Latest KFF Health News Stories
On The Campaign Trail, GOP Candidates Struggle To Find Clear Health Care Message
Meanwhile, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) took an opportunity during a Senate hearing to press a Trump administration official on a pending lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act’s protections for pre-existing conditions. In California, talk about single-payer reform plans are ramping up in the race for governor.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, said in his meeting with Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, that Kavanaugh refused to say whether Roe v. Wade had been settled correctly. “That should send shivers down the spine” of people who support the right to abortion, the New York senator said.
First Edition: August 22, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Religious Conservatives’ Ties To Trump Officials Pay Off In AIDS Policies, Funding
Shepherd Smith, a strong supporter of abstinence-only sex education for AIDS, has been close to the new director of the CDC for decades. This connection is just one example of the “new in crowd” surrounding the Trump administration, where politics and religion mix.
Battle Lines Drawn As Abortion-Rights Activists Leave Their Mark Outside Clinics
Armed with poster board and catchy advertising slogans, abortion-rights activists in California and elsewhere are taking to sidewalks, buses and mobile phone apps to fight a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of crisis pregnancy centers.
Polémica por aprobación de la FDA de una app “natural” para control de la natalidad
Natural Cycles guía a la mujer para que registre su temperatura corporal y su ciclo menstrual, con el fin de estimar cuáles son los días de ovulación.
Editorial pages express views on these health topics and others.
2 Mass. Hospitals Decry State Analysis Of The Costs Of Their Planned Merger
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health say that the state Health Policy Commission’s estimate that the merger would raise costs by $251 million a year is “grossly overstated.” In other industry news, Grady Hospital in Atlanta reports success in its efforts to integrate mental health services with physical health; an Oregon hospital reports a data breach; and North Carolina’s Mission Health offers more details about foundation funding plans if acquired by HCA.
Media outlets also report on other news from California, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona and Michigan.
Flu Shots Are Ready, But Waiting A Couple Weeks Will Offer Better Protection Through Peak Period
While the CDC recommends a flu shot for everyone older than 6 months, when to get a flu shot is always a guessing game. Getting the vaccine too early — it’s showing up in stores now — might mean you “won’t have the same number of antibodies fighting the infection,” says Dr. Mark Montano. Public health news also looks at a lack of breastfeeding guidelines, higher cancer death rates among minority children, new research on altering blood types and more.
Growing Number Of Americans Report Near-Constant Marijuana Use As Experts Worry About Dependency
“There are plenty of people who have problems with it, in terms of things like concentration, short-term memory, and motivation,” Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, tells The Atlantic. “People will say, ‘Oh, that’s just you fuddy-duddy doctors.’ Actually, no. It’s millions of people who use the drug who say that it causes problems.” In other pot news: more pregnant women are using the drug; and companies compete for Virginia’s limited slice of the medical marijuana market.
During a time of year when many vacationers like to be outside, the wildfires are making it hard to see and breathe. An already difficult wildfire season is being compounded by larger fires than in the past and changing weather patterns. In other news on the environment, the Trump administration is set to undo restrictions on coal-fired plants, lead problems reported in Chicago and Georgia, and herbicide drift damages a Texas vineyard.
Marketplace Roundup: Biotech Organogenesis To Go Public Again; Eyes On Esperion Cholesterol Trial
Health care companies Organogenesis, Esperion Therapeutics, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and AbbVie make headlines today.
Anthem, Walmart Partner To Expand Seniors’ Access To OTC Medications
Beginning in January 2019, Anthem Medicare Advantage members will be able to use their insurance for over-the-counter drugs, first-aid and other such supplies.
Gov. Matt Bevin (R-Ky.) filed a lawsuit against 16 people who are separately suing the state to challenge Bevin’s plan to scale back Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion with a variety of changes, including work requirements. Also in Medicaid news are reports about a dramatic drop in Louisiana’s uninsured rate, the effort to expand the program in Maine and a managed care company in Iowa forced to provide specialized wheelchairs to enrollees.
Paul Stirs Up Planned Parenthood Funding Battle As Senate Considers Massive Government Spending Bill
Also in the news on Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is focused on issues of protecting Roe v. Wade as he considers the Trump administration’s Supreme Court nominee, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) defends his “Medicare for all” plan in the face of media fact checks. But Politico reports that the idea, which has become a favorite for parts of the Democratic base, may not be playing well in primaries.
Trump Presses Senate To Pass Bill Aimed At Ending Shipments Of Synthetic Opioids Into The U.S.
The bill, the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act, has already been passed by the House but a group of eight health industry groups oppose part of the measure. Specifically, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and other groups are pushing back against a provision that would require private insurance plans to pay more to cover kidney disease before Medicare becomes the primary payer. The change is meant to offset the costs of the bill, which includes a range of steps designed to counter the opioid epidemic.
First Edition: August 21, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Rehabilitation Plus Rehab? Jails Dispense Drugs To Treat Inmates’ Addictions
Rather than go cold turkey, inmates increasingly have the option to take medication to help beat addiction to opioids and other substances. But some warn these substitute drugs serve as another crutch — and a costly one at that.
Biorhythms And Birth Control: FDA Stirs Debate By Approving ‘Natural’ App
Critics worry about the message federal officials are sending by approving a new birth control option, which uses a mobile phone app for women to track their body temperature and menstrual cycle to avoid pregnancy. But the more choices the better, some reproductive health experts say.