Latest KFF Health News Stories
Editorial pages focus on these public health issues and others.
Opinion writers weigh in with ideas for gun control.
Media outlets report on news from Ohio, California, New York, Minnesota, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Colorado.
Researchers already knew that optimistic individuals tend to have a reduced risk of depression, heart disease and other chronic diseases. But now a study suggests that optimism also is linked to exceptional longevity. In other public health news: liver transplants, congenital syphilis, sleeping issues, gender, psychosis, and more.
Patients In One-Hospital Towns Can Be Held Hostage With Litany Of Medical Bill Lawsuits
Hospitals like the Carlsbad Medical Center in New Mexico are making it standard practice to take patients to court over medical bills. And these are patients who already have insurance.
Indiana Aims To Sidestep Pitfalls That Hung Up Other States Implementing Medicaid Work Requirements
Indiana health officials say they are taking a gentler approach than the heavy-handed attempts that landed other states in court. And the state is emerging as a test case to see if work requirements can actually be implemented without the widespread coverage losses seen elsewhere. Medicaid news comes out of Missouri, California, Iowa and Idaho, too.
Sense Of Betrayal Runs Deep For Thousands Of Families Hurt By VA Pathologist’s Misdiagnoses
Patients and their loved ones have been left wondering why the VA wasn’t able to stop pathologist Robert Morris Levy sooner before he racked up so many misdiagnoses. Federal prosecutors charged Levy, 53, last week with three counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of three veterans.
Sacklers Could Emerge From Opioid Settlements With Personal Fortune Largely Intact
There are talks that Purdue Pharma could be close to a $10 billion-$12 billion settlement in a consolidated court case centered on what role drugmakers played in the opioid epidemic. The Sackler family in particular has provoked public outrage as details of its involvement in Purdue’s marketing techniques during the birth of the crisis continue to emerge. Although the family would pony up $3 billion of its own fortune in the settlement, they’d likely hold onto most of their money. “No one is going to be happy after this,” said Adam J. Levitin, a Georgetown Law School professor who studies bankruptcy. “People are going to be mad that the Sacklers aren’t going to jail, that they will have money left.”
The latest swell in HIV cases in West Virginia appears to be among the largest since an outbreak in Indiana’s Scott County four years ago. “The ground is fertile,” said Judith Feinberg, a professor of behavioral medicine and infectious diseases. “This is the nightmare everyone is worried about.” In other news on the opioid epidemic: doctors’ prescription habits, fentanyl crossing the border, and more.
‘A Big Deal’: Weight Loss Surgery Reported To Lower Risk Of Heart Attack, Stroke By 39% In Diabetics
While some diabetes’ experts disagreed with the findings, an editorial accompanying the paper Monday in JAMA suggested that weight-loss surgery should be the preferred treatment for Type 2 diabetes in certain patients with obesity. The report’s authors stress the findings must be confirmed in clinical trials. News on weight loss also looks at conversations to have with children about healthy eating.
“Patients simply may not realize that their genetic, reproductive health, substance abuse disorder, mental health information can be used in ways that could ultimately limit their access to health insurance, life insurance or even be disclosed to their employers,” said Dr. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, chair of the American Medical Association’s board. Other health technology news looks at a potential data breach in Oregon, a fast norovirus test via smart phones and novel drug discoveries, as well.
Some family planning clinics across the country announced that they would no longer be accepting Title X funding following changes that they say turned it into a “gag rule” on abortion services. And now many are taking austerity measures to brace for the financial fallout.
The Department of Homeland Security said on Monday that while limiting the program that defers deportation for immigrants if they or a family member are undergoing lifesaving treatment was “appropriate,” officials now say it will reopen some pending cases. When the administration abruptly ended the policy last month, medical professional roundly criticized the move.
The CDC which has been investigating the outbreak has warned the public not to use vaping ingredients that have been bought on the street. But health investigators are still trying to determine whether a particular toxin or substance has sneaked into the supply of vaping products or if something else is the cause of the illnesses.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hinted at a plan to eliminate medical debt for Americans, a top concern among many voters. “Why should people be placed in financial duress?” Sanders said during a campaign event. “For what crime did you commit? You got a serious illness?” Although some progressives have been receptive to Sanders’ health care proposals, other Democrats have balked at the potential expense.
Death Toll Likely Would Have Been Higher If Gunman Had Made It To Movie Theater, Local Officials Say
The FBI says that 36-year-old Seth Ator “was on a long spiral of going down” while he terrorized two Texas towns with an assault-style rifle, leaving at least 21 wounded and 7 dead. FBI special agent Christopher Combs said Ator called the agency’s tip line as well as local police dispatch on Saturday after being fired from his job. But “he didn’t wake up Saturday morning and walk into his company and then it happened. He went to that company in trouble,” Comb said.
“I think this is no compromise. This is one we have to just push and push and push and push and push,” former Vice President and 2020 hopeful Joe Biden said about background checks and gun regulations. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sees a slightly different path ahead when working with Republicans. “Could they agree to do some things and not that one? Look, that’s part of what making legislation is all about.” With the recent spate of mass shootings, the issue is likely to be a focus in the upcoming elections.
One Day After Texas Mass Shooting, Handful Of State Laws Loosening Gun Regulations Go Into Effect
The timing of the new Texas laws drew scorn from gun control advocates, as they kick in just a day after the latest mass shooting in the state left seven dead and at least 21 wounded. Texas already had some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country.
A mass shooting in Texas that left 7 dead prompted renewed urgency for lawmakers and President Donald Trump to offer solutions on controlling gun violence. Trump is planning on releasing a proposal that would include an expedited death penalty process for shooters but sidestep tighter background checks, an issue that’s caused controversy for the president in recent weeks.
First Edition: September 3, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.