Latest KFF Health News Stories
5.1 Million Pounds Of Beef Added To Recall Over Salmonella Worries
The CDC is also warning people to thoroughly cook meat because that’s the only way to kill salmonella and to check their freezer for meat products. The products were packaged between July and September. Illnesses have been reported in 25 states.
Ethical criticism of He Jiankui’s work has been coming in fast and furious over the past week. But now scientists are also criticizing the research itself, saying it’s plagued with massive technical shortcomings. His results show that “this was all a terrible idea in basically every way,” said Erik Sontheimer, who studies CRISPR in his lab at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Teens’ Wisdom Teeth Removal Surgery Can Often Open The Door To Opioid Addiction
In the year following the surgery, close to 6 percent of patients who left their dentist’s office with a prescription for opioids had a “health care encounter” in which a diagnosis of opioid abuse was documented. That’s well over 10 times the rate at which a comparison group. In other news on the crisis: addiction counselors, life insurance and naloxone, supervised injection sites, and more.
Tobacco Giant Eyes Cannabis, E-Cigarette Business As Traditional Sales Continue To Tank
The cigarette industry has for years used price increases to boost revenue and profits despite falling cigarette volumes, but that decline has sped up in recent months. Now Altria, the U.S. cigarette market leader, is looking to branch out before it goes down on a sinking ship.
American Hospital Association Sues Over Trump Administration Policy That Cuts Some Medicare Rates
The policy roiled the hospital industry when it was introduced in a proposed rule over the summer, and hospitals have been lobbying Congress to intervene with the administration and reverse the policy.
Wisconsin Lawmakers Vote To Enact Medicaid Work Requirements In Lame-Duck Session
The state lawmakers passed an extensive package of bills as they seek to rack up wins before Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul take up their positions in a few weeks. Meanwhile, in Kansas, Gov.-elect Laura Kelly, a Democrat, says she wants to roll back a work requirement and other cash assistance rules for government aid.
Brewing Battle Over Fetal Tissue Research Could Undermine Testing Of HIV Treatments
Over the past few months, the Trump administration has been quietly auditing all federal funding involving fetal tissue research. The University of California at San Francisco’s research laboratory, which has been instrumental in testing virtually all HIV therapies subsequently approved by the FDA since the 1990s, has been sucked into the controversy.
Incoming Democrats Amped Up To Leverage Their Victories At The Ballot Box Into Victories In Congress
“It’s a confluence of things. It’s about the committees that we’ll be appointed to. It’s about the values- and issues-based caucuses that we’ll serve on,” said Rep.-elect Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) Some of their top issues will be gun control and health care. Meanwhile, the Pro-Choice Caucus is ready to stretch its wings with the Democrats now in power.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will be the top Republican and Democrat on the influential Senate Finance Committee next year. Their bipartisan bill would give HHS more power to recoup the full amount lost if companies misclassify their drugs under the Medicaid program. Experts watching Congress have predicted that drug prices might be a problem where the parties will work together.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office last week said it completed its search for human remains and will this week allow survivors to visit what’s left of their homes, a wait that has been unusually long, which local officials attribute to the scale of the devastation.
First Edition: December 5, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health care topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from New Jersey, Florida, Tennessee, Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Texas, Hawaii, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Ohio.
These Cities Have Effectively Ended Veteran Homelessness. Can Others Follow Their Models?
Rockford, Illinois, is one of a handful of cities that have effectively tackled the problem of veteran homelessness. While higher rents in other places could pose a bigger challenge in other cities, advocates are hopeful the strategies employed can be applied elsewhere.
Want To Get A Gun? This Proposed Law Could Have Police Checking Your Social Media Activity First
New York state Sen. Kevin Parker’s bill would require a social media check for those applying for handgun licenses. But free-speech watchdogs and even some gun-control advocates are raising privacy concerns about the measure.
While some doctors worry the documents could limit treatments, they are legal in 27 states and “could be a very important tool to minimize hospitalization and minimize involuntary commitment,” said Cherene Allen-Caraco, chief executive officer of Promise Resource Network. Other public health news focuses on loss of parental rights, ADHD diagnoses, rare diseases, 5G wireless safety, shingles vaccine shortage, personalized cancer medicine, Apple watches and more.
CDC Says Cases Of Mysterious, Polio-Like Illness Are Expected To Decline For Remainder Of 2018
A new task force is starting to understand the underlying cause of Acute Flaccid Myelitis, which appears to be following the same patterns as past years when cases have spiked in the fall.
While the cholesterol-lowering drugs are generally safe, a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that 15 to 20 percent of older adults should be taking statins – far less than the 30 or 40 percent of older adults suggested by current medical guidelines. Other heart health news examines the benefits of weight lifting.
Chinese Scientist Under Investigation For Gene-Editing Human Embryos Is Missing, Reports Claim
He Jiankui hasn’t been seen publicly since making an appearance at a scientific summit on Wednesday. He rocked the scientific community last week by announcing that he edited genes in human embryos, an ethical line that had yet to be crossed prior to his work.
When Buying Your Own Health Plan, There’s Still A Big Ouch Factor If There’s No Subsidy
The least expensive health plan for a Wisconsin couple earning $125,000 costs $14,821.44 a year and has a $15,800 deductible. Another story examines options and the upcoming deadlines during open enrollment.
