Latest KFF Health News Stories
Modern Healthcare sat down with Patrick Kennedy, known for his advocacy work on mental health care, to talk about the problems facing the mental health care system in America.
Tightknit Communities Pose Unique Challenge To Public Health Officials During Outbreaks
Advocates say that it’s important to understand what’s driving the vaccination fears within the communities and acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to fly. Meanwhile, the New York measles outbreak has highlighted the complex relationship between NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and the conservative Orthodox Jewish community that critics say is his weak spot.
Sheer Scale Of Opioid Epidemic Challenges Southern States’ Resistance To Harm Reduction Strategies
The position of many Southern states on harm reduction strategies — such as needle exchanges and policy carrying anti-overdose medication — is that they encourage of drug use. However, as the crisis continues to ravage communities, there’s growing support in these usually hesitant locations. Other news on the drug epidemic focuses on treating addiction, a “hub and spoke program” gaining national attention, a legal battle over a proposed safe injection site and a campaign to help pregnant women who are addicted to opioids.
There’s a growing scrutiny over what to do about surprise medical bills, that may be more common than people think. Often times, faced with mountains of paperwork and an endless black hole of phone calls to insurers, patients just pay the charges. But that may eventually change as legislation is introduced to curb the practice.
There’s scads of legal precedent against so-called heartbeat bills, but they continue to be introduced by conservative states. That’s because they’re intended to force a court challenge. And with the current Supreme Court composition, anti-abortion advocates see a chance of toppling Roe v. Wade with such legislation. The approach, however, highlights some cracks in the anti-abortion movement.
Democrats’ High-Profile Tug-Of-War Between Progressives, Moderates Spills Into Drug Pricing Debate
Progressive Democrats are calling on their moderate colleagues to pursue more aggressive strategies on drug prices, despite the fact that any such legislation would face an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate. The division is part of a larger fracture in the party about what direction to take on big health care issues.
Recent deaths highlight the fact that, despite a concerted effort to focus resources on the problem, little progress is being made to combat veteran suicides. That is due in part to the complex factors at play: About 70 percent of veterans don’t seek care through the VA, because of stigma and other issues. And for those who do reach out for help, staff can often lack proper training in suicide prevention. Other factors include the agency’s debilitating leadership turmoil in recent years and easy access to guns for vets.
The move is seen as part of an alarming trend by the Justice Department — only about once a decade since World War II has the agency declined to support a law enacted by Congress. “Imagine a world where an administration of one party passes a law and then a different president effectively invalidates it by having the Justice Department refuse to defend it in court,” said Joshua Geltzer, the executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law School. “You want elected lawmakers to draft laws, not lawyers at the Justice Department.”
Where The 2020 Hopefuls Stand On The Plethora Of Health Bills Circulating On Capitol Hill
Some of the Democratic presidential candidates back the traditional “Medicare for All” plan while others support a more moderate approach. The Hill offers a primer on both bills and the candidates who favor them. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s latest moves on health care unite infighting Democrats.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Perspectives: Basing Drug Costs On Value Might Make Things Even Worse
Editorial writers weigh in on this week’s hearings on the rising costs of prescription medicines.
Opinion writers express views about threats to end the health law and about promisies for extending Medicare.
Longer Looks: Medicare-For-All, What Cancer Takes Away & The Measles Threat
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
State Highlights: Concerns Raised About Safety In Minn. Assisted Living Facilities
Media outlets report on news from Minnesota, MIchigan, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, North Carolina and Maryland.
News on the state legislative action comes from Florida, Maryland, Arizona, Ohio, Texas and New Hampshire.
Ohio’s ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Bill Is Now Law
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed one of the nation’s most stringent abortion measures, outlawing the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Opponents are alreadying taking steps to challenge the law in court. And as more and more states take up abortion-related measures — in part, to elevate cases to the Supreme Court — actions in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Arizona make headlines.
Florida House Panel Approves Bill Seeking Medicaid Work Requirements
Florida has not expanded its Medicaid program under the federal health law, so this measure, which now goes to the full House, would apply to the traditional Medicaid program. News outlets also report on Medicaid news out of Montana, North Carolina, Iowa and Tennessee, as well as proposals for changes in federal rules from an advisory group.
NASA Astronaut’s Health Does Change While In Orbit, But Researchers Disagree About Level Of Risk
Scientists studying the research on the Kelly brothers following Scott’s 340 days in orbit had mixed opinions about the the biomedical and genetic changes brought on by long-term space travel. “What this really does is open a door to the kind of analysis you could never do before that’s going to be important for astronauts when they go on long-duration space flight to Mars and they’re going to have to be progressively independent from the resources that are on the ground,” said Andrew Feinberg, a lead investigator on the Twins Study.
Medical Marijuana Needs Debated In Missouri, Texas
And in Idaho, the issue of legal pot is at the center of a new measure under consideration by lawmakers that would make it harder for referendums to qualify for the ballot.
