Latest KFF Health News Stories
Anti-Mask Republican Congressman Will Lead COVID Drug Trial
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) is on the data and safety monitoring committee for the drug aviptadil. The five-term congressman’s membership on the board is unusual; former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb told Politico he hadn’t heard of a member of Congress sitting on such a committee for any drug. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Dr. Anthony Fauci also make headlines.
Some PPE Shortages Are Worsening
Supply-chain glitches have yet to be fixed. On Thursday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said the country should “err on the side of saving lives” by federalizing the supply chain.
Moderna, Pfizer Reveal Vaccine Designs
Companies typically share these plans after studies are complete, but both companies hope to earn the trust of the public and scientists.
CMS Task Force Unveils Guidelines For How Nursing Homes Can Fight COVID
The commission, announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in April, was tasked with enhancing strategies for infection control and prevention in facilities. The task force was made up of 25 appointed members, including infectious disease experts and directors of nursing homes. Critics claim it does little to set higher standards.
Private Insurers Pay More Than Double What Medicare Pays For Same Care
“The prices are so high, the prices are so unaffordable — it’s just a runaway train,” said Gloria Sachdev, the chief executive of the Employers’ Forum of Indiana, a coalition that worked with RAND on the study.
‘President Should Step Down’: Biden Condemns Trump’s Pandemic Response
At a campaign town hall in Pennsylvania, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden charged that President Donald Trump’s coronavirus actions have been solely motivated by re-election and financial self-interest. He also questioned vaccine timing talk and slammed Attorney William Barr’s comments comparing pandemic restrictions to slavery.
House Vote On Marijuana Legalization Bill Postponed Until After Election
More moderate Democrats expressed concerns about the progressive labeling of the bill and failure to pass a relief bill.
Frustrations Roil Surface Of Relief Negotiations But Spur No Progress
Despite talk of a middle ground from President Donald Trump and some lawmakers, stimulus legislation negotiators end the week no closer to striking a deal.
Trump Officials’ Private Battle To Control CDC Messaging Goes Public
Health officials within HHS and CDC fear that recent attacks leveled by President Donald Trump and his aides at CDC Director Robert Redfield could escalate, while the American public receives mixed messages from the federal government during a public health crisis.
White House Abandoned HHS Plan To Mail Masks To Every American In April
Documents obtained by The Washington Post and NBC News detail the Department of Health and Human Service’s proposal to deliver 650 million cloth masks in April — enough for five face coverings per household, according to a U.S. Postal Service draft press release. The USPS papers also reveal safety fears raised by postal workers since the pandemic’s start.
Europe’s COVID Cases Rising Faster Than Spring’s Peak, Alarming WHO
The World Health Organization’s European officials warn governments and residents to redouble efforts to fight the virus. With hospitalizations spiking, the United Kingdom considers a second lockdown. And the worldwide total of confirmed COVID-19 cases passes the 30 million mark.
CDC Scientists Did Not Write Or Agree To Release Altered COVID Testing Guidance
Controversial guidelines saying asymptomatic people exposed to COVID-19 don’t need to get tested were crafted by HHS officials and did not go through CDC’s standard scientific review process. Memos obtained by The New York Times finds the policy change was published over objections from CDC scientists.
Farmers To Receive Additional $13B In Coronavirus Relief, Trump Says
President Donald Trump announced the second round of aid for farmers during a reelection rally in Wisconsin. More details are expected today. Other Trump campaign news covers drug importation and pricing, the United Nations and opioids.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Wildfires’ Toxic Air Leaves Damage Long After the Smoke Clears
As fires burn longer and closer to cities throughout the West, researchers are trying to understand the lasting health impacts by studying a Montana town previously smothered by wildfire smoke.
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Election Gift for Florida? Trump Poised to Approve Drug Imports From Canada
The Trump administration is primed to approve a plan designed to help lower costs of some prescription drugs by allowing states to import them from Canada. The announcement could come before Election Day, and Florida appears to be in line to go first.
In Face of COVID Threat, More Dialysis Patients Bring Treatment Home
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, more patients are administering dialysis to themselves at home rather than receiving it in a clinic. Although home dialysis limits exposure to the virus, it comes with its own challenges.
A Pandemic Upshot: Seniors Are Having Second Thoughts About Where to Live
More than 70,000 residents and staff members at nursing homes and assisted living facilities have died of COVID-19, and others are under strict rules designed to keep the disease from spreading. That has evoked concern that living in a communal facility could be dangerous.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: It’s Scandal Week
President Donald Trump this week issued a prescription drug pricing order unlikely to lower drug prices, and he contradicted comments by his director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the need for mask-wearing and predictions for vaccine availability. Meanwhile, scandals erupted at the CDC, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration. And the number of people without health insurance grew in 2019, reported the Census Bureau, even while the economy soared. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.