses on melanoma as well as radioactive products.
Whereas the lowest-earning hospitals dedicated $72.30 of every $100 of net income to charity care, the top earning hospitals devoted just $11.50 to charity care for the uninsured. Other hospital news comes out of North Carolina, Iowa, Florida and California.
Arkansas Senator Stokes Debunked Conspiracy That Coronavirus Was Manufactured By Chinese Government
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) later walked back his comments about the origins of the coronavirus, but the statement reflects a worrying trend of high-ranking people spreading misinformation about the outbreak. In other news on how the United States is handling the crisis: 5 cities to start testing any patients with flu-like symptoms for coronavirus, Asian-Americans continue to face unsettling weight of public scrutiny in wake of outbreak, and more.
Scientists explain how the virus is killing patients–mostly elderly or people with underlying medical conditions–when about 80 percent only have mild symptoms from the infection. In other news related to the science behind the outbreak: a forecast of an epidemic, the infection rate, how long the virus can linger on surfaces, a treatment option, and more.
The ruling, written by a Reagan-appointed judge, upheld a lower court’s stance that Arkansas’ plan to add work requirements to its Medicaid program was “arbitrary and capricious” and failed to show how such rules would help Medicaid to meet its mission of covering the poor. The Trump administration has been encouraging states to add work requirements, but so far has come up short in the courts.
‘Juul Is Almost Old School’: How Efforts To Regulate Teen Vaping Are Behind The Actual Trends
While regulators have been focusing on vaping products like Juul e-cigarettes, teens have been turning to disposable pods, which come in an array of flavors and remain unregulated.
The union for culinary workers, a powerful force in a state where entertainment and tourism is big, had issued warnings against “Medicare for All” because the union has fought so hard for its health care coverage. That sparked backlash among Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) supporters, whose online harassment of union members provoked a slap on the wrists from its leaders. Sanders’ rivals are jumping on the weak spot ahead of the state’s caucuses.
A Look At The Main Players Around The Globe Who Are Handling Coronavirus Outbreak
From HHS Secretary Alex Azar to Chinese President Xi Jinping to WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Stat takes a look at the big names behind the organizations and countries racing to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, NIH’s Anthony Fauci says the outbreak is “on the verge” of becoming a global pandemic.
Rate Of Coronavirus Deaths Drops But Some Warn Any Optimism Is Premature
China on Monday reported 2,048 new cases of coronavirus infections and 105 new deaths over the previous 24 hours. The number of new deaths dropped from the previous day, when 142 deaths were reported. But some public health experts cautioned that it’s too early to think the crisis is receding. Meanwhile, the head of a hospital in Wuhan died of the disease.
Lawmakers in both parties are eager to move forward with legislation to address the issue that they see as an easy, but rare, bipartisan win. Progress has been slow, however, because they can’t agree on a tactic for settling up the costs.
Americans Evacuated From Quarantined Cruise Ship Including 14 Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus
Another 60 Americans remained in Japan for monitoring, State Department officials said. Meanwhile, a second cruise ship was finally allowed to dock and passengers to disembark, with promises that “there was no indication of COVID-19 on the ship.” However, an American who was on board did test positive for the coronavirus, sparking fears that the passengers who have already flown home could spread the illness without being aware they’re infected.
First Edition: February 18, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Ink Rx? Welcome To The Camouflaged World Of Paramedical Tattoos
Doctors specialize in the science of healing, but tattoo artist Eric Catalano specializes in the art of it. The single father of three does up to eight reconstructive medical tattoos for free each “Wellness Wednesday” in his small Illinois shop, drawing in nails on finger amputees, mocking up belly buttons after tummy tucks and fleshing out lips on a woman mauled by a dog.