Latest KFF Health News Stories
HHS Refutes Reports On Missing Migrant Children
In other news, a special report focuses on burnout doctors are suffering by being required to give uninsured, undocumented patients suboptimal care.
“The sheer logistical nature of trying to pick out which packages contain opioids makes it much more challenging,” said Robert E. Perez, an acting executive assistant commissioner at United States Customs and Border Protection, an arm of the department. In other news from the opioid epidemic: President Donald Trump overstates progress the government has made to tackle crisis; a congressional panel focuses on the impact of border security; and Reveal investigates the rehab industry.
President Donald Trump says he never understood why the issue had lagged for years, but some Democrats and public health advocates fear that the measure offers patients “false hope.”
White House Announces Drug Companies Plan ‘Massive’ Cuts In Prices Soon
The statement appeared to catch administration officials and industry leaders off guard, and no other details were offered.
What’s At Stake In Administration’s Request For A Rescission Of Some CHIP Funds?
The Washington Post Fact Checker examines the possible impact of the rescission request. Also, a new study by researchers in California analyzes the racial overtones of the debate on the country’s social safety net.
KHN First Edition: May 31, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health care issues.
Perspectives: Drug Companies Placing Higher Priority On Profits Than The Lives They Could Be Saving
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
NIH Needs To Look At Price Tags Of Drugs Created Using Taxpayer Money, Advocates Say
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from California, Missouri, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, Washington, Massachusetts and Minnesota.
Scientists Can Diagnose Diseases Just On People’s Behavior While Searching Internet
Markers such as repeated search inquires, scrolling velocity and tremors while using the mouse helped researchers identify patients with Parkinson’s. The study is part of a larger movement to use artificial intelligence to track symptoms in people’s normal, daily life. In other public health news: CAR-T therapy, doctors and airplanes, medical device oversight, paint strippers, and more.
Ebola Outbreak Still Not Contained, But Health Officials ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Vaccine
Meanwhile, various groups are maneuvering to introduce other experimental drugs during the deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite warnings from scientists because several have only been tested on animals.
Community Workers Strive To Keep Former Inmates Out Of Prison By Focusing On Their Health Needs
“We’ve always known incarceration is bad for health,” said Leah G. Pope, director of the substance use and mental health program at the Vera Institute of Justice, a research and advocacy group. “But in an age of increasing attention to justice reform and health care reform, the two are increasingly connected.”
Hurricane Maria’s Death Toll In Puerto Rico 70 Times Higher Than Official Government Estimate: Study
The devastating storm claimed 4,645 lives, according to a new study published in The New England Journal Of Medicine. The government’s estimate of 64 deaths was a dramatic undercount, said the researchers, who based their figures on a significantly higher death rate during the three months after the hurricane than in the previous year.
LAPD Asks For Patients To Come Forward As It Launches Sweeping Investigation Of USC Gynecologist
The Los Angeles police are already working with more than 50 women so far, but whether Dr. George Tyndall faces sexual abuse charges depends on if complaints about creepy comments, improper photos in the exam room and uncomfortable probing went beyond dubious doctoring and into the criminal realm. Tyndall, as a gynecologist, could argue his treatments were within the scope of his medical expertise.
Allergan Birth Control Packs Recalled Because Placebo Pills Were Placed Out Of Order
The mistake places users at a higher risk for unintended pregnancies.
WellCare Joins In Health Industry Merger Trend With $2.5B Deal To Acquire Meridian
The move is just the latest in an industry seeking to survive through consolidation and deals with other insurers, ambulatory care providers and pharmacy benefit managers.
States Need To Set Up Reinsurance Programs To Help Stabilize Marketplace, AHIP Urges
America’s Health Insurance Plans, a group that represents insurers, cited an Avalere analysis that found reinsurance could lower premiums by 4 percent to 12 percent depending on the design of the program and available funding. The trade association also advocated for Congress killing a much-hated health insurance tax.
Virginia Senate Appears To Have Secured Enough Votes To End Stalemate, Pass Medicaid Expansion
Lawmakers are expected to meet Wednesday to take up the state budget plan, which includes expansion. The state has been entrenched in the debate over what to do with the program for years, with the topic most recently derailing negotiations over the budget.
Judge John Coughenour in Washington state, a Reagan appointee, was the fourth federal judge to rule against the Trump administration move to prematurely cut off funding for programs aimed at reducing teen pregnancy.
