Latest KFF Health News Stories
Barbara Bush’s End-Of-Life Decision Stirs Debate Over ‘Comfort Care’
The former first lady’s announcement “not to seek additional medical treatment” and to focus on “comfort care” shone a light on end-of-life choices.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health topics.
Perspectives: Flint Residents Are Being Asked To Trust A Government That Betrayed Them
Editorials focus on the crisis of trust among Flint residents as the state cuts off its bottled water program.
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, New York, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas and Missouri.
Company Recalls More Than 200 Million Eggs Following Salmonella Outbreak
Rose Acre Farms is recalling the products after federal officials tied illnesses to the company’s facility in North Carolina.
Older Americans Without Adult Children Need To Be Proactive In Creating Aging Plans, Experts Say
There’s a growing population of older adults without children having to navigate getting older and the pitfalls that come with it. But it can be done successfully, experts say. In other aging news: the financial toll of dementia, older patients who have been living with HIV, positive perceptions about aging, and more.
Experts caution that extending use of the tests to the broader population may lead some people of average risk to forgo recommended screenings or, on the flip side, lead to unnecessary and extreme medical procedures. In other public health news: a smart gun, drug-resistant typhoid, viruses, hypertension, the dangers of sitting, bright lights for hospital patients, and more.
A Vaccine For Opioid Addiction? It Might Not Be That Far Off
The vaccine would stop opioids by effectively blocking them from reaching the brain by way of the circulatory system. It is one suggestion in a renewed push to treat addiction like a disease rather than a lack of willpower or character flaw.
Pure Caffeine Products Banned From Being Sold In Bulk Directly To Consumers
The FDA says that the products “present a significant public health threat” and that it will immediately begin removing them from the market.
New CVS Hire Signals Company’s Interest In Providing Medical Services Directly To Consumers
Marc-David Munk, a proponent of in-clinic diagnostics and treatment, will become CVS’s chief medical officer for its MinuteClinics.
Virginia Lawmakers Add Tougher Medicaid Work Requirements In Attempt To Reach Agreement On Budget
The House Appropriations Committee passed the new version of the budget that includes a handful of amendments to woo Senate Republicans. The lawmakers in the upper chamber had blocked the budget earlier because of the House’s attempts to expand the state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid news comes out of Colorado, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida and Maine, as well.
The tactic of suing companies over potentially harmful products is a lucrative one, and those looking to get a chunk of that money have made a business out of luring women into sometimes unnecessary procedures to make them a more valuable plaintiff.
Some in the movement see the possible retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy as their chance to have the Supreme Court revisit Roe v. Wade. Other activists want to focus on more incremental gains instead, though.
Pharma’s Anti-Competitive Tactics That Stymie Generics Drugmakers Targeted By Officials, Lawmakers
Generic drug developers need samples of brand-name drugs to show that a generic copy is equivalent to the original, but the drug companies are refusing to provide samples of their products. In other pharmaceutical news: an appeals court hands the industry a victory in price gouging case; a former Mallinckrodt employee claims she was fired for warning company about illegal sales practices; and a shortage of EpiPens outside the U.S.
GOP Candidates Shy Away From Once-Favorite ‘Repeal And Replace’ Talking Point
After years of using the health law as a rallying cry with voters, Republican candidates are keeping quiet on the topic. “Yeah, we probably can’t talk credibly about repeal and replace anymore,” said Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.).
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Safety Violations Compound Pain Of Painkiller Shortages
California and federal officials have cracked down on a major compounding pharmacy they say posed a threat to public safety, but their actions are worsening shortages of medications that doctors rely on to keep their patients out of pain.
‘Scary’ Lung Disease Now Afflicts More Women Than Men In U.S.
Barbara Bush’s case highlights that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — a disease linked to long-term smoking and traditionally considered a men’s disease — is now more prevalent among women.
KHN’s newsletter editor, Brianna Labuskes, wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
La lenta recuperación de Puerto Rico impacta en los pacientes de diálisis
Catorce pacientes que viven en Vieques y necesitan diálisis tres veces por semana deben volar a la isla principal para recibir tratamiento, luego que el huracán María destruyera la clínica local.