Latest KFF Health News Stories
Zika Travel Advisory Widens To Miami Beach After More Local Transmission Cases Confirmed
The five new cases prompt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand the area in Florida that pregnant women should avoid due to risks of the mosquito-borne virus.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Mental Health Challenges; Telehealth Parity; Long-Term Care Insurance
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Outlets report on health news from Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas, California, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee and Florida.
Florida Bill Preventing State Funding To Planned Parenthood Clinics Blocked
A judge puts a hold on disputed portions of the law after attorneys for Gov. Rick Scott’s administration agree to forgo further legal action.
How To Measure Biological Age: Researchers Focus on Latinos’ Longevity for Clues
Meanwhile, news outlets cover the latest on a deadly brain-eating amoeba, the Food and Drug Administration investigation of WEN hair products and the impact of PSA screening on prostate cancer diagnoses.
Study Pinpoints 15 Regions In DNA Associated With Depression
It’s unlikely the research, done by consumer genetic-testing company 23andMe, will be able to be turned into a diagnostic tool, but it will help scientists study the way depression works.
CDC: Contact Wearers Must Stay Vigilant About Cleaning, Safety To Avoid Infections
The agency reported that nearly one in five of those who wear contacts get an infection that results in vision damage. Some no-nos to watch out for: sleeping or swimming in them and improper cleaning methods.
Death Certificates’ Lack Of Specificity Hampers Efforts To Curb Opioid Crisis
When a patient overdoses with multiple drugs in his or her system, it’s often lumped together on the death certificate as “multiple drug toxicity.” But knowing drug types could help public health officials figure out which is causing the most deaths.
Cluster Of Miami Beach Zika Cases Suggests Outbreak Is Spreading Beyond Contained Area
Officials consider extending the travel advisory for pregnant women to include all of Miami-Dade County. Meanwhile, Florida lawmakers continue to push for Congress to pass a funding bill to battle the virus.
Valeant Accused Of Engaging In ‘Fraudulent Scheme’ Involving Deceptive Pricing
Mutual-fund giant T. Rowe Price Group is suing the pharmaceutical company saying its practices cost T. Rowe and other shareholders billions.
Medicare Prescription Drug Spending Jumps 17 Percent In 2014
The data, looking at prescriptions purchased under the Medicare Part D program, shows that medications for heart problems were among the most prescribed. Sovaldi, a drug to treat hepatitis C, was the highest cost drug at more than $3.1 billion spent by the program. Following that were Nexium, for reflux disease, and Crestor, to treat high cholesterol.
Medicare Probes Whether Health Care Providers Steered Patients To Private Plans
The investigation will look at whether the providers, such as dialysis centers, encouraged people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid to buy private plans instead so that the providers could get higher reimbursements.
Clinton Campaign Fires Back Over Trump’s ‘Bogus’ Health Allegations
Donald Trump and other Republicans have been calling into question the state of Hillary Clinton’s health, but her campaign says the allegations are ludicrous.
Aetna’s departure from the health law marketplace in Arizona threatens to leave one county without any options for next year. Meanwhile, America’s Health Insurance Plans has issued a brief with ideas on how to help struggling insurers, and an analysis looks at the groups with the highest uninsured rates.
First Edition: August 19, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Puberty Blockers May Improve The Mental Health Of Transgender Adolescents
Putting sexual development on hold gives children a breather as they consider transitioning to the opposite gender. But when to begin?
Insurance Doesn’t Ensure Children Get Needed Visual Exams, Study Says
Researchers estimate thousands of children suffer two debilitating eye conditions because they don’t get proper exams while young.
Viewpoints: Analyzing The Aetna-ACA Flap; Examining Accountable Care Organizations
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: A Zika Vaccine; Aetna’s Marketplace Withdrawal; And Flint’s Water Crisis
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.