Latest KFF Health News Stories
Dwindling Funds Strain Already-Stressed Native American Health System As Shutdown Continues
Native American tribes rely heavily on federal assistance for basic services such as health care, so the shutdown is hitting them harder than others. Tribal members say they can’t get referrals for specialty care from the Indian Health Service if their conditions aren’t life-threatening. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has created a workaround so that food stamp beneficiaries won’t be cut off from aid this month.
After last year’s deadly strain, the CDC is releasing weekly information about the flu in order to help the public better understand the dangers. News on the flu comes out of California, also.
First Edition: January 14, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers focus on these health issues and others.
Longer Looks: Pregnancy As A Black Woman; Zuckerberg SF General; And Juul As A Long Con
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, Virginia, Georgia, Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom projects a massive $21.5 billion surplus as growth slows for Medi-Cal. State legislature news comes out of New York, Georgia and Virginia, as well.
Eating Diets High In Fiber Linked To Lower Risk Of Dying From Cancer And Stroke, New Analysis Finds
The research analyzed over 180 observational studies and 50 clinical trials from the past four decades and also showed people developed fewer chronic diseases. “The health benefits of dietary fiber appear to be even greater than we thought previously,” explained co-author Jim Mann. Nutrition and weight news also focuses on bigger waists and smaller brains, and a new study on why exercise is a bust for some people.
Drug Overdose Fatality Rate Soars 260% Among Women From 1999-2017, CDC Reports
“The stereotype is a man who’s addicted to drugs who’s ODing on the street, and we know that that stereotype is clearly not complete. It’s inaccurate,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. Other drug epidemic news looks at equipping police with naloxone; tracking doctors who over-prescribe opioids; puppy programs; childhood trauma and research on safe-injection facilities.
Under Ever-Intensifying Scrutiny From Government, Juul Tries To Embrace Public Health Crusader Image
Juul has launched a new $10 million ad campaign focusing on the pitch that e-cigarettes are helping curb the country’s smoking habits. But experts are saying the new image relies on revisionist history.
Since Jan. 1, hospitals must post a list of their standard charges in a machine-readable format on their website and update the information at least once a year, but many experts have said that those numbers are meaningless to consumers.
Powerful Chamber Of Commerce Pledges To Fight Any Efforts By Congress To Move Toward Single-Payer
“We’ll use all our resources to make sure that we’re careful there,” said Thomas Donohue, the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. In other coverage and access news: insurer settles discrimination allegations over consumers who take HIV-prevention medication; a look at what happens when an insurer’s pricing tool gets it wrong; and trends for the coming year.
Michigan has been approved by the federal government to add in the restrictions next year, but advocates say the thousands of people dropped from Arkansas’ rolls should be a warning to the state. Medicaid news comes out of Tennessee, Iowa and Connecticut, as well.
Louisiana To Move Forward With ‘Netflix’ Subscription Model To Pay For Pricey Hep C Drugs
The model would allow the state to have access to unlimited supplies of the drug on a subscription basis, rather than paying for each patient. Louisiana hopes to lead the way for others around the country. In other pharmaceutical news: Johnson & Johnson increases prices for about two dozen drugs; a pharma CEO talks about price hikes; an advocacy group boosts a Trump proposal to tie U.S. drug prices to what other countries pay; and more.
2020 Contenders In Something Of An Arms Race To Take On ‘Big Pharma’ And Drug Prices
Drug pricing is a hot topic that voters care deeply about, and many of the 2020 Democratic hopefuls want to get ahead of their competitors with splashy bills taking on the pharmaceutical industry. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is just the latest to announce legislation that would tackle the high prices, which would include a measure pegging U.S. prescription drug prices to the median price from five countries where drug costs are typically far lower.
Trump’s Rules Allowing More Employers To Opt Out Of Covering Contraception Get Day In Court
The rules, which are set to go into effect Monday, relax requirements under the health law that birth control services be covered at no additional cost. California is challenging in court the new guidelines that would allow more categories of employers, including publicly traded companies, to back out of the requirement by claiming religious objections. Meanwhile, lawmakers clash over a rule that would change how individuals are billed for abortion coverage.
Administration officials are debating whether they could divert some of the $13.9 billion allocated for disaster aid without President Donald Trump declaring a national emergency. Media outlets offer looks on how the shutdown is impacting the country, from food safety inspections to domestic violence survivors to the clean up of superfund sites.
The guidelines point to common ideas associated with traditional masculinity, such as “anti-femininity, achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weakness, and adventure, risk, and violence,” and how those themes can harm boys and men. In other public health news: contaminated chocolate, mental illness, DNA tests, fertility rates, life expectancy and more.
First Edition: January 11, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers weigh in on health care issues.
