Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers tackle PTSD, hospice care, total abortion bans and racism in health care.
Perspectives: Do The Side Effects Of Leqembi Outweigh The Benefits?; US Pharmacies Need Help
Read recent commentaries about pharmaceutical issues.
Bristol Myers Squibb Warned Over Drug Prices; FDA Has New Concerns Over Philips Sleep Apnea Machines
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News’ Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Senators Debate Whether Gun Violence In US Is A Public Health Emergency
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee heard from health care professionals on the frontlines of the gun crisis during a hearing Tuesday. Democrats on the panel argued that violence levels should be considered a public health emergency.
Abortion Rights Ballot Effort In Arkansas Thwarted By Republican AG
State Attorney General Tim Griffin rejected a proposed ballot measure to enshrine limited abortion rights in the state constitution. The proposal won’t appear on the 2024 ballot. Also in the news, Texas Supreme Court justices hear arguments over the state’s strict law.
FDA Warns Anti-Cancer CAR-T Treatment May Itself Cause Cancer
CAR-T has been approved for life-threatening blood cancers for several years, but the FDA reported it had learned of a limited number of patients with new cancers after the treatment. Some experts disagree, and note other cancer treatments may have higher known risks.
Biden Admin Presses RSV Shot Makers To Step Up Deliveries
White House officials met with RSV immunization manufacturers this week, with expected rising demand for the shots as cases among children soar during winter. Also in the news, a study suggests getting a flu shot may reduce the risk of heart attack.
Mayo Clinic To Build $5 Billion Health Care Campus In Minnesota
The plan, Minnesota Public Radio reports, is to change traditional health care models by creating a technology-laden health care “neighborhood,” in Rochester, Minn. Also in health industry news: Kaiser Permanente; Community Health Systems; ChatGPT; and more.
Researchers Identify Optimal Walking Speed To Reduce Diabetes Risk
A brisk walk can deliver the greatest benefit — around 87 steps per minute for men and 100 steps per minute for women — according to the new analysis. Separate research focuses on the impact of exercise on brain health as we age.
Florida Lawmaker Floats Low-Cost Housing Effort For Health Workers
The proposal includes state money to help the hospital build a multi-unit housing project to help attract health care workers. In Iowa, a lawsuit claims an insurance company helped influence state lawmakers to reform tort law. Other state health news is from New Hampshire, Wyoming, and elsewhere.
Life Expectancy In US Recovering From Pandemic Dive But Has Ways To Go
U.S. life expectancy rose in 2022 for the first time since the covid pandemic started, according to new CDC data. That rebound does not compensate though for the years of life lost to the virus, as well as other causes like drug overdoses, homicides, and chronic illnesses.
More Americans Died By Suicide In 2022 Than Any Year On Record
The CDC says nearly 50,000 lives were lost in 2022 through intentional self-harm — up 3% from 2021’s figure. The CDC data is provisional, too, and the final count may rise.
Biden Campaign, Pelosi Take Aim At Trump’s Call To Repeal Obamacare
President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is leaning into President Donald Trump’s pledge to overturn and replace the Affordable Care Act if voted back into the White House, enlisting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to attack that stance.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Too Many People Are Dying From Hepatitis C; It’s Time For Novel Mental Health Treatments
Editorial writers tackle hepatitis C, mental health treatments, lung cancer, and more.
10 States Approach Universal Coverage With Uninsured Rates Under 5%
News outlets report on the tools and the innovations — provided largely under the Affordable Care Act — that states are employing to chip away at the number of people who do not have health insurance in the U.S.
For First Time, New Swine Flu Variant May Have Infected A Person In The UK
News outlets cover what’s said to be the first time a flu strain normally found in pigs has infected people in the United Kingdom. But the story is fuzzy: Authorities, for example, don’t know how the patient became infected and do not know if there is community spread of this exact type of porcine flu.
BA.2.86 Is The New Covid Variant To Be Wary Of
New CDC data show this particular covid variant represents nearly 1 in 10 new covid cases, triple its estimated infection rate from just two weeks ago. Meanwhile the WHO has upgraded BA.2.86, plus subvariants, to a variant of “interest.” Also: U.S. flu hospitalizations are continuing to rise.
Idaho Pushes To Lift Block On Its Strict Emergency Abortion Laws
State law only allows abortions when they’re necessary to prevent death during pregnancy, or when rape or incest was involved. But the Biden administration sued and won, arguing that federal laws allow abortions under a broader health emergency range. Idaho has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider.