Latest KFF Health News Stories
NOTE TO READERS: KHN’s First Edition will not be published May 28. Look for it again in your inbox May 29. Here’s today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: Parents Shouldn’t Leave The Gun Protests Just To The Students
Writers offer thoughts on the public health issue.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health care issues.
Longer Looks: A Pioneering Heart Surgeon; Psychedelic Drugs; Tech Addiction
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Texas, Rhode Island, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Maryland, Minnesota and Arizona.
Research On Children ‘Growing Out’ Of Gender Dysphoria Adds Layer Of Complexity To Transgender Care
Although research shows that up to 94 percent of children will “grow out” of their transgender identity, advocates say that those studies were flawed in the first place and shouldn’t dictate how doctors care for young children who want to socially transition.
To Help Smokers Kick The Habit, Money Outperforms E-Cigs, Nicotine Patches
But quitting rates overall were woefully low. Out of 6,006 smokers who enrolled in the trial, only 80 could provide biochemical evidence that they were smoke-free six months after their quit dates.
Lung Cancer Rates Are Now Higher In Women Than Men And Experts Aren’t Sure Why
The research raises some possibilities, including biological and genetic ones, about why rates for white and Hispanic women born since the mid-1960s outpace men. Other reports look at bariatric surgery benefits and cancers linked to obesity.
Following School Shooting, Texas May Consider ‘Red Flag’ Law For Guns
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) met with victims and survivors of the mass shooting to talk about ways to make students safer. “There were no commitments per se but there were a lot of discussions,” Ed Scruggs, board vice chair of Texas Gun Sense said after the meeting.
If Ebola Spreads ‘We Will Take Further Actions,’ HHS Secretary Vows
Congo officials have confirmed that the number of Ebola cases has hit 30 as the nation fights to contain the virus from spreading further.
U.S. Life Expectancy Expected To Drop For Third Straight Year As Heart Disease Improvements Plateau
Gains made against the nation’s No. 1 killer have previously offset losses in other places, but this year researchers aren’t seeing that drop in heart disease deaths. In other public health news: cancer and artificial intelligence, colleges and disabilities, humans’ oversized brain, trauma in kids, the happiest places to live, and more.
The earliest complaint shared with the Los Angeles Times dates to 1991 — two years after Dr. George Tyndall joined the clinic staff. “They missed an opportunity to save a lot of other women from his mistreatment,” said Alexis Rodriguez, a former patient.
Medications For Depression, Insomnia, Diabetes And More Are Ending Up In Our Rivers And Streams
A new study looked at the wastewater discharges coming from pharmaceutical facilities and found 33 different medicines in the samples. The health or environmental effects of the contamination is unclear. In other pharmaceutical news: legislation to promote the development of antibiotics falls short; Supreme Court urged to take up a case about product warnings; a look at what’s in President Donald Trump’s blueprint to lower drug prices; and more.
Implementing Medicaid Work Requirements Will Cost States Millions And Drive Up Uncompensated Care
The liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said in a new report that the federal government ultimately may save money on the Medicaid waiver programs but that those savings will come entirely from people losing coverage and access to care. Medicaid news comes out of South Dakota, as well.
“We need to know whether our policies and resources are being used in ways that have a measurable impact on the public’s health,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said in announcing proposed legislation to create a centralized tracking system to monitor success of strategies. “If we don’t have a dashboard to clearly and quantifiably show our progress on this epidemic, we will continue to fight the same battle over and over again.”
As the death toll continues to rise, the FDA wants the teething products off the market. The agency said it will take legal action against companies that don’t voluntarily comply as soon as possible.
Previously, 24 U.S. personnel in Havana suffered a slew of health problems that resemble those that result from mild brain trauma. U.S. officials still have not determined what happened. Now, an American government employee in China is experiencing similar issues. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said medical teams are headed to China to examine the incident.
Semantics Of New Title X Funding Rule May Come Down To Difference Between Counseling And Referrals
While critics call the new restrictions a “gag rule,” HHS says that it is simply stripping away a policy that requires organizations that receive Title X funding to counsel women about abortion and provide them with referrals to abortion services. So which side is right?
The Price Tag To Help Make Health Insurance Affordable For Americans? Nearly $700 Billion A Year
In total, the federal subsidies to help Americans pay for coverage under the Affordable Care Act and other government programs are equivalent to about 3.4 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Meanwhile, premiums are expected to rise an average of 15 percent next year and an additional three million will be uninsured, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Legislation Revamping VA Health System, Expanding Private Care For Veterans Sent To President
The sweeping measure would allow veterans to see private doctors when they do not receive the treatment they expected. Critics say the measure goes too far toward privatized care, which could undermine the Veterans Affairs Department.
