Latest KFF Health News Stories
New Cluster Of Cases Tells Story Of A Black Lung Epidemic That Is Emerging In Appalachia
The severity of the disease among miners at the Virginia clinics “knocked us back on our heels,” said David J. Blackley, an epidemiologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. In other public health news: rape kits, brain injuries, sepsis, diabetes and prosthetics.
A Glimmer Of Hope In Midst Of Epidemic: Opioid Deaths Fall For First Time In Years For 14 States
“If we’re truly at a plateau or inflection point, it would be the best news all year,” said Caleb Alexander, of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness. Meanwhile, five states and the District of Columbia saw death spikes of more than 30 percent.
Sweeping Study Settles Hot Debate Over Whether Antidepressants Even Work, Researchers Say
In general, newer antidepressants tend to be better tolerated due to fewer side effects, while the most effective drug in terms of reducing depressive symptoms was amitriptyline — a drug first discovered in the 1950s.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to drop FluMist from the list of recommended vaccines starting in the 2016-2017 flu season after studies conducted by the CDC showed that the vaccine component that targets H1N1 flu viruses was not protecting people who got the vaccine.
Could This Century-Old Law Be Used To Curb Drug Prices? Democrats Think So
The law could allow HHS to use a patented invention — in this case hep C drugs — and the drugmaker wouldn’t be able to do anything about it other than to demand “reasonable” compensation. Democrats want HHS to take this step in hopes that a lower-cost generic could be manufactured. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Alex Azar says the administration is exploring more actions on cutting high drug costs.
Medicaid Changes May Just Shift Spending From Families To Administrative Bureaucracy, Experts Warn
Implementing and monitoring the work requirements and other new regulations isn’t going to be cheap. Outlets report on Medicaid news out of Alaska, Virginia, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.
The Center for American Progress’ “Medicare Extra For All” plan would maintain a role for employers and insurers, and use Medicare’s thrifty payment system as framework to pool working-age people, low-income people now covered by Medicaid and seniors.
Amid Unrest And Infighting At VA, White House Adviser To Host Meeting With Veterans’ Advocates
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin has been in the spotlight not only for a scandal involving taxpayer dollars and a trip to Europe, but also for his claims that he’s being undermined by political foes at his own agency. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly plans to meet with advocates to listen to any of their concerns.
Indian Health Services Nominee Withdraws Name Following Reports He Exaggerated Work Experience
In one example, Robert Weaver said he had held leadership roles at a large hospital; however, some of his former colleagues and supervisors said his role there was as a registration clerk. IHS, which provides care for more than two million Native Americans, hasn’t had a permanent leader since 2015.
President Donald Trump hosted a group of families and survivors affected by mass shootings to try to brainstorm a way forward. The president floated several ideas, but came back to background checks, mental health laws and arming teachers. Meanwhile, in Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) participated in a town-hall like event to talk about gun control and safety laws. He earned both cheers and jeers for his positions.
Nursing Homes Booting Out Patients At Increasingly High Rates When Lucrative Medicare Coverage Ends
“The nursing homes, they know the system and they really game it to where they maximize their advantage,” said Tony Chicotel, a lawyer at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, a nonprofit group. Federal regulators are seeking ways to step up enforcement on discharge laws.
First Edition: February 22, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
After Shooting, ‘Honor How Kids Want To Deal With Their Feelings’
Christine Sylvest, a child psychologist who now works in Maryland, for three years attended the Parkland, Fla., high school where a shooting attack left 17 people dead last week. She says the tragedy affects the entire community.
Couple Makes Millions Off Medicaid Managed Care As Oversight Lags
How a California health plan’s CEO and her husband, an executive consultant, got rich off the taxpayer-funded program for the poor. Critics see a conflict of interest, the plan doesn’t, and the state has no rules either way.
Viewpoints: ACA’s Future? Pros And Cons Of Limited-Care Insurance; Amazon Can’t Remedy Health Care
Editorial pages highlight these and other health stories.
Perspectives: We Need Less Government And More Transparency To Curb High Drug Costs
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Drug Prices Bill May Put Maryland On Direct Collision Course With Pharma Industry
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Louisiana, Georgia, Missouri, Iowa and California.
The Past Successes, Failures And Future Of Cancer Vaccines
CNN takes a look at where the research has been and where it’s heading. In other public health news: cancer trials, Olympians, gene editing, the flu, alcohol and allergies.
It Turns Out, Knowing Your Genetic Risk Data Doesn’t Actually Help You Lose Weight
Previous research has suggested that analyzing a person’s genes could help determine which weight loss strategy would work best for them. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.