Latest KFF Health News Stories
Editorial pages focus on these and other public health problems.
Research Roundup: Dating Violence; Marijuana And Opioids; Pediatric Flu Deaths
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Hawaii, Colorado, New Hampshire, Kansas, California, Maryland, Illinois, Virginia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Washington, Florida and Oregon.
Body Of CDC Researcher Who Had Disappeared Is Found
Police said there is no indication of foul play in Timothy Cunningham’s death.
Doctor’s Struggles Show How Promising Research Ideas Can Founder In Obscurity
Dr. Victor Gurewich is sure that he’s found a way to break up blood clots. However, decades later his idea has yet to gain traction in the medical community. In other public health news: new brain cells in older adults; menthol cigarettes; a strange side effect of marijuana use; and more.
New Hampshire State Lawmakers Take Step Forward On Medicaid Expansion Legislation
The movement comes despite lawmakers’ hesitation on some of the details in the final package. “There are things in this bill that I don’t like. There are things in this bill that each of us don’t like, but that’s the nature of compromise,” said state Rep. Jerry Knirk (D-Freedom). Medicaid news comes out of Iowa, Ohio and New Mexico, as well.
MedPAC Suggests Cutting Reimbursement Rates For Some Stand-Alone Emergency Departments
If the payment change is enacted, urban facilities would be paid similarly to off-campus facilities that are not open 24/7 and lack additional support personnel to handle trauma or non-urgent issues.
This Duo Is Quietly Crisscrossing Country, With Spiking Drug Prices Following In Their Wake
Todd Smith and Benjamin Bove are known to have consulted at four pharmaceutical companies that subsequently raised prices on life-saving and other drugs by as much as 4,116 percent. Meanwhile, advocacy groups are asking the Trump administration to override patents on a pricey drug; the definition of “pharmacy” is expanded to help level the playing field; an investigation finds drugmakers flouting a law on disclosing their policies.
Lawmakers Vote To Lift Medicaid Restrictions On Opioid Treatment, But Dems Worry About Funding
The move to allow Medicaid to pay for treatment at facilities with more than 16 beds would be one of the more costly steps Congress is thinking about taking to fight the opioid epidemic. In other news on the crisis: CVS will offer a discount on overdose medication to the uninsured; a poll reveals Americans’ complex views on addiction; the CDC investigates an HIV surge; and more.
Billionaires’ Health Care Initiative To Focus On Reducing Waste, Improving Access To Telemedicine
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon talks about the goals of the health initiative between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and his company. The initiative made a big splash when it was announced but so far there haven’t been many details on what it will actually entail. In other news, while many in the industry are pursuing mergers and deals, Anthem is sitting it out.
How A Small Office In Charge Of Refugees Has Become A Battleground Over Abortion
The shift in priorities for the Office of Refugee Resettlement is part of the larger story of the Trump administration’s push to enact rules that favor socially conservative positions on issues like abortion. Meanwhile, even though research shows that criminalizing women seeking out the procedure is dangerous to their health, antiabortion activists have recently been focusing on strategies to do just that.
Democrats Spurred To Run By GOP Health Law Attacks Plan To Go On Offense During Midterms
Where once the health law was an elections burden for Democrats to defend, they now see it as a talking point that could help them switch red seats blue. In other news, the Washington Post Fact Checker explains why correlation does not equal causation when it comes to cost-sharing reduction subsidies; actuaries have their hands full with the law’s risk adjustment method; and Maryland’s governor signs legislation to help stabilize the marketplace.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health topics.
Longer Looks: Saving Lives Or Money; American Deaths; And Male Birth Control
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Maryland, Missouri, California, Florida, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Past Surgery Patients At Denver Hospital Might Be At Risk For HIV, Hepatitis
Patients notified by Porter Adventist Hospital are receiving a list of frequently asked questions. Other hospital news comes from Tennessee, Maryland, Texas, California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Arizona, as well.
Where Education Campaigns Fail To Improve Vaccination Rates, Small Behavioral Nudges Found To Help
A new study finds that the most common reason people don’t get vaccines is perceived obstacles. So instead of focusing on persuading anti-vaccination activists, the study recommends solutions like automatically scheduled vaccination appointments and monetary incentives from employers. In other public health news: SARS, diabetes, gene-editing, macular degeneration, Zika, and running recovery.
Perpetrators Of Mass Shootings Typically Use Guns Taken From Family Members
The statistics suggest officials and advocates should emphasize the importance of gun safety at home. Meanwhile, the trauma surgeons who have been responsible for caring for victims of these incidents speak out.
New Jersey Jury Will Be Latest To Weigh In On Baby Powder-Cancer Link
Johnson & Johnson has been trying to fend off lawsuits across the country over claims that its talc-based product contained asbestos for years.
