Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Louisiana, Georgia, Alaska, Texas, Missouri, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Kansas.
Some of the more than 260,000 children infected with the virus are making slow progress, according to scientists studying the impacts of microcephaly and other deficits.
Mental Health And Suicide In Spotlight Following Designer Kate Spade’s Death
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.
Accounts Of 92 Million Users Hacked On Popular Online Genealogy Site
Also, in other health technology news, federal lawmakers raise concerns about gaps in a cyber law being implemented by HHS.
White House Revokes Attempt To Cut $252M In Ebola Funding As Part Of Rescissions Package
President Donald Trump is trying to build momentum behind the package, but lawmakers are also uneasy with some of the other suggested cuts to popular programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
FDA Puts Bad Actors On Notice: Agency Is Cracking Down On Illegal Online Opioid Sales
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
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
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.
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.
Calif. Gubernatorial Candidate Pledges Universal Health Care Coverage Push Following Primary Victory
Gavin Newsom, the Democratic lieutenant governor and a proponent of a single-payer health care system, won a spot in the general race for governor last night. He’ll face Republican businessman John Cox in the fall.
The Medicare trust fund, which covers hospitalizations, will be depleted in 2026, the Trump administration reports. An aging population is also putting strain on the reserves.
Medicare Financial Outlook Worsens
The Medicare board of trustees said the program’s hospital insurance trust fund could run out of money by 2026, three years earlier than previously forecast.
Editorial writers look at these and other health care issues.
Different Takes: To Regulate Health Care Or Not? Not So Fast With Assumptions
Opinion writers express views on how to achieve lower health care costs and insure everyone.
Media outlets report on news from Illinois, Florida, California, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.
Also, medical workers give more than a 1,000 people an experimental vaccine in Democratic Republic of Congo to control a deadly Ebola outbreak.
CRISPRcon Attendees Wade Through Ethical Morass Of Designer Babies And Colonialism
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
“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
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.