Latest KFF Health News Stories
This is the first time the agency has cracked down on clinics saying, “There are no human clinical studies in the scientific literature showing that amniotic stem cell therapy cures, treats, or mitigates diseases or health conditions in humans.” In other public health news: cyborgs, whole-genome sequencing, a mysterious illness in children, Ebola, equality, sunlight and more.
Cancer Treatment Can Often Come Too Late, But What If You Could Get Ahead Of The Disease?
A new study, called Project Baseline, is trying to pinpoint the transition from normal health to disease. Researchers hope that the project could lead to the identification of new markers in the blood, stool or urine of healthy people that help predict cancer, cardiovascular disease and other leading killers of Americans. In other news, why don’t all cancer-linked mutations in cells turn into tumors?
Novartis Plans To Pay $2.1 Billion For U.S. Company Developing New Prostate Cancer Treatment
With the purchase, the Swiss company is adding to its arsenal of radiopharmaceuticals, a new group of drugs designed to more closely target cancer cells.
Judge Orders Ohio Cities Suing Purdue Over Opioid Crisis To Come Up With Proof Of Specific Harm Done
The court has ordered that four Ohio cities and counties must identify 500 medically unnecessary prescriptions and 300 residents who became addicted or were harmed from opioid prescriptions. Meanwhile, the chair of a FDA panel is speaking out against his concern over the panel’s recommendation for a powerful opioid.
‘A Long Time Coming’: After Years Of Strife, Virginia’s Medicaid Expansion To Kick Off In November
The state’s General Assembly voted earlier this year to add up to 400,000 uninsured, low-income Virginians to the state’s Medicaid rolls after a deal was struck over work requirements. Republican resistance in the state has long stymied advocates’ efforts to expand the program. Meanwhile, other states that haven’t approved expansion yet might have to bend to the will of their voters if ballot measures pass.
Length Of Time Detained Immigrant Children Are Being Held By Government Is Climbing
The Trump administration defends the increasing number of days that the children are being held, saying it is a result of both the large number of kids passing through the shelters and the increased scrutiny given to potential sponsors to ensure children are placed in safe environments. But critics raise concerns about ongoing safety issues.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue that has been used frequently against Republican candidates on the trail who supported getting rid of the health law.
In recent days, both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority whip and possible next speaker, have said that health law repeal may be revisited after the elections. Republicans on the trail, though, have been on the defense for months, scrambling to counter Democrats’ attack ads saying that the GOP wants to strip away protections for preexisting conditions. The dichotomy is causing tension within the party just a little over two weeks out from the midterms. Meanwhile, McConnell is defending the lawsuit that is at the heart of much of the rhetoric against the GOP candidates, saying, “It’s not secret that we preferred to start over.”
Research Roundup: Epilepsy And Pregnancy; Illness In America; And Gun Violence
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
First Edition: October 19, 2018
It’s bad enough that a patient has a health emergency so dire that it requires a helicopter ride to make it to the hospital in time. But then comes the bill. Tune in to the next KHN Facebook Live – Friday, Oct. 19 at 12:30 p.m. – when KHN senior editor Diane Webber outlines the factors that allow air ambulance costs to be so high.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Longer Looks: Climate Change; Abortion; And Global Pandemics
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Michigan, Iowa, Texas, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Missouri, California, Wisconsin and Ohio.
In other news on innovations, the MAVEN Project helps underserved communities around the country by connecting retiring, volunteer doctors with patients via telehealth, videoconferencing and phone calls.
Lessons From The Civil War: Long Shadow Cast By Trauma Stretches Far Beyond A Single Generation
There’s evidence that a father’s extreme hardship can alter the function of his genes in ways that can be passed on to his sons and shorten their lives. In other public health news: genetic testing and privacy, research quality, Alzheimer’s, dementia, prostate cancer, fish oil, the flu and more.
Here’s What We Know About The Polio-Like Illness In Children That Has Health Experts Baffled
This year, 62 cases of the illness are confirmed and others are under investigation, according to federal health authorities. Scientists don’t know what causes acute flaccid myelitis, but they are urging people to avoid getting mosquito bites. Paralysis comes on suddenly and can be permanent.
“To some, Maddie was just a junkie — when they saw her addiction they stopped seeing her. And what a loss for them. Because Maddie was hilarious, and warm, and fearless, and resilient. She could and would talk to anyone, and when you were in her company you wanted to stay,” read the obituary for Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir, who had struggled with opioid addiction. The words garnered a great deal of attention, putting a human face to the opioid epidemic holding the country in its grip. News on the crisis comes out of Missouri, Ohio, Florida and Virginia, as well.
Benefit Of Multimillion-Dollar Industry That Accredits Hospitals Called Into Question In Study
The Harvard University study challenges the assertion that patients benefit when a hospital is accredited. “The wealthy, big hospitals that generally have more resources are more likely to be Joint Commission-accredited, and the thinking is that they have better outcomes,” said Ashish Jha, the author of the study. “What you find is that it doesn’t have a big effect, and it really makes you worry. We’ve put a lot of faith and resources into accreditation.”
Questions Raised About Sen. Dean Heller’s Support Of Unproven ‘Brainwave’ Treatment For Veterans
The company marketing the treatment has connections to Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) The Trump administration is encouraging the VA to use more alternative treatments, even though doctors and mental health experts caution against steering patients to procedures that haven’t been scientifically demonstrated to be safe and effective.
Experts don’t predict the proposed requirement would cause a broad pullback of ad campaigns, but companies will have to make some tough, and possibly expensive, choices. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump hints at a big win for drugmakers with a big change to Medicaid’s rebate rule.
