Latest KFF Health News Stories
With Title X Deadline Monday, Planned Parenthood, Administration Tensely Await News From Courts
Planned Parenthood has asked a federal court to stop new regulations that bar groups getting federal reproductive health funding from referring patients seeking to end a pregnancy to an abortion provider. The government says midnight on Monday is the deadline for providers to prove they’re following the rule or be thrown out of the program.
News on migrant health focuses on harms done by cutting legal immigration and placing children in foster care. Also, a federal appeals court rules that detained children must be placed in safe and sanitary conditions.
Trump Backs Away From Background Checks As A Means To Curb Gun Violence
President Donald Trump made the argument that more attention should be paid to people with mental illness and more institutions for their care are necessary. His comments came at his first campaign rally since mass shootings took place in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
First Edition, August 16, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Despite Failed Promises, Stem Cell Advocates Again Want Taxpayers To Pony Up Billions
California’s stem cell agency, created by a $3 billion bond measure 15 years ago, is almost out of money. Its supporters plan to ask voters for even more funding next year, even though no agency-funded treatments have been approved for widespread use.
Health Plan’s ‘Cadillac Tax’ May Finally Be Running Out Of Gas
The tax on generous health plans — originally envisioned as a way to help pay for the ACA and change consumers’ behavior — has never been implemented, and Congress is considering repeal.
What The Trump Home Dialysis Plan Would Really Look Like
It takes more than an executive order to shift kidney disease patients from dialysis centers to home care. These patients show it takes discipline, skill, will and support.
Among Hurdles For Those With Opioid Addictions: Getting The Drug To Treat It
It can be difficult to get a prescription for buprenorphine, one of the gold standards for treating opioid use disorder. And not all pharmacies stock the drug.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: We Answer Your Questions
You asked about drug prices, the “Cadillac tax” on generous insurance plans and why Americans don’t know that most other countries also have combination public-private insurance systems. This week, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Caitlin Owens of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to answer those questions.
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others.
Editorial pages focus on a range of health care topics.
Media outlets report on news about health issues around the country, including in Maine, Indiana, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Montana, New York, Florida, New Hampshire, California and Massachusetts.
New York Aims To Give Medicaid To Some Inmates Suffering From Substance Abuse Before Jail Release
CMS would have to grant the first-of-a-kind waiver designed to save lives and keep inmates out of ERs soon after release. Other news on Medicaid looks at a failure to follow up on children who receive ADHD drugs.
Push To Hold Public Vote On Missouri’s Abortion Law Faces Uphill Climb
Abortion-rights advocates have a very short window of time in which to gather the signatures necessary to secure a public vote on the state’s new restrictive abortion law. In Wisconsin, state GOP lawmakers broke with anti-abortion forces to advocate for a measure that broadens birth control access.
Experts Urge Stronger Policies To Address Legionnaires’ Disease
This roundup of public health news also includes reports that the club drug MDMA is showing promise as a treatment for PTSD and how caring for chronically ill kids inspires special treatment strategies.
And the Connecticut Mirror pulls from a database obtained by The Washington Post that offers an up-close look at the rates of opioid-pill dispensing by the state’s pharmacies between 2006 and 2012.
Doctors Suspect Vaping Is Linked To Dozens Of Lung Illnesses In Teens Who Had To Be Hospitalized
Some patients appear to have suffered severe lung damage that required weeks of treatment in intensive care units, and all reported vaping in the weeks leading up to the illnesses. “We have no leads pointing to a specific substance other than those that are associated with smoking or vaping,” said Dr. David D. Gummin, medical director of the Wisconsin Poison Center. News on e-cigarettes looks at conversations to have with children and companies’ battling Food and Drug Administration review deadlines, as well.
FDA Approves Lifesaving Treatment For Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Hard-To-Cure Patients
Pretomanid, approved for use with two other antibiotics, will be used for the toughest cases. Tuberculosis has surpassed AIDS as the world’s leading cause of infectious death. The drug was developed by a nonprofit group called TB Alliance at a time when few companies are investing in creating next-generation antibiotics.
“Can you undo the problems caused by lead?” asked Nicole Hamp of University of Michigan Health Services. “The answer is ‘no.’ There is actual damage to the brain but in early childhood there is incredible growth in the brain and the neural circuitry. By getting in early enough, we can give the child the best chance for overcoming the damage.” Environmental news is on toxic algae blooms, aging lead pipes and pesticides, as well.
Perspectives On Drug Costs: Fix The Drug Shortages ‘Game’
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.