Latest KFF Health News Stories
Nearly 4 Million People Had Data Exposed In July Health Industry Hacks
Health care data breaches compromised information on 3.9 million people in July. About half came from just one payment vendor hack, according to Modern Healthcare. Separately, the Department of Justice says UnitedHealth’s data practices mean its Change Healthcare acquisition should be blocked.
Judge Pauses Wyoming Abortion Ban On State Constitutional Grounds
Teton County District Judge Melissa Owens granted an injunction on the abortion ban as a lawsuit contesting it progresses, since the suit is likely to succeed. Media outlets cover other abortion issues, including flip-flopping legality, medical schools revising training, and more.
Amid Abortion Fight, Democrats Gain Momentum In Midterm Elections
Recent events in Kansas, Minnesota, and Nebraska suggest the political climate for Democrats is not as apocalyptic as it seemed a few months ago, The Washington Post and other news media say.
Biden Signs Bill Expanding Health Care For Vets Exposed To Burn Pits
“This is the most significant law our nation has ever passed to help millions of veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service,” President Joe Biden said at the White House signing ceremony Wednesday.
Pharma Industry’s Response Monitored To Drug Pricing Measures
Roll Call reports on mixed forecasts on whether drugmakers will shift costs to private markets to offset losses from Medicare negotiations. News outlets explore other ways the bill — which is expected to get a House vote Friday — will impact consumers.
Maker Of Jynneos Monkeypox Shot Worried By Dose-Split Plan
Bavarian Nordic, maker of the only FDA-approved monkeypox vaccine, has warned it has reservations over U.S. plans to split the doses to cover more people. The Atlantic reports the decision was made on the basis of only a single study.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers examine monkeypox, covid and mental health.
Opinion writers examine the insulin copay cap, myeloma diagnoses in Black people, ‘death panels,’ and more.
FDA Rejects Expanded Use Of Pimavanserin For Alzheimer’s Disease
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Perspectives: SSRIs Don’t Actually Balance Brain Chemicals; Pfizer Making Smart Acquisitions
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Atlantic City Casino Dealers Want Smoking Ban, Reject Outdoor Area Idea
A proposal from state legislators to create designated outdoor smoking areas has been rejected by Atlantic City casino dealers, who are pushing for a smoking ban. Even walking through these areas exposes workers to secondhand smoke risks, they say. Also: child vaccines, recreational pot and more.
Fewer Than 1 In 3 Insured Patients With Hepatitis C Get Treatment
Media outlets report on a new government study that highlights a failure in the medical insurance system: Though many people infected with hepatitis C can be cured by an expensive treatment, fewer than a third of people whose insurance covers the cure are accessing the drugs.
Costs Of Cybersecurity Attack Higher For Health Industry Than Any Other
A new IBM report highlights the deep impact that a cybersecurity breach can have on a health care system, with the cost of a breach rising — and it already has a more expensive impact than on any other sector. Also: new Dallas clinics from One Medical, insurers cracking down on unscheduled procedures, and more.
Civil Rights Groups Say School Lunch Programs’ Dairy Emphasis Is Racist
A report in The Hill covers efforts by 28 civil rights and child care groups to pressure the U.S. Department of Agriculture over what they say is “dietary racism” in national school lunch programs. Only incentivizing cow’s milk is the problem: children of color are more likely to be lactose intolerant.
FDA OKs Modified Dosing Method For Monkeypox Vax; US Buys More Tpoxx
The emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration will spread limited supplies to reach more people: The method uses a smaller amount of the vaccine administered as an intradermal shot. To combat the virus, the federal government is also buying the IV antiviral drug Tpoxx.
Amid Echoes Of Covid, Alarms Ring As People Catch Shrew ‘Langya’ Virus
The covid pandemic is ongoing but news outlets report on a new zoonotic virus causing concern in China: 35 people have a newly identified virus, called Langya, which can cause liver and kidney failure. Fortunately human infections seem sporadic, and there’s no evidence of human-to-human spread.
Montana Supreme Court Prevents Abortion Ban From Taking Effect
The justices upheld a lower court ruling that blocked three separate laws, including a ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Meanwhile in Idaho, the Justice Department is trying to block the state’s near-total abortion ban. And in Wyoming, a judge will rule today on the state’s temporary ban.
Nebraska Uses Facebook Info To Charge Woman For Aiding Daughter’s Abortion
The then-17-year-old girl in the case was about 24 weeks pregnant, AP reports, and the Facebook data included messages discussing using medication to abort the pregnancy. Nebraskan law currently forbids abortions after 20 weeks. Nebraska’s governor recently resisted pressure to shorten that limit.
Republicans in Wisconsin, Minnesota Pick Anti-Abortion Candidates For Governor
Republican voters in the two states nominated anti-abortion governor candidates for what Reuters says may be two of the most high-profile races in the upcoming general election. But in Colorado, a proposed measure seeking to ban abortions will not appear on the November ballot.