Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: Should Drug Companies Be Able To Bypass Physicians?; RFK Jr. Wants To Cause Chaos
Editorial writers delve into these public health topics.
USDA Blocks Processing Fees On School Lunches For Low-Income Families
Cashless payment systems come with heavy processing fees, and the USDA has announced that starting in 2027, students who qualify for free- or reduced-price lunches cannot be charged said fees. Also, the CDC’s director discusses how election results may shift the nation’s focus on the health impacts of things like access to transportation, jobs, and housing.
National IV Solution Supply Chain At Risk Again From New Storm
Tropical Storm Rafael, which is expected to strengthen and may hit the Gulf Coast later this week, could further disrupt the IV solution supply chain if its path shifts towards Texas, where 4.4% of U.S. production takes place. In other news, the WHO has released a list of 17 pathogens requiring urgent vaccine development.
DSH Payment Complaints Argued Before The Supreme Court
Hospitals have brought before the Supreme Court their complaints over how CMS calculates billions of dollars in Medicare payments to safety net hospitals, known as disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. On Tuesday, oral arguments were heard, but the justices are not yet willing to reveal their hands.
Delaware’s Sarah McBride To Become First Transgender Rep In US Congress
She will be the first transgender representative to serve in Congress. Other LGBTQ+ firsts were registered during this year’s elections.
With Senate, White House Wins, GOP Policy Plans Start To Take Shape
Control of the U.S. House remains undecided as Democrats still hope to provide a backstop to unfettered Republican control.
Massachusetts voters also rejected legalizing the use of psychedelics. In Nebraska, Missouri, and Alaska, ballot initiatives passed requiring employers to provide paid sick leave.
California Approves More Funding For Medi-Cal, Tougher Anti-Drug Stance
Also, early returns show voters narrowly approving Proposition 34, which restricts spending of prescription drug revenues by certain health care providers.
Abortion Access Initiatives Fail In Florida, Nebraska, And South Dakota
Voters in Florida and South Dakota defeated ballot measures that would have overturned their respective states’ abortion bans. And in Nebraska’s unusual election with two abortion questions, a ballot measure passed that enshrined a current 12-week abortion ban in the state’s constitution.
Montana, Colorado, Nevada, Maryland, And New York Back Abortion Rights
Although abortions were already legal in those states, passage of the measures was intended to make it more difficult for legislatures to adopt bans in the future. Elsewhere, voters in Amarillo, Texas, overwhelmingly rejected a proposed abortion travel ban.
The amendment to roll back Missouri’s ban will go into effect Dec. 5. From there, abortion rights groups would need to petition the court to overturn the ban as unconstitutional. And in Arizona, voters rejected a law banning abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy in favor of fetal viability, or around 24 weeks.
In Return To Power, Trump Vows To Revamp Health Care As We Know It
In his victory speech, the president-elect reiterated his plans to let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “go wild” on policy: “We’re going to let him go to it.” Stat, Politico, and The Guardian explore what the next administration’s policy proposals might mean.
First Edition: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers discuss these public health issues.
Lawsuits Say GoodRx, PBMs Quash Reimbursements To Small Pharmacies
CVS Caremark and Express Scripts, along with GoodRx and others, are accused of working together to suppress reimbursements to independent pharmacies in at least three class-action lawsuits. Also, Hims & Hers Health will offer a generic version of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug liraglutide in 2025.
PPE Innovation: Disposable Hijabs For Health Care Professionals
Two respiratory therapists in Minnesota are creating disposable, hygienic hijabs for Muslim women in hopes of making them feel more empowered and included in the workplace. Also: investments, acquisitions, cancer treatments, and more.
Doctors, Hospitals Bemoan Inadequate 2025 Medicare Payment Rates
In other news: In a breakthrough for digital therapeutics companies, under the 2025 Medicare rules, clinicians can bill for some mental health apps. Plus: Insurers fear losing out on millions; Medicaid counseling on firearms; and more.
Fungal STI Showing Up In New York
Four men have been diagnosed with Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII since spring. Also, whooping cough cases — almost 20,000 — are almost back to pre-pandemic levels; California and Washington report more suspected bird flu cases.
Regardless Of Who Wins The White House, Abortion Clinics Are In Trouble
As The New Republic explains, a lack of investment in the infrastructure of abortion care over decades is speeding up the closure of reproductive health clinics. Plus: How abortion factors into elections for West Virginia governor and the Arkansas Supreme Court, and more.
10 States Will Decide Future Of Abortion Access
News sources examine the measures — for and against abortion, or constitutional protections — in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota.
