Latest KFF Health News Stories
Experts say the drones would not only speed up the process, but allow doctors to track the organs mid-transit so they can be prepared when it arrives. In other public health news: an Alzheimer’s copycat, the health care workforce, suicide attempts, diabetic amputations, and more.
Seeking To Prevent Opioid Overdoses, New Laws Encourage Use Of Naloxone
States across the country are moving toward improving access to the anti-overdose medication. While nationwide efforts to help opioid users are being applauded, little is being done to battle a rising meth epidemic, public health officials say. News also looks at hospitals banding together to sue opioid makers and withdrawal treatment in jail.
Some states as a group have promised hundreds of billions more in retiree health benefits than they have saved up, so now their leaders are scrambling to cut costs.
Ohio Law Restricting Access To Drug-Induced Abortions Deemed Unconstitutional By State’s High Court
The statute required physicians to comply with the FDA’s 2000 label protocol for medically terminated pregnancies rather than an updated protocol introduced in 2016. The abortion-rights group maintained that the law made Oklahoma the only state in the nation to enforce the older protocol. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says it’s “horrific” that President Donald Trump claimed the state’s doctors are performing infanticide.
Between court decisions that blasted the added restrictions and political calculations, work requirements — and other limits on Medicaid expansion — may not have the secure foothold that seemed likely at the end of last year. Medicaid news comes out of Kansas, as well.
The FDA said it considers IQOS, which heats tobacco without burning it, to be a type of cigarette. Public health experts were disappointed with the decision from the agency that had been taking aggressive steps toward cracking down on smoking and vaping.
Yes, You Might Want To Think About Getting A Measles Shot Even If You Were Vaccinated As A Kid
In the midst of the largest measles outbreak in decades, experts say adults who have an elevated risk of encountering the disease should think about reupping their vaccinations. Meanwhile, officials say the U.S. is nearing the tipping point that measles would no longer be considered an “eliminated” disease.
Push Toward Arbitration Model To Address High Drug Prices Leaves Progressive Democrats Unsatisfied
The idea behind arbitration is to have a third party help decide the price the government would pay for a number of high-priced drugs, but progressive Democrats say that falls short of what would be effective. “If we did come to an arbitration model, I think there would be a large ‘womp, womp,’” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). The discussion of Medicare’s ability to negotiate prices came as a multitude of bipartisan bills addressing high drug prices moved forward in the House.
HHS Spending Bill That Includes Funding For Gun Violence, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Moves Forward
The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee approved the bill by voice-vote, although panel Republicans did not support it. Meanwhile, Democrats are attempting to use a popular measure for funding veterans’ benefits to block money from going to building a border wall.
The House Rules Committee hearing on Tuesday allowed Democratic leadership to give the appearance of consideration for “Medicare for All” legislation without actually moving it forward. And despite the overheated rhetoric that can accompany the debate of the overhaul of the country’s health care system, the hearing was, by most reports, heavy on substance and low on grandstanding.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on the national conversation about health insurance.
Although the training landscape for the medical field is starting to shift with the rest of the country, many women say there’s more that should be done to address the crippling issue.
Advocates Worried About Upcoming Rollout Of VA’s Private Care Call For Delay
As the Department of Veterans Affairs gets ready to expand private medical care for veterans, some worry that the change could threaten the quality of care for the 9.2 million vets with eligibility for the program.
North Carolina Hospital CEOs Tout Benefits Of Medicaid Expansion To Governor, Health Leaders
The consensus from the hospitals was that Medicaid expansion wouldn’t solve all their problems overnight, but they agreed it would go a long way to relieving pressure on their emergency departments and create a healthier patient population. Medicaid news comes out of Tennessee, as well.
Media outlets report on news from California, Michigan, North Carolina, Utah, Massachusetts, Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Minnesota.
A new study will look at just how much a child’s life can be changed when some of the burdens of poverty are lifted. In other public health news: the health effects of long flights, drug safety, vaping, longevity in men, and more.
But could gathering information from social media be problematic? Beyond privacy issues, experts worry that data sets that over- or under-represent certain patient populations could lead to the withholding of health care resources from those who need it most. Other news on health and technology focuses on apps that might ease child custody friction.
Suicides In Kids Jumped In The Months Following Debut Of ’13 Reasons Why,’ Study Finds
Public health advocates had been alarmed by the show’s portrayal of suicide. Although the new study is limited in that it couldn’t definitively link the increase to the show, the spike in cases surpassed historical and seasonal trends.
Proponents of the facilities, which allow users to safely inject drugs under medical supervision, say that innovative solutions are needed in the midst of a war that the country is losing. Critics, however, see the sites as a step in the wrong direction. In other news on the drug crisis: addiction treatment and updates in the court cases against painkiller-makers.
