Latest KFF Health News Stories
Two Democratic Lawmakers Work To Bring Universal Health Care To California
In Hawaii, lobbyists push back against part of a bill that would cover fertility treatments for some LGBT couples. Meanwhile, California, Arizona and Colorado legislatures consider other measures that would impact the health or safety of residents.
Report Provides Blueprint Of How Memory Can Be Improved When It’s Lagging
A new study looks at the effects of electrical stimulation on the brain, and how those pulses can improve and impair memory.
Drug Companies Turned ‘Blind Eye’ To Opioids Flooding Community, Cherokee Nation’s Suit Claims
“Today, we are facing another challenge, a plague that has been set upon the Cherokee people by these corporations,” said Todd Hembree, attorney general for the Cherokees. “Their main goal is profit, and this scourge has cost lives and the Cherokee Nation millions.”
Despite Notable Silence From White House, Anti-Vaccine Advocates Keep Hopes High
The CDC continues to promote immunizations just as it did under the Obama administration, but vaccine skeptics still feel emboldened by having the new president in the White House. In other public health news: a diet soda link to dementia risk; anxiety in students; a rare tick-borne disease; dietary supplements; and Henrietta Lacks’ cells.
HHS, Lawmakers Weigh Work Requirement For Medicaid, But Many Enrollees Already Have A Job
Republican legislation to replace the health law could include the provision and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price has told states he is open to them adding work requirements to their programs. Also in the news: funding for the CHIP program is on the line this year, Florida lawmakers are wrestling with funding for hospitals that have large numbers of uninsured or Medicaid patients and Tufts Health Plan will manage a Medicaid program in Rhode Island.
Fear Of Deportation May Be Affecting Immigrants’ Willingness To Seek Out Health Care
Physicians report that they’re seeing an uptick in immigrant patients canceling appointments and not coming in for follow-ups.
FDA Adjusts Warnings Due To Codeine’s Rare But Life-Threatening Side Effects On Kids
The agency identifies two dozen cases where drugs containing codeine lead to death, and 40 instances of it causing serious breathing difficulties.
The New York Times examines exactly why New Mexico’s marketplaces have remained steady, while Oklahoma’s have spiraled.
Eager For A Victory, Trump Hypes Renewed GOP Health Plan; Lawmakers Remain Skeptical
The deal, which is being hashed out between Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) and Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), would let states seek waivers on preexisting conditions and to set their own list of essential health benefits. Republican congressional aides, however, are throwing cold water on the optimism coming out of the White House.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: GOP House Factions Brokering Health Deal; Will Trump Let Law ‘Explode’?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Overcoming Opioids; Single Payer; And American Anxiety
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from California, New Jersey, Texas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Florida, Illinois and New Mexico.
Initiative To Raise Cost Of Cigarettes To $13-A-Pack Gets NYC Mayor’s Support
If passed, the plan would make the city the most expensive place in the nation to buy cigarettes.
Citing Supreme Court Ruling On Similar Restrictions, Judge Blocks Mo. Abortion Rules
The state was requiring that doctors who perform abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and that clinics meet hospital-like standards for outpatient surgery. Outlets report on other news from Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin as well.
‘I Need Medicine For This Pain’: The Landmines Of Treating Someone Addicted To Opioids
There’s no definitive guidance for doctors on what to do when their patient is someone who is in recovery from an opioid addiction, but also in need of pain relief. In other public health news: antidepressants, mysterious diseases, antibiotic-resistant infections, stress in kids and sexual enhancement pills.
Protein Found In Umbilical Cord Could Hold Key To Rejuvenating Memory Center In Brain
In a study, cold blood improved the performance of aged mice as they engaged in memory and learning tasks, such as maze-running and fear-conditioning exercises.
In Ambitious Health Data Project, Researchers Happily Trade ‘Moonshots’ For Day-To-Day Drudgery
Verily Life Sciences, formerly Google Life Sciences, is launching its initiative to collect information on 10,000 volunteers to create a baseline of health for the population. But, despite the scope of the project, those running it say they have their feet firmly planted on the ground and in reality.
Upset By Insurers’ Guidelines To Try Cheaper Drugs First, Doctors Issue Recommendations
The American Society of Clinical Oncology have one message to insurers: Put patients, not cost, first.
Oregon Lawmakers Seeking Budget Cuts Weigh Proposal To End Medicaid Expansion
The state is facing a $1.6 billion deficit and dropping the Medicaid expansion could save $256 million over two years. The hospital industry is fighting the proposal and the governor has called it “unacceptable.” News outlets also report on other Medicaid news in Alabama, Mississippi and Michigan.
