Latest KFF Health News Stories
If Poor Neighborhood = Poor Health, Relocation Is One Solution
Research shows that living in more affluent, less segregated neighborhoods can improve health problems like asthma and high blood pressure. Communities around the country are experimenting with moving some families to boost their health.
¿Son necesarias las mamografías en tres dimensiones?
Cada vez más centros de imágenes ofrecen esta alternativa, en vez de la mamografía tradicional. Sin embargo, expertos sugieren no recomendarlas ampliamente todavía.
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Last week’s decision by the Trump administration to add work requirements to the Medicaid program drew both praise and criticism from opinion writers across the country.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Connecticut, New York and Minnesota.
Community Meeting Highlights Rift Between Nashville General And Meharry Medical College
Recent developments between Nashville General Hospital and Meharry Medical College officials could impact inpatient care at the city’s only public hospital. Outlets also report on hospital and health system news from Maryland, Ohio and Illinois.
Hype Of Precision Medicine Getting Too Far Ahead Of The Facts, Experts Worry
“We’re getting better, but like many things in life, there’s hope and hype. And that’s also the reality with precision medicine right now,” says Ben Park, an oncology professor at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Hopkins. In other public health news: breast cancer, skin lightening, in-womb surgery, musical therapy, salty diets, and more.
Vicious Flu Season Reveals Weaknesses In Health System That Don’t Bode Well For Future Pandemics
This season’s severe virus is straining hospitals. But if something as foreseeable as the flu is too much for the medical system to handle, what does that say about future public health crises?
Maps Of Opioid-Related HIV Outbreak Show The Multiple Times It Could Have Been Stopped
New visualizations of Indiana’s HIV outbreak that was linked to the opioid crisis give a clearer picture of who was affected and how it spread.
Veteran Suing VA Hospital Claiming Doctor Left Scalpel In His Body After Surgery
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) says he was appalled and stunned by the “egregious medical malpractice case” and is asking for a detailed explanation of the incident.
Congressional Budget Cuts Leave Safety-Net Hospitals Facing Shortfalls
The hospitals are facing $3.6 billion in federal funding reductions and could be left with other cuts too if Congress doesn’t extend some programs that could be affected by the budget stalemate. Also caught up by the congressional inaction is the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
With Individual Mandate Scrapped, Employers Say ‘It’s Our Turn’
Employers have long-chafed at what they see as the onerous rules that came with the Affordable Care Act. But now that Congress has killed the individual mandate, employers say that their requirements should be the next to go. In other news: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says he expects bipartisan legislation aimed at stabilizing the marketplace to pass in the coming months; the Trump administration could approve short-term insurance plans soon; and a look at the health law and enrollment in the states.
CDC Switches Training Topic From Nuclear War To Severe Flu Preparedness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had scheduled a training session on how health officials should handle the fall out from nuclear war. Although it was planned months in advance, it coincided with tweets from President Donald Trump referencing nuclear action related to North Korea, and garnered the agency a good bit of media attention.
Doctor Reports Trump Is In ‘Excellent Health,’ Though More Details Expected Today
President Donald Trump’s first physical exam in office came amid renewed chatter about his cognitive health.
Head Of HHS’ Family Planning Division, An Anti-Abortion Advocate, Abruptly Resigns
Teresa Manning was one of several anti-abortion activists selected by the Trump administration to serve in top roles at the Department of Health and Human Services. A department spokeswoman did not give a reason for her resignation.
Azar Poised To Head Back To HHS, But This Time Around Health Landscape Looks A Lot Different
Alex Azar served at the Department of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush and is likely to take the helm there soon. But much has changed, and he’s going to have a host of new problems to manage. In other administration news, the president’s nominee to run the Indian Health Service Agency may be facing some choppy waters over his failure to disclose donations to the Trump campaign.
New Va. Governor Renews Democrats’ Push For Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Ralph Northam set an agenda that includes Medicaid expansion, gun control legislation and protections for abortion rights, but Republican lawmakers showed no signs of compromise. News outlets report on other Medicaid news from Oregon, Iowa and Illinois.
Lawsuit Brewing As Kentucky Becomes First State To Get Approval To Impose Medicaid Work Requirements
In one of the biggest changes to the Medicaid program in its history, the Trump administration last week announced that it would allow states to seek new requirements from beneficiaries. Kentucky is now the first state to do so, but advocates are already threatening a lawsuit over the new guidelines. Media outlets offer closer looks at Kentucky’s decision, the legal battle that will inevitably follow, who will be affected by the change, the political risk Republicans are taking, and more.
First Edition: January 16, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Postcard From California: Alzheimer’s ‘Looks Like Me, It Looks Like You’
At a panel discussion this week in Sacramento, patients, caregivers and others shared their perspectives on how Alzheimer’s disease affects women, who account for two-thirds of those living with the condition.