Latest KFF Health News Stories
New Democratic Campaign Chief Rains On ‘Medicare For All’ Parade With Reality Check On Its Price Tag
“I think the $33 trillion price tag for Medicare for all is a little scary,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was quickly rebuked by his colleagues for the stance. The hearing included several witnesses, but the one that drew the most attention was Ethan Lindenberger, a teenager from Ohio who got vaccinated against his parents’ wishes. Lindenberger described his choice to protect himself and other people, saying, “My school viewed me as a health threat.” He also pointed out the role social media has played in shaping the antivaccination movement.
Planned Parenthood, American Medical Association Latest To Sue Over Family Planning Program Changes
The lawsuit comes one day after a coalition of 21 state attorneys general and California announced their legal challenges of the rule changes, which could effectively strip millions of dollars from clinics across the country. Leana Wen, Planned Parenthood’s president, called the rule “unethical, illegal and dangerous.”
The Food and Drug Administration approved Spravato as a fast-acting treatment for patients who have failed to find relief with at least two antidepressants. Critics are worried, however, that the drug will have a high potential for abuse, like its cousin ketamine. Both drugs can induce psychotic episodes in people who are at high risk for them. But many advocates are hopeful that the treatment can bring relief to the most desperate patients.
FDA Commissioner’s Decision To Resign At End Of Month Catches Washington, Industry By Surprise
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb will resign after nearly two years in the post because he misses his family. A senior White House official said Gottlieb was not pressured to leave and that President Donald Trump is “very fond” of him. Gottlieb, who has aggressively targeted teen vaping as a priority, won bipartisan praise during his tenure, but he wasn’t completely without his critics. His recent decision to approve a powerful opioid drew some fire, and Republicans were wary about his tough stance against the tobacco industry.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Cities And Counties Unlikely To Heed FDA Warning On Importing Foreign Drugs
The Food and Drug Administration claims CanaRX, a company used by more than 500 cities, counties and school districts to help their employees get cheaper drugs from overseas, has sent “unapproved” and “misbranded” drugs to U.S. consumers, jeopardizing their safety.
California Looks To Lead Nation In Unraveling Childhood Trauma
The Golden State, in a movement spearheaded by its first-ever surgeon general, stands to become a vanguard for the nation in tracing adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, to the onset of physical and mental illness. But what can a pediatrician, with her 15-minute time slots and extensive to-do list, do about the ills of an absent parent or a neighborhood riddled with gun violence?
Patients Experiment With Prescription Drugs To Fight Aging
Doctors and patients say they’re compelled to use off-label meds as research goes unfunded.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from New Mexico, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Why Is America’s Maternal Death Rate So High? C-Sections Are Key Part Of The Problem, Experts Say
While a new law will help states investigate why the death rates in America have more than doubled in the past 20 years, experts say complications from surgical deliveries are a key reason. Other news on women’s health looks at delivery times; midwifery; and an international campaign to end violence against women.
Officials announced that the information for about 45,000 patients in the Rush Health System was compromised. It is at least the second privacy-related incident reported by Rush this year, and one of a string of breaches that have plagued hospitals and health companies over the past few years.
More and more companies are jumping to help with the onerous task of finding caregivers for children with special needs, sick family members and dying patients. “People are able to spend the final days of a parent’s life with them, and they wouldn’t have been able to do that otherwise,” said Melanie Moriarty, a senior director in human resources at Best Buy. Other health industry news focuses on long-term insurance, mergers and contract changes.
Joe Grogan, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. said the administration has not yet coalesced around a particular solution to the problem, but warned that any likely legislation or administrative action will be worse than if hospitals solve the issue themselves.
The Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma said the lawsuit filed by Massachusetts’ attorney general should be dismissed because it is “oversimplified scapegoating based on a distorted account of the facts.” Meanwhile, the company is possibly preparing a bankruptcy filing as it tries to contain liability from hundreds of similar lawsuits alleging it fueled the nation’s opioid epidemic. A bankruptcy filing would immediately halt the lawsuits and provide an avenue to settle the claims on a global basis overseen by the bankruptcy court.
National Rate Of Suicide, Alcohol And Drug Deaths Hits Record High
Advocates say the country needs to better understand what drives “these devastating deaths of despair.” In other public health news: Alzheimer’s, the flu, migrant health, depression, and more.
Massive Study Once Again Confirms Measles, Mumps And Rubella Vaccine Does Not Cause Autism
Despite the fact that dozens of other studies have proven the same thing, misinformation still persists. Experts see the new research as helpful because of the sheer scope of the project, which involved 657,461 Danish children born between 1999 and 2010. In other news on vaccinations: a look at doctors’ roles in the outbreaks and at states that are moving toward restricting exemptions.
Nearly 12 years to the day after the first patient ever was declared in remission from HIV, scientists announce that they were able to finally duplicate the efforts. The success of the bone marrow transplant, they say, offers hope that the disease is curable, despite the huge ongoing challenges.
“There are clearly patients who, despite many best efforts, are struggling to afford their insulin,” David Ricks, the chief executive of Eli Lilly, said in an interview. “This is a step we can take to close part of that remaining gap.” The move comes as senators and the public turn their attention to why the critical drug’s price has skyrocketed in recent years.