Latest KFF Health News Stories
Perspectives On Drug Costs: Continuing Education As A Drug Marketing Machine
Editorials offer their takes on drug-cost issues.
Biotech Bigwigs Are Gaming The System — And It’s All Legal
News outlets report on the pharmaceutical drug industry.
First Edition: August 10, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Fighting HIV In Miami, One Dirty Needle At A Time
A Miami doctor spent five years working to pass a needle exchange law for Miami-Dade County that he hopes will reduce HIV and other infections. The doctor’s battle inspired a patient who was infected with HIV and Hepatitis C from a shared needle.
Assisted Living Residents With Dementia Prone To Abusing Others, Study Finds
Residents with dementia need to be monitored and increased training is needed for staff who care for them, said researchers who examined reported instances of abuse in assisted living facilities.
Refugees’ Needs In U.S. Change As World’s Conflicts Shift
Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive with decidedly different medical and mental health needs than other waves of refugees.
Big Companies Expect Moderate Increases In 2017 Employee Health Care Costs
Two surveys suggest these companies continue to try new ways to control the expense of employees’ coverage.
Viewpoints: The ACA’s Wellbeing — Healthy Or Ill?; Health Care Costs And Transparency
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news from New Jersey, California, Georgia, New York and Florida.
Marijuana-Laced Candy Sickens Unsuspecting Partygoers, Including 13 Children
A public health official calls the incident “a strong warning about the dangers of edibles.”
Maryland To Dole Out $3M To Communities To Address State’s Opioid Crisis
But Baltimore didn’t apply for any of the funding, saying the grants were not a good fit for the city. Media outlets report on the epidemic out of Ohio as well.
Olympians Are Embracing It, But Jury’s Still Out On If Cupping Works
There are small studies that show cupping might help relieve pain and muscle fatigue, but they don’t account for the potential of a placebo effect. Meanwhile, Stat looks at other ways the athletes try to get an edge — and if they work.
Minorities Receive Less Treatment For Pain Due To Racial Bias, Stereotyping: Researchers
“We’ve done a good job documenting that these disparities exist,” said Salimah Meghani, a pain researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. “We have not done a good job doing something about them.”
Holistic Mental Health Treatments Gaining Traction, As More Shy Away From Medication
For the first time in this country, experts say, psychiatry’s critics are mounting a sustained, broadly based effort to provide people with practical options.
The Tiny Patch Of Land In Miami That’s A Zika Hot Zone
The New York Times offers a profile on the mosquito mecca that is a 500-square-foot section in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. Meanwhile, officials investigate the first possible homegrown case outside of Miami, cooler temperatures keep mosquitoes away from the Olympics and the big players in pharma are sitting out the race for a vaccine.
Arthritis Medication At Center Of Biosimilar Battle Between AbbVie And Amgen
In other pharmaceutical news, Pfizer closes a plant in India. And news outlets cover efforts to sync up drug refill timelines as well as proposed legislation to prevent overmedicating California foster children.
Doctor Shortages A Roadblock To Bringing Back Needed House-Call Model
More than half of Americans live more than 30 miles away from full-time providers of home-based medical care, a new study finds, but there just aren’t enough doctors and nurses to offer the care they need.
In Effort To Curb Errors, Hospitals Encourage New Residents To Ask For Help
The goal of the program is to increase communication between newer residents who are more reluctant to ask questions and more seasoned doctors who can help.
Feds To Crack Down On Abuse Of Nursing Home Patients On Social Media
The move by regulators comes after a media report about facility employees posting demeaning photos and videos of nursing home residents to platforms like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram.
GOP Policy Experts Begin Etching Health Law ‘Grand Bargain’ In Case Of Clinton Presidency
They’re particularly focused on waivers that would allow states to replace the law’s insurance exchange structure with their own models.