Latest KFF Health News Stories
FDA Had ‘Fox Guarding The Henhouse’ When It Came To Regulating Powerful Class Of Fentanyl
The agency entrusted enforcement of the drugs to the companies that were making them, documents show. “People were getting hurt — and the FDA sat by and watched this happen,” Dr. Andrew Kolodny, an opioid policy researcher at Brandeis University, tells The New York Times. Meanwhile, under pressure, another pharmaceutical wholesaler agrees to boost oversight of its opioid distribution.
Planned Parenthood To Continue To Receive Family Planning Funds Despite Push To Cut It From Program
But the announcement from HHS did not specify how much the organization would receive in Title X grants, so there’s a possibility it could receive less money than previous years.
Trump Administration Puts Burden On ACLU To Locate Deported Parents Of Separated Children
The American Civil Liberties Union is pushing back, saying that the White House’s “unconstitutional separation practice” precipitated the crisis and that the federal government has far more resources than non-governmental organizations to find the parents.
Bipartisan Majority Knocks Down Cruz’s Attempt To Kill D.C.’s Version Of Individual Mandate
Following the defeat of the measure, Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “Senator Ted Cruz — who otherwise loathes federal government intrusion — launched the most recent attempt to undermine the will of Washingtonians, and we are grateful that a bipartisan majority in the Senate tabled his amendment.” News on the health law comes out of Missouri and Illinois also.
Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus filed the suit, pointing to President Donald Trump’s own words that he is trying to kill the Affordable Care Act. Legal experts say the cities are unlikely to succeed in their suit.
Democrats Hope To Put Republican Senators On Hot Spot With Vote To Block Short-Term Plans
With the midterm elections coming up, the vote would force Republicans to vote against popular protections such as coverage for preexisting health conditions.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Stanford’s Chief Wellness Officer Aims To Prevent Physician Burnout
Tait Shanafelt focuses on helping doctors cope with such problems as long hours and copious record-keeping, seeking to prevent burnout and reduce the rate of physician suicide. As doctors’ well-being improves, he says, so does patient care.
Doctors Reckon With High Rate Of Suicide In Their Ranks
The devastating loss of a promising young doctor prompts soul-searching and action at one of the nation’s largest emergency room staffing companies.
Listen: Inexpensive Nerve Drug Often Abused As Opioid Epidemic Grows
Gabapentin, a medication approved to help patients with nerve pain or epilepsy, is being abused by people addicted to opioids to help prolong their high or stave off withdrawal from other drugs. Kaiser Health News reporter Carmen Heredia Rodriguez talks about the problem during a wide-ranging health discussion on the NPR program “On Point.”
Watch: What You Should Know About The New Rule On Short-Term Health Plans
Under the Trump administration’s new rule, these plans can now last as long as 12 months — instead of the Obama-era 90-day limit — and be renewed for two additional years. Critics say these changes are part of another swipe at the Affordable Care Act.
Trying To Pinpoint Hurricane’s True Toll, Researchers Say 1,139 Died In Puerto Rico
The estimate, published in the journal JAMA, dwarfs the government’s toll of 64 but is far lower than another highly touted analysis.
Opinion writers focus on these and other health issues.
Editorial pages look at these health care issues and others.
Longer Looks: Religious Hospitals; Legal Cannabis; And Cancer In Prison
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, California, Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida, Minnesota, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin and Texas.
Days After Ebola Outbreak Ended, Cases Reported In Eastern Part Of Democratic Republic of Congo
Whereas other outbreaks have been in relatively safe areas, the new one is in an active conflict zone.
Hundreds of lawsuits claim that Abilify, which can be taken for depression and anxiety, causes gambling, binging, and other compulsive acts. But scientists say that if it does play a role, there are likely other factors also at play. In other public health news: tuberculosis, 3D-printed guns, cancer survivors, sleep, worker injuries, and more.
It took more than three months, several DNA studies and other tests before an undocumented mother was reunited with her 1-year-old daughter. She had many questions, but the caseworker who delivered her child disappeared before she could ask them.
Medicare Giving Hospices Pay Bump For Next Year
Meanwhile, academic and rural hospitals will likely see a cut in funding.