Latest KFF Health News Stories
Louisiana Nursing Homes Lose Licenses After Hurricane Evacuations, Deaths
Four people died after more than 800 residents were moved to a warehouse, where conditions became hellish. Other news is from California, Wisconsin, New York, Mississippi and Colorado.
CMS To Bolster Some State Reinsurance Programs With $452M Infusion
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is set to announce, Axios reports, that it will support more than a dozen state programs that pay insurers to help cover the cost of extremely expensive health care needed by some customers, in an effort to keep premiums low for more people.
Elizabeth Holmes Gets Her Day In Court As Theranos Trial Begins Today
At the heart of the matter are thousands of patients whom Holmes and Theranos are accused of defrauding: a mother misled about her pregnancy, a patient told to stop taking heart medication and patients who received false HIV-positive results, NBC reports.
FDA: Paperwork Not Filed Before Covid Microbiome Drug Tested On Humans
Kaleido Biosciences has been warned by the Food and Drug Administration that it broke paperwork procedure in clinical tests of a microbiome therapeutic aimed at treating covid. In other news, miniature brain-like structures have been grown in the lab to boost Parkinson’s disease research.
Vaccine Mandates Face New Lawsuits, Local Pushback
Health workers in Detroit and Maine filed legal challenges to employee vaccine requirements. State leaders in Arizona and Oregon are also at odds with measures enacted by city governments.
C Is For Covid, As Outbreaks, Mask Rules, Quarantines Impact Schooling
Pennsylvania schools now have a mask mandate, but Utah’s conflicting mask rules frustrate parents. In Indiana’s schools, 7,200 new cases were reported. Unmasked kids are stressing teachers, and some schools opt to buy high-tech air purifiers to battle covid infections, as covid is upsetting education.
DeSantis Wrong About Vaccines, Fauci Says; Covid Swamps Georgia Schools
Dr. Anthony Fauci called Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “completely incorrect” for saying vaccines are merely a “personal choice.” News outlets cover deaths amid surges across Florida. Meanwhile, more than 24,000 positive cases have hit schools in Georgia since the academic year started.
From Alaska To Idaho And Beyond, Covid Surges Stress Hospital Systems
The situation in Idaho is so bad that the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare acted to allow hospitals to ration health care. In Texas pediatric covid hospitalizations hit a record high, and medical staff in Baltimore are tired out after treating “tens of thousands” of covid patients.
3 In 4 US Adults At Least Partly Vaccinated Against Covid
The White House revealed that 75% of US adults have had at least one covid jab. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca’s CEO is pushing back against the urgent need for booster shots, even as other experts debate exactly what booster shot regimes that research currently supports.
Afghan Refugees At Wisconsin Army Base Embracing Covid Shots
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes “nearly all” of the refugees at Fort McCoy are accepting covid shots. But Fox News notes a case of measles was found among the Afghans, prompting isolations and vaccinations. Separate reports show the mass arrival of refugees in Virginia upset hospital systems.
Abortion Decriminalized In Mexico By Its Supreme Court
In a unanimous ruling, Mexico’s Supreme Court justices paved the way for historic changes in the predominantly Roman-Catholic nation. The potential implications of the decision for people in Texas — where abortion access have been severely curtailed — is also in the news.
Tragic Covid Benchmarks: 650,000 Dead In US; More 2021 Cases Than All Of 2020
As the American death toll ticked past 650,000 people, the nation also broke another record: 20,146,000 confirmed covid cases in just over 8 months exceeded last year’s total. Altogether, 40 million cases have been reported in the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic.
Texas Governor Defends Abortion Law’s Treatment Of Rape, Incest Victims
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says his state’s restrictive law doesn’t force victims of rape to give birth because “it provides at least six weeks for a person to get an abortion.” He also vowed to “eliminate all rapists.” Fallout from the law continues as three San Antonio clinics shutter and “tip” sites hit setbacks.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Chile OKs Covid Shots For 6 And Older; UK Says No For 12- To 15-Year-Olds
Chile gives the go-ahead to use the Sinovac vaccine on some children; it’s the first Latin American country to take this step. Meanwhile, U.K. health officials have refused to approve covid vaccines for healthy kids ages 12 to 15, based on a rare reaction to Pfizer’s version.
Different Takes: Proof Masking Works; The Case Against Vaccine Mandate Religious Exemptions
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid, vaccine and pandemic effects topics.
Perspectives: ZIP Code Determines Longevity; Bill H.R. 3 Will Reform Prescription Drug Costs
Editorial pages tackle these public health issues.
Decision On Future Of E-Smoking Looms At FDA
Stat reports that although the Food and Drug Administration has just three days to decide which e-cigarette products can stay on sale, it has only reviewed a portion of the makers’ applications it’s gathered. Separately, a study identified unique genes in lung cancers in people who’ve never smoked.
WHO Predicts 40% Rise In Dementia Numbers Worldwide By 2030
The World Health Organization report notes the change is due to aging populations. Kidney patient palliative care, rape’s impact on memory, pediatric brain cancer, air quality alerts in the Bay area and other mental health matters are also in the news.
Carbon Monoxide Gas Kills 4, Sends 141 To Hospital In Louisiana After Ida
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports the deaths and hospitalizations came as people without power after Hurricane Ida turned to portable generators. Separately, reports say several local nursing home evacuees died after being relocated due to the storm.