Latest KFF Health News Stories
The CDC now says there have been 450 possible cases of lung disease related to vaping reported in 33 states. Officials are still investigating the cause of the disease.
Bloomberg Targets Vaping Epidemic With $160M Push To Ban Flavored Cigarettes In Cities, States
Matt Myers, president of the nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, will coordinate the effort with Bloomberg Philanthropies. By year end, he predicts that “a significant number” of major cities will consider e-cigarette prohibitions and that several state legislatures will probably follow.
A Census Bureau report found that 8.5% of the U.S. population went without medical insurance for all of 2018, up from 7.9% in 2017. The growth in the ranks of the uninsured was particularly striking because the economy was doing well. The numbers give Democrats data to back up their pushback against Republican efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act.
First Edition: September 11, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: Pelosi’s Aggressive Drug Pricing Plan Doesn’t Even Have To Pass To Scare Pharma
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
California Hospitals And Nursing Homes Brace For Wildfire Blackouts
Facing billions of dollars in legal claims for the role its equipment has played in a spate of deadly wildfires, California utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric plans to step up efforts to cut power to broad regions of the state during high-risk weather conditions. The potential for prolonged blackouts has prompted disaster preparations by hospitals, nursing homes and home care providers.
Investors’ Deep-Pocket Push To Defend Surprise Medical Bills
As lobbyists purporting to represent doctors and hospitals fight attempts to control surprise medical bills, it has become increasingly clear that the force behind the effort is not just medical professionals, but also investors from private equity firms.
Virginia Governor And UVA Vow To Revamp Practice Of Suing Patients As CEO Exits
A Kaiser Health News investigation, which first appeared in The Washington Post, showed that the University of Virginia Health System has sued patients 36,000 times for more than $106 million.
Breaking A 10-Year Streak, The Number Of Uninsured Americans Rises
Census officials said most of the drop in health coverage was related to a 0.7% decline in Medicaid. The number of people with private insurance remained steady.
Por primera vez en una década, aumenta el número de personas sin seguro médico
El Censo halló que el 8.5% de la población se quedó sin seguro médico el año pasado, en comparación con el 7.9% en 2017. Nuevas reglas han impactado en la comunidad hispana.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, California, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Jersey, Texas and Massachusetts.
Opinion writers weigh in on how to stop mass shootings in the U.S.
Men Do Get Breast Cancer, But There’s Little Research To Show What Treatments Are Safe, Effective
Often times it’s women who get cut out of clinical trials for innovative drugs, but when it comes to breast cancer it’s men who are getting the short shrift. In other public health news: obesity, malaria, snacking, the siblings of sick kids, and a fungal disease.
Depression Drug Spravato Reduces Symptoms In 24 Hours For People Considering Suicide, Studies Find
The trials, done by the drug’s maker Johnson & Johnson, might yield important treatment information for severely depressed patients because other treatments can take weeks to go into effect. Mental health news looks at suicide rates, telemedicine, positive relationships early in life, and first responders, as well.
Public Citizen says the agency displayed “dangerously deficient oversight” when it approved opioids during a growing crisis. The FDA denied the request for a moratorium, pointing to the framework and guidance it has developed in the years since. In addition, the FDA argued that it is not permitted under federal law to impose a moratorium on approving new medicines. In other news: a judge knocks down Purdue Pharma’s efforts to dismiss public nuisance claims and the AMA is urging states to be proactive on opioid abuse treatment.
“I’ve been telling folks, if you want to see the future, we’ve been living that since 2012,” said Denise Rodriguez of the Dallas-based Texas Equal Access Fund. Many women in the state need at least two days to obtain the procedure with just how far they have to drive to their nearest clinic. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood has announced that due to lack of state and federal funding, two of its Ohio clinics will be closing later this month.
But despite some 11th-hour hesitations over the past week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation cracking down on medical exemptions into law. Protesters forced delays in both the Assembly and Senate. They unfurled an upside-down American flag from the Senate’s public gallery in a traditional signal of distress and chanted “My kids, my choice” and “We will not comply.”
Dr. Stephen Hahn, one of the frontrunners for the top FDA position, has been in the middle and on the fringes of multiple high-profile controversies throughout his career. But what they’ve revealed is a knack for operating within highly rigid and institutionalized environments, his supporters say.