Latest KFF Health News Stories
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Gun Violence And The Politics Of Public Health
The recent tragic mass shootings have refocused efforts to treat gun violence as a public health issue rather than strictly a law enforcement problem. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the health implications of the budget deal passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, as well as reaction from Canada to a proposal to allow broader imports of its prescription drugs. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Recomendación sobre la vacuna contra el VPH para adultos puede generar confusión
El virus del papiloma humano es la infección de transmisión sexual más común en los Estados Unidos; casi todas las personas sexualmente activas lo contraerán en algún momento.
En uno de los estados más “saludables”, latinos sufren epidemia de obesidad
Las estadísticas generales enmascaran los problemas subyacentes, tasas de obesidad mucho más altas en comunidades minoritarias, lo que dificulta enfocar la atención y los recursos hacia los más necesitados.
Research Roundup: State Gun Laws; The ‘Public Charge’ Rule; And Medicare Advantage
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Georgia, Texas, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Florida, Connecticut, Missouri, Ohio, California, Colorado, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Advocates call for changes to the support program that eliminated caregiver funds, usually for a family member, for some vets with multiple permanent injuries because they “didn’t make significant progress.” Other veterans health care news comes from Arizona.
Fentanyl Deaths In San Francisco Soar Almost 150% In Largest Uptick The City Has Ever Seen
Health experts say fentanyl wasn’t available in California to the degree it was in the eastern U.S. until several years ago. The epidemic has unfolded in three waves, says
UCSF professor Daniel Ciccarone. “Wave one: pills. Wave two: heroin. Wave three: fentanyl.” News on the opioid epidemic looks at naloxone’s impact on lowering death rates in Massachusetts and investors’ worries over lawsuits, as well.
Critics See Juul’s Lobbying Blitz As Proof That Its Promises To Fight Youth Vaping Are Empty
“Juul’s increased spending on lobbying and political donations is the latest example that the company says one thing and does another,” said Vince Willmore, vice president of communications at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The company, under fire from regulators and lawmakers, has been ramping up spending in Washington. In other news, the FDA is investigating seizures possibly linked to e-cigarettes and a study finds that quitting smoking can help even late in a pregnancy.
The “loss ratios” can be as low as 9 cents for medical care for every dollar in premiums. “Compared to comprehensive plans that have to comply with the ACA’s rules, short-term plans’ coverage limitations often result in carriers paying out far fewer claims, or paying pennies on the dollar,” said Rachel Schwab, a research associate at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
Senate Democratic candidates want to replicate the success of the midterm elections, where House candidates used protecting the health law as a winning topic. But the push toward a more progressive plan like “Medicare for All” could undermine that strategy. Meanwhile, opponents of a Medicare buy-in option say such a plan would hurt rural hospitals.
Detroit Man Who Was Deported To Iraq Dies After Family Says He Couldn’t Access Needed Insulin
Jimmy Aldaoud spent most of his life in the United States but was deported as part of increased immigration enforcement efforts. In Iraq, he was unable to get the insulin needed to treat his diabetes, his family says. “Jimmy Aldaoud … should have never been sent to Iraq,” Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) said. “My Republican colleagues and I have repeatedly called on the executive branch to cease deportation of such vulnerable people. Now, someone has died.” Meanwhile, nearly 700 immigrants were arrested Wednesday in a raid that left children coming back from school to empty homes.
Editorial writers focus on gun safety issues and other topics stemming from the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings.
Loneliness can lead to all kinds of negative health effects, and it can be especially bad in rural areas. A new program looks at bringing together children and older seniors to give each other support. In other public health news: climate change, baseball players and longevity, airports and autism, racial tensions, fewer babies, and more.
CVS Posts Second Straight Quarter Of Unexpectedly Strong Financial Results
The results could help the company sell skeptical investors on its acquisition of Aetna, as the health insurer drove much of the gains.
Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said the company “thoroughly, aggressively” investigated whether the issue would effect patient safety. The FDA, after publicly rebuking the company, came to a similar conclusion that patients aren’t at risk because of the lapse in judgment. Other pharmaceutical industry news looks at Gilead’s pricey HIV drug, cell therapies, the cost of a snakebite, and more.
CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the decision should clear up “a lot of confusion” about coverage and will help patients get access to the novel therapies. The treatment costs $375,000 or $475,000, depending on whether it is used for advanced lymphoma or pediatric leukemia.
“Sadly, we live in a world where you should always suspect the worst,” said Maricarmen Molina, a worker who has a mentally mapped exit plan in case an attacker comes into her building. Meanwhile, Amnesty International issues a warning to travelers over gun violence in America and mourners in both cities grieve as the political fireworks play out.
After President Donald Trump’s rhetoric was criticized, some on the right pointed to the Dayton’s shooter left-leaning social media posts in return. But experts say there’s no evidence that the Dayton shooter was motivated by ideology, while the El Paso attacker left behind a manifesto. The accusations have thrust the role of ideology, white supremacy and political rhetoric into the national spotlight following the incidents.
Experts say that problems with self esteem and perceived social rejection are common characteristics among people who commit mass shootings, as is having experienced significant trauma over an extended period of time. “If you’re going to do screening, you need to screen for multiple things, and mental health is only one of them,” Dan Flannery, director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention at Case Western University, told NBC News. “You need to understand what’s going on in and consider stress points — what’s happening at work, in domestic life and their social media activity. If someone belongs to a lot of hate groups on social media, that’s a red flag.”