Latest KFF Health News Stories
Vicious Flu Season Reveals Weaknesses In Health System That Don’t Bode Well For Future Pandemics
This season’s severe virus is straining hospitals. But if something as foreseeable as the flu is too much for the medical system to handle, what does that say about future public health crises?
Maps Of Opioid-Related HIV Outbreak Show The Multiple Times It Could Have Been Stopped
New visualizations of Indiana’s HIV outbreak that was linked to the opioid crisis give a clearer picture of who was affected and how it spread.
Veteran Suing VA Hospital Claiming Doctor Left Scalpel In His Body After Surgery
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) says he was appalled and stunned by the “egregious medical malpractice case” and is asking for a detailed explanation of the incident.
Congressional Budget Cuts Leave Safety-Net Hospitals Facing Shortfalls
The hospitals are facing $3.6 billion in federal funding reductions and could be left with other cuts too if Congress doesn’t extend some programs that could be affected by the budget stalemate. Also caught up by the congressional inaction is the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
With Individual Mandate Scrapped, Employers Say ‘It’s Our Turn’
Employers have long-chafed at what they see as the onerous rules that came with the Affordable Care Act. But now that Congress has killed the individual mandate, employers say that their requirements should be the next to go. In other news: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says he expects bipartisan legislation aimed at stabilizing the marketplace to pass in the coming months; the Trump administration could approve short-term insurance plans soon; and a look at the health law and enrollment in the states.
CDC Switches Training Topic From Nuclear War To Severe Flu Preparedness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had scheduled a training session on how health officials should handle the fall out from nuclear war. Although it was planned months in advance, it coincided with tweets from President Donald Trump referencing nuclear action related to North Korea, and garnered the agency a good bit of media attention.
Doctor Reports Trump Is In ‘Excellent Health,’ Though More Details Expected Today
President Donald Trump’s first physical exam in office came amid renewed chatter about his cognitive health.
Head Of HHS’ Family Planning Division, An Anti-Abortion Advocate, Abruptly Resigns
Teresa Manning was one of several anti-abortion activists selected by the Trump administration to serve in top roles at the Department of Health and Human Services. A department spokeswoman did not give a reason for her resignation.
Azar Poised To Head Back To HHS, But This Time Around Health Landscape Looks A Lot Different
Alex Azar served at the Department of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush and is likely to take the helm there soon. But much has changed, and he’s going to have a host of new problems to manage. In other administration news, the president’s nominee to run the Indian Health Service Agency may be facing some choppy waters over his failure to disclose donations to the Trump campaign.
New Va. Governor Renews Democrats’ Push For Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Ralph Northam set an agenda that includes Medicaid expansion, gun control legislation and protections for abortion rights, but Republican lawmakers showed no signs of compromise. News outlets report on other Medicaid news from Oregon, Iowa and Illinois.
Lawsuit Brewing As Kentucky Becomes First State To Get Approval To Impose Medicaid Work Requirements
In one of the biggest changes to the Medicaid program in its history, the Trump administration last week announced that it would allow states to seek new requirements from beneficiaries. Kentucky is now the first state to do so, but advocates are already threatening a lawsuit over the new guidelines. Media outlets offer closer looks at Kentucky’s decision, the legal battle that will inevitably follow, who will be affected by the change, the political risk Republicans are taking, and more.
First Edition: January 16, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Parsing The Policy: Will Medicaid Work Requirements ‘Backfire’?; Will They Make People Healthier?
The Trump administration plan to add work requirements to the Medicaid program drew strong reactions from opinion writers across the country.
Different Takes: The Value Of Reforming Medicaid; Securing Social Services; Getting A Flu Shot
Opinion writers examine a range of state-specific health care issues, including a proposed effort to create a first-of-its-kind drug formulary for Medicaid; struggles to save social services programs from the chopping block; and a push for everyone to get the flu shot this year.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Massachusetts and Texas.
New Study Joins Growing List Confirming Abortion Pills Are Safe For Women To Take
Out of 220 women only two reported having major complications. In other women’s health news: the Trump administration is trying to block another pregnant teenage immigrant from seeking an abortion, and Serena Williams’ experience highlights the dangers that still accompany childbirth.
Generation That Equated Loud Music With Defiance Now Paying The Price With Hearing Loss
Biotech companies want to be the ones to reap the profits of those bad decisions. In other public health news: colonoscopies, genome sequencing, lead, E. coli, standing desks, and more.
Vicious Flu Sweeping Country: Death Tolls Are Climbing And Hospitals Are Overwhelmed
Media outlets report on news from California, Texas, Oregon, Minnesota and Ohio.
Methadone Clinics Become ‘Liquid Handcuffs’ For Those Who Can’t Afford Pricier Treatment Programs
Although the opioid crisis hasn’t discriminated based on race or economic class, the treatment for it does. In other news on the epidemic: studies show the benefits of safe injection sites, a judge overseeing hundreds of lawsuits against drugmakers wants all sides to start talking to each other, the FDA warns against giving kids certain cough medicine, and more.
