Latest KFF Health News Stories
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory said it “unequivocally rejects the unsubstantiated and reckless personal opinions Dr. James D. Watson expressed on the subject of ethnicity and genetics” which came to light in a PBS documentary.
Nursing Facility Where Woman In Vegetative State Gave Birth Previously Faced Criminal Investigation
Regulators with Arizona’s social-welfare agency wanted to remove developmentally disabled patients from Hacienda HealthCare in 2016 and terminate contracts that allowed the facility to provide services for the state as they investigated allegations of Medicaid fraud.
Record On Big Pharma Hangs Over Cory Booker As He Readies For A 2020 Presidential Run
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) drew criticism when he voted against a budget amendment allowing for the importation of drugs. As he preps to enter the 2020 fray, he’s been taking steps to counter that line of attack by joining forces with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on his legislation aimed at high drug prices.
The Trump administration now requires hospitals to post their chargemasters online in an effort to increase pricing transparency in the industry. But many experts criticize the rules, saying the information is unusable to consumers. In other hospital news: children’s hospitals brace for changes from the administration’s tax reform law, and hospitals push physicians to go in-network.
VA Setting Stage For Biggest Transformation Of The Veterans’ Medical System In A Generation
The proposed guidelines would allow veterans more choice is seeking care outside the troubled VA system. Although, proponents of the switch say that it can help with wait times, critics say it will strain the private sector and increase costs for taxpayers.
Massive Texas Tent City At Center Of Protests Over Migrant Youth Care Closes
“It was chilling to see thousands of children locked up in a tent prison in the desert. It’s great news that those children have finally been moved out of Tornillo,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) And other critics of the Trump administration’s care of young migrants note that there are still thousands of children in U.S. custody in shelters throughout the country.
Flurry Of Health Movement In Blue States May Act As ‘Test Balloons’ For Wider Marketplace
With a divided Congress, there may not be much forward progress on health care issues at a national level, but states led by Democratic lawmakers are already taking steps to fulfill campaign promises for more expanded options.
The scope of CMS’ plan is not yet clear, but the drastic change to the Medicaid program would almost certainly draw challenges both in the court and from Democrats. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) swore that he would block the plan through “literally every means that a U.S. senator has,” if necessary. Proponents of block grants say they allow more flexibility for the states to be creative with their spending.
Trump’s Rules Easing Health Law’s Contraception Mandate Blocked In 13 States And D.C.
Judge Haywood Gilliam limited the scope of the ruling to the plaintiffs, rejecting their request that he block the rules nationwide. The changes would have allowed more employers to opt out of providing no-cost contraceptive coverage to women by claiming religious objections.
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.
