Latest KFF Health News Stories
Different Takes: GOP Has Good Options For Shaping Health Care Debate Ahead Of Next Election
Editorial pages focus on health care policies.
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Maryland, Oregon, Iowa, Florida, California, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Ohio, Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin.
Lawsuit Alleges Hospital Filmed Women During Intimate Medical Procedures Without Their Knowledge
The Women’s Health Center at Sharp Grossmont Hospital near San Diego had been trying to catch a thief that had been taking medications from the hospital. However, the added security cameras ended up recording procedures being done on female patients. Other hospital news comes out of Minnesota, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia.
Although Purdue Pharma has been the face of the opioid lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson has flown under the radar legally for its alleged role in the opioid crisis. But now Oklahoma’s lawyers are contending that Johnson & Johnson did more than push its own pills, it also profited from the prescription opioid crisis through its ownership of a poppy producer in Australia. Other news on the epidemic comes out of Missouri and Connecticut.
The digital health care industry has the backing of the American Medical Association when claiming it can help millions of people who are at risk of developing the disease and don’t have ready access to doctors to make important lifestyle changes. Medicare is less sure, it says, until the online services are fully validated. Public health news includes reports on ”predatory” journals, a former Obama administrator’s new role, breastfeeding, sunscreen, metastatic cancer research, dengue fever and healthy eating.
In the United States, there are currently 5,226 patients waiting on the heart or lung transplant list, and about 1,000 people a year die waiting for an organ. Until recently, doctors tended to transplant hepatitis C-infected organs only into patients who already had that virus, but a new study might change all that.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) have reached a key agreement over the measure. Aides in both parties said Democrats verbally agreed to make changes to one of the most prominent measures, known as the Creates Act, which cracks down on tactics drug companies use to delay the introduction of cheaper generic drugs.
Under the new plan, employers who cover their workers through Cigna and Express Scripts can opt into the program, and the extra costs will be picked up by the three drugmakers that sell insulin — Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi. Cigna and Express Scripts said the average out-of-pocket cost for consumers under their existing plans was $41.50 for a 30-day supply of insulin.
A two-year investigation by USA TODAY, The Arizona Republic and the Center for Public Integrity found at least 10,000 bills almost entirely copied from model legislation were introduced nationwide in the past eight years. The bills touch on everything from abortion to gun control to sugary drink taxes.
Meet The Former Congressman Who Has Become A One-Man Gatekeeper Over VA Lobbying Efforts
Until January 2017, Jeff Miller was the head of the powerful House Veterans’ Affairs Committee that oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs and produces legislation impacting veterans’ lives. Now he’s a lobbying powerhouse and has helped lead the way as outside interests turn an ever-more interested eye on the VA.
The Justice Department issues a gruesome 56-page report the detailed the cruel and excessive violence within the Alabama prison system in one of the first major civil rights investigations by the department to be released under President Donald Trump. The DOJ notified the prison system that it could sue in 49 days “if State officials have not satisfactorily addressed our concerns.”
Grassley Slams Trump’s Claims That Wind Turbines Cause Cancer As ‘Idiotic’
President Donald Trump claimed that the noise from the turbines is linked to cancer, but evidence shows that they don’t cause adverse health effects. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that he has to teach a lot of new politicians about wind energy and Trump is no different.
The Los Angeles Times and ProPublica investigate high-speed chases that occur when the border patrol is trying to chase down people who have entered the country illegally. In other immigration news: San Diego sues the Trump administration over its policy changes that have strained city services; the government’s largest holding facility, nicknamed “the kennel,” runs out of space; and an autopsy shows that one of the children who died in U.S. custody had the flu.
Possibility That E-Cigarette Use Triggers Seizures In Some Users Investigated By FDA
The cases go back to 2010, with a noticeable uptick in reports beginning mid-2018. The FDA has yet to determine if e-cigarette use is responsible for the seizures, but the agency is concerned enough that it is warning users to be aware of the possibility.
FDA Continues Whack-A-Mole Efforts To Crack Down On Dangerous But Trendy Stem Cell Clinics
Dangerous and mostly unregulated stem cell clinics have cropped up across the county, offering pricey, unproven treatments for anything from sore knees to failing hearts. The FDA has sent letters to 20 companies warning them about their practices, but it’s proving difficult to regulate the ever-expanding field.
The lawsuit claims the Agriculture Department issued its rules with little public notice, no reasoned explanation and against overwhelming opposition from the public. And that by rolling back nutritional requirements, the Trump administration is “attacking the health and the safety of our children,” particularly those who live in poverty.
CMS Suspends Several Consultant Contracts That Sparked Ethics Concerns When They Came To Light
Earlier in the week, Politico reported that CMS was steering communications work to multiple Republican subcontractors to promote Administrator Seema Verma and her work within the administration. The contracts, while legal, did raise ethical questions and prompted leading Democratic lawmakers to immediately call for and investigation.
House Democrats Vote To Condemn Trump’s Health Law Pivot As Republicans Try To Change The Subject
Democrats want to keep the spotlight on the issue, which they see as a winning topic for them with voters. Meanwhile, Republicans, who have born the political bruises from the debate over the past two years, want to direct the nation’s attention elsewhere. And though President Donald Trump seemed on board with that strategy earlier in the week, yesterday he once again promised to have a health plan that was ready for “full display during the election.”
For Many Countries, Poverty Lays At The Heart Of Why Measles, Once Nearly Vanquished, Has Returned
Medical systems in many countries remain too weak to vaccinate enough children year after year to wall out the virus. Media outlets report on the outbreaks in the U.S., as well.
