Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Florida, California, Maryland, Texas and New Hampshire.
After Coming Up Short On Funds For Cannabis-Themed-Resort, Firm Sells California City
Now, plans for the marijuana mecca are uncertain. American Green sold Nipton, once a booming mining town on the edge of the Mojave desert, to Delta International Oil & Gas, a company that’s previously focused on buying properties for exploratory drilling.
Mississippi Lawmakers Approve Most Parts Of Budget After Medicaid Change Threatened To Derail Deal
The budget plan means that the one in four Mississippi residents who rely on the program will continue to be covered. Medicaid news comes out of Idaho and Missouri, as well.
The Personal Health Toll Of Social Activism
Along with the long hours, constant confrontation and frequent heartbreak they experience, activists work for little or no pay and sometimes struggle for basic needs like food and shelter even as they push for societal change. In other news: HIV testing, strokes, hep C in baby boomers, ADHD, weight loss, and more.
Financial Burden Of Opioid Epidemic’s Smallest Victims Often Falling On Already Strained Hospitals
The typical cost in Illinois for a baby suffering from withdrawal is nearly $34,000 compared to just over $4,000 for a baby without it. In other news, a look at why Houston doesn’t want to become part of the suit that combines cases from all over the country against drugmakers; the American Dental Association releases new guidelines on opioids; and more.
‘We’ve Definitely Come To A Tipping Point’: States Scramble To Address Maternal Death Crisis
About 35 states have now established maternal mortality review committees or are in the process of doing so. Meanwhile, scientists and doctors are still trying to figure out the best guidelines for preventing sudden and unexpected infant deaths.
In an era when mega-deals are changing the health care industry landscape, insurance companies are trying to move beyond traditional models of serving their patients and consumers.
Democrats Ask Health Panel To Hold Hearing On Causes And Possible Solutions For Mass Shootings
The proposed hearing would include testimony from survivors of gun violence and those who have been affected by it, as well as experts on public health research. In other news, former Sen. Rick Santorum’s comments on CPR are criticized; New Jersey moves forward with a package of gun control bills; and a look at what Missouri does to protect its students.
Senator Blasts ‘Outrageous’ Drug Costs Following Report On Skyrocketing Prices
“Can you imagine if you went to an auto dealership and last year’s exact model was being sold at a 20 percent markup, and then you went back the next year and it had happened again?” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
White House Dismisses Rumors About Trump Ousting Shulkin Amid Turmoil And Rebellion At The VA
Sources reported that President Donald Trump wants VA Secretary David Shulkin gone within the next week or two, but a White House spokesman said the secretary has the president’s confidence “at this point in time.”
Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), both known for their ability to craft bipartisan deals, have been working on health law stabilization measures for months. And then it turned sour. Politico looks at what happened. Meanwhile, Americans have ranked health care as one of their top concerns.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Opinion writers expressed views on the public health crisis caused by gun violence.
Media outlets report on news from New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Texas, California, Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Nebraska, Arizona, Wyoming and Missouri.
Debate Over Medicaid Rule Changes May Torpedo Mississippi’s Budget Talks
State House members have been seeking another opportunity for the state’s hospitals to bid on part of the Medicaid program’s managed care business, but the Senate is resisting that demand. Outlets report on Medicaid news out of Colorado, Texas and Maine, as well.
The experts talk with Modern Healthcare about the quality and safety of patient care in the country. “Are we better? Yeah, no question,” said Dr. Brent James, former chief quality officer at Intermountain Healthcare. “Are we as good as we can be? Not nearly.”
The bill passed by the House last week “does somewhere between nothing and absolutely nothing to help you,” said Dr. Arthur L. Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University. Patients are actually getting blocked by the drug companies themselves. Meanwhile, California’s drug transparency law has kicked in, but it’s still unclear if it will be met with success in controlling costs.
Public Education Efforts Not Moving The Needle In Fight Against Obesity
“Most people know that being overweight or obese is unhealthy, and if you eat too much that contributes to being overweight,” said Dr. James Krieger. “But just telling people there’s a problem doesn’t solve it.” In other public health news: why certain people don’t get sick, baby talk, birth control apps, suicide, and worker death.
The $4.6 billion allocated is a record amount for the government. But, by comparison, the U.S. is spending more than $7 billion annually on discretionary domestic funding on AIDS, an epidemic with a death toll that peaked in 1995 at 43,000. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has directed federal prisons to use one particular treatment that would benefit a single drugmaker in his plan to battle the crisis, and rural areas are struggling because of a dearth of methadone vans.
