Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: Trials Of Pro-Life Democrats; ‘Wake-Up Call’ On Drug-Resistant Superbug
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news from Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, California and Georgia.
Colorado ERs, Poison Control See Spike In Cases Of Kids Exposed Marijuana: Report
Medical personnel had expected more such cases when the state legalized recreational use of the drug, but “we were not prepared for the dramatic increase,” according Dr. Genie E. Roosevelt, a the senior author of the study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Children With Disabilities Or Serious Illness Are Moving Into Limelight To Be Advocates
With better care often extending lives, many children can speak out as they grow older. Also, a study explores how patients’ observations about their health is frequently right.
Bystander Effect Of The Modern Age: Cries For Help Falling Into Social Media Abyss
Options are limited when a social media contact posts a message that sounds a lot like someone with a mental illness asking for help. But often, it’s simply ignored. In other public health news, sometimes cancer is genetic and sometimes it all just comes down to chance.
Silent Epidemic: Older Americans With Addiction Forsaken As Opioid Crisis Grips Nation
The many ramifications of the opioid epidemic on older adults range from a lack of beds in treatment facilities to a generational reluctance to seek help. In other news, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is setting up a program as an alternative to jail for those convicted of nonviolent crimes related to an opioid addiction, and advocates call for jails and prisons to offer more comprehensive treatment options.
Trendy Knee Surgery May Be Fixing A Ligament That Doesn’t Even Exist
After researchers discovered a new knee ligament, a procedure to fix it gained popularity. But now experts say it’s a “leap of faith” to think the procedure does anything to help the knee — and are even questioning if the ligament exists.
Gilead’s Hep C Revenue Slips As Competition Increases And Pricing Pressure Mounts
In other news, many children who have hepatitis C are not getting treatment because they don’t realize they have the disease, and inmates file a lawsuit alleging the Tennessee Department of Correction is denying them hep C treatment because the best available medication is too expensive.
CDC: Doctors Should Screen All Pregnant Women For Zika At Every Checkup
Previously, Zika testing was only recommended for pregnant women if they or their sexual partner had traveled to an area where the virus was actively spreading, and if they showed symptoms.
Zenefits Settles With Tennessee In First Of Multiple Investigations Into Its Practices
Officials in several states are looking into the San Francisco-based company after it failed to get the necessary licenses for its sales staff to broker health insurance benefits. “Under the company’s past leadership, compliance with insurance laws and regulations was almost an afterthought,” said Julie Mix McPeak, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
Arizona’s Proposal To Restart Children’s Health Program Wins Federal Approval
The state froze its participation in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the midst of the recession in 2009. Officials say as many as 40,000 children from low- and middle-income families may gain coverage. Also, Kansas Health Institute examines Medicaid payment problems for nursing homes.
With Federal Grants Largely Gone, 13 State-Run Marketplaces Face Financial Constraints
States are weighing how to raise enough money to keep the exchanges operating. In other health law news, an analysis of insurance premium rates and a new ACO launches in Topeka, Kansas.
CMS Proposes Set Price For Treating Heart Attacks To Curb Spending, Boost Quality
If implemented, Medicare would set a fixed payment for all services provided during the treatment of a heart attack, instead of letting the hospital bill for each separately.
Sanders Emphasizes Clinton’s Health Care Concessions In Convention Speech
In his endorsement at the Democratic National Convention, Bernie Sanders touted his efforts to pull Hillary Clinton toward his stances on health care, including proposals to let people join Medicare early and increase funding for community health centers.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Insurers, Mergers And Obamacare; Doctors Should Talk To Patients About Guns
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news from Colorado, Minnesota, Georgia, Kansas, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Hospitals in Texas, Georgia, Florida, Minnesota, Kansas and Maryland make news.
Precision Medicine Initiative Seeks Partners In Research, Not Just ‘Human Subjects’
The government wants millions of volunteers to become a part of a “precision medicine cohort,” with the goal of more fully understanding the causes and cures of disease. But it doesn’t just want “human subjects,” it wants the participants to play an active role in the long-term study.
Inexpensive Visual Training Cuts Likelihood Of Dementia Nearly In Half, Study Finds
The computerized training is designed to increase the speed at which the brain picks up and processes cues in a person’s field of vision. In other news, experts say a personality change can be an early indicator of dementia, and new research is helping doctors understand why amyloid beta isn’t properly cleared from the brain.
