Latest KFF Health News Stories
Countries with government-run, universal health care often still place tough restrictions on providing that care for immigrants in the country illegally. Yet the idea is a popular one among the 2020 Democratic candidates. The New York Times looks at what would be involved in implementing the policy. In other news from the campaign trail: former Vice President Joe Biden promises to bring back the individual mandate if he’s elected, the complexities of “Medicare for All” continue to divide candidates and more.
On The Docket For Lawmakers Post Fourth Of July: Surprise Medical Bills And High Drug Prices
As Congress returns from recess, health care issues are on the summer agenda. “Obviously we will continue to have significant disagreements on … Obamacare,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). “What we’ve done is shift our focus to the larger topic — or the different topic — of reducing health care costs.”
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit will hear oral arguments on Tuesday in the high-profile lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health law. The issue is on a likely path toward the Supreme Court, which would put it center stage in the 2020 elections. Although Republicans have adamantly pushed to overturn the law, that position did not prove successful for them in the most recent election cycle.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these and other health care issues
Sobering Up: In An Alcohol-Soaked Nation, More Seek Booze-Free Social Spaces
A national trend of boozeless bars is cropping up nationwide to create social spaces without the hangovers, DUIs and alcoholism culture. It’s part of a new push for sober options.
KHN filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests over months, and the FDA responded Wednesday saying the data about device malfunctions is now publicly available online.
Editorial writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Perspectives: As Congress Debates Over Drug Prices, States Lead The Way With Innovative Experiments
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Indiana, Texas, Oregon, North Carolina, Arizona, Virginia, Georgia, California, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Five other patients also developed an Aspergillus infection. Aspergillus is a common mold tolerated by most people but poses a greater risk to those with weakened immune systems. Gaps in air filtration is believed to have been key in the presence of mold. News on hospitals is from Missouri and Illinois, as well.
Remember Zika? Yes, It Is Still A Problem
Even though the media coverage of the disease almost completely dropped off, it doesn’t mean Zika vanished entirely. “The next outbreak is not a matter of if, but when,” said Dr. Ernesto T.A. Marques, a public health researcher at The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. In other public health news: the idea of “real-world” evidence, acupuncture, stories from veterans, weight loss, Ebola, and more.
Current treatment of HIV using antiretroviral therapy requires lifelong use to suppress the disease. The scientists from Temple University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center were able to eliminate the virus in nine of 23 mice, according to a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications. “The possibility exists that HIV can be cured,” said Howard Gendelman, author of the study.
Law Requiring Doctors To Tell Patients Abortions Can Be Reversed Compels AMA To Step In
When asked about the decision to sue to block the Nebraska law, AMA President Patrice A. Harris told The Washington Post that “we will oppose any law or regulation that restricts our ability to talk to our patients honestly about their health, health care, or treatment alternatives.” News on abortion and Planned Parenthood comes from New Hampshire, Missouri and Maine, as well.
Facebook and YouTube are being flooded with scientifically dubious and potentially harmful information about alternative cancer treatments and other “miracle cures.” The companies are facing increasing pressure to do something to address the problem.
While giving an interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump commented on the “major problem with filth” in U.S. cities, saying it’s a phenomenon that emerged in recent years, despite there being ample evidence to the contrary. California’s top political leaders, who have been trying to address the ever-worsening problem in their state, welcomed the federal help Trump seemed to threaten them with.
The implementation of the rule could come as a huge hit to unions. “If unions lose the ability to collect dues via payroll deductions, caregivers will have much more control over whether they choose to financially support a union or not,” said Maxford Nelson, director of labor policy for the Freedom Foundation, a conservative group in Olympia, Wash.
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a Democratic candidate for 2020, proposed national service organizations as part of a broader plan to address some of the problems in the country. Buttigieg, who has faced pressure in recent weeks over a police shooting in his town, also focused on what he would do for African-Americans, including addressing systemic racism in the health care industry.
Former congressman John Delaney said at the Democratic presidential candidate debate that because of Medicare rates, if “Medicare for All” was enacted, all hospitals would close. The Washington Post Fact Checker explains why that’s not really true.