Latest KFF Health News Stories
The success of a therapy technique that injects viruses into bacteria and lets them reproduce like crazy until the germs explode was great news for Dr. Carl Merril — and convinced him to return to work as a government scientist, starting a new company. Other public health news includes: babies’ sleep, depression, maternal death rates, caregivers, medical data profits, mental health and surgery center ratings.
Dr. Piero Anversa popularized the idea of stem cell treatment for damaged hearts, prompting the formation of start-up companies to develop new treatments for heart attacks and stroke. Harvard has called for the studies to be retracted.
“The flu season is just upon us, and we are seeing that we are having difficulty getting our immigrant children and adults in for flu shots,” said Dr. Lisa Ward, president of the board of the California Association of Family Physicians. “It is quite likely that one of the reasons is that they are too afraid not only to get health care for the adult parents but for their U.S.-born children as well, and that’s just one tiny bit of health care.” News on the policy comes out of Texas and Massachusetts, as well.
No matter the outcome, the massive $69 billion deal between the pharmacy chain and the health insurer will likely transform the health care landscape if it gets final approval from state regulators.
The Anthem settlement is nearly three times larger than the previous highest amount paid to the government in a privacy case. In other health industry news: telemedicine fraud, tariffs and health care construction, and electronic health records.
Mary Mayhew, who was announced as the deputy administrator and director of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, worked previously as Maine’s health commissioner under Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican known as a fierce opponent to Medicaid expansion.
Another 4,100 Dropped From Arkansas’ Medicaid Rolls After Failing To Properly Report Work Hours
And the report found that another 4,800 people are at risk at losing coverage if they don’t meet the work requirement by the end of this month. For critics of the requirements, it’s their worst fears realized. “This is an absolute train wreck, and it is a slow-moving train wreck that the state can stop at any time,” said Sam Brooke, deputy legal counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of three groups that had sued Arkansas over the mandate.
Democrats have been sounding warnings about the potential threat to preexisting conditions coverage on the trail for months. Now some Republicans are trying to get ahead of the issue through ads including family members with health problems. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump goes after Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare For All” plan.
The rule, which is part of President Donald Trump’s blueprint to rein in high drug costs, sparked immediate push back from pharmaceutical companies. Beyond the industry, experts are skeptical that the regulation would do anything to bring down prices and may confuse patients because consumers often don’t pay the list price for medications.
First Edition: October 16, 2018
DON’T MISS: 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 – on 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.
Viewpoints: Would ‘Medicare For All’ Do Everything Its Supporters Are Promising?
Editorial pages offer opinions on “Medicare For All,” the health law, mental illness, aging, and other health topics.
Media outlets report on news from Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Texas.
‘Beautiful Boy’ Movie Explores The Difficulties Of Addiction And The Ways It Impacts Loved Ones
The movie tells the story of Nic Sheff and his father David, offering a look into a family touched by addiction. After seeing the movie, David recalled his difficult struggle to view his addicted son with sympathy, to make the mental shift from “how could he do this to me and the family and to himself, to understanding that he was troubled and ill.”
The Unique Challenges Older LGBTQ Americans Face Add Extra Layer Of Complexity To Aging, Experts Say
For example, a 63-year-old transgender woman wonders if she would be accepted at a long-term care center. Would she have to hide who she is and go back into the closet “to get the care I deserve to get?” In other news on aging, predicting Alzheimer’s, knee replacement surgery and staying active in the later years.
Fertility Industry Is Booming As Families Wait Longer To Have Children
Dr. David Sable talks with Stat about the new developments in the field. In other public health news: sex education, the flu, DNA, snakebites, scooters, autism, traveling nurses and more.
Emergency Communications Can Often Fail To Take Into Account Disabled Americans
Missing closed captioning and other gaps for emergency communications can cut off Americans who are deaf from getting the news on life-threatening situations. Meanwhile, Florida hospitals are still recovering from Hurricane Michael.
Unapproved, Sometimes Dangerous Drugs Found In Dietary Supplements
The research most commonly turned up the drug sold as Viagra in the supplements. Despite what consumers may think, the supplements are actually regulated as food and therefore not subject to premarket safety and effectiveness testing imposed on pharmaceuticals.
The network came into being in 1969 and helped thousands of women obtain abortions while it was still illegal. In other news, Texas cancels its contracts with an anti-abortion group.
FDA Solicits Information On E-Cigarette Sales As Part Of Aggressive Crackdown On Products
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is particularly concerned with the increase of e-cigarette use among teens. As part of his efforts to curb their proliferation, Gottlieb sent letters to companies to see if they complied with a rule that banned the sale of new e-cigarette products after August 2016 without regulatory approval.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has been in the spotlight recently after the resignation of its chief medical officer, Dr. Jose Baselga, for failing to disclose his financial ties to the health industry.
