Latest KFF Health News Stories
California: legisladores buscan indemnizar a personas esterilizadas por el estado
Sistemáticamente, en California y en otros estados, se practicó la eugenesia, esterilizando principalmente a personas de minorías que eran consideradas “débiles mentales”.
Editorial pages look at these and other health issues.
Opinion writers express views on Dr. Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s nominee to run Veteran Affairs.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
5 Steps The U.S. Could Take To Rein In Those Skyrocketing Drug Prices
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from New Hampshire, California, Texas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Virginia, New York, Missouri, Washington, Massachusetts, Ohio and Maryland.
Researchers Attribute California’s Decline In Gun Deaths To A Reduction Of Gang Violence
Meanwhile in Delaware, the state Senate sent gun-control legislation to Gov. John Carney (D) for his approval. Six states have already passed similar “red flag” laws following the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.
In the stockpile outside D.C., and in several other places across the country, there are rows of antibiotics including the powerful medication Ciprofloxacin, vaccines for smallpox and anthrax and antivirals for a deadly influenza pandemic. In other public health news: stem cell therapy, kidney disease, broken heart syndrome, rapid-aging disease, and more.
Oregon’s Model Of Caring For Criminally Insane Is Expensive But Also Successful
Over the past five years, the rate of recidivism for those on conditional release in Oregon after a verdict of criminal insanity is 0.47 percent. By comparison, one report put the recidivism rate among all Oregon ex-inmates, whether mentally ill or not, at about 18 percent.
Recycling Donated Organs? Doctor Breaks Taboo Of Re-Using Kidneys In Midst Of Shortage
Dr. Jeffrey Veale is the first surgeon focused on making the re-use of transplanted kidneys routine. “We shouldn’t be discarding these young, healthy kidneys,” he says. In other news, the United Network for Organ Sharing, which has held a tight rein on organ donation in the United States, may be facing competition.
Speculation Swirls Over Florida’s Possible Medicaid Expansion As State Doles Out Contracts
Florida has been on the watchlist of states that may expand Medicaid if a Democrat or amenable Republican wins the gubernatorial race. Republican Gov. Rick Scott rejected Medicaid expansion in 2015. Medicaid news comes out of Kansas and Rhode Island, as well.
Safety Report Spotlights Trend Of Urban Hospitals Performing Poorly
The Leapfrog Group has released its spring safety report that gives grades to hospitals across the country.
Scientists Take Step Closer To Designing Drug That Offers Powerful Pain Relief Without Addiction
In the midst of the opioid crisis, researchers are scrambling to come up with a way to help patients manage pain without contributing to the epidemic. These scientists may have found a way. In other news: a Senate panel sends its bipartisan opioid bill to the chamber’s floor; Google is using its homepage to bring awareness to the crisis; public speakers at FDA advisory meetings found to have financial conflicts of interest; and more.
Hospitals To Be Required To Post Prices Online As Part Of CMS Push To Increase Transparency
The price lists may still be confusing to consumers, though, because standard rates are like list prices and don’t reflect what insurers and government programs pay. “Given the inherent complexity of hospital billing, making prices easy to understand is clearly a lot easier said than done,” says Shawn Gremminger, of Families USA.
FDA Launches Undercover Sting Operations To Target Juul Devices That Are Popular With Teens
So far the agency has sent warning letters to 40 retailers that it says violated the law banning sales of vaping devices to anyone under 21. “We don’t yet fully understand why these products are so popular among youth,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said. “But it’s imperative that we figure it out, and fast.”
Dr. Ronny Jackson has been accused of overseeing a hostile work environment where staff had to “walk on eggshells” around him, drinking while on overseas trips and then banging on a female employee’s hotel door, and doling out prescription medications with such frequency as to earn the moniker “the candy man.”
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California Lawmakers Seek Reparations For People Sterilized By The State
More than 20,000 Californians were sterilized at state homes and hospitals from 1909 to 1979, most of them women, people with disabilities and immigrants. Now, a state lawmaker wants to provide reparations to the roughly 800 living survivors, many of whom never consented to the procedures or did so under pressure.
Peak Health Plan Premiums Give Rise To Activism — And Unconventional Solutions
For people who buy their health coverage rather than get it from the government or through work, Charlottesville, Va., has claimed the title of having the country’s highest health insurance costs, and its residents are fighting back.
Cuatro nuevas razones para evitar la multa por no tener seguro de salud
Nuevas reglas permitirán pedir exenciones al requisito de pagar una multa por no tener coebrtura de salud, en base al lugar de residencia y a la opinión sobre el aborto.