Latest KFF Health News Stories
Do No Harm? Guantanamo Bay Hearings Shine Harsh Spotlight On Doctors’ Roles In Interrogations
A judge is hearing testimony about how Guantanamo Bay inmates were treated, including disturbing accounts about medical professionals’ behavior toward the prisoners. “The physicians were present in interrogations that were harmful and life-threatening, and that violates the first principle of medical ethics: First, do no harm,” said Stephen Xenakis, a psychiatrist and retired Army general.
“With the Ebola epidemic, it was urging quarantines, travel bans, overreacting in all the ways that would be counterproductive. I would hate to see that now,” said Lawrence Gostin, a senior professor at Georgetown University, of President Donald Trump’s past responses to outbreaks. Public officials say the coronavirus isn’t spreading in the U.S. yet, and that threat for Americans remains low. Still, anxiety and panic over the illness is ramping up as the possible cases in the U.S. climbs past 100.
Chinese Government Grapples With Rising Public Fury As Coronavirus Continues To Spread
The death toll from the virus climbs past 100, with thousands of more cases reported. Chinese officials are trying to stem a tide of criticism over how they are handling the outbreak. U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci criticized Chinese leaders for not inviting U.S. and other international investigative agencies to join them in researching the new virus.
How Insulin Prices Have Become A Clear, Simply Rallying Cry For 2020 Democratic Candidates
Unlike other health care issues, the rise in insulin prices isn’t that complicated. The personal stories of patients rationing insulin with fatal results paints a clear picture of pharmaceutical companies profiting that candidates can leap upon. In other pharmaceutical news: Democrats target Republicans over high drug costs, presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg wants to go after patent protections, pharma bro Martin Shkreli faces new fraud accusations, and more.
The new rule would allow officials to deny permanent legal status to immigrants who are likely to need public assistance, like Medicaid or food stamps. In the past, only substantial and sustained monetary help or long-term institutionalization counted against applicants.
First Edition: January 28, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Conceived Through ‘Fertility Fraud,’ She Now Needs Fertility Treatment
Years ago, doctors sometimes lied about whose sperm they used for artificial inseminations. Could it happen now? Some argue regulation is weak in the multibillion-dollar fertility treatment industry.
California Reopens The Single-Payer Debate
A high-profile commission created by Gov. Gavin Newsom will convene for the first time Monday to discuss how to get every Californian covered. But don’t expect the state to adopt a single-payer system anytime soon.
An Attack Ad That Claims Michigan Sen. Gary Peters Supports ‘Medicare For All’ Doesn’t Hold Up
This one is a big stretch.
Opinion writers tackle these and other health issues.
Media outlets report on news from Alabama, Washington, Texas, Alaska, Massachusetts, Illinois, Missouri, California, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon, North Carolina, Maryland and Kansas.
At least 91 out of 95 counties in Virginia have declared themselves “sanctuaries” against gun control laws passed by the state. The battle in Virginia has drawn national attention. Gun violence news comes out of Tennessee and Texas, as well.
Anti-Poverty Advocates, Food Stamp Beneficiaries, Local Officials Brace For SNAP Cuts
The Trump administration is instituting a rule that could result in nearly 700,000 people across the country losing their food stamps. Those who rely on the benefits, those who administer them, and activists who try to protect vulnerable populations are expecting a grim fallout.
Hospitals and clinical practices face financial challenges because Medicaid only pays about half of what private insurers pay for childbirth-related services. New payment models like bundled or blended payments could address the higher morbidity and mortality rates for women on Medicaid, experts say. Meanwhile, a plan to encourage states to shift their Medicaid programs to block-grant systems is expected this week.
Modern Healthcare rounds up recent polls where voters were asked about health care concerns. One poll found that a whopping three-quarters of voters were concerned about being able to afford health care. In other election news: entitlement cuts, “Medicare for All,” and the opioid crisis.
Restauran algunos beneficios de Medi-Cal eliminados hace una década
Entre ellos está la podiatría y otros beneficios de salud para adultos como lentes y terapia del habla, así como exámenes del oído, dispositivos de audición y otros servicios.
Latest Patient Charity Settlement With Justice Department Becomes Fourth Such Deal In As Many Months
Federal authorities argued that drugmakers and charities created programs that favored specific medicines over lower-cost options.
Researchers talked to patients who had been restrained, and they characterize the experience as “traumatic as hell.” But emergency departments are more and more handling mental health patients in an over-stressed system, and there needs to be a way to control an agitated person. In other public health news: “doctor dogs,” in vitro fertilization, severe combined immunodeficiency disease, hospital grown recalls, and more.
On 75th Anniversary Of Auschwitz Liberation, Many Wonder If ‘Never Again’ Will Last Through The Ages
As the living memory of World War II and the Holocaust fades, the institutions created to guard against a repeat of such bloody conflicts, and such barbarism, are under increasing strain. “More and more we seem to be having trouble connecting our historical knowledge with our moral choices today,” said Piotr Cywinski, the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. It was a solemn day as survivors and others marked the anniversary of the liberation.
To See What Google Has Set Its Sights On In Health Industry, Look At Companies Alphabet Has Acquired
What appears to unite Google and its parent company Alphabet’s acquisitions is a focus on massive data gathering and surveillance — both in people’s homes, using devices like speakers and smart thermostats, and on their bodies, using smartwatches.