Latest KFF Health News Stories
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from D.C., California, Texas, Iowa, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Florida, Puerto Rico, Georgia, Ohio, Arizona, Minnesota and Illinois.
Biomedical Tattoos Hold Possibility Of Alerting Patients To Early Signs Of Cancer
Scientists have figured out a way to make cells turn dark like a tattoo when calcium levels in the blood is too high. In other public health news: gene therapy, concussions, categorizing sounds, homeopathic remedies, and autism.
Touted as a “breakthrough” discovery, a new paper challenges the traditional belief that keeping the liver cool while transporting it from donor to recipient will slow the dying process.
Some Good News About Marriage: Melanoma Patients Have Improved Survival Rates
Early detection is key, researchers say, and spouses play an important role by spotting unusual looking moles and encouraging visits to dermatologists.
Disruptions To Medicaid Coverage When Recipients Are In Jail Creates Vicious Cycle Upon Release
The lag it takes to get back on Medicaid can mean relapses or other serious problems for prisoners struggling with addiction or mental health issues. “On the outside, if they didn’t get their treatment, they’d come right back through the front door again,” New Hampshire Department of Corrections Superintendent David Dionne says.
Cigna Confirms That Deal With Express Scripts Will Undergo Review By Justice Department
The Justice Department’s antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, has taken a tough stand against similar types of deals in the past.
The New Weapon In Ongoing Battle Between Drug Companies And Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Drugmakers are expecting to take a financial hit from the copay accumulator programs that PBMs have begun marketing. And the Supreme Court may review a whistleblower case that could have implications across the pharmaceutical industry.
HHS Secretary Back In Hospital To Be Treated For Intestinal Issue
HHS Secretary Alex Azar has been dealing with diverticulitis, a condition where pouches form in the colon wall and can become inflamed or infected.
Maternal Health Crisis Being Overlooked As Attention Is Focused On Opioid Epidemic, Advocates Say
Advocates say it’s hard to get lawmakers to focus on the issue of up to 900 maternal deaths annually in the U.S. when their attention is on the opioid crisis. “We think this is an issue that touches enough American families that it ought to get the same attention,” said Dr. Neel Shah, vice president of March for Moms.
Lawmakers Want VA To Consider Marijuana As Alternative To Opioids For Treating Pain, PTSD
The measure would kick off a five-year study on the safety and efficacy of marijuana. “As a physician, I’m keenly aware of the need to look for opioid alternatives to treat patients’ chronic pain,” said Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Drugmakers Were Set To Team Up With NIH On Massive Opioid Study But Officials Are Pumping The Brakes
In an abrupt shift, the National Institutes of Health said it won’t take money from the pharmaceutical industry, and will instead fund the study exclusively through taxpayer dollars. In other news on the crisis: a look at the U.S. Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps, a 6,500-strong group of health experts fighting the epidemic; how the surgeon general’s advice for Americans to carry naloxone will play out; more states are taking the fight against drugmakers to the courts; and more.
No One Should Be ‘Unable To Save A Life Because Of The High Price’ Of Naloxone, Senators Say
Lawmakers are urging HHS to take steps to bring down the price of the antioverdose medication. Meanwhile, in an election year, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) can’t find Republicans to back her bill to crack down on suspicious opioid shipments, and other lawmakers seek $100 billion to fight the crisis over the next 10 years.
More Consumers Rolling Dice And Going With Bare Bones Plans As Substitute For ACA Coverage
Most people who are going with the fixed indemnity plans — which aren’t considered true insurance under the health law — are healthy and willing to bet they won’t be hit with high medical bills anytime soon. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill have introduced a public option plan that, though it has almost no chance of passing at the moment, reinforces the party’s push toward more universal coverage.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
New Medicare Perk For Diabetes Prevention Stumbles At Rollout
On April 1, Medicare launched a major initiative — a diabetes prevention program for seniors and people with serious disabilities— that is available in only a few cities.
Applying Silicon Valley Smarts To Age-Old Diseases
Customized iPhones are just one example of devices that can be used to combat health threats in developing countries. They are helping scientists in California and Cameroon attack the parasite that causes river blindness, an African scourge.
In A Puerto Rican Mountain Town, Hope Ebbs And Health Suffers
More than six months after Hurricane Maria, daily life in Castañer, Puerto Rico, is nowhere close to normal as residents try to deal with the effects of trauma, chronic stress and the continued lack of electricity.
Prueba logra que pacientes sean francos con sus médicos sobre la hipertensión
Los medicamentos contra la hipertensión, que previenen graves ataques, a veces generan efectos secundarios. Por eso muchos pacientes dejan de tomarlos… y le mienten a sus médicos.
Nation’s Top Doc Wants The Overdose Antidote Widely On Hand. Is That Feasible?
Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged more people to carry the drug naloxone, a lifesaving treatment for opioid overdoses. But this policy is tricky to implement.