Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers discuss an arcane law being used against abortion, selling your kidneys, “Havana Syndrome” and more.
H1N2 Case In Pennsylvania Is First US Influenza A Case This Year
Meanwhile, the latest USDA tests show that highly pathogenic avian flu has been found in dairy herds in Michigan and Idaho, showing it’s spreading to new states. RSV, the measles outbreak, and covid misinformation are also in the news.
UnitedHealth To Roll Physician Group Stewardship Health Into Optum
Stat notes the move is a noteworthy departure for UnitedHealth, which has “gobbled up” many independent physician practices over recent years. Also in the news: concierge physician care, for-profit companies’ psychiatric hospitals, more.
Spotlight Falls On NYC Shelter System In Wake Of Subway Shover’s Arrest
Carlton McPherson had been placed into specialized homeless shelters designed for people suffering severe mental illnesses: the problems with this system are now being examined. Also in the news: overbilling in Missouri, rape crisis centers in Illinois, and more.
Viewpoints: Social Media May Be Able To Address Teen Mental Health; The Fight Over Abortion Rights
Editorial writers discuss teen mental health, reproductive health, anti-aging drugs, and more.
Study: Unsafe Sleep Practices Linked To Most Sudden Infant Deaths
An analysis determines that 76% of cases of infants who died suddenly involved unsafe sleep practices like co-sleeping or sleeping in an adult bed. Most were under the age of 3 months.
Prosecutor Sued For $1M By Woman Charged With Murder After Abortion
A Texas prosecutor’s office is facing a lawsuit after it brought murder charges against a woman in 2022 for using a drug to self-induce an abortion at 19 weeks pregnant. Meanwhile an “abortion pills” banner was flown over a Texas baseball game Saturday.
A Health Care Election? Voters Say It’s No Longer A Top Issue
A new Gallup Poll ranks health care as the 16th-most important problem facing Americans today. This is a big departure from polling in recent election cycles when the issue was much higher on voters’ priority list.
FDA Warns That Impella Heart Pumps Are Linked To 49 Deaths Globally
The tiny pumps can puncture the heart wall, and despite the FDA’s concerns, they will be allowed to remain in use. Separately, a biased organ test that kept thousands of Black people from kidney transplants is finally being changed.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers tackle the physician shortage, early Alzheimer’s testing, abortion rights, and more.
Change Restores Systems But Has Ways To Go With Recovery, Notifications
Change Healthcare offered an update on its efforts to fully recover from the ransomware attack and urged its customers to reconnect to the system. News outlets review the ways that the company may notify people about data breaches, the financial impact on hospitals, and more.
White House Makes Progress On Limits For PFAS In Tap Water
Politico calls the plan for nationwide forever chemical limits a “landmark;” The White House just finished a review of the EPA’s PFAS regulation proposal. Separately, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vice presidential pick voices controversial views on IVF.
Simply Asking ER Patients If They’d Get Flu Shots Lifts Uptake Rate: Study
Plus, adding in a helpful video or printed material to support the vaccinations helps even more, a new study shows. Meanwhile, U.S. tuberculosis rates were found to be at a decade-high level in 2023, and mpox cases are rising again.
New Study Links Dementia Risks To Symptoms Of Delirium
Scientists are focusing in on delirium as a key symptom for flagging dementia risks in older people. Also in the news: risks from secondhand vaping; human milk and the gut microbiome; covid’s impact on heart tissue; and more.
Walgreens Now Set To Close Nearly Half Of Its VillageMD Clinics
The Walgreens-backed business has shut 140 clinics already this year, and now another 20 seem set to join them, totaling about 50% of the original number of VillageMD facilities. Walgreens has lost nearly $6 billion in its second quarter, AP says.
In Texas, Churches Step Up To Help With Mental Health Issues
Meanwhile, in Florida, a grand jury that’s examining issues relating to covid vaccines has asked for a six-month extension. Other health news is from North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, and elsewhere.
More Than 7 In 10 Americans Support Medication Abortion Access
A new Axios-Ipsos poll shows overwhelming support from the American public for medication abortions, and also underlines the FDA’s drug-regulating authority. Other reproductive care news is from Kansas and Idaho.
HHS Releases Final Rule Aimed At Limiting ‘Junk’ Health Insurance Plans
The Biden administration’s new regulation reverses a Trump-era policy that allowed expanded access to short-term insurance plans that offer fewer benefits than those sold on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces.