Latest KFF Health News Stories
The federal prison does not allow anti-craving medications as ongoing treatment for opioid addiction except for pregnant women, who can take methadone. Meanwhile, Massachusetts advocates want hope to revolutionize the way the criminal justice system treats people who are addicted.
FDA Orders European Seller Of Online Abortion Pills To Immediately Cease Delivery To U.S. Customers
The FDA says the “unapproved new drugs pose an inherent risk to consumers.” In other news on abortion: Tennessee judge rebuked for denying a women on house arrest to travel to get an abortion; Indiana takes steps toward allowing nurses and physician assistants to object to playing role in abortion procedure; and Maine governor wants to allow medical professionals besides doctors to be able to provide the service.
The Trump administration in 2017 threatened to withhold law enforcement grants from 29 cities, counties or states it viewed as having “sanctuary” policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration agents. Today, all those jurisdictions have received or been cleared to get the money, except Oregon, which is battling for the funds in federal court. Some of that money is slated for veterans courts that help servicemen and women who are addicted to drugs get help.
The EPA will still allow commercial use of the lethal chemical. The Trump administration “will be partly to blame when the next worker is injured or dies as a result of being exposed to this extremely dangerous chemical,” attorney Melanie Benesh of the Environmental Working Group said.
The Road To Curing HIV In South Dependent On Tackling Racism, Poverty And Homophobia
Drugs already exist to prevent and contain the virus. But there are formidable social obstacles that have to be conquered before there can be meaningful headway made. In other public health news: depression, having children, terminal illnesses, immunotherapy, Ebola, antibiotics, TV’s effect on the aging brain, and more.
Where Pharma Has Failed To Offer Hope For Alzheimer’s Treatment, Medical Devices Have Shown Promise
A new study shows that a combination of lights and buzzing activate cells to start cleaning up the brain of mice who have Alzheimer’s, stimulating activity throughout many parts of the brain.
So, Eggs Are Bad Again? New Study Offers Link Between Eggs, Increased Risk Of Heart Disease
But experts say the study doesn’t offer enough justification to drop eggs from your diet. Just don’t overdo it, scientists say.
Surgery for certain bad heart valves may soon become a thing of the past. New studies suggest it can often be better to have a new valve placed through a tube into an artery instead. “Is it important? Heck, yes,” said Dr. Robert Lederman, who directs the interventional cardiology research program at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The findings “were remarkable,” he added.
Electronic Consults With Specialist Doctor Can Free Up Capacity In Crowded Health Systems
The first place in the U.S. to adopt an eConsult system, in 2005, was the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Wait times fell, and a large majority of primary care doctors said it improved care. “A safety net system can’t afford to hire enough specialists to meet demand — eConsults get around that problem by increasing access through enhancing efficiency,” said Dr. Mitchell Katz, who was director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health when eConsults began there.
A massive study on the effectiveness of Apple’s product had mixed results, but many experts find them promising. Still others see a long road ahead for wearable health technology.
MedPAC said that the way Congress made changes to the Medicare Part D program disincentivizes insurers from trying to manage high drug costs because it puts pharma on the hook for a higher percentage of the drugs. In other news, MedPAC advisers are also expected to call on Congress to boost payments to hospitals, and Medicaid advisers will urge lawmakers to rethink cuts to hospitals.
Beyond Work Requirements, Red States Eye Other Restrictions For Medicaid Programs
Some states are weighing the possibility of adding drug-testing to their programs, while others are investigating capped payments from the federal government. And as Republican-led states move to further restrict Medicaid, the divide between red and blue states is likely to mean wider geographic disparities in health-care coverage and access. Meanwhile, Ohio’s request to add work requirements has been approved by the government.
Democrats See An Opportunity In Amendment That Has Effectively Put The Kibosh On CDC’s Gun Research
Instead of trying to get rid of the Dickey amendment, which effectively halted much of CDC’s research into gun violence, Democrats want to change the narrative and deem it a “guardrail” that could help get other funding through a Republican-controlled Senate. “There’s always been a question as to what the Dickey amendment prohibits and allows,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) “If you set up a specific fund, it will be clear about what it allows without having to repeal it.” More news on gun violence looks at the aftermath of the New Zealand shooting and a place in North Carolina that wants to declare itself a “gun sanctuary county.”
Where to move forward with health care has become a sharply dividing issue with the Democrats. Moderates want to make improvements to the health law, while the left-wing is charging full-tilt toward “Medicare for All.” With their budget, Democrats will signal what their health care priorities are, and the road to decide that will likely be far from smooth.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Longer Looks: Expensive ERs; Ending HIV; And Gun Injury Data
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from D.C., Rhode Island, Minnesota, Georgia, Massachusetts, Washington, Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, Tennessee, Oregon, California and Michigan.
News from the state legislatures comes out of Maryland, Georgia, Connecticut, Florida, New Hampshire, Virginia and Arizona.
Well-Known Transgender Surgeon Resigns Following Furor Over Instagram Pictures Of Patients’ Genitals
Dr. Christopher Salgado, 50, worked at the L.G.B.T.Q. Center for Wellness, Gender and Sexual Health at the University of Miami Health System. “The purpose really was to be educational with it, but it went awry,” he said. However, critics were not only upset about the pictures but the captions that appeared to be mocking, as well.
