Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Other Victims: First Responders To Horrific Disasters Often Suffer In Solitude
Some firefighters, emergency medical providers and law enforcement officers say recent mass shootings and other calamities — disturbing enough in themselves — have brought to the surface trauma buried over years on the job. Many are reluctant to seek help, though some employers are trying to change that.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Whither Work Requirements?
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News discuss the latest enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky and President Donald Trump’s proposed government reorganization plan. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Editorial pages look at these and other health issues.
Opinion writers express views about how to address the opioid epidemic.
Opinion writers express views on anti-abortion and abortion right movements.
Longer Looks: AIDS Victims; Food Recalls; And The Dangers Of Power
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Connecticut, Puerto Rico, Missouri, Maryland, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, Kansas and Tennessee.
One-Two Punch Of Combining Antibiotics Could Help Combat Ever-Increasing Drug Resistance
With antibiotic drug resistance on the rise, those in the medical field are looking for ways to outsmart bacteria. In other public health news: vaccines, walking drunk, testosterone, exercise, probiotics and more.
Glitches At Embryo Storage Clinics Spark Movement To Increase Oversight Of Facilities
Assisted reproduction is largely self-regulated in the United States, and many lawmakers in the past have shied away from the potentially politically fraught issue. But that may change following a clinic’s mishap earlier this year.
HPV Test More Sensitive To Precancerous Cell Changes Than Widely Used Pap Smear, Study Finds
Most medical groups have been recommending both tests, but now some experts suggest the HPV test alone is sufficient. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus.
Drug Companies Announce Hefty Price Increases In Move Critics Say Is Tone Deaf In Current Landscape
Public and congressional anger is high when it comes to drug costs, but price tags continue to rise. Meanwhile, CVS Health pushes back against HHS Secretary Alex Azar’s comments that the company is standing in the way of lower costs.
Democrats Focus On Medicaid Work Requirements In Race For Coveted Kentucky House Seat
In a state that leans Republican, Democrats hope to use the latest efforts to add restrictions to Kentucky’s Medicaid program as a rallying point for their congressional candidate, Amy McGrath, who is running against U.S. Rep. Andy Barr. Meanwhile, Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer says he’ll still pursue work requirements even after Kentucky’s waiver was blocked by a judge.
Although HHS didn’t write the separation policy, it has become enmeshed in the public relations nightmare for its role of housing the children separated from their parents at the border. Meanwhile, officials try to cut down on lawmakers’ unannounced visits to the detention centers.
The Stubborn Resilience Of The Affordable Care Act
Despite Republicans’ efforts to chip away at the law, experts say, “The market is in a better position now than it has ever been since the exchanges have opened.”
Some of the lawsuits challenge the reasons to allow a woman to get an abortion, while others debate the method a physician could use. And many of them could be turned into a broader discussion about overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, because of those ramifications, the open Supreme Court seat is ramping up the heat during an already charged midterm season.
According to sources, the frontrunners for Justice Anthony Kennedy’s spot are: Anthony Brett Kavanaugh of Maryland, of the D.C. Circuit; Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, of the Sixth Circuit; and Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, of the Seventh Circuit. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are reported to have spoken with some of the contenders.
States that are enacting regulations on opioids have, in theory, built in ways for people with chronic pain to continue getting the medication they need. But patients say that’s not what’s happening.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Texas Clinics Busting Traditional Silos Of Mental And Physical Health Care
Efforts to provide care that integrates physical and mental health services are spreading, partly because untreated mental health conditions negatively affect physical health and escalate health care costs.
Tennessee-Based Pain Management Group To Close Clinics Amid Financial Turmoil
The CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialists was indicted in April. Now the group is closing clinics across several states.