Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: Thanks To Remote Work, Many Are Now Working While Sick; ER Staff Need To Be Safe
Editorial writers tackle working while sick, ER violence, Medicaid expansion and tobacco issues.
Austin’s Hospitalization Due To Prostate Cancer Surgery Complications
The Pentagon revealed Tuesday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization—which made headlines as it was undisclosed to most in the Biden administration—was the result of an infection from prostate cancer surgery last month. News outlets report on the procedure and diagnosis, while the White House reviews its health disclosure procedures.
Medicare Physician Payments Up In Air Amid Spending Deal Talks
Doctors are lobbying Congress to use the next spending package to reverse physicians’ Medicare payments cuts that took effect Jan. 1—as lawmakers have done previous years. Meanwhile, talk grows of another short-term fix to fund the federal government.
Doctors At Salem Hospital Push For Unionization In Face Of Budget Cuts
Complaints of overflowing beds, budget cuts, and being cut out of key decisions are cited as reasons behind the physicians’ push to organize a union at Salem Hospital in Salem, Massachusetts. Meanwhile, in Michigan, three hospitals in the Thumb region are merging to become one single health system.
Defense Dept. Will Track Overdoses Among Troops, Issue Naloxone
A new law requires that the Pentagon track drug overdoses within the military, which were not previously tracked. It must also make overdose-reversing drugs available to battle the crisis. Also in the news: alcohol abuse; the salmonella cantaloupe outbreak; pets and decreased dementia risks; and more.
No Such Thing As A Free Lunch: GOP Governors Resist School Meal Effort
Reports say Republican governors in 15 states are rejecting a new federally funded summer program that would help feed around 21 million less well-off children beginning in June. Separately, House Republicans in Ohio are deciding whether to override a gender care ban veto from Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican.
Read recent commentaries about pharmaceutical issues.
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News’ Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Instagram, Facebook To Begin Filtering Content For Teens’ Safety
Meta says it removes or limits recommendations of certain types of posts for all users — such as nudity and the sale of drugs. It will now restrict teenagers from even coming across much of this content, including when it’s posted by a friend, NPR reports.
HHS Narrows Rule Allowing Doctors’ ‘Conscience’ Care Denials Of Abortions
A Trump-era policy that broadened options for providers to object to delivering medical services such as abortions on religious grounds has now been mostly rescinded. Also, the Biden administration blocked a company selling data on patients’ medical visits, with abortion care particularly in mind.
Covid Tests Now Take Longer To Show You’re Positive
Rapid tests used to be able to show you were positive for covid only one or two days after symptoms showed up, but reports say mutations in the virus now mean it can take up to a week for tests to show two lines. Meanwhile, data show the U.S. is experiencing a big covid wave.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Minnesota Governor Open To Idea Of Constitutional Abortion Rights Push
The state is seeing a “dramatic surge” in out-of-state patients from places with restrictive laws visiting to get abortions, CBS News says. Meanwhile, in Tennessee, more women are joining a lawsuit challenging the state’s broad abortion ban. Also: The Pope has said he opposes surrogacy.
Rep. Cori Bush Demands Investigation Into St. Louis Nursing Home Closure
The abrupt closure of the 320-bed Northview Village Nursing Home facility last month triggered issues for residents and their families. In other news from across the states, two more measles cases in Philadelphia; the Supreme Court rejects a challenge to California’s flavored tobacco ban; and more.
Viewpoints: Measles Outbreak Due To Anti-Vax Parents; Reauthorize The SUPPORT Act To Curb Overdoses
Editorial writers tackle these health care issues and more.
American Red Cross Warns Of Emergency Blood Supply Shortage
The American Red Cross said it was experiencing the lowest number of blood donors in 20 years, with hospitals demanding blood products faster than the organization can replenish supplies. Also in the news: Bayer to expand in U.S., despite blood thinner fails; the “better” ApoB cholesterol test; and more.
Congressional Spending Bill Faces Continued Opposition From Far Right
House Speaker Mike Johnson is again trying to wrangle the most conservative members of his caucus as the clock ticks down on a first spending deal deadline to fund parts of the government. Some on the Senate side are already floating the idea of another short-term patch.
Respiratory Illness At ‘High’ Or ‘Very High’ Levels Across Most Of US: CDC
Of the 38 states plus New York City that are experiencing elevated levels of illnesses like RSV and covid, 21 are at the “very high” level, the CDC warned. The San Francisco Chronicle, meanwhile, reports that analysis of wastewater data is showing an alarming spike in Bay Area covid infections.
Stopped Weight Loss Drugs? You May Eat More Calories Than Before
A survey from Deutsche Bank found that when patients stop taking drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic, they eat more — in some cases, more than they did prior to treatment. Also in the news: the effect of weight loss drugs on alcohol cravings.
Sanders, Democrats To Investigate Asthma Inhaler Prices
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined a group of Senate Democrats to say that they are looking into the high cost of asthma inhalers: The group wrote to CEOs of four of the biggest manufacturers. Meanwhile, GSK said Tuesday it would buy asthma drug-focused Aiolos Bio for $1 billion.