Latest KFF Health News Stories
“For people with disabilities it can be life or death,” said Sunday Parker, who uses a wheelchair and lives in Oakland, parts of which were affected by the historic, sweeping shutdowns. Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed PG&E for the decision, calling the outages “unacceptable.”
Some Experts Optimistic As Obesity Levels In Children Hold Steady Instead Of Increasing
A new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report found that nearly 5 million American kids could fall into the obese category. But not everyone is discouraged by the numbers. “It’s definitely positive. You have to stop [obesity] first in order to reverse it,” said Laina Fullum, director of nutrition services for Columbia Public Schools. “Since we’ve been on an uptick, for it to just halt is amazing.”
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America CEO Steve Ubl is treating House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing bill like a threat despite doubts that it could make it through the GOP-controlled Senate. “We would like to see a balanced package emerge from the legislative process this year and we’re working both sides of the aisle towards that end,” Ubl said.
While the annual cost-of-living increase is based on the Consumer Price Index for working-age residents of urban areas, it’s widely accepted that this figure fails to account for seniors’ higher spending on health care and housing.
Health officials want to help doctors catch any early symptoms of the disease in their patients. The CDC reported Thursday that 1,299 people have confirmed or probable cases of lung injuries linked to vaping, and 26 have died.
HHS Warns Doctors To Not Swing Too Far On Pendulum Away From Opioids For Chronic Pain Patients
As the country grapples with the opioid epidemic, there’s been a broad crackdown on opioids in general. Now, HHS is urging doctors not to go too far in cutting off prescriptions. Other news on the crisis focuses on the court challenges to Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers.
The new proposal extends the timetable for replacing lead pipes, but it also includes new requirements that schools and day care centers be tested for lead. And, if elevated lead levels are found, customers must be told within 24 hours, not the current standard of 30 days. Environmental activists, however, say the moves would not make up for the relaxation of standards in other areas.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spoke with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta about ignoring the warning signs of his heart attack and about what he was feeling when it occurred. He also promised “full disclosure” of his medical records, saying, “The people do have a right to know about the health of a senator, somebody who’s running for president of the United States.”
The 2020 Democratic candidates appeared at an LGBTQ forum on Thursday and pledged to fight for non-discrimination protections in federal law, ban harmful practices such as conversion therapy and lift restrictions on gay men donating blood. Protesters took the spotlight for some of the night, compelling the candidates to acknowledge the danger facing black transgender women.
“Without requiring states to submit projections of administrative costs in their demonstration applications, and by not considering the implications of these costs for federal spending, CMS puts its goals of transparency and budget neutrality at risk,” the Government Accountability Office said in the report. The GAO, a nonpartisan agency that works for Congress, found in its report that costs to administer the work requirements range from about $6 million in New Hampshire to $271 million in Kentucky.
Senate Democrats To Target Trump’s Expansion Of ‘Junk Insurance’ Plans
The effort is part of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s efforts to hit Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for ignoring legislation passed by the Democratic House on health care, guns and other issues. Meanwhile, a new report finds that more states are taking control of their health law marketplaces.
First Edition: October 11, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Taking The Cops Out Of Mental Health-Related 911 Rescues
Denver is considering adopting a new 911 alternative used in Eugene, Ore., that allows mental health and medical professionals, not police officers, to respond to some emergency calls, saving money and de-escalating situations with mentally ill people.
As Vaping Illnesses Rise, So Do Pleas To Quit-Smoking Help Lines
Tobacco-cessation help lines — traditionally aimed at cigarette smokers — are receiving a surge in calls from people who use vapes and want to quit.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Trump Merges Health And Immigration
President Donald Trump has ordered that legal immigrants obtain health insurance within 30 days of arriving or prove they can pay for any possible medical need ― another policy certain to be challenged in court. Meanwhile, health issues continue to play a major role in campaign 2020. This week, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Research Roundup: Food Insecurity; Preexisting Conditions; Bone Health; And More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, New Hampshire, Wyoming, North Carolina, Tennessee, California, Massachusetts, Iowa and Louisiana.
Why NIH Funding For Black Researchers Suffers: Disparity Partly Driven By Topic, Study Finds
“Black scholars have a burden of trying to convince their colleagues that their research topics are not far from mainstream and that they are legitimate and have value,” said Alycia Mosley Austin, a neuroscientist, who was not involved in the study. Public health news is on body-contouring procedures, unsafe sleep positions, a new trial for sickle cell disease, innovation costs, service dogs in restaurants, childhood trauma, research on psychedelics, carbon monoxide poisoning, ADHD, diet and depression, cartilage regrowth, and caregiving for older adults.
The pesticide, used on a variety of crops from alfalfa to walnuts, has been said to cause brain damage in children and illnesses in others with compromised immune systems. By February, sales will cease, and farmers are to stop using it by the end of the 2020. The state is budgeting $5.6 million to help pesticide manufacturers develop a safer alternative.