Latest KFF Health News Stories
States Pass Record Number Of Laws To Reel In Drug Prices
So far this year, 33 states have enacted more than 50 measures to address drug prices, affordability and access. Congress is eyeing the efforts to see what works.
‘Crackhouse’ Or ‘Safehouse’? U.S. Officials Try To Block Philly’s Supervised Injection Site
An average of three people a day died of opioid overdose in Philadelphia in 2018. But efforts to combat the crisis with a supervised injection site could be stymied by “the crackhouse statute,” a portion of federal law meant to protect neighborhoods during the crack epidemic of the 1980s.
Millones con diabetes no aprovechan programa nutricional de Medicare
Hay unos 15 millones de beneficiarios de Medicare que viven con diabetes, pero solo unos 100,000 se han inscripto para usar este beneficio que, al parecer, tiene buenos resultados.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
California, ¿firmará el gobernador una controversial ley sobre vacunas?
La totalidad de los senadores republicanos votaron en contra de la medida y todos los demócratas votaron a favor, excepto uno que no votó.
Editorial pages focus on these public health issues and others.
Perspectives: Pros, Cons Of Vaping; Big Differences Between Allowing Use By Adults, Protecting Teens
Opinion writers weigh in on vaping’s impact on health.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, California, New York, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Georgia, Wyoming, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Hampshire.
Ultrasounds May Now Have Become The Norm, But Some Women Are Refusing Them Over Health Concerns
Experts say ultrasounds have been used to monitor pregnancy for decades, and there’s no meaningful evidence that they can cause harm to a developing fetus. But some women say they would rather trust their bodies than take the chance. In other public health news: aid-in-dying, biobanks, measles, blood pressure, PTSD and ovarian cancer, a left-handedness gene, and more.
When mandatory evacuation orders come down at popular retirement communities located all along the southeastern seaboard, the elderly might have few options. News on the health industry’s response to Dorian comes from Georgia and Florida, as well.
Faced With Paying For Pricey Gene-Therapy Treatments, Insurers Start Thinking Outside The Box
The expensive new therapies can be life-changing, but working out how to pay for them has become a pain point for the health industry. “Employers are saying, ‘I just can’t afford it,’” said CVS Health Chief Medical Officer Troy Brennan. In other pharmaceutical news: drugmakers’ try to gain traction for next-generation sequencing but the going is slow; and Pfizer gets fast-track approval for a rare lung cancer drug.
Some Democrats are wary about handing a health care win to President Donald Trump and Republicans this close to elections. That doesn’t even account for the big players in the industry gearing up to block the bills with all the lobbying power they can muster. In other health industry and costs news: hospital mergers, Medicare Advantage, providers’ affiliates, and using Groupon for medical treatments.
The Trump administration policy sparked national outrage when stories emerged about how children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases would be impacted. Advocates say that for immigrants seeking medical deferments, deportation could very well equal a death sentence.
More People Actually Went To Emergency Department For Non-Urgent Issues When Medicaid Was Expanded
The study counters a common talking point that expanding the program would get people to stop using the emergency department in non-emergency situations. The author say it’s not surprising because patients under Medicaid don’t have to fear debt collection, removing one big barrier that could deter someone from a hospital visit. So those visits may be perceived as more convenient than a regular doctor’s office, which can be difficult as many providers don’t take Medicaid.
Longer Looks: Adult Children As Caretakers; The Mythology Of CBD As A Cure-All; And An Aging America
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
The safe-injection sites have drawn pushback from the federal government and conservatives who see them as condoning drug abuse. Lawyers for the Pennsylvania site central to the case say it’s not illegal under the Controlled Substances Act — which regulates the possession, use and distribution of certain drugs — to stand nearby with life-saving medical help. Other opioid news comes out of Massachusetts.
Texas Oncologist With No Previous Ties To Washington Meets With Trump About Helming FDA
The Trump administration is staring down a Nov. 1 deadline to name a permanent leader to the FDA. Public health advocates have been urging the White House to name acting FDA Chief Ned Sharpless to the position.
Walgreens and CVS followed in Walmart’s footsteps this week by asking their customers not to openly carry firearms in their stores. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is busy drafting up a gun violence proposal — but it might leave both parties unsatisfied in the long run. Other news on gun violence looks at buy-back programs, better threat reporting options, bump stocks, survivors’ advice, and more.
New York health officials identified a compound called vitamin E acetate that has shown up in several of their samples. But that doesn’t mean the mystery is solved, experts say. “No one substance, including vitamin E acetate, has been identified in all of the samples tested,” said Michael Felberbaum, a spokesman for the FDA. “Importantly, identifying any compounds that are present in the samples will be one piece of the puzzle but will not necessarily answer questions about causality.”
First Edition: September 6, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.