Latest KFF Health News Stories
Stark Rural-Urban Disparity Found In Teen Vaccination Rates
In other public health news: the effect suicide has on surviving siblings, as well as articles on stem cells and hair loss, adherence to a medication routine, antibiotics, gut bacteria, obesity and more.
‘We Didn’t Want To Sugarcoat It’: Obituaries Are Telling The Story Of Opioid Crisis
Some families of those who died from overdoses say they want others to know they’re not alone. Meanwhile, it’s hard to get an accurate tally on just how many people have died from the epidemic.
HIV Rate Among Inmates At Its Lowest Rate In Decades
The number of AIDS-related deaths also dropped significantly, the Department of Justice reports.
Single-Payer Rises From The Ashes Once More In California
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon has announced that a special committee will hold hearings on the issue this fall.
Congress Facing Deadline For Another Health Program — This One For Children
Funding runs out Sept. 30 for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which provides coverage for children in families that earn above the eligibility level for Medicaid. Also, Arkansas officials announce a streamlining of the state’s Medicaid operations, Georgia’s program runs into funding problems and New Mexico officials say the security breach in Medicaid operations there have been fixed.
Health Care Mergers Are Hot Right Now — But Why Do Some Get Blocked And Other’s Don’t?
Modern Healthcare takes a look at one of the latest proposed deals — a partnership between Presence Health and Ascension — and why it might succeed in getting federal approval.
Aetna Inadvertently Revealed HIV Status Of Some Of Its Customers
“It creates a tangible risk of violence, discrimination and other trauma,” Ronda Goldfein, the executive director of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, says of the insurer’s mistake with its mailings.
N.Y. Hospital System Closing Its Insurance Plan, Citing Problems With Health Law Rules
Northwell Health says it is shutting down its CareConnect Insurance Co., which covers 126,000 state residents, because of the federal government’s inability to correct “regulatory flaws that have destabilized insurance markets.”
Sticker Shock Likely For Maryland Obamacare Plans
State regulators are expected to announce 2018 premiums today. Meanwhile, an analysis released Thursday details how one GOP health plan — the one being drafted by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) — would impact various states, and take a high toll on Connecticut.
Insurer Steps In To Provide ACA Coverage In Nation’s Last ‘Bare County’
Ohio-based insurer CareSource has agreed to sell plans in the individual marketplace for Paulding County, Ohio, the only place left to not have any coverage available.
First Edition: August 25, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Don’t Stop Studying The Effects Of Strip Mining; Responses To The Opioid Crisis
A selection of opinions on public health issues from around the country.
Opinion writers offer their thoughts on topics related to what should happen next regarding Obamacare and what KanCare says about privatized Medicaid programs.
Longer Looks: Emotional Well-Being; Vaccines For Street Drugs; And A Medicaid Buy-In
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
State Highlights: Ore. Health System Begins Lay-Off Process; Mass. Lags On Telemedicine Advances
Media outlets report on news from Oregon, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, California, Kansas, Florida, New York, Wisconsin and Ohio.
Anti-Tobacco Ads Shine Spotlight On Stark Statistics About Who Actually Smokes Cigarettes
A disproportionately high number of smokers are soldiers or have a mental illness, the ads claim. Meanwhile, a separate study finds that a $1 increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes helps cut smoking rates.
Profit Mining The Opioid Epidemic: When Relapse Is More Lucrative Than Recovery
A growing number of unscrupulous industry players are focusing on getting addicts to relapse so that insurance dollars keep rolling in, according to law enforcement officials, treatment experts and addicts in recovery.
Once Considered A Relic Of The Past, Syphilis Is Rearing Its Deadly Head Again
Health officials have been caught flat-footed by the resurgence of the sexually transmitted disease. In other public health news: exoskeletons, sedation for children, health disparities in Appalachia, rheumatoid arthritis and more.
In Alaska, Dangers Of Rural Births Alleviated By Pre-Maternal Residencies
In a small community in rural Alaska, a house offers women a safe place to live and get care in the month before their due date, in an effort to limit complications associated with giving birth hours away from a medical facility. Meanwhile, a new study argues that abstinence-only education is not only unrealistic, but also unethical.
Epilepsy Drug Could Be Pivotal For Both Patients And Sage Therapeutics
There are currently no approved drugs to treat a severe form of epilepsy, and Sage Therapeutics’ medication could offer desperate patients hope. It could also make a bundle for the company.
