Latest KFF Health News Stories
CDC scientists have been scrambling to understand the mysterious vaping illness that has spread across the country in recent months. The Washington Post looks at the bumps and successes they’ve had along the way.
Warnings are being issued at all levels of the party–from union members to candidates running in swing states. “We won in Kentucky and Louisiana, barely, in part, because we won on health care. I don’t think we can afford to lose on health care,” Gov. Gina Raimondo (D-R.I.) said. Meanwhile, industry opponents for “Medicare for All” are starting to go after the moderates’ health plans as well. In other election news, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has a plan to expand mental health treatment.
First Edition: November 26, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California’s Working Mothers Get Stronger Support For Workplace Lactation
A new state law that takes effect Jan. 1 requires employers to provide spaces where women can pump their breast milk comfortably and privately, with access to electricity, running water and refrigeration.
The Complex Realm Of Cloud Chasers, Coil Builders And Other Vape Modders
Vaping has produced a diverse community with all sorts of sub-specialties. Finding your tribe can be more complex than finding your Harry Potter house.
A Young Immigrant Has Mental Illness, And That’s Raising His Risk Of Deportation
Behavioral problems, criminal arrests and limited access to health care leave a father worried his 21-year-old son will be deported to Mexico.
Diferente a la cocaína de antes: más muertes por droga contaminada
El poderoso opioide fentanilo a menudo se mezcla con cocaína, convirtiendo el estimulante en un asesino mucho más grande que la droga del pasado.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Indiana, Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, and Missouri.
Editorial pages focus on efforts to stem the rising costs of health care.
Heavier people get sicker and are also more likely to spread the disease, researchers said, and that has the potential to amplify a flu outbreak. Public health news is on including family in holiday workouts, air pollution’s impact on the brain, cancer treatments for the elderly, California’s Healthy Blue Zone, dangers from probiotic bacteria, skin-lightening products, a mysterious lung ailment, push back against vets’ service dogs, and dengue fevers risks for travelers.
No deaths have been reported so far, but this strain of bacteria is the same one that caused outbreaks the last 2 years and wreaks havoc on kidney functions.
Investigators found no malicious intent, and no one was punished as a result of the unread scans.
Medical examiners have found that the crib bumpers have been linked to at least 35 deaths across the country. But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission health science team keeps rejecting the rulings. Other news coming out of federal agencies focuses on a panel that helps consumers navigate alternative medical approaches and questions about how medical research is being used.
Even the application fees can be prohibitive, let alone the rest of the cost of medical school. In an industry that leans predominately toward the upper class, low-income students are left wondering how that’s ever going to change.
Artificial intelligence is starting to take over some jobs that nurses typically perform, like asking a patient about symptoms. But experts say there will always need to be the human touch when it comes to care. Meanwhile, HIPPA’s in the spotlight following Google’s Project Nightingale revelation. What exactly does it cover?
Data from the opioid crisis shows just how much racial bias about the pain tolerance of African American patients plays out in real life. In other news on the crisis: a growing concern that babies will be left out of financial settlements from drugmakers, a ban on addiction treatment dollars going to medical marijuana research, needle exchanges, overdose training and more.
Brigham Young University-Idaho requires that students have health insurance, but the university no longer accepts Medicaid. The cheapest option available is the university’s student health plan, which does not comply with the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections. Medicaid news comes out of Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and New York.
“We will soon be putting more options on the table…” President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday. But it’s unclear how or if the proposal differs from one outlined this summer. Both drug companies and Canada — where the drugs would supposedly come from — oppose the idea. In other pharmaceutical news: Trump backs off from Medicare negotiation pledge, Novartis bets on heart drugs, an experimental dengue vaccine looks promising, and more.
The closely watched meeting between President Donald Trump and the vaping industry, medical professionals and others with a vested interest in the e-cigarette discussion was held on Friday. Trump said he feared that if there was a flavor ban, that people would simply turn to black market products. He also asked for information about letting states set their own rules, and he reiterated his support for raising the age limit to 21.