Latest KFF Health News Stories
Along with noise from planes, trains and automobiles, the din pumped through headphones, at fitness classes and during rock concerts is damaging our health, the WHO’s guidelines published on Tuesday said.
With Regulatory Threat From FDA Looming, Juul Beefs Up Lobbying Efforts
Last week, Juul brought in Josh Raffel, a former senior communications aide and crisis communications expert who has worked closely with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has taken steps in recent weeks to crack down on the e-cigarette company.
A Look At Venture Capital Funding For Health Care Companies Reveals Trend Of Fewer But Larger Deals
The first three-quarters of this year have seen the rise of so-called unicorns, or health care startups valued at more than $1 billion.
Dems Know What Immigration Policies They Don’t Like, But Struggle To Reach A Cohesive Path Forward
Democrats have expressed outrage over how the Trump administration has handled immigration problems, a fury that was amplified by the “zero tolerance” policy enacted this year. But the factions within the party are split about which direction they should move in. Meanwhile, drug-trafficking prosecutions plunge to the lowest level in years along the southwestern border.
FDA’s Handling Of Authority To Regulate Compounding Sparks Growing Chorus Of Criticism
The FDA has found itself pulled in many different directions as Congress, drugmakers and industry weigh in on compounding, the science of preparing personalized medications for patients.
The neighborhood in Philadelphia has been dubbed “Walmart of heroin,” and efforts to curb opioid abuse stemming from that marketplace have largely failed. The New York Times offers a glimpse inside the lives of the people who reside there. Meanwhile, a program in Tennessee tries to break the cycle of incarceration and addiction by focusing on job training.
Both Sides Of Abortion Battle Preparing For Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh
Braced for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood’s new strategy includes three major components: expanding access in states with laws favorable to reproductive rights; policy work aimed at strengthening reproductive rights; and efforts to reduce stigma surrounding abortion. Meanwhile, anti-abortion advocates are strategizing on the best cases to push forward.
The Trump administration is being pressed by a group of bipartisan senators “to review existing data and provide us with recommendations about what can be done at the federal, state and local levels to reduce mortality and improve health outcomes for all mothers and their children, regardless of their racial and ethnic background, income level or educational attainment.”
The legislation targets President Donald Trump’s newly expanded short-term plan coverage, which for the Democrats has become a proxy for the Republicans’ supposed willingness to roll back protections on preexisting conditions. Meanwhile, the administration announces its plans for maintenance downtime for the federal health law registration website, Healthcare.gov.
One of the main health care promises featured in Republican campaign ads this cycle is that theirs is the party that will protect Medicare as it is — even though entitlement program changes have long been desired by GOP leadership. News about the midterm elections comes out of Tennessee, Maine, Texas, California and Ohio, as well.
First Edition: October 10, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages cover a variety of health care topics.
Media outlets report on news from California, Texas, Maryland, New Hampshire, Washington, Ohio, Minnesota and Florida.
On The Hunt For The Most Impressive Doctors And Researchers On The Cusp Of Launching Their Careers
Stat announces its list of “Wunderkinds,” a collection of postdocs, fellows, and biopharma employees working with more senior scientists, who are “are blazing new trails as they attempt to answer some of the biggest questions in science and medicine.”
Extreme Weather Stresses Mental Health, Finds New Report That Paints Dire Picture On Climate Change
Researchers found that in warmer summers the mental health problems increased by about the same amount of percentage points as degrees. Short-term weather patterns, like rainy days, are also linked to an increase of self-reported symptoms. In other public health news: gene-editing, impotence, bullying, HPV, breast cancer and more.
Getting The Church Involved Helps Significantly Reduce Hypertension In Black Communities
The sense of trust that comes with community churches can help patients with heart risks to more fully commit to a wellness plan. Meanwhile, a study looks at the Southern diet’s link to heart disease.
Some residents are being treated with “ultrahigh intensity” rehab in their last week of life, which has experts looking at who is benefiting from that decision. Meanwhile, CMS aims to increase its enforcement actions of nursing home staff in cases of elder abuse. Nursing home and elder care news comes out of Kansas and Florida, as well.
People buying drugs like Xanax online are taking the pills, not realizing that they are fake and some are tainted with a potent opioid. The mistake can be fatal. Meanwhile, a drug rehab center in North Carolina is facing a lawsuit over allegations that it sent its patients out to work while pocketing the wages.
The decisions can be made by state judges without notifying the biological parents, and the cases are hard to track at a federal level. Meanwhile, the number of young children forced to have a day in court is ever-increasing.
Planned Parenthood’s political arm only began scoring Supreme Court nominees in 2005, so Justices David Souter, Sandra Day O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy pre-date that shift. Moreover, Planned Parenthood even praised O’Connor’s nomination. The office of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) acknowledged the error she made when defending her vote for Brett Kavanaugh.
