Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from D.C., Connecticut, Texas, Arizona, Ohio, California and Missouri.
Complaints To Nursing Homes Can Result In Evictions In Minn.
An investigation by the Minneapolis Star Tribune finds complaints about involuntary discharges and transfers from senior care facilities have surged 50 percent since 2012. Meanwhile in Florida, nursing homes are asking the state to help pay for emergency generators.
Forget Bulky Fitbits, This Scientist Wants To Create Medical Wearables So Thin You Forget About Them
Ana Claudia Arias is developing such products as a bandage-like sensor that could monitor a wound’s healing process or one that could slip into a diabetic’s shoe and warn about foot ulcers the person wouldn’t be able to feel.
With Spotlight On Physical Devastation Football Causes, Question Becomes — Why Do Kids Still Play?
“Once upon a time a good hit would make me stand and cheer,” says Amy Stover. “Now, when I watch a game and a hit happens and someone goes down, I freeze, I feel sick. Will they get up? Are they okay? The consequences of the hit are so very vivid and real now.” In other public health news, gene editing, PTSD, maternal deaths, depression, soda, and more.
FDA Warns About Herbal Supplement Used As Addiction Treatment
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the supplement kratom is responsible for at least 36 recent deaths.
In Anticipated Study, Monthly Opioid Treatment Shown To Be About As Effective As Daily Pill
But the monthly treatment is more difficult because participants have to wean themselves off opioids for a period of three days before they could start taking Vivitrol. Because of that hurdle, patients failed to start on Vivitrol at four times the rate that they did on the daily medication Suboxone.
During HHS Nominee’s Tenure At Eli Lilly, Company Tripled Price Of A Top-Selling Insulin Drug
President Donald Trump touted Alex Azar as a “star” who could help combat high drug prices. But Azar’s history as a top pharma executive has critics worried.
Democrats Use CBO Report To Warn Tax Bill Will Trigger Medicare Cuts
The Congressional Budget Office warned that the tax bill could set off a budget rule that would necessitate cuts to Medicare of as much as $25 billion next year.
GOP Slips Repeal Of Individual Mandate Into Tax Bill In Hopes Of Scoring Two-In-One Victory
Not only would repealing the individual mandate save billions over the next decade, but it would allow Republicans to fulfill a years-long promise to voters. The Democrats and many in the health industry, however, are ardently opposed to the move.
First Edition: November 15, 2017
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Can Apps Slay The Medical Bill Dragon?
A handful of Silicon Valley start-ups are trying to usher medical billing into the 21st century by creating smartphone apps to help consumers navigate their health insurance paperwork.
The Power Of #MeToo: Why Hashtag Sparks ‘Groundswell’ Of Sharing — And Healing
A complex set of psychological and social factors are now propelling women to break their silence about sexual harassment.
Trump Administration Plan to Add Medicaid Work Requirement Stirs Fears
The recent announcement by a top administration official that the federal government will entertain requests to implement work requirements for many adult Medicaid enrollees has raised concerns among advocates for the program.
Repeal Of ACA Individual Mandate To Be Added To Senate Tax Bill
Following a renewed push from President Donald Trump and conservative senators, Senate Republicans agree to include a measure repealing the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate to their version of the tax bill.
Viewpoints: Trump’s Pick To Head HHS Draws Criticism For Pharma Ties; HIV Quarantine?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Opinion writers offer their thoughts on a range of health policy topics, including future congressional efforts to move on the Alexander-Murray bill, the importance of access to health insurance and the latest on Medicaid from Ohio and Iowa.
Media outlets report on news from Illinois, California, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Texas and Ohio.
Spotlight On Assaults At Minn. Long-Term Care Centers: 97% Of Cases Never Investigated
A series by the Minneapolis Star Tribune examines how state officials handle the hundreds of assaults, rapes and robberies at senior care centers.
San Francisco Wages Quiet Battle Against Hep C With Patched-Together Budget, Determination
The city’s campaign is the result of an alliance among health officials, hospitals, advocates, and clinicians to cobble together funding, coordinate care, and combat the stigma of a disease associated with prison, drug use, and unsafe sex. In other public health news: high blood pressure, immunotherapy, health health and sex, genetic engineering, and soda.
Bill Gates Notes Family History Of Alzheimer’s While Pledging $50M To Help Fight Disease
“I know how awful it is to watch people you love struggle as the disease robs them of their mental capacity, and there is nothing you can do about it,” Bill Gates said. “It feels a lot like you’re experiencing a gradual death of the person that you knew.”