Latest KFF Health News Stories
Senate Votes To End Covid National Emergency Order; Biden Will Sign Bill
The order was implemented by former President Donald Trump in 2020 and was due to end in May. Meanwhile, research shows that AstraZeneca’s covid shot may have posed a higher risk of death from heart issues to young women, though there are questions over the applicability of the results.
UnitedHealthcare Will Ax Around 20% Of Existing Prior Authorizations
The changed policy, which will affect commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid members, will begin in the third quarter and will mean providers merely have to notify the insurer about pending care. Among other news, a debate over how to fund the 988 crisis line amid growing demand.
Facing Competition, J&J Stops Efforts Toward RSV Vaccine
Bloomberg says Johnson & Johnson’s exit from the race to make a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for adults leaves open a $10 billion market. Separately, the WHO warned that the world has “arrived in the post-antibiotic era” over a lack of development of new drugs capable of tackling deadly superbugs.
After A Century Of Upswing, American IQs May Be Falling Again
A study found that although Americans’ IQs rose dramatically over the last century, new measurements across three of four broad domains of intelligence show that IQs may now be slipping downward. Also: a new breast cancer gene, food allergies, honey bees for tracking city-dwellers’ health, and more.
‘Brutality’ Of Mental Health System Assailed At Irvo Otieno’s Funeral In Va.
Seven sheriff’s deputies and three hospital workers are accused of second-degree murder in the March 6 death of Otieno, 28, who prosecutors say was pinned to the floor and smothered at Central State Hospital in Henrico County, Virginia.
Research Roundup: Covid; Cancer; Migraines; Dementia; Coffee
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
FDA Approves Over-The-Counter Sale Of Narcan To Combat Opioid Overdoses
The overdose antidote maker Emergent BioSolutions says that it expects its naloxone nasal spray to be available for purchase without a prescription by the summer but has not announced pricing yet.
3 Months, 79 Gun Deaths Or Injuries: An ‘Astronomical’ Rise In School Violence
Using data from an independent research tracker, NPR reports that the 89 gun-related incidents on school campuses this year puts 2023 on pace to exceed last year’s record high. A separate analysis finds that guns are the leading cause of death for kids and teens in the U.S.
Bipartisan Bill Introduced To Classify Xylazine As A Controlled Substance
Lawmakers are moving to make the veterinary tranquilizer, commonly known as “tranq,” harder to access as its dangerous inclusion is on the rise in illicit drugs. Meanwhile, the head of the Department of Homeland Security told a Senate panel Wednesday that fentanyl is the “single greatest challenge” facing the U.S. currently.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Georgia Supreme Court Considers Case Against The State’s Abortion Ban
The heart of the case is whether the abortion ban passed in 2019 was illegal from the start, leading to questions over whether it should remain in effect. Other abortion-related news is from Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Kentucky.
Shooter Had ‘Emotional Disorder,’ But There’s No ‘Red Flag’ Law In Tennessee
Audrey Hale’s parents believed their child had sold one gun and did not own any others. In truth, Hale had legally bought seven firearms, police said. Hale had been seeing a doctor for an undisclosed disorder, but Tennessee does not allow police to confiscate weapons on the grounds of mental illness.
Sen. Warren Blames Private Medicare Insurance For Driving Up Costs
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that big insurers managing private Medicare plans are making health costs go up for seniors, Bloomberg reports. Stat, meanwhile, explains how a political battle over quality-adjusted life years metrics could hit drug-price negotiation efforts.
Florida Aims At Higher Penalties For Those Who Attack Hospital Staff
In other news, Walgreens said it won’t lift pharmacists’ pay any higher; union workers voted “no confidence” in Rhode Island’s Women & Infants Hospital management; and the Children’s Hospital of Michigan has a new CEO.
Kansas To Raise Tobacco-Buying Age To 21
The state Senate approved a bill lifting the legal age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. Meanwhile, at trial, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison accused e-cigarette maker Juul of using “slick products, clever ads” to market its products to children. The opioid crisis is also in the news.
FDA Explains How It Will Ensure Infant Formula Supplies
The Food and Drug Administration has announced a strategy to avoid the same sort of supply chain crisis that hit baby formula recently, including enhanced inspections and working with the industry on redundancy risk management plans. Separately, questions over probiotic supplements.
Fear In Trans Community As Nashville Shooter’s Gender Identity In News
Prominent Republicans are suggesting gender identity played a role in the gun violence, despite research showing trans people are more likely to be victims of crimes rather than perpetrators, Insider reported.
Viewpoints: Doctors, Try Believing Your Patients; Don’t Say Period In Florida
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Perspectives: What’s Causing The Adderall Shortage?; Some Drugs Are Cheaper Before Insurance
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.