Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Difficult, Rewarding Work Of Feeding America’s School Kids
The Washington Post goes beyond the politics of how to feed America’s hungry kids and asks schools not only how they’re accomplishing the task but what is actually going on kids’ plates. Meanwhile, a proposed food stamp rule could impact free lunches for some children.
Google Jumps Into Fitness Tracking Business With $2.1B Fitbit Acquisition
The entry into the crowded field marks the latest effort by tech giants to secure a piece of the lucrative wearables marketplace.
Proposed Rule From HHS Would Allow Foster Care, Adoption Agencies To Deny Services To LGBTQ Families
The rule would roll back an anti-discrimination policy put into place by former President Barack Obama.
“Facing a likely risk of being separated from their family members and a delay in obtaining a visa to which family members would otherwise be entitled is irreparable harm,” wrote Judge Michael Simon in U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon of the Trump administration’s policy that would require new immigrants to show proof of health insurance or the means to afford it.
Cancer Doctor Tapped To Head FDA Will Inherit Slew Of High-Profile Public Health Issues If Confirmed
Dr. Stephen Hahn of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston was named by President Donald Trump on Friday to head the FDA. The nomination comes amid several public health crises, including a vaping-related outbreak and an opioid epidemic, along with an increased interest in prescription drug costs.
Meanwhile, Trump administration officials tell consumers that they’re working to smooth out website glitches from the first day of open enrollment.
The New York Times investigates the machines, which are found in nearly every police station in America yet can yield results that were at times 40 percent too high. The consequences of the legal system’s reliance on these tests are far-reaching as people are wrongfully convicted based on dubious evidence.
China has more than 7.4 million e-cigarette consumers, and it is the largest maker of e-cigarette products. In the midst of a vaping reckoning happening elsewhere, the move could cut the industry off at the knees. In other news on the growing public health issue: vaping bans; e-cigarettes’ likelihood of acting as a gateway product to traditional cigarettes; Americans’ view on the dangers of marijuana versus vaping; and more.
President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal aid from California because of how Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is handling the wildfires. But the tweets were quickly met with pushback, with Newsom saying, “You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation.” Others accused the president of playing “political roulette with the lives of our firefighters.”
Democratic rivals, conservatives and some analysts sounded off about Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s plan to pay for “Medicare for All.” Much of the criticism about the proposal centered around accusations that it’s not realistic when the starting point is the country’s current health care landscape.
Many jobs that are “quintessential Montana jobs” are seasonal, with income ebbing and flowing throughout the year. But Montana is one of a number of states looking to implement Medicaid work requirements that could ask beneficiaries to report their work hours in a far more regulated way. Medicaid news comes out of North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Massachusetts, as well.
First Edition: November 4, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Media outlets report on news from Oregon, Ohio, New York, Louisiana, Wisconsin, California, North Carolina, And Texas.
Longer Looks: Cancer And Deportation; Is Vaping Safe?; Surviving Atrocities; And More
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Opioids are being replaced by methamphetamines in areas of the country, but treatment centers are struggling to help patients because they get their money primarily for opioid treatments. Meanwhile, police try to figure out ways to better determine whether behavior is due to illicit drug use or mental health issues.
Although an extra hour of sleep may seem like a luxury, it can throw off your sleep patterns for the upcoming week, wreaking havoc on your circadian rhythms. Meanwhile, the importance of sleep is once again re-emphasized with new findings about how the brain at night clears out toxins that can lead to Alzheimer’s.
The Trump administration gave scant detail about how new requirements that immigrants prove they can pay for insurance would be implemented beyond a bullet-point list of the types of plans that would be accepted. This has left many facing a system that is complicated and confusing at the best of times. Other immigration news focuses on conditions at detention facilities and a new acting secretary for DHS.
Insurers Found To Have Been Selling Illegal Health Plans In New Hampshire
The companies were selling plans under the rules that allow health sharing ministries to help members share costs between themselves. But regulators say they didn’t meet the requirements to be eligible for that exemption to the health law.
Medicare enrollment can be daunting, but in the midst of open enrollment for the program, media outlets offer suggestions on how to make the most of the program.
Health Law Enrollment Opens: Experts Predict Fewer Sign-Ups Despite Stronger Marketplace
Open enrollment opens Friday and ends Dec. 15 for the 38 states that use healthcare.gov. The remaining states manage their own platforms, and some have deadlines that stretch into January.
