Latest KFF Health News Stories
‘My Head’s Still Not Right’: First Responders To Pulse Shooting Struggle With PTSD Two Years Later
The invisible, psychological injuries to the first responders who helped in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the nightclub are another toll of the catastrophe.
Pre-Cut Melons At Fault In Salmonella Outbreak That’s Sickened Dozens
Caito Foods, the distributor of the melons, said it was “voluntarily recalling the products out of an abundance of caution” and had stopped producing or distributing the affected products while the investigation is underway.
The technology exists to create designer babies, but few have used it beyond averting certain diseases. In other public health news: medical devices that could be powered by the human body; physician-assisted suicide; Ebola; stress and high-achieving kids; heart valves; concussions; virtual reality and pain; and more.
Long, Unusually Intense Flu Season Was Deadliest For Kids In Nearly A Decade
About half the children who died were previously healthy. They didn’t have a diagnosed health condition that might have made them more vulnerable to the flu, the CDC said.
The study on the health benefits of daily, moderate drinking garnered a lot of attention after it was reported government scientists courted the alcohol industry to help fund it.
Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain’s deaths came just days before the CDC released startling statistics about the rate of suicide in the country. Experts are left trying to figure out what has gone wrong.
A Gift For Democrats? Moderate Republicans Cringe Over Trump Administration’s Health Law Decision
The Justice Department’s announcement that it won’t defend the health law provision that protects people with pre-existing conditions hands a potentially powerful political weapon to the Democrats ahead of the midterm elections. Meanwhile, media outlets take a look at how the decision will affect the marketplace, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra vows to redouble his energies defending the law.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
Xavier Becerra, who is leading an effort by at least 15 states to protect the law, said the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle it endangers coverage for millions of Americans.
Poison Ivy, A ‘Familiar Stranger’ That Could Ruin Your Summer
Spotting poison ivy is tricky because it can come in several forms. And bad rashes may need to be treated by a doctor. Warning: This story might make you itch.
Administration Challenges ACA’s Preexisting Conditions Protection In Court
The Trump administration is arguing that since Congress is repealing the penalty for not having insurance, the federal health law’s protection for people who have illnesses is unconstitutional.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
KHN’s newsletter editor, Brianna Labuskes, wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Viewpoints: CDC Report On Suicides Skirts Key Prevention Strategy: Regulate Guns
Opinion writers look at the rising rate of suicides and other health issues.
Opinion writers focus on physician-assisted suicides.
Editorial pages look at these and other health policies.
Media outlets report on news out of Georgia, California, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts and Florida.
Pulse First Responders Raise Awareness Of PTSD In Emergency Personnel
One of the difficulties when tackling the issue is that PTSD in first responders can be cumulative over a career of triggering incidents, rather than from one large event. Right now, legislation exists to try to help the personnel, but it has its limitations.
AMA Poised To Vote On Whether Birth Control Should Be Sold Without A Prescription
There’s been recent pressure on drugmakers to provide the contraception over the counter, and the physicians may be the latest to join in the movement. In other pharmaceutical news, another drugmaker has agreed to pay a penalty over its relationship with patient charities.
The Cost Of Louisiana Defending Its Anti-Abortion Laws In Recent Years: More Than $1 Million
And it’s expected to spend more as cases make their way through the judicial system. Meanwhile, leaders at Missouri-area Planned Parenthood offices denounced the proposed changes to the federal Title X family funding program.
One More Dangerous Complication Of The Opioid Epidemic: Superbugs
Infections are on the rise among those who inject drugs. MRSA “is on the skin, and as the needle goes into the skin it brings the bacteria with it,” explained Dr. Isaac See of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In other news on the epidemic: the White House launches a public service ad campaign, the ACLU sues to require jails to provide withdrawal medication to prisoners, and states are moving forward with efforts to curb the crisis even as they keep an eye on federal legislation.