Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Florida, Texas, Oregon, Louisiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, District of Columbia, California, Massachusetts and New Mexico.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Research Roundup: Drug Safety; Tackle Football; And Breastfeeding
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
The vote represents a significant defeat for Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who made expansion one of her top priorities. “I’m not saying no. I’m saying this policy isn’t ready,” said Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning (R-Overland Park). Other Medicaid news comes out of Maine and Wisconsin.
Some dentists won’t treat patients with disabilities, but at a new center at the New York University College of Dentistry — which educates roughly 10 percent of the nation’s dentists — that behavior is unacceptable. “We need to train dental students to stop throwing their hands up and to start embracing them,” said Dr. Ronald Kosinski, the center’s director. Other public health news focuses on student safety, fossil discovery, hungry college students, antidepressant drugs, eating disorders and more.
CVS Delivers Strong First-Quarter Results, Soothing Fears About Fallout From Aetna Acquisition
CVS shares lost a third of their value after the completion of the Aetna deal, erasing roughly $34 billion of market value. On Wednesdays, the shares were up 5% at about $57 in afternoon trading. In other health industry news: more first-quarter results, the challenge of working with technology, mental health training and more.
Outrage Over IHS Doctor Sparks Bill That Would Cut Off U.S. Pensions For Convicted Child Molesters
Indian Health Service pediatrician Stanley Patrick Weber will receive $1.8 million in U.S. pension payments during his time in prison. Only an act of Congress can change that policy. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, lawmakers focus on the country’s maternal death rates.
Homeland Security Department officials have emphasized in recent months that the surge in Central American families seeking asylum has pushed their facilities beyond capacity and exhausted resources. The high-profile deaths shine a light on those dangers.
Despite Democrats having a stronghold on the New York Legislature, there seems to have been little appetite to take up legislation that would eliminate religious exemptions. As the current measles outbreak continues to spiral out of control, however, some minds are changing. In other news on the measles outbreak: vaccination production, a quarantined cruise ship, movie theater exposure, and more.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has signaled support for a buy-in option for Medicare, while rival candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) backs more sweeping changes to the health system. The divide highlights one of the main rifts between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic field. Other 2020 election news looks at mental health care and environmental justice.
Trump Administration Formally Asks Court To Strike Down Entirety Of The ACA
In its brief to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, the Trump administration abandons an earlier position that some parts of the Affordable Care Act should stand, asking the court to uphold U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor’s ruling last year striking down the entire health law. The appeals court is expected to hear oral arguments in July.
In a departure from the norm, the Congressional Budget Office’s report didn’t estimate about how much a switch to “Medicare for All” would actually cost, in part because such a change would so disrupt the country’s economy that it would be impossible to forecast the full impact. The office did, however, lay out potential pitfalls, obstacles, challenges and rewards of moving into a different model, providing talking points to lawmakers on all sides of the issue.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Lessons On Gene Therapy And Needs Of The Patients; VA Is Letting Down Suicidal Veterans
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Federal Regulators To Slap Warnings On Sleeping Pills Because Of Drugs’ Risky Side Effects
The boxed warnings must list side effects such as sleepwalking and sleep driving. Although such reactions are rare, they can result in serious injuries or death.
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, New York, Minnesota, North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Florida and California.
NYC Bans Alcohol Ads On Its Property To Help ‘Health Equity,’ Fight Substance Abuse, Mayor Says
Health officials claim exposure to alcohol advertising can lead to the consumption of larger quantities of alcohol more frequently. New York City had 110,000 alcohol-related emergency room visits in 2016, and 2,000 people died because of alcohol-related causes.
New Facebook Health Groups Promise Privacy, But Does Company Go Far Enough To Do That?
“That sounds, to me, a lot like managing people’s well-founded anxieties without actually making any structural changes,” said Kirsten Ostherr, a digital health technology researcher at Rice University. News on health and technology also focuses on Microsoft’s health care team, tiny robots, computing vs. caring and more.
