Latest KFF Health News Stories
Doctors Telling Patients To Hit The Gym, Not The Pharmacy
Instead of treating chronic problems with medication, health care providers are increasingly prescribing exercise for their patients. In other public health news, pregnant women who traveled to Zika-infected areas are facing tough decisions at home, a new study finds that it might be discharged patients who are spreading “superbug” infections, and an oncologist talks about the choice she had to make after she discovered she was predisposed to breast and ovarian cancer.
Experts Worry Eating Disorder Centers Are Sacrificing Treatment For Profit
In an ever-expanding industry, some worry that the residential programs are taking advantage of vulnerable patients.
Getting Drugs To Treat Addiction Harder Than Getting The Drugs To Feed It
A shortage of doctors able to prescribe anti-addiction medications means those who need help are struggling to get it. In other news, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill targeting the state’s opioid crisis into law.
Democrats Call Out GOP Action On Late-Term Abortions, Yet Inaction On High Court Vacancy
“While they say they won’t even hold a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities— they were eager to hold a hearing to attack women’s constitutional rights,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will say when she takes the battle to the Senate floor. Meanwhile, in Indiana, abortion rights advocates ask Gov. Mike Pence to veto a bill that would ban the procedure if the fetus has a genetic abnormality.
New Rules Aimed At Helping Consumers On Federal Exchanges
Among other things, the new regulations would give patients slightly more warning before they get hit with surprise medical bills. In other health law news, one-third of Floridians say their health care has become less affordable in the two years since the Affordable Care Act was implemented.
Report: 21 Million Would Lose Insurance Under Donald Trump’s Health Plan
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a Washington-based fiscal watchdog, said the Republican presidential candidate’s proposals would also drive up the deficit by as much as $500 billion over the next 10 years.
Marijuana-Based Drug Helps Reduce Seizures In Children, Study Finds
Justin Gover, chief executive of GW Pharmaceuticals, said the trial result “validates the proposition that cannabinoids can play a meaningful role in modern medicine.”
Specialty Medicines Contribute To 5 Percent Increase In Drug Spending For 2015, Report Finds
The rate is half of the 2014 spike, but Express Scripts, the company that issued the report, forecasts that the prices will only continue to climb for the next two years.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Three Changes Consumers Can Expect In Next Year’s Obamacare Coverage
The Department of Health and Human Services issues new rules designed to simplify health coverage consumers buy through Healthcare.gov.
Fear Of Future Health Problems Plagues Porter Ranch, Calif., Gas Leak Victims
Even after the gas leak in Porter Ranch has been sealed, worries persist about the long-term health risks for residents.
Should Federal Retirees Opt For Medicare?
When people retire from federal government jobs, they can keep their federal plan as primary coverage but may face penalties for late Medicare sign-ups later on.
It’s Not Just Doctors And Nurses, Patients Need To Wash Their Hands, Too
New research indicates that patients who leave the hospital for post-acute care facilities carry superbugs with them.
For Terminally Ill In California, End Of Suffering Is Now In Sight
Terminal patients and doctors prepare themselves for California’s new assisted suicide law, which takes effect June 9.
Viewpoints: A Medicaid Funding Tutorial; Michigan And Mental Health Services Privatization
A selection of opinions from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Michigan, Puerto Rico, Washington, Virginia, California, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina.
Indiana Abortion Ban Goes To Governor’s Desk
The legislation would ban abortion in cases where the fetus has a genetic abnormality and in cases based on gender, race or ancestry. Conservatives believe Gov. Mike Pence will sign it. Elsewhere, the Georgia House passes a measure to provide funding to “pregnancy resource centers” that discourage abortion.
FDA Tentatively Approves Field Trial Using Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes To Battle Zika
The agency will make its final decision after it has given the public time to comment on the experiment but says it has concluded that the mosquitoes would not cause harm to the people or environment. In other Zika outbreak news, the CDC releases new guidance about how elevation affects risk of contracting the disease, and health officials confirm 201 cases in Puerto Rico.
As Heroin Epidemic Swells, Some States Consider Safe Injection Sites
Proponents say the facilities save lives and make it easier for users to get treatment. In other news, a growing number of states are passing legislation to address opioid addiction, PBS NewsHour looks at the growing number of babies being born going through withdrawal, and a small town’s fight against the epidemic is representative of the crisis spreading across the country.
Legal, Ethical Concerns Arise Over Mandated On-The-Job Wearables
As they gain prominence, wearable devices — and the health data that comes with them — are provoking questions about how much information employers can collect and just what they can do with it. In other technology news, New York is going all digital when it comes to writing prescriptions.