Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Mental Health And Suicide In Spotlight Following Designer Kate Spade’s Death

Morning Briefing

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and it “does not discriminate,” advocates say. In other public health news: cancer, stool donors, 3-parent babies, depression, and weight-loss balloons.

FDA Puts Bad Actors On Notice: Agency Is Cracking Down On Illegal Online Opioid Sales

Morning Briefing

The extent of the FDA’s direct enforcement authority is unclear, but the agency warned companies that fail to correct violations outlined in the warning letters that they could have their products seized or face other legal action.

House Republicans Signal Support For $1.1B Fix For Unexpected Shortfall With Veterans’ Health Care

Morning Briefing

The funding gap cropped up after Congress passed a major overhaul of the veterans’ health care system, which opened up more avenues for patients seeking private care. Meanwhile, a new review of the Veterans Affairs hospital in Arizona that was at the heart of the national crisis over veterans’ health finds further safety and care issues at the facility.

Lawmakers To Move Forward With Bill To Bring Generics To Market Faster

Morning Briefing

The measure has languished, but branded drugmakers have since relaxed their opposition to the legislation. The shift in position comes as the companies hope the bill will help with their “doughnut hole” problem.

These Insurers Don’t Expect Members To Drop Plans After Mandate Repeal. So Why Are Their Premiums Still Spiking?

Morning Briefing

It comes down to the “cascade phenomenon,” insurers say. Even if a smaller company doesn’t expect to lose members, it will still feel the pain from the changes in the industry because of how the health law has tied the marketplace together with the permanent risk adjustment program.

CRISPRcon Attendees Wade Through Ethical Morass Of Designer Babies And Colonialism

Morning Briefing

The gene editing technology may be scientists’ favorite shiny toy, but it comes with a lot of complications — moral, ethical and legal. In other public health news: a new calculator for who should be taking medication to prevent heart attacks and strokes; gun control ideas; misconduct among mental health professionals; sex with robots; and more.

Although Lung Cancer Remains Grim Diagnosis, Scientists See Hope In Progress Being Made

Morning Briefing

“The era in which chemotherapy was the only option for non-small-cell lung cancer patients is drawing to a close,” said John Heymach, a lung-cancer specialist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Researchers touted new treatment such as immune-boosting drugs and procedures targeting genetic traits of tumors. More oncology news focuses on breast cancer, a child cancer bill, a young girl with a brain tumor, and more.

Novel Therapy Using Patient’s Own Immune Cells Eradicates Advanced, Incurable Breast Cancer In Woman

Morning Briefing

Scientists were excited about the results but stressed that the approach, called adoptive cell therapy, is experimental and that several other patients who got the same treatments had not responded. However, the case could provide a “blueprint” to making the therapy more effective.