Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: November 21, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Opinion writers weigh in on the benefits of medical and recreational marijuana.
Media outlets report on news from Illinois, North Dakota, Connecticut, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, California, Iowa and Massachusetts.
Diving Into Burning Questions About Health: Life Spans, Alzheimer’s, Obesity And More
The New York Times addresses some questions–like why are we still so fat when so much research has been done on weight loss?– in a series taking a look at some pressing public health concerns.
Many roadblocks stand in the way to effectively addressing what has ballooned into a major public health crisis. “It’s just so socially acceptable, especially among the people who write the laws,” says Boston University professor David Jernigan. “It’s the drug of choice and incredibly normalized for upper income people in the USA.” In other public health news: the flu shot, contraception, scientific experiments, holiday eating, malaria, screen time for kids, and more.
Doctor, Pharmacy Employee Among Four Dead In Shooting Outside Chicago Hospital
A police officer who had joined the Chicago Police Department just last year and the gunmen were also killed. Officials said that the shooting began in the parking lot of the hospital, where a man began arguing with a female doctor with whom he had had a relationship.
Oscar and Cleveland Clinic’s teamup posted a loss of $1.4 million in 2017, attributable to startup costs, Harrington said. In the first half of 2018, though, they reported net income of $1.8 million. In other health industry news: Ascension’s transformation, interoperability, and medical practice guidelines access.
The state has sent the companies bills totaling about $600 million under the new Opioid Stewardship Act. In other news from the drug epidemic: pharmacists are trained on dispensing naloxone; a company hikes the price of an anti-overdose drug by 600 percent; Rhode Island develops a strategy to get prisoners effective addiction treatment; bixsexual women are more prone to misusing prescription opioids; and more.
Former HHS Secretary Tom Price Joins Transition Team For Incoming Georgia Governor
Republican Gov.-elect Brian Kemp said former HHS Secretary Tom Price would help with policy planning. “Obviously he’s got a lot of great experience with health care,” Kemp said. Price resigned from the secretary position last year following an ethics scandal over his travel spending.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has proposed treating some of the apps like “promotional material,” which would allow companies to make minor updates without having to go back to the agency for approval.
Florida has also been hit with multiple natural disasters recently: extreme drought but also Hurricane Michael. And New York can expect to be hit by four climate crises at a time by 2100 if carbon emissions continue at their current pace, a new study finds. While wealthy nations will be burdened with the costs of such disasters, poorer nations will experience great loss of life from them, the authors say. Meanwhile, California’s poor air quality is drawing attention to the lasting negative health toll it can take.
The Camp Fire has destroyed more than 15,000 structures, including more than 11,700 homes, according to the Monday evening incident report. As survivors begin returning home, media outlets report on updates from the scene of the disaster, from evacuees’ rough living conditions to the transmission line that may be linked to the blaze.
N.H. Senator Expresses Hope And Caution About Health Law’s Future In Response To Voters’ Concerns
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) spoke to voters about their health concerns, saying it’s less likely Congress will repeal the health law. She cautioned, though, that there are threats in the courts that could undermine it. Other health law news focuses on state-level individual mandates, medicaid expansion and short-term plans.
The Justice Department’s decision earlier in the year not to defend the ACA against a suit challenging the law’s constitutionality prompted three Justice Department career attorneys to withdraw from the case. Now Rep Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) says the House Judiciary Committee will investigate the department’s refusal to defend a federal statute.
First Edition: November 20, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Opinion writers focus on the public health dangers of e-cigarettes and menthol flavored cigarettes.
Opinion writers focus on the health law.
Media outlets report on news from Connecticut, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas, California, Florida, Washington and Iowa.
