Latest KFF Health News Stories
America’s Most Dangerous Hospitals Are Becoming Even Riskier For Patients, New Research Reveals
But the number of avoidable deaths that occur in hospitals annually is on the decline from three years ago. “We are cautiously optimistic we are going to see real change and that is the good news from the report,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group. “But 160,000 is still a lot of people, it’s still a terrible problem. We have a long way to go.”
North Carolina Attorney General Joshua Stein focused on allegations that the e-cigarette maker targeted teens with its marketing practices, a claim that Juul has been fending off from federal regulators as well. The state is asking the court to apply a marketing and advertising ban that mimics that of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which went into effect in 1998. Meanwhile, the FDA has been ordered to speed up its review of thousands of electronic cigarettes currently on the market.
Following In Footsteps Of Other Art Museums, Met Turns Down Money From Sackler Family
The moves reflect the growing outrage over the role the Sacklers may have played in the opioid crisis through its links to the company that makes OxyContin, as well as an energized activist movement starting to force museums to reckon with the origins of donations.
New Rules For Liver Transplants Blocked By Judge Amid Controversy Over Fairness Of Guidelines
The transplant system has struggled for decades to find a fair way to distribute livers, kidney, hearts and other organs in the United States. The new policy offers livers to the sickest patients as far as 500 nautical miles from the donor. But critics say that will leave patients in certain places with about 20 percent fewer organs than the current policy.
‘We Will Always Be Here To Defend Abortion’: ACLU Files Suit Against Ohio’s Heartbeat Law
The Ohio legislation bans abortions if doctors can detect a heartbeat, which can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy. Similar measures have been blocked by the courts in the past.
So far, despite calls from activists, none of the major companies that film in Georgia have commented on the issue. The muted reaction is in striking contrast to what happened just three years ago when Netflix and Disney threatened to pull productions if a law allowing faith-based refusal of services to LGBTQ persons was passed. Meanwhile, one actress uses her personal story to highlight how many women have abortions across the country.
Information On Health Law Is Being Systematically Wiped Off Government Websites
A new report documents 26 instances in which information related to the Affordable Care Act was substantially altered or removed from federal websites. Some of the changes were subtle. Others, including the disappearance of an 85-page site devoted to the ACA, were sweeping.
Court-watchers aren’t sure how likely the Supreme Court justices are to even take up the Alabama law once it works its way through the lower courts. Instead, the justices could chip away at the legality of abortion while avoiding a ruling that could negate Roe v. Wade.
Alabama Governor Signs Ban On Abortions, But It’s Unclear When, Or Even If, It Will Go Into Effect
The eyes of the nation were on Gov. Kay Ivey (R-Ala.), who approved the most restrictive ban on abortions in the country. “To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Ivey said. At the earliest, the measure will take effect in six months, but even its sponsors expect it to be blocked by the courts.
Controversy Over The Costliest Drug On The Planet Goes Far Beyond Just The Price Tag
The FDA is poised to approve treatment for a rare disorder that had doomed children to death. But the expected price would make it the most expensive drug on the market. Not only does it raise questions about the cost and value of gene therapies, but it also brings to light fierce bare-knuckle fight between two drugmakers involved. In other pharmaceutical news: Democrats’ drug strategy, pharmacy benefits managers, pricing for HIV prevention pills, generics, a kickback case, a nonprofit’s first product, and much more.
Bipartisan Duo Channels Baseball With Their Proposal To Protect Patients From Surprise Medical Bills
Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) will co-sponsor a measure that would set up an independent-arbitrator system to make a ruling if hospitals and insurers can’t work out who picks up the extra costs. “It’s called baseball-style arbitration. It’s been piloted and used well in New York,” said Hassan. The bill is just one of several expected over the next few weeks that deal with surprise medical bills, an issue that got a recent boost from President Donald Trump.
A crowded Democratic presidential field — largely defined by the historic number of women running — jockeyed on Wednesday to decry the restrictive Alabama abortion bill. Meanwhile, Republicans mostly dodged questions about it.
Other states are working hard to put limits on the procedure and prepare for the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court. Media outlets take a look at movement on abortion legislation in Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Missouri, Louisiana, Utah and more.
Do-It-Yourself Diagnosis: Smartphone Could Let Parents Check If Kid Has An Ear Infection
Ear infections are one of the most common reasons for pediatrician visits, and getting the diagnosis correct can be tricky. A team of scientists, however, may have discovered a way to do it with just a phone app and some common household items.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on the anti-abortion laws being passed in several states.
Media outlets report on news from Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Arizona, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Texas, California, Washington and New Hampshire.
The suit says Purdue Pharma drug representatives made 531,000 calls on doctors in the state since 2007, when the company settled with Pennsylvania and 25 other states and agreed to stop illegal diversion of OxyContin and to promote it only for federally approved uses. The company is facing a barrage of legal challenges from local counties, states and other parties eager to hold it accountable for the role it played in the opioid epidemic.
Editorial pages focus on these health care topics and others.
Under the new rules, a liver must be matched with the most critical patient within 500 miles. That means a liver donated in Nashville could end up in Chicago. The intent of the change is to make organ transplants more fair nationwide, but transplant centers in the South and Midwest are fighting it.
