Latest KFF Health News Stories
Democratic lawmakers questioned HHS Secretary Alex Azar about why the Trump administration backed away from defending the health law’s provision that protects people with pre-existing conditions. Azar said the decision was driven by constitutional considerations not policy ones. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says that “everybody” he knows in the Senate wants to keep pre-existing conditions protections in place.
Purdue And The OxyContin Files
Purdue Pharma planned an extensive marketing campaign for the launch and promotion of the painkiller OxyContin. Here are Purdue’s internal budget documents from 1996 to 2002 — files released by the Florida attorney general’s office — that detail the company’s early strategy to sell and expand use of the drug.
How America Got Hooked On A Deadly Drug
An inside look at how Purdue Pharma pushed OxyContin despite risks of addiction and fatalities.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Medicare Takes Aim At Boomerang Hospitalizations Of Nursing Home Patients
One in 5 Medicare patients who leave the hospital for a nursing home end up back in the hospital. To discourage this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will soon give bonuses and penalties to facilities based on their rehospitalization rates.
When Erratic Teenage Behavior Means Something More
Teenagers can be volatile and moody, but there are some specific signs that separate typical adolescent behavior from potentially serious mental health problems.
Look-Up: Compare Nursing Homes’ Track Records On Boomerang Hospitalizations
Use this tool to see how skilled nursing homes in the U.S. performed on two metrics of quality.
Puede peligrar prevención de enfermedades de transmisión sexual por recorte de fondos
La decisión de la administración Trump de recortar fondos a servicios de planificación familiar que realizan abortos, o refieren para estos procedimientos, puede afectar la prevención de ETS.
En la escuela, hablan sobre el embarazo adolescente con una partera
En una escuela secundaria de Washington, DC, una partera promueve la prevención del embarazo adolescente, ofreciendo un espacio de consulta, atención médica y confidencialidad.
Viewpoints: One Quick Solution Can Save Lives During Opioid Epidemic
Opinion writers focus on these and other health issues.
Editorial pages examine these health care issues.
Perspectives: Regard Suicide As Medical Problem, Invest In Research
Following the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, conversation continues around suicide and depression.
Media outlets report on news from California, Ohio, Massachusetts, Missouri and Kansas.
Families Struggle To Find Providers Who Will Accept Low Medicaid Rates For Autism Treatment
Children end up having to wait years to get help. Families have filed a class action lawsuit against South Carolina asserting that the state is violating the law by not providing medically necessary treatment. Medicaid news comes out of Iowa and Ohio, as well.
Private Equity Firm KKR Snaps Up Physician Provider Envision In Massive $5.57B Deal
Envision contracts with hospitals and health systems to provide doctors and clinicians for emergency medicine, anesthesiology and radiology, among other specialties. It also owns 261 surgery centers and a surgical hospital.
Experiments To Cut Health Care Costs Emerge As Corporations’ Frustrations With High Prices Boil Over
From on-campus doctors to plans that are negotiated directly with nearby medical systems, which can earn bonuses for keeping employees healthy, big companies are looking for ways to drive down the huge line item on their budget.
Patients whose vision is improved to 20/20 are considered success stories, but just because they can now see the little letters on the charts doesn’t mean the procedure went off without a hitch. In other public health news: PrEP and HIV; the nationwide DNA research initiative; lobotomies; belly fat; exercise; genetic tests; hunger and irritation; 3D organs; and more.
Anniversary Of Pulse Nightclub Shooting Marked With Rallies For Tighter Gun Restrictions
The death toll from Pulse ranks as the second-most lethal mass shooting in the United States, surpassed only by the 59 lives lost when a gunman opened fire in October 2017 on an outdoor country music festival from a high-rise hotel window in Las Vegas and then killed himself.
Actress, Friend Of Anthony Bourdain’s Partner Calls For ‘Collective Conversation’ About Depression
Also, researchers examining the impact of social media on the mental health of college students report negative experiences increased symptoms of depression.
Although the companies’ stocks took a huge hit, experts “haven’t freaked out” at the findings.