Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Washington, Massachusetts, Idaho, Utah, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, California, Colorado and New Hampshire.
The current season began the week of Thanksgiving, a typical start time, but in mid-February, a nastier strain started causing more illnesses and driving up hospitalizations. In other public health news: over-treatment, suicide, exercise, depression, cholesterol, autism, abuse, and more.
“There’s a growing awareness that the traditional design of emergency-department care isn’t well suited to frail, older adults,” says Kevin J. Biese, an emergency-medicine physician who heads the new Geriatric ED Accreditation Board of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Consumers have gotten used to the benefits of PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that make clothing water resistant and cooking ware easier to clean, but scientists say it will take years to discover their risks. Other news on the environment looks at how to protect yourself from air pollution when traveling.
Many parents think what they’re doing is safe and OK, until they lose their baby. “It is very, very distressing that in the U.S. we’re just seeing this resistance, or persistence of these high numbers,” said Dr. Fern Hauck, a University of Virginia expert in infant deaths. In other maternal and child health news: postpartum depression and commuting while pregnant.
Since Columbine, Millions Spent On ‘Hardening’ Schools, But That Has Done Little To Ease Fears
Mass shootings at schools remain rare, but the threat of one keeps America in its grips. Experts caution that schools should avoid over-preparing for mass shootings and should instead focus on more typical threats to students’ safety, such as mental health issues and family trauma.
In ads that are now geared toward adults rather than teens, e-cigarette companies tout their products’ potential to help adults quit traditional cigarettes. Although early evidence indicates that vaping can help traditional smokers quit, researchers see many caveats. Lawmakers and regulators are now considering if the crackdown on advertising should be more broad.
The nation’s largest insurer is under fire for its decisions on what mental health services it covers. In other news, the company is trying to push into a crowded digital health marketplace.
As the financial muscle behind the opioid epidemic, drug distributors rank among the largest American companies by revenue, with the three leading companies distributing more than 90 percent of the nation’s drug and medical supplies. They’ve faced numerous accusations that they deliberately circumnavigated regulators in favor of profit. Now, in what could be a test case, the United States attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and the DEA are wrapping up an investigation that appears likely to result in the first criminal case involving a major opioid distributor. In other news on the crisis: generic nasal spray for overdoses, involuntary commitment for addiction treatment, arrests, and disappointing news for a novel pain drug.
There are already laws in existence that protect babies that are born alive, but state lawmakers across the country are rushing legislation through to capitalize on the movement. News on abortion and family planning comes out of Ohio, Florida, Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well.
The Families USA report suggests that onerous eligibility redetermination processes are at least as big a threat to poor people’s coverage as those other measures.
Renowned Cancer Hospital In Texas Ousts Scientists Over Espionage Fears
“A small but significant number of individuals are working with government sponsorship to exfiltrate intellectual property that has been created with the support of U.S. taxpayers, private donors and industry collaborators,” said Dr. Peter Pisters, the president of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Republican lawmakers introduced several bills they say protect the Affordable Care Act’s popular provision prohibiting an insurer from denying coverage to a patient due to a preexisting condition. But the proposed measures are not nearly as comprehensive as the current health law. In other news: Farm Bureau coverage, curbing coverage price hikes, emergency room visits and accountable care organizations.
Hospitals Predict Grim Future Of Closures, Lay-Offs If ‘Medicare For All’ Plan Takes Root
Hospitals sometimes get up to double the amount from a private insurer as they do from Medicare for a procedure. If all the rates were reduced to what Medicare reimburses it could cause financial upheaval throughout the industry. Proponents of “Medicare for All” argue that hospitals charge too much and could lower their prices without sacrificing the quality of their care.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorials and columnists discuss health care issues.
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, California, Washington, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, Minnesota and New Hampshire.
News from state legislatures comes out of Connecticut, Washington, Arizona, Maryland, California and Florida.
Montana Lawmakers Send Medicaid Expansion Bill With Work Requirements To Governor
The legislation comes as Montana faces an expiration date on the state’s Medicaid expansion, which was approved in 2015. “It was in our best interest to continue the program to help as many folks as we can, especially with drug addictions [and] mental illness. Those are big things that plague Montana, and they’re very expensive. And everyone that we can treat and have success in those areas is a huge win for everyone,” said Republican state Rep. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls.
