Latest KFF Health News Stories
Longer Looks: A Year Of ER Bills; Profiting Off Work Requirements; And The Cost Of Giving Birth
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from California, Ohio, Missouri, Connecticut, Texas, Virginia, Colorado, D.C., Illinois, Minnesota, Arizona and Massachusetts.
But just as there is plenty of important research to highlight, science was also being conducted where conflicts of interest were exposed, including an NIH alcohol study that was shutdown. Other news on public health examines the ethics behind gene-editing babies; society’s signals for male teens; holiday weight gain; longevity factors; freak lead poisoning; pets and childhood allergies; caring networks for senior women, and E-coli outbreaks.
Public Health Advocates Say Administration’s New Action Plan Against Childhood Lead Is Faulty
While welcoming the EPA’s attention to lead contamination, critics faulted the plan for lacking deadlines for regulatory or enforcement action. News on unsafe drinking water comes out of Detroit, also.
But the authors did see some good news in the car crash statistics as safety features and drunken driving initiatives helped cut the numbers in the past two decades.
“The aging population is starting to take its toll,” said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. However, the population shifts in some battleground states could significantly change future elections.
More Than 180K Virginians Enroll In Newly Expanded Medicaid Program
Virginia lawmakers battled for years over Medicaid expansion, but finally reached an agreement this year. The sign-ups show the program has reached nearly half of the 400,000 Virginians estimated to be eligible for Medicaid because of expansion.
The New York Times investigates what makes the opioid epidemic unique and how the drugs can permanently alter the brain chemistry of anyone who uses them to make it nearly impossible to quit. Meanwhile, the government is encouraging doctors to prescribe anti-overdose medications along with painkillers, and a top lawmaker is looking into the financial ties between opioid makers, advocacy groups and government panels. Other news on the crisis comes out of D.C., New York, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Georgia.
Juul Closes Is On Deal With One Of The World’s Largest Tobacco Companies
The possible deal with Altria comes as e-cigarette maker Juul faces increasing regulatory scrutiny. The union would give Juul access to Altria’s marketing skills and its valuable shelf-space in convenience stores. Advocates said the partnership shows that Juul’s focus is on profits and not public health.
The American Association for Cancer Research said that Dr. José Baselga “did not adhere to the high standards pertaining to conflict of interest disclosures that the AACR expects of its leadership.”
Pharma’s Hiatus On Drug Price Hikes Goes Out The Door In January As Industry Returns To Status Quo
Earlier in the year, while facing increasing public outrage and scrutiny from President Donald Trump, some pharmaceutical companies put the kibosh on planned price increases for their drugs. But starting in the new year, many will be raising prices again, Reuters reports. In other industry news: an administration report recommends against seizing patents as a way to curb costs; providers and insurers ask Congress to place real consequences into any plan that would require drug prices in TV ads; why biologics remain a tough nut for the U.S. to crack; and more.
High Cost Of Health Care On Sen. Lamar Alexander’s Congressional Bucket List
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the powerful Senate health committee, announced his 2020 retirement this week, but said he doesn’t plan on becoming a lame-duck lawmaker for the next two years. And speaking of the high cost of health care, The Associated Press offers tips about helping a loved one with their medical expenses.
Information about just how many children are being held at the facilities has been spotty, but an Associated Press investigation highlights the true breadth of the problem. “No matter how a person feels about immigration policy, very few people hate children — and yet we are passively allowing bad things to happen to them,” said Dr. Jack Shonkoff, who heads Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will testify about a 7-year-old girl’s death while in U.S. custody.
Fixing the problems that have plagued the VA is one likely area where a divided Congress could find common ground, and Secretary Robert L. Wilkie at a joint House-Senate hearing got a taste of what’s likely to be a less friendly audience than he may be used to. Meanwhile, the department has yet to submit criteria about when a veteran would be sent to a private provider.
Republicans had already stripped away or blunted the more unpopular provisions in the health law, even if they never repealed it completely. What was left were the ideas that enjoy bipartisan support — such as protections for preexisting conditions coverage. And Republicans have struggled to come up with a viable replacement for the law, which has reshaped the country’s health care landscape to set certain expectations with the American public. Meanwhile, GOP senators blocked a resolution to intervene in the Texas lawsuit.
Health Law 2019 Sign-Ups Drop, But Beat Dire Predictions With Help From Last-Minute Surge
The number who enrolled totaled 8.45 million, down from 8.82 million at the same point last year — a decrease of about 4 percent. Sign-ups had been lagging at about 10 percent throughout the open enrollment season despite a more stable marketplace and lower premiums. While Democrats blamed the lower numbers on the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the law, CMS officials say a lower employment rate contributed to more people finding insurance elsewhere.
First Edition: December 20, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Media outlets focus on news from D.C., Ohio, Minnesota, California, Georgia, Missouri, Oregon, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
Tough Path Through Middle School Ensues For Tween Boys. Sweetness Fades And ‘Manhood’ Emerges.
It’s a time when many boys shut themselves off from the world, says psychologist Michael Thompson, leading to social problems. “Are you strong enough? Are you athletic enough? And in middle school: Are your muscles big enough?” he explains. “That’s middle school for boys, and that’s pretty crappy.” Public health news also focuses on diagnosing child abuse, the benefits of exercise, mental health on campus, chemicals’ toll on puberty, fewer livestock antibiotics, contraception, breast feeding, loneliness and more.
