Latest KFF Health News Stories
Abortion Rates Spike 40% In Parts Of Africa When U.S. ‘Global Gag Rule’ Is In Effect
From Donald Trump to Ronald Reagan, recent Republican presidents have all prohibited U.S. financial aid from going to overseas organizations unless they promise not to “perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning.” Comparing data in 26 sub-Saharan African nations during those presidencies against the Clinton and Obama administrations — when the so-called “Mexico City Policy” was not in effect — researchers founds that the rule led to more abortions and pregnancies as well as lower contraceptive use. Abortion news also comes from Missouri, Kentucky and other states.
Universal Health Care For New Yorkers? Not Exactly
Despite what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio claimed during the first night of the presidential debates, universal health care in the Big Apple is still in the seeding stage.
Delaney’s Debate Claim That ‘Medicare For All’ Will Shutter Hospitals Goes Overboard
At the first Democratic presidential primary debate, former U.S. lawmaker John Delaney outlined his opposition to “Medicare for All” by claiming it would prove fatal for hospitals. It’s really not that simple.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Dems Debate Health Care
Democratic presidential candidates disagreed on how to fix health care in their first debate Wednesday, although they all called for boosting insurance coverage and lowering prices. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is keeping health care in the news, too, with a new plan to make medical prices more available to the public. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the latest in news about bipartisan progress on catch-all legislation to address “surprise” medical bills. Plus, Rovner interviews NPR’s Jon Hamilton about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment.
Editorial pages weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, Mississippi, Virginia, Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Minnesota,
Research Roundup: Home Care; Opioids; And Medicare Data
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Eli Baden-Lasar talks about his discovery that he has 32 half-siblings that he knows about. Meanwhile, thanks to do-it-yourself genetic testing, the era of anonymity in sperm donation is passing by.
With the emotional testimony from Oklahoma mental health Commissioner Terri White, Oklahoma for the most part wrapped up its case against Johnson & Johnson. Other news on the opioid epidemic is on the legitimacy of Insys’ bankruptcy filing, the effectiveness of Kratom, and a potential vaccine for addiction, as well.
If nothing is done before tomorrow, the state could, for at least a short amount of time, become the first in the nation without a clinic performing abortions. A judge tossed the case over to an administrative panel, which decides cases related to state agencies on more than 100 issues, including professional licensing. Abortion news also comes out of Texas, Arkansas and Kentucky.
Louisiana will pay a flat fee for unlimited access to very expensive hepatitis C medication for five years, and will be able to treat as many people as it can, rather than pay a per-patient drug price. The deal allows the state to potentially eradicate the disease in a short time while maintaining a stable budget by spreading the cost over several years.
The bill, which Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) worked on with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), addresses a sweeping array of health care topics from prescription drugs to surprise medical bills. The package also includes a bill from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to raise the age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.
The topic of gun violence dominated a decent amount of time during the first night of the debates, a sign that it could play a major role in the race. It shows the shifting tides of the gun control movement that was invigorated after the Parkland shooting. While Sen. Elizabeth Warren played it cautiously, Sen. Cory Booker took a firmer stance.
Once-Hidden Database Reveals Millions Of Injuries, Deaths Caused By Medical Device Malfunctions
After two decades of keeping it hidden, the FDA published a database online, revealing 5.7 million medical device malfunctions and injuries publicly for the first time. KHN dives into the newly public reports. In other Trump administration news: EPA’s air pollution chief resigns; challenges with setting air quality measures; and how new China tariffs would impact the medical-supply industry.
Ex-USC Gynecologist George Tyndall Arrested On Sexual Assault Charges Against Student Patients
For over a year the Los Angeles police investigated allegations from hundreds of women who say that Dr. George Tyndall sexually abused or harassed them while treating them at the University of Southern California’s student health center between 2009 and 2016. Tyndall resigned in 2017 after the university’s internal investigation.
Unconventional ‘Therapy’: Mental Health Pros Use Pithy Instagram Posts To Reach Young Adults
Mental health professionals are speaking to the “therapy generation” through social media platforms. And it’s bringing in business, The New York Times reports. And while less intentional, anonymous customer service reps are increasingly finding themselves conducting listening sessions.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would force hospitals and insurers to be more transparent about their prices. But a look at New Hampshire, which has the oldest and most comprehensive transparency laws in the country, reveals a more complicated outcome. In other hospital news: how systems profit from the poor they’re supposed to serve, drug shortages, and the struggles of rural hospitals.
Journalists were not permitted inside any of the cells at the Clint, Texas facility, which has drawn controversy this week over reports of inhumane conditions. They were also prohibited from having conversations with detained children, citing government policies. “Don’t talk to her,” one agent said to a reporter who saw a girl, who appeared to be 10 or 11 years old, crying uncontrollably while speaking in Spanish with a relative on a phone in a processing room. “If you ask her anything you’ll be thrown out,” the agent warned. Meanwhile, The Associated Press explains what happens when a child is detained.
“It is obvious that the dignity and well-being of children is not even an afterthought in the design of the center,” Dr. Dolly Lucio Sevier, a pediatrician who met nearly 40 immigrant children at the facility on June 15, said in a declaration filed to the court. The lawsuit asked for an emergency injunction allowing immediate inspections by a public health expert of all Customs and Border Protection facilities in Texas’ El Paso and Rio Grande Valley sectors.
Lawmakers from both chambers are now facing a ticking clock to make a deal before their scheduled recess, as gruesome reports and heartbreaking photos of conditions from the border continue to capture the nation’s attention. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called President Donald Trump with an appeal to make changes. Trump seemed open, but it’s unclear if the Senate will accept any amendments without assurances from the White House that Trump will sign the measure into law. Meanwhile, the new secretary of Homeland Security faces pressure to resign.