Latest KFF Health News Stories
Women Living In Rural Areas Tend To Have Sex Earlier, Birth More Kids Than Those Living In City
Researchers also look at differences in marriage rates and contraception methods between the two populations. In other public health news today: clinical trials, the global drug industry, CRISPR, a “mini-pillbox,” infant mortality, medical pot for cancer patients, anti-aging facial exercises and an astronaut’s tall tale.
Flu Season Is ‘One Of The Nastiest In Years’; Severity Of Symptoms Leading To More Hospitalizations
But in California, where a record number of people have died, Department of Public Health chief Dr. James Watt says, “Our hope is that because we started early, we’ll end early.”
Senate Democrats Push For Additional $25B In Opioid Funding In Federal Budget
“Make no mistake: This is a national public health emergency, and we still don’t see a robust federal response. The current federal budget negotiations give us an opportunity to right this wrong,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who is working with Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) to get more money. In related news, journalist Sam Quinones testified as a rare single witness during a Senate hearing on the drug epidemic. And opioids emerge as a campaign issue in the primary election battle of onetime drug czar nominee Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.)
Judge Overseeing Hundreds Of Lawsuits Against Opioid Makers Implores Sides To Work Together
“What we’ve got to do is dramatically reduce the number of pills that are out there, and make sure that the pills that are out there are being used properly,” Judge Dan Polster said. In other opioid news: Native American tribes sue manufacturers over their role in the crisis, doctors start to shift from zero-pain goals for patients, officials in Philadelphia mull safe-injection sites, and more.
The failure may mark the unraveling of an approach to Alzheimer’s treatment that has held hope: increasing the supply of the brain chemical serotonin in patients. Scientists and investors, however, still remain optimistic that eventually a drug will be developed that can fight Alzheimer’s.
Senate Disaster Bill May Give Puerto Rico Full Medicaid Funding For 2 Years
The funding could be a critical boon for the U.S. territory’s struggling hospitals. In other Medicaid news, South Dakota’s governor announces that he will seek federal approval to set a work requirement for able-bodied adults enrolling in the program, West Virginia lawmakers question spending on abortions and ask for names of doctors performing them, and Illinois may change how it allots money from the program to hospitals.
‘It Keeps Us Up At Night’: Parents Racked With Stress As CHIP Funding Languishes In Congress
“If Bobby doesn’t have this medication, he will die. It’s as simple as that,” said Tracy Belt, a mother who has a son with Type 1 diabetes. Congress has passed a short-term funding fix for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but lawmakers are stills squabbling over how to pay for a longer-term solution.
Trump Supports Bipartisan Bill To Stabilize Marketplaces, Sen. Alexander Says
Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have been working on legislation that would fund insurer subsidies for the next two years. The bill has only made progress in fits and starts, as Republicans chipped away at the health law last year. Also in the news: the Affordable Care Act in court again.
In Effort To Cut Down On Veterans’ Suicides, Trump Expands Access To Mental Health Benefits
President Donald Trump signed an executive order that is geared toward helping new veterans transition to civilian life, which can be a particularly vulnerable time.
There Are No ‘Banned’ Words, Merely Suggestions, CDC Chief Fires Back In Face Of Criticism
Last month, a report that officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weren’t allowed to use certain words in their budget proposals sparked a firestorm over the alleged censorship.
Presidential Physicals: There’s No Template For What Information Is Released
What results President Donald Trump divulges from his Jan. 12 medical exam will be up to him. Meanwhile, despite increased talk about the president’s mental well-being, it’s unlikely this physical will reveal any information about the state of his cognitive health.
HHS Nominee Sticks To Conservative Talking Points On Drug Prices: ‘There’s No Silver Bullet Here’
At his second Senate hearing, Alex Azar was grilled by Democrats on the Finance Committee questioning his commitment to bringing down high drug costs because of his ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Azar shied away from endorsing the idea of the government to negotiating prices, a concept touted by President Donald Trump.
First Edition: January 10, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: The Power Of The Flu, Other Infectious Diseases; Smartphone Addiction
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Opinion writers offer strong thoughts, advice on a number of health policy issues now in the news.
Media outlets report on news from New Hampshire, Georgia, Minnesota, Maryland, Kansas, Colorado and California.
Maryland Gets OK From Feds To Extend Program Aimed At Reducing Medicare Costs
The approval is critical to maintaining Maryland’s unique all-payer insurance model under which Medicare and private insurers pay the same rates for services at hospitals.
Conn. Lawmakers Restore Medicaid Program For Seniors, Disabled
The special session vote adds back $54 million for a program that uses Medicaid funding to help low-income residents pay their Medicare premiums and other expenses. However, the governor is threatening to veto the bill. Also, Iowa’s governor says savings from the Medicaid managed care program there are still substantial, even though they don’t come close to what was promised, and South Dakota’s program was able to shift some costs to the federal government.
It’s Like Having ‘Superman Eyes’: New Video Microscope Could Revolutionize Brain Surgery
The device produces magnified, high-resolution, three-dimensional digital images of surgical sites, and lets everyone in the room see exactly what the surgeon is seeing. Doctors also see the video microscope’s benefits as a teach tool.
Up to one in five Americans have perilously high levels of the particle in their blood, and it can’t be controlled by diet and exercise. Even drugs have little effect on it. In other public health news: dry January, the effects of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention banning words, child mortality, CRISPR, doctors’ offices at work, burn injuries, and more.
