Latest KFF Health News Stories
Pandemic Pushed Maternal Deaths Up 33%: End Of Roe May Make It Worse
Some states banning abortion already have high mortality rates. Vox notes Black women are expected to be hit worse.
White House Releases New Patient Privacy Guidelines For Post-Roe World
The Biden administration is responding to fears that patient data and tech tools could be used against women seeking reproductive care in states where abortion is banned. The Department of Health and Human Services is emphasizing federal limits on the disclosure of medical records. And the White House will ask the FTC to shield period app data.
More Prosecutors Say They Won’t Enforce State Abortion Bans
The looming national patchwork of abortion laws and restrictions could get even more complicated at the state-level, with some liberal district attorneys saying they will not prosecute abortion providers or patients. Also in the news: President Joe Biden is expected to nominate an anti-abortion lawyer as a federal judge.
Future Of Decades-Old Abortion Trigger Laws Plays Out In Courts
Abortion-rights groups are challenging laws that ban abortion in states like Ohio, West Virginia, Utah, Kentucky, Louisiana and Idaho. Judges have already put some of them on hold while other cases are pending.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Different Takes: Mark Cuban Is Shaking Up The Drug Industry; CRISPR Still Has Some Bugs To Work Out
Editorial writers weigh in on these public health topics.
Lawmakers Make Plea For Federal Help Against High Drug Prices
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Perspectives: FDA Should Examine Accelerated Approval Process; Medicare Must Approve Aduhelm
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Opinion writers discuss covid vaccines and abortion rights topics.
Inflation To Impact Negotiations Between Health Providers, Insurers
Modern Healthcare warns negotiations between health providers and insurers may be “bloody” thanks to the impact of inflation, which rose for general goods more than health care in May. Separately, Medicare Advantage is chastised by government watchdogs for denying care and overcharging.
Court Tosses Flint Water Charges Against Former Governor, Others
A Michigan Supreme Court ruling threw out charges that had been laid against officials involved in the Flint water lead contamination scandal. Meanwhile, scientists examining gas supplies in Boston homes found harmful compounds in natural gas leaking from stovetops.
Next Round Of Covid Shots Should Be Omicron-Fighters: FDA
A Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel voted to recommend modified vaccines for the next expected battle against covid in the fall, to specifically combat the infectious omicron variant. Meanwhile, reports say “millions” of Americans have yet to get their booster doses.
White House Advances Monkeypox Vaccine Efforts
Officials are now advising a monkeypox shot for anyone potentially exposed to a confirmed case in the last two weeks. About 56,000 shots will be sent to affected areas soon, and the White House plans availability of about 300,000 in the next several weeks and 1.6 million in total by the end of 2022.
AAP Advises Breastfeeding For Up To 2 Years Or Longer In New Guidance
Fresh guidelines for breastfeeding from the American Academy of Pediatrics say it’s now thought that after 6 months it’s beneficial to breastfeed alongside solid foods for up to 2 years or more. The AAP also noted that more help for parents is needed, including childcare and support for public feeding.
How Much Will Roe Ruling Matter In Key Midterm States?
Democrats are leaning into the issue, running against the Supreme Court and former President Donald Trump’s legacy. Republicans are betting that other issues will drive voters more in November. Meanwhile, as abortion policy is decided at the state level, the importance of local lawmaker races ratchets up even higher.
Abortion Doctors Face Quandary Over Future Work In Post-Roe Times
Media outlets report on how abortion providers are reacting to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, including having to make difficult decisions about moving locations from anti-abortion states or continuing to work in a complex and potentially threatening legal environment.
Facebook, Instagram Remove Posts For Abortion Pills As Demand Jumps
Facebook is issuing warnings that the postings violate its standards on “guns, animals and other regulated goods.” Meanwhile, Hey Jane, an abortion pill delivery company, told Newsweek that patient demand has more than doubled since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Court Reinstates Tennessee’s 6-Week Abortion Ban
As Indiana and Iowa also look to roll back abortion access, Wisconsin’s attorney general is challenging the state’s 173-year-old ban. And birth control and Plan B controversy takes root in Missouri.
Military Will Not Change Its Abortion Policy, Pentagon Says
The Defense Department clarified Tuesday that facilities on military bases will continue to provide abortions in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk. Federal law prohibits the Pentagon from performing or paying for other types of abortions. And in Nevada, Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak signed an executive order to shield patients and health care workers from prosecution.
HHS Response Centers On Preserving Access To Abortion Drugs
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said his agency will enforce existing policies to aid abortion access — especially as states start to restrict mifepristone and misoprostol — and look for new actions, but warns “there is no magic bullet.”