Latest KFF Health News Stories
Opposition To Texas Abortion Ban Steps Up With Lawsuit In Illinois
Dr. Alan Braid, already in the news for performing an abortion after the restrictive new law in Texas passed, is asking a federal judge in Illinois to declare the ban unconstitutional and to block three bounty-like lawsuits filed against him under the law.
Investigation: Native American Health Service Complacent In Sex Abuse Case
Legal efforts by The Wall Street Journal unearthed an internal investigation by U.S. Indian Health Service hospitals into complaints about a pedophile doctor. USA Today reports on a man found with a 4-inch spike of cement in his heart following previous spinal surgery.
To Boost Transplants, First Study Into US Organ Procurers’ Data Begins
The Federation of American Scientists will launch the first investigation of over a decade of data from several organ procurement organizations, to better understand how people on transplant lists are being helped. Oxygen monitoring, needle exchanges and driver distraction are also in the news.
Biden Cedes Ground To Moderates Pushing For Smaller Spending Bill
News reports say that President Joe Biden is willing to scale back the reconciliation plan from $3.5 trillion to $2.3 trillion or even less — a concession that still means difficult negotiations ahead as Democrats negotiate over what to slash. Health measures could be on the chopping block.
Facebook Targets Youth Despite Mental Health Harm, Whistleblower Testifies
Lawmakers voiced bipartisan anger over evidence that Facebook continues to use its platforms, especially Instagram, to capture younger users despite internal research detailing increased risk of suicide, depression and eating disorders. Media outlets report on the key takeaways from former Facebook employee Frances Haugen’s testimony before a Senate panel Tuesday.
False Results Force Recall Of Hundreds Of Thousands Of Ellume Covid Tests
Ellume was the first company to get Food and Drug Administration authorization to sell home-testing covid kits in consumer retail outlets like Walmart. Meanwhile, deaths from covid in the U.S. this year have already surpassed 2020’s figure, but hospitalization rates are reported down.
Leaders Of Idaho, Florida, Arizona Are Hoping You Aren’t Paying Attention
On Tuesday, Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, a Republican, banned vaccine “passports” while the governor was out of state. Meanwhile, Florida is trying to block federal reimbursements for school districts that support mask mandates, and Arizona is trying to give its federal pandemic funds to schools without mask mandates.
Tiny Percent Of Health Workers Fired, Quit Or Suspended Over Vax Mandates
Health systems are reporting ranges of 0.5% up to 2% of workforce departures for failing to obey covid vaccine requirements: the University of Colorado health system says it fired 119 employees; Kaiser Permanente suspended over 2,200 workers; and 400 Henry Ford Health System employees have quit. And in California, the mandate now also covers disability aides.
A Colorado Health System Will Deny Transplants For Unvaxxed Patients
UCHealth’s controversial rules for transplant patients who have not gotten covid vaccines are in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Louisiana’s largest nonprofit health system Oschner Health says it will charge employees an extra $200 a month to insure their unvaccinated partners or spouses.
J&J Applies For FDA OK To Administer Second Dose Of Covid Vaccine
Johnson & Johnson says that adult Americans who received their covid shot should get a booster, although it did not provide the Food and Drug Administration with specifics on timing since the initial dose. It’s expected that the FDA will consider the request, as well as Moderna’s, this month. News outlets report on other aspects of the vaccine rollout, as well.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: New Moms Need Early PPD Care; Mental Health Care Should Be Mandatory For Military
Editorial pages delve into these public health topics.
Missouri’s Medicaid Expansion Begins; Doctors Push For It In Mississippi
Five months after Republican Gov. Mike Parson unsuccessfully tried to block Medicaid expansion in Missouri, coverage for about 275,000 adults begins. In other news, California is set to impose a new 12.5% vaping tax to discourage teenagers from using e-cigarettes.
Australia Keeps Borders Closed To Foreigners Until Next Year
Meanwhile, health authorities in the E.U. have approved booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine for people 18 and older, with Moderna boosters for immunocompromised patients. Reports say Guatemalan villagers held a team of vaccine nurses hostage, and in Japan, a dip in covid rates can’t be explained.
Different Takes: How Covid Is Affecting Pediatric Patients; Reasons US Handled Covid So Poorly
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid and vaccine topics.
Pandemic Investment Hit $8 Billion For Digital Health Companies Last Quarter
Modern Healthcare notes the roughly $8.1 billion figure is a record for this particular sector of the health industry, and was up 5% on the previous quarter. The GAO and MIPS, Whole Life Inc., Wellstar-United, ambulance provider Falck, and more are also in health industry news.
Automated Deep-Brain Stimulation Cured Woman’s Depression
News outlets report on a breakthrough treating depression, where a device detected brain activity associated with depression and automatically stimulated the brain to treat symptoms. Meanwhile, e-scooter injury rates skyrocketed over the past four years.
Pfizer Shot Still 90% Effective Against Death After 6 Months, Including Delta
Though the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine does wane, a new study says that even after six months it is very effective at preventing serious illness from covid. A different study predicts that “natural” immunity after a covid infection fades fast, and that reinfection is likely.
Stores Sold Out Of Covid Tests? Things May Improve As FDA OKs Another One
The at-home test from ACON Laboratories likely will double testing capacity in the next few weeks, a top FDA official said. The FDA also greenlighted a new at-home test kit for covid and influenza A/B for ages 2 and up that can be ordered by a physician.
Lawsuit Says Key Cancer Cells Used In Research Were Stolen 70 Years Ago
Cancer cells from Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman, have been used in cancer research for 70 years and now the family is suing a pharmaceutical company for profiting from them, alleging they were taken without consent. News outlets report on other health and race-related issues.