Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Idaho, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Hawaii, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, California, Michigan and Iowa.
Experts offer the reasons that a man as young as Luke Perry, who was 52 when he died, could have a stroke. In other public health news: an HIV cure, salt and nutrition, Alzheimer’s, gender in science, aging, and more.
There are usually many complex reasons that those addicted to opioids struggle with recovery–including the struggles of being homeless or not having insurance. Lawmakers, who wanted to bring a fresh set of of eyes to the problem, toured Johns Hopkins looking for answers. News on the crises comes out of Ohio, as well.
The Trump administration is mulling whether it should continue approving accreditation groups that also have consulting arms. Many hospitals hire an organization called the Joint Commission, but that organization also has a subsidiary that offers consultants-for-hire that help hospitals attain accreditation. The commission has defended the practice, but others see it as a conflict of interest. In other CMS news: nursing home star ratings and Medicare penalties for hospitals.
In A National Call To Action, Trump Creates Task Force To Try To Tackle High Rate Of Veteran Suicide
Within the next year, the task force will create a road map coordinating suicide-prevention efforts, prioritizing research on the topic and prompting collaboration across public and private sectors, an administration official said. Currently, about 20 veterans die by suicide each day, about 1.5 times higher than those who haven’t served in the military.
U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero found that United Behavioral Health, the insurer’s unit that administers treatments for mental illness and addiction in private health plans, used overly restrictive guidelines to make its decision on mental health coverage. “There is an excessive emphasis on addressing acute symptoms and stabilizing crises while ignoring the effective treatment of members’ underlying conditions,” he said. He dismissed much of the testimony by UnitedHealth’s experts as “evasive — and even deceptive.” The ruling, if its upheld, could have wide-reaching ramifications for the industry.
Border agents are struggling to meet medical needs and thousands of exhausted members of migrant families crammed into a detention system that was not built to house them. Officials say the system is at its breaking point. The latest numbers are a blow to the Trump administration’s recent, aggressive actions to curb the flow of people over the border.
New Democratic Campaign Chief Rains On ‘Medicare For All’ Parade With Reality Check On Its Price Tag
“I think the $33 trillion price tag for Medicare for all is a little scary,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was quickly rebuked by his colleagues for the stance. The hearing included several witnesses, but the one that drew the most attention was Ethan Lindenberger, a teenager from Ohio who got vaccinated against his parents’ wishes. Lindenberger described his choice to protect himself and other people, saying, “My school viewed me as a health threat.” He also pointed out the role social media has played in shaping the antivaccination movement.
Planned Parenthood, American Medical Association Latest To Sue Over Family Planning Program Changes
The lawsuit comes one day after a coalition of 21 state attorneys general and California announced their legal challenges of the rule changes, which could effectively strip millions of dollars from clinics across the country. Leana Wen, Planned Parenthood’s president, called the rule “unethical, illegal and dangerous.”
The Food and Drug Administration approved Spravato as a fast-acting treatment for patients who have failed to find relief with at least two antidepressants. Critics are worried, however, that the drug will have a high potential for abuse, like its cousin ketamine. Both drugs can induce psychotic episodes in people who are at high risk for them. But many advocates are hopeful that the treatment can bring relief to the most desperate patients.
FDA Commissioner’s Decision To Resign At End Of Month Catches Washington, Industry By Surprise
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb will resign after nearly two years in the post because he misses his family. A senior White House official said Gottlieb was not pressured to leave and that President Donald Trump is “very fond” of him. Gottlieb, who has aggressively targeted teen vaping as a priority, won bipartisan praise during his tenure, but he wasn’t completely without his critics. His recent decision to approve a powerful opioid drew some fire, and Republicans were wary about his tough stance against the tobacco industry.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from New Mexico, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Why Is America’s Maternal Death Rate So High? C-Sections Are Key Part Of The Problem, Experts Say
While a new law will help states investigate why the death rates in America have more than doubled in the past 20 years, experts say complications from surgical deliveries are a key reason. Other news on women’s health looks at delivery times; midwifery; and an international campaign to end violence against women.
Officials announced that the information for about 45,000 patients in the Rush Health System was compromised. It is at least the second privacy-related incident reported by Rush this year, and one of a string of breaches that have plagued hospitals and health companies over the past few years.
More and more companies are jumping to help with the onerous task of finding caregivers for children with special needs, sick family members and dying patients. “People are able to spend the final days of a parent’s life with them, and they wouldn’t have been able to do that otherwise,” said Melanie Moriarty, a senior director in human resources at Best Buy. Other health industry news focuses on long-term insurance, mergers and contract changes.
Joe Grogan, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. said the administration has not yet coalesced around a particular solution to the problem, but warned that any likely legislation or administrative action will be worse than if hospitals solve the issue themselves.
The Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma said the lawsuit filed by Massachusetts’ attorney general should be dismissed because it is “oversimplified scapegoating based on a distorted account of the facts.” Meanwhile, the company is possibly preparing a bankruptcy filing as it tries to contain liability from hundreds of similar lawsuits alleging it fueled the nation’s opioid epidemic. A bankruptcy filing would immediately halt the lawsuits and provide an avenue to settle the claims on a global basis overseen by the bankruptcy court.
