Latest KFF Health News Stories
There’s a regulatory reluctance to impose diversity requirements for drug trials, but that’s left a gaping disparity around who has access to new and life-changing cancer drugs. In other public health news: Alzheimer’s, vaping, marijuana drugs, diabetes, DNA, obesity, and more.
In 2014, One State Had Political Ads Mentioning Opioids. This Year There’s 25.
Ads about the opioid crisis are particularly prominent in hard-hit states, such as Ohio and West Virginia. In other news from the epidemic: pain patients push back on new restrictions on medication and businesses are encouraging workers to be up front about their addiction.
Attorney General Races, Which Usually Fly Under Radar, Are Front And Center As ACA Lawsuit Heats Up
Democratic attorneys general have been using their position to act as a check on President Donald Trump, including a defense of the health law in a case that questioned its constitutionality after the federal government backed the challengers. Now, candidates are using that record as they head into midterms.
HHS Will Take Lead In Trump’s New Strategy To Prepare Country For Bioterror Threats
Officials from the Pentagon, Agriculture and Homeland Security departments will also be involved in the committee, which will survey the country’s preparedness for natural and man-made threats.
Republicans on the Judiciary Committee said that if Christine Blasey Ford does not attend the hearing to investigate the allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh then the event will proceed without her. Democrats, however, quickly backed Ford’s decision.
Florence’s Lingering Public Health Threat: Flood Waters Contaminated As Pig Poop Lagoons Overflow
Animal and human waste from sewage plants contaminating the area’s water is just one of many public health threats that will plague North Carolina long after the rain and wind have gone. Media outlets cover the aftermath of the storm.
Proposed Senate Legislation Would Aim To Curb Sky-High Surprise Medical Bills
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), would prevent a provider who is outside the patient’s coverage from — in emergency situations — charging more than what would be covered by the insurer. Meanwhile, the Senate’s health committee is dipping its toes into what the government can do about price transparency.
NIH, Opioid Funding Get Big Boost In Spending Bill Senate OK’d In Hopes Of Averting Shutdown
The budget measure also increases spending for Alzheimer’s research to more than $2.3 billion, essentially quadrupling spending levels from four years ago. The measure now goes to the House, where lawmakers are expected to approve it next week, just days ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to avert a government shutdown.
Mental Health Effects From Hurricane Maria May Be Lifelong For Puerto Rico’s Youth
Stress and depression are common on the island as it struggles to recover from the devastating storm. Researchers call the young people dealing with the mental health fallout from the disaster the “Maria generation.”
First Edition: September 19, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
From Syria To Southern California: Refugees Seek Care For Wounds Of War
A clinic in El Cajon, Calif., treats patients recovering from anything from gunshot wounds to PTSD and anxiety about family left behind.
Senators Unveil Legislation To Protect Patients Against Surprise Medical Bills
The measure is designed to help people getting emergency care from hospitals or doctors that are not part of their insurance network.
Editorial pages focus on these health issues and others.
Opinion writers weigh in on revelations made during the Supreme Court confirmation process.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Maryland, California and Louisiana.
NIH Updates Website About Link Between Alcohol, Cancer After Criticism That It Soft-Pedaled The Risk
Previously, the site warned that drinking “too much alcohol” could increase the risk, while research shows that almost any alcohol consumption a day is associated with an elevated chance of getting breast cancer. In other public health news: a look inside the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, genetic prospectors, virtual reality and phobias, ACL treatment, personality types, probiotics and more.
The Numbers Behind An Epidemic: More Than 2 Million Teens Have Used E-Cigarettes New Survey Finds
FDA officials are so concerned by the prevalence of vaping among teens that they’ve announced a crackdown on the devices. E-cigarettes were designed to be a healthier alternative to traditional smoking, but there’s been little research about the long-term health effects of using the devices.
“The way insurance is set up right now, no out-of-pocket costs means you go to the drugstore and you don’t have a copay,” said Adam Sonfield, a senior policy manager at the Guttmacher Institute. “There are systems for that that make sense. But we don’t have a system like that for Natural Cycles.” In other news on women’s reproductive health, pro-life advocates push for a 20-week abortion ban.
The National Quality Forum wants CMS to adopt measures that include patient experience ratings; the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections; and alcohol use screening.
The lawsuit claims that the administration’s military-readiness policy, which is meant to single out troops that for any reason can’t be deployed for 12 consecutive months, targets people with HIV.