Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: The Words That Can’t Be Said At The CDC; Health Care In The Age Of Mergers
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Media outlets report on news from Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Ohio, California and Missouri.
California Errs On Side Of Caution With New Public Safety Guidelines For Cellphones
Because heavy, long-term cellphone use has been linked to cancer among other negative health consequences, the California Department of Public Health released guidelines last week on how to cut down on the risks.
There’s A Definite Link Between Parents’ Age And Autism In Kids, But Reason Is A Little Less Clear
The most prominent hypothesis is that the sperm of older men has accumulated many spontaneous mutations that the men pass along to their children. In other public health news: stress and the holidays; replacement organs on demand; antibiotics and sexually transmitted diseases; cancer patients; forgetfulness in older adults; and more.
A suit on behalf of the Cherokee Nation has been brought in tribal court against opioid-makers, but the companies are asking a federal judge to deny the tribe’s authority to even bring the case. In other news on the crisis, prosecutors are starting to treat overdoses as homicides; women in Texas who need mental health or addiction help are ending up in jail instead; senators call for more funding for the crisis; and more.
The DEA Was Poised To Take Down Huge Corporation Tied To Opioid Crisis. So What Happened?
The Washington Post examines the deal top attorneys at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Justice Department struck with McKesson Corp. The agreement took the legs out from under agents who had been in the field trying to make a case against the corporation they say failed to report suspicious orders involving millions of highly addictive painkillers.
Medicaid Pulling Some Funding For Oklahoma Teaching Hospitals
At stake is $115 million in physician training funds. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in South Carolina and Illinois.
Administration Blocking Two More Pregnant, Immigrant Girls From Getting Abortions, ACLU Says
Earlier in the year, the American Civil Liberties Union won its fight to allow an immigrant girl to obtain the procedure. The same judge set a hearing for Monday for the newest additions to the case.
As List Of Banned Words Sparks Firestorm, HHS Reiterates Support Of ‘Best Scientific Evidence’
The Trump administration informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies that they could not use certain terms such as “science-based” and “fetus” during the upcoming budget process, according to a news report. Department of Health and Human Services officials push back on the characterization of the list.
CHIP Funding Languishing As Congress Dickers Over How To Pay For It
The delay in funding has families and state officials in Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Connecticut growing nervous.
Final Tax Bill, That Includes Individual Mandate Repeal, Looks Headed For Passage
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) negotiated a promise that in exchange for her vote on the tax bill, health care legislation aimed at shoring up the Affordable Care Act marketplaces will pass. But critics think she’s being played. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry has a lot to be happy about with the tax package.
Rollback Of Health Law’s Contraception Coverage Rules Temporarily Blocked By Judge
The administration’s rules allowing employers to cite moral or religious objections to providing contraception coverage “conjured up a world where a government entity is empowered to impose its own version of morality on each one of us. That cannot be right,” Judge Wendy Beetlestone says.
Officials have been pursuing state-level rules to combat federal Republicans’ attacks on the health law, but with the mid-terms coming up, it’s unclear if enacting state-level individual mandates is going to be something Democrats want to suggest.
ACA Outreach Cutbacks, Shorter Enrollment Window Likely To Hurt Vulnerable Populations
The health law sparked some of the biggest gains in coverage for minority populations. But those same populations may be the ones most effected by the administration’s decision to slash sign-up efforts. The deadline for coverage passed on Friday, and although the pace of enrollment surged over last year, the shorter window will likely result in fewer sign-ups overall.
First Edition: December 18, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Research Roundup: Coverage And Access; #MeToo Movement In Medicine; And Hospitals
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Arizona, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, Minnesota, California, D.C., Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania and Washington.
#MeToo Movement Shines Light On Sexual Harassment In Medical Research Industry
About one in three women in the field report experiencing workplace sexual harassment. In other public health news: high glucose levels during pregnancy, caregivers, macular degeneration and mass shootings.
Some Mental Health Providers Hesitant To Make Room In Already Crowded System For Drug Users
As states try to get a handle on the opioid crisis, police are shifting their focus from arresting drug offenders to helping them get treatment. But there are already too many people on waitlists who are outside the criminal justice system, and some mental health providers are worried about what will happen to those patients if they make room for the new ones.
