Latest KFF Health News Stories
Spike Of Cybercrimes Cripples School Functions For Virtual Learning
In one Texas school district, an attacker encrypted all the data and demanded $50,000 in ransom. The New York Times reports on what’s known about cases at K-12 schools so far without a federal monitoring effort.
Layoffs At A Blue Cross Blue Shield
In other health care industry news: the explosion of telemedicine, more hospital data breach fines, another young doctor dies of COVID and more.
Gyms May Not Be As Safe As Owners Say
Public health experts question the methods of a study that concluded gyms and health clubs are not spreading the coronavirus. More COVID-related public health news is on nursing homes and home ventilation.
WHO Urges Wealthy Nations To Join Plan To Distribute Vaccine To Most Vulnerable
Missing from participation are the U.S., China and Russia. Other vaccine news including developments in Russia and China.
Drinking Coffee Helps Colon Cancer Patients Live Longer, Study Suggests
Only patients who couldn’t be treated with surgery were involved in the study. Compared with those who didn’t drink coffee, the ones who drank a cup a day had an 11% increased rate of overall survival and a 5% increased rate of living progression-free. And the more they drank, the better.
Evidence Grows That Statin Drugs Are Safe, Beneficial For Elderly
Also in the news: the price of insulin versus other drugs; Legend Biotech; Keytruda; and Perdue Pharma CEO Craig Landau.
Biden Campaign Attacks Stay Targeted On Trump’s Pandemic Missteps
During a Wisconsin visit, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said, “I worry we’re at risk of becoming numb” to the 200,000 people in the U.S. who have died of COVID-19. He did not speak much of the pending Supreme Court battle, while President Donald Trump and Republicans shift their message to it.
Vaccine Approved For Emergency Use Wouldn’t Be Covered By Medicare
The Trump administration is scrambling to make a future coronavirus vaccine free to the nation’s 44 million Medicare beneficiaries, since Medicare doesn’t currently cover costs for drugs approved under emergency-use designations, The Wall Street Journal reports.
HHS Staffing Shake-Up Continues As More White House Liaisons Are Out
White House Liaison Emily Newman and her deputy Catherine Granito are being reassigned, leaving HHS Secretary Alex Azar with more centralized power over his agency, Politico reports.
Inside Justice Ginsburg’s Long Battle With Pancreatic Cancer
Several news outlets take a look at the cancer that killed Justice Ruth Ginsburg.
How The Dynamics Of Obamacare Case Before High Court Have Changed
The vacancy on the Supreme Court heightens the drama over the future of Obamacare.
Another CDC Reversal: Agency Takes Back Info On How COVID Spreads In Air
On Friday, the CDC website was updated to say that 6 feet of distance may not be enough to avoid airborne transmission of COVID-19. That guidance was removed on Monday. CDC officials say draft language was posted in error, but the misstep comes at a time when public confidence in the agency is taking a hit due to confusing messaging.
NIH Staffer Unmasked As Online Peddler Of COVID Misinformation; Will Retire
William Crews, a public affairs specialist for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will leave the agency led by Dr. Anthony Fauci after the Daily Beast revealed that Crews is the managing editor of a conservative website where he authored many posts slamming Fauci, masks and other government COVID guidance.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Rural Hospitals Teeter on Financial Cliff as COVID Medicare Loans Come Due
A lack of direction from federal administrators is causing confusion for many hospital administrators. Rural hospitals are among the ones hit hardest.
It’s Not Just Insulin: Lawmakers Focus on Price of One Drug, While Others Rise Too
While insulin is the poster child for outrageous prescription costs, patients are paying ever more to treat depression, asthma, HIV, cholesterol and more. And the pandemic has overtaken efforts to force the issue in Congress.
Señales de una “vacuna sorpresa en octubre” alarma a científicos de carrera
El presidente Donald Trump, que parece decidido a anunciar una vacuna para COVID-19 antes de las elecciones, podría autorizarla legalmente a pesar de las objeciones.
“Where It Hurts,” a new podcast from KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) and St. Louis Public Radio, explores painful cracks in America’s health system that leave millions without the health care they need. Season One, titled “No Mercy,” tells the story of what happened in Fort Scott, Kansas, when the rural town’s 132-year-old Mercy Hospital […]
Signs of an ‘October Vaccine Surprise’ Alarm Career Scientists
President Donald Trump has the legal power to authorize a COVID vaccine over the objections of the Food and Drug Administration and vaccine manufacturers. Such a move could further erode public trust in a vaccine and foist an unsafe shot on Americans.
‘Wrong Direction’: Increase In England’s Cases Could Be Tipping Point
Global news is from England, Israel, France, Spain, Australia, Guatemala and Sweden.