Latest KFF Health News Stories
Patients Want A ‘Good Death’ At Home, But Hospice Care Can Badly Strain Families
Fewer Americans are dying in a hospital, under the close supervision of doctors and nurses. That trend has been boosted by an expanded Medicare benefit that helps people live out their final days at home in hospice care. But as home hospice grows, so has the burden on families left to provide much of the care.
Opinion writers tackle these and other health issues.
Media outlets report on news from Colorado, Washington, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Utah, Mississippi, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan.
Long-Anticipated Vertical Merger Guidelines From FTC And DOJ ‘Don’t Say Much,’ Some Complain
“They don’t really do much new, and they don’t refer at all to healthcare or use any healthcare-related examples,” said Douglas Ross, a veteran antitrust attorney. The guidance update from the agencies comes as concerns mount over the growing consolidation of hospitals and physician practices. In other news on the health industry and costs: Medicare payments for acupuncture, an interview with the Gates Foundation CEO, the cost of teeth aligner treatment, and more.
Two starkly different pictures were painted of the parent of the patient at the heart of a lawsuit against Boston Children’s Hospital. Other hospital news comes out of Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina.
The delay on the company’s request from the FDA may reflect the complexities of the issue. The company argues that the video game can act as the delivery system for targeted algorithms that can activate certain neural networks in the brain. But questions about the efficacy of such a treatment remain. In other public health news: drunken driving, health by neighborhood, sunscreen, the flu shot, HIV transmission, and more.
Medicaid accounted for a third of the state’s projected $6.1 billion budget gap. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to reconvene a task force to find savings within the program.
Acetaminophen is found in well-known brands like Tylenol, Excedrin, Sudafed, Robitussin and Theraflu. In other pharmaceutical news: production of some Excedrin products temporarily halted; the effort to fight superbugs continues to be patchy; pharma’s race to partner with tech companies; and more.
What We Know About Wuhan Coronavirus: For One Thing It Appears Far Less Dangerous Than SARS, MERS
Officials now say that there’s a possibility the coronavirus may have sustainable human-to-human transmission, much like the flu virus. But public health experts warn these are still early days in the outbreak. Beyond that, symptoms appear to be much more mild than with its virus cousins, SARS and MERS.
Nine people have died and the number of cases of the coronavirus has climbed well past 400. Chinese officials are scrambling to contain the spread of the illness as the Spring Festival — when hundreds of millions of people travel via planes, trains and buses to return to their hometowns to ring in the new lunar year — tests their logistical capabilities.
“Leave no doubt: Entry screening is just one part of a multilayered system,” said Dr. Martin Cetron, the head of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. CDC officials say they’re expecting to see more coronavirus cases in the U.S.
In March, the Supreme Court will hear one of its first major abortion cases since conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch joined the bench. Both sides are closely watching the case as one that might threaten Roe v. Wade. The decision that protects Americans’ right to an abortion marks its 47th anniversary on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a new poll reveals Americans complicated feelings toward the legality debate.
The city of Flint and Michigan officials sought to toss out the claims against them, arguing they should be shielded from being sued. A lower court sided with the Flint residents, and the Supreme Court on Tuesday saying it won’t block the suit. “Any reasonable official should have known that doing so constitutes conscience-shocking conduct prohibited by the substantive due process clause,” the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals said in its opinion.
Had the Supreme Court granted the House Democrats and states defending the law a quick court date, a ruling may have been issued before the 2020 elections that could have done damage to President Donald Trump and other Republicans. With the law’s growing popularity, it’s widely viewed as a winning topic for Democrats.
First Edition: January 22, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
How Fast Can A New Internet Standard For Sharing Patient Data Catch Fire?
The web-based standard FHIR — pronounced “fire” — could hasten the day when we can view our full medical histories on a smartphone screen. Tech giants are hungry for a piece of the pie, but obstacles remain.
Listen: How Vaping Regulations Are Playing Out In The States
KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber joined Wisconsin Public Radio’s Rob Ferrett on “Central Time” to discuss the latest on vaping bans and what they mean for vaping trends among youth.
Pharma Stocks Skyrocket Along With Coronavirus Fears
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
En 2020, California planea a lo grande en atención médica
Los proyectos de ley de atención médica y las iniciativas presupuestarias de los políticos están llenas de ideas y dólares, y se oponen a industrias poderosas.