Latest KFF Health News Stories
Editorial pages focus on efforts to stem the rising costs of health care.
Media outlets report on news from Indiana, Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, and Missouri.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Heavier people get sicker and are also more likely to spread the disease, researchers said, and that has the potential to amplify a flu outbreak. Public health news is on including family in holiday workouts, air pollution’s impact on the brain, cancer treatments for the elderly, California’s Healthy Blue Zone, dangers from probiotic bacteria, skin-lightening products, a mysterious lung ailment, push back against vets’ service dogs, and dengue fevers risks for travelers.
No deaths have been reported so far, but this strain of bacteria is the same one that caused outbreaks the last 2 years and wreaks havoc on kidney functions.
Investigators found no malicious intent, and no one was punished as a result of the unread scans.
Medical examiners have found that the crib bumpers have been linked to at least 35 deaths across the country. But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission health science team keeps rejecting the rulings. Other news coming out of federal agencies focuses on a panel that helps consumers navigate alternative medical approaches and questions about how medical research is being used.
Even the application fees can be prohibitive, let alone the rest of the cost of medical school. In an industry that leans predominately toward the upper class, low-income students are left wondering how that’s ever going to change.
Artificial intelligence is starting to take over some jobs that nurses typically perform, like asking a patient about symptoms. But experts say there will always need to be the human touch when it comes to care. Meanwhile, HIPPA’s in the spotlight following Google’s Project Nightingale revelation. What exactly does it cover?
Data from the opioid crisis shows just how much racial bias about the pain tolerance of African American patients plays out in real life. In other news on the crisis: a growing concern that babies will be left out of financial settlements from drugmakers, a ban on addiction treatment dollars going to medical marijuana research, needle exchanges, overdose training and more.
Brigham Young University-Idaho requires that students have health insurance, but the university no longer accepts Medicaid. The cheapest option available is the university’s student health plan, which does not comply with the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections. Medicaid news comes out of Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and New York.
“We will soon be putting more options on the table…” President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday. But it’s unclear how or if the proposal differs from one outlined this summer. Both drug companies and Canada — where the drugs would supposedly come from — oppose the idea. In other pharmaceutical news: Trump backs off from Medicare negotiation pledge, Novartis bets on heart drugs, an experimental dengue vaccine looks promising, and more.
The closely watched meeting between President Donald Trump and the vaping industry, medical professionals and others with a vested interest in the e-cigarette discussion was held on Friday. Trump said he feared that if there was a flavor ban, that people would simply turn to black market products. He also asked for information about letting states set their own rules, and he reiterated his support for raising the age limit to 21.
Most of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates agree on certain positions — like supporting the removal of the Hyde amendment — that may have divided the field in previous eras. “What you’ve seen is that it’s no longer OK for any candidate just to say they’re pro-choice,” said Jacqueline Ayers, of Planned Parenthood. “They’re being very specific on how our rights are under attack, how access to abortion is being undermined in this country, and putting forth plans to protect and expand rights.”
A so-called “public option” would allow people to buy a government-run health plan that competes with the private marketplace. In previous years, the policy was considered extreme, while now it’s starting to sound like the moderate option in the current political landscape. Meanwhile, Politico takes a look at the army being built to fight “Medicare for All.”
During open enrollment season, health experts say to watch out for “junk” insurance plans that were expanded under the Trump administration and don’t have to meet standards set by the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, investors are betting that the Supreme Court rules in favor of insurers in a case over “risk corridor” payments.
First Edition: November 25, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
The guns are growing in popularity because they don’t require serial numbers and can be assembled by people who think they wouldn’t pass a background check. In other news on gun violence: NRA relaunches efforts against Florida’s age restrictions and a fatal shooting prompts changes at a D.C. hospital.
