Latest KFF Health News Stories
Senate Republicans Reluctant To Tinker With Medicare, Despite House GOP’s Eagerness
Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan dismisses Democrats’ attacks over his vision for overhauling the program as “MediScare politics.”
First Edition: December 2, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Delivered ‘Like A Pizza’: Why Killer Drug Fentanyl Is So Hard To Stop
Just a few grains of pure fentanyl is enough to kill most users. But law enforcement sources say stopping the supply of the deadly synthetic opioid from China and Mexico is very difficult.
Medicaid Is Balm And Benefit For Victims Of Gun Violence
Young men injured by gunshot wounds often lacked insurance and went for years without proper follow-up care. The health law’s Medicaid expansion, in doubt since the election, changed that in many of the states with the most gun violence.
HSA Balances Climb But Benefits Reward Wealthier Consumers Most
Expanding health savings accounts is a step favored by President-elect Donald Trump and many GOP lawmakers as they contemplate ways to replace the health law.
Estudiantes de California ayudan a hispanos a estar sanos y en forma
Estudiantes de Cal State son instructores en un programa de ejercicio gratuito ofrecido en parques en el Valle de San Fernando, el sur de Los Ángeles, San Francisco y el condado de Stanislaus. Participan latinos, y muchos sufren de diabetes o hipertensión.
Viewpoints: Parsing The Future Of The Health Care System
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Opinion writers explore issues related to public health and health care quality.
Longer Looks: Tom Price; The Thin Gene; Cuban Health Care
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
State Highlights: Fees To Med-Mal Fund Reduced For Kan. Providers; Fla. Reports 7 New Zika Cases
Outlets report on health news from Kansas, Florida, Michigan, Massachusetts, California and Georgia.
In Colo., A Health System Battles Opioid Addiction By Managing Pain Without Pills
News outlets in Washington, Oregon and Illinois also report on other developments related to opioid use and abuse.
‘Three-Parent Babies’ Closer To Reality But Road Ahead Is Still Bumpy
Scientists make incremental progress in swapping nuclear material in human eggs to create healthy embryos without mutations in a type of DNA, according to a new report.
In Latest Victory For Advocates, HUD Announces Nationwide Ban On Smoking In Public Housing
Housing officials say that although the federal government would not help to pay for enforcement, the public housing authorities stands to save money in averted fire losses and other reduced costs.
It ‘Saved My Life’: Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Offering Cancer Patients Much-Needed Peace
Just a single dose of the drug offered patients lasting relief from their profound distress, a new study found.
Concerned Scientists Ask Trump To Support Fact-Based Policies In Face Of Health Threats
More than 2,300 scientists sign on to an open letter directed to the president-elect and the incoming Congress.
Abortion-Rights Groups Turn Focus To States, Where GOP Has Been Chipping Away At Access
Planned Parenthood joined the ACLU and the Center for Reproductive Rights on Wednesday to file suits against laws in North Carolina, Alaska and Missouri.
San Bernardino Victims Struggle With Coverage Under One-Size-Fits-All Workers’ Comp Law
The shooting on Dec. 2, 2015, was a workplace attack, not covered by regular insurance. Instead, their treatment comes under the workers’ compensation system.
FDA Officials Push Back Against Criticisms About Pace Of Stem Cell Therapy Reviews
Agency regulators warn about the potential hazards of such treatments and stress the importance of a careful approval process, no matter the hype. Meanwhile a nonprofit group provides other researchers with access to its collection of living stem cells.
AMA’s Endorsement Of Price Exposes Deep Political Factions Dividing Doctors
Stat reports that the liberal side of the American Medical Association is livid that the organization so swiftly threw its support behind Donald Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary.
Uncertainty Over Health Law Not Scaring Away Enrollees In States
Media outlets report on health law signups in Georgia, Kansas, Florida, Illinois and Tennessee.