Latest KFF Health News Stories
Also, medical workers give more than a 1,000 people an experimental vaccine in Democratic Republic of Congo to control a deadly Ebola outbreak.
CRISPRcon Attendees Wade Through Ethical Morass Of Designer Babies And Colonialism
The gene editing technology may be scientists’ favorite shiny toy, but it comes with a lot of complications — moral, ethical and legal. In other public health news: a new calculator for who should be taking medication to prevent heart attacks and strokes; gun control ideas; misconduct among mental health professionals; sex with robots; and more.
Although Lung Cancer Remains Grim Diagnosis, Scientists See Hope In Progress Being Made
“The era in which chemotherapy was the only option for non-small-cell lung cancer patients is drawing to a close,” said John Heymach, a lung-cancer specialist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Researchers touted new treatment such as immune-boosting drugs and procedures targeting genetic traits of tumors. More oncology news focuses on breast cancer, a child cancer bill, a young girl with a brain tumor, and more.
Novel Therapy Using Patient’s Own Immune Cells Eradicates Advanced, Incurable Breast Cancer In Woman
Scientists were excited about the results but stressed that the approach, called adoptive cell therapy, is experimental and that several other patients who got the same treatments had not responded. However, the case could provide a “blueprint” to making the therapy more effective.
Is Punishing An Offender For A Drug Relapse Cruel And Unusual? Massachusetts’ High Court Will Decide
The case involves a woman who tested positive for drugs in her system while she was on probation. Within hours, she was shackled, strip-searched and incarcerated, with no access to treatment. Now a court must decide if that’s the right course of action to take with offenders who are struggling with addiction. The decision could ripple throughout the country.
Watchdog Finds That Medicare Part D Spending Has Risen Sharply Even As Prescriptions Have Decreased
“Today’s report from the HHS Inspector General makes it clear that list price increases on brand drugs are hurting patients,” said David Mitchell, founder of the advocacy group Patients for Affordable Drugs.
30 Days And Counting: Veterans Face Long, Unexpected Waits To See Doctors In Private Health Program
Promised to see a doctor within 30 days, veterans are waiting more than two months for appointments in the program designed to give them an alternate option to the VA.
Democrats Increasingly Embracing Progressive Health Care Ideas As Primary Season Gets Into Swing
California, Iowa and other states have primaries today where health care has played a role in the race. Many candidates are touting single-payer type systems, public options and universal coverage among other progressive ideas in an area where Republicans once dominated with their chants of “repeal and replace.”
The justices ruled in an unsigned opinion that vacating a lower court decision in favor of the teen, who had been in government custody after entering the country illegally, was the proper course because the case became moot after she obtained an abortion.
Two Texas plaintiffs say they feel morally obligated to follow the law despite there being no financial penalty to not buying insurance next year. The men are the faces of the lawsuit that conservatives hope will finally be the one to kill the law. Meanwhile, more rate hikes have come out and they’re in the double-digits.
Maine was the first state in the nation to expand Medicaid through a public referendum, but seven months later and its still not implemented. Gov. Paul LePage (R) has said he won’t expand the program unless lawmakers come up with a way to pay for it under his conditions, but advocates point to the state’s $140 million surplus in their argument. LePage will likely ask the judge the stay the ruling during an appeals process.
DID YOU TAKE YOUR VITAMINS? If so, you are one among millions of Americans. But what evidence is there that they ward off chronic disease? Tune in to the next KHN Facebook Live on Wednesday, June 6, at 3 p.m. ET, when senior correspondent Liz Szabo will separate fact from fiction. You can submit your questions and watch here.
Viewpoints: Deregulation Of Health Care Sends Costs Soaring; Puerto Rico’s Death Toll Shames Nation
Editorial writers examine these and other health care issues.
Parsing Policy: Medicaid Expansion In Virginia Is Huge Step In Right Direction
Opinion writers express views on the defeat of Republican opposition to expanding Medicaid in Virginia and what last week’s victory might mean for other states.
Media outlets report on news from California, Iowa, Connecticut, Kansas, Washington, New Hampshire, Texas, Minnesota, New York City, Delaware, Virginia and Florida.
After Recent Deaths, Historic Texas Heart Transplant Center Suspends Program
The Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston suspended service for 14 days, citing a need to examine how to move ahead following the latest deaths and the loss of key surgeons.
In other news on hurricane preparations, most Florida nursing homes are not complying with new requirements for backup power, and a new app tells Floridians where to find health care.
Workers struggle with the logistical hurdles of getting an experimental vaccine to people in rural areas who may have come in contact with the virus. In other public health news: medical abnormalities, group doctor appointments, strokes, organ donations, e-cigarettes, and more.
“We want to make sure that when the next hurricane arrives, we don’t have a repeat of this situation,” said Mario Marazzi-Santiago, the director of Puerto Rico’s Institute of Statistics which filed the suit.
More insurers are becoming engaged with buying up physician practices as a way to control cost and stop the spread of hospital consolidation.
