Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: January 26, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
As Doctors Drop Opposition, Aid-In-Dying Advocates Target Next Battleground States
Will efforts to expand the practice to Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Hawaii succeed this year?
What’s Next For ‘Safe Injection’ Sites In Philadelphia?
Philadelphia officials gave the OK to establishing safe-injection sites for drug users. But it’s unclear where the sites would be located and who would fund and operate them.
In Battleground Races, Health Care Lags As Hot-Button Issue, Poll Finds
The economy and jobs tend to eclipse health care as the top voter concern in competitive congressional and gubernatorial races.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ CHIP (Finally) Gets Funded
In this episode of “What The Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the short-term spending bill passed by Congress that reopened the federal government and funded the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years. The panelists also discussed the health programs still awaiting funding, and the intersection of religion and women’s health services at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Ayudan a adultos mayores a llegar en mejores condiciones a una cirugía
Tres grandes centros de salud están ayudando a los adultos mayores a enfrentar la cirugía y el post operatorio en mejores condiciones.
Editorial pages feature thoughts on these topics as well as other health care issues.
Perspectives: ‘Wisdom’ Needed For Treating Opioid Epidemic; The Other ‘Pressing Problem’: Tobacco
Opinion writers express views on the opioid crisis, how to help those who are addicted and what lessons can be applied to another dangerous substance: tobacco.
Longer Looks: Flu Season; Income Inequality; And Orlando’s Air Quality
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Minnesota, Maryland, California, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Texas, Ohio, Georgia and Arizona.
Hospitals Just Don’t Seem To Want To Budge From Those Standard Uncomfortable Gowns
Lots of other options exist, but the standard gown doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. In other public health news: lessons learned from the latest Alzheimer’s drug failure, exercise, stem cell research, cancer warnings on coffee, anti-seizure medication and getting healthy before surgery.
First Cloned Monkeys Offer Hope For Medical Breakthroughs In Humans
Scientists recently cleared the hurdle of cloning primates, and because monkey clones can be genetically altered, one gene at a time, with techniques such as CRISPR. Researchers will be able to better study the effects of diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s, metabolic disorders and more. Some worry, however, that it takes us one step closer to cloning humans.
It’s Not Just Aches And A Fever You Have To Worry About — The Flu Can Also Trigger A Heart Attack
Although doctors have long-noticed a trend of an increase in heart attacks during flu season, a new study links an increased rick of a cardiac event with the virus. Updates on the flu come out of Illinois, Kansas and Oregon, as well.
Research Upends Long-Held Belief That There’s A Narrow Time Window To Remove Stroke Patients’ Clots
Before doctors thought that anything after six hours was too late to do any good. But a new study found that’s not the case.
Agencies Cracking Down On ‘Unscrupulous Vendors’ Selling Treatments To ‘Cure’ Opioid Addiction
Eleven companies were sent warning letters for the language they used to market their products, including “break the killer pain habit” and “relieve your symptoms . . . addiction, withdrawal, cravings.” Meanwhile, senators say they expect to funnel more money into fighting the opioid crisis, but it’s not clear yet on how much that will be.
Apple Adding Feature To Allow Users To Store Medical Records On iPhones
It’s the latest move that shows Apple has its eye on the profitable health care landscape.
Cecile Richards, The Face Of Planned Parenthood For More Than 10 Years, Expected To Step Down
In her role as president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards saw the organization through some tumultuous years, including guiding it through a scandal involving activist videos that purported to show organization officials discussing sales of fetal tissue.
Under Idaho’s guidelines, insurers can offer plans that deny coverage for pre-existing conditions for up to 12 months unless the customer had continuous prior coverage. And insurers would no longer be required to cover pediatric dental or vision care, and though they would have to offer at least one plan with maternity and newborn coverage, other plans could exclude those benefits.
Young Adults More Likely To Move Off Medicaid Than Older People
The report by Avalere suggests the exits could be the result of these young people gaining employer-sponsored insurance or their incomes increasing, making them ineligible. In other Medicaid news, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says his managed care program is being scrapped, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asks for federal funding for family planning services to be restored and a vendor in Connecticut fails to show up for a state hearing on transportation issues.
Kentucky Medicaid Enrollees Sue To Stop First-In-Nation Work Requirements
Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has already issued the ultimatum that if the court touches the requirements, he’ll roll back the Medicaid expansion entirely.