Latest KFF Health News Stories
2015 Marks Biggest Decline In Smoking In 20 Years
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report shows that the smoking rate among adults in the U.S. fell to 15 percent, down two percentage points from 2014. In other news, Americans have begun to question the safety of using e-cigarettes, according to a new poll, and the world’s largest insurer is dropping tobacco stocks like a bad habit.
VA Secretary Blasted For Comparing Clinic Wait Times To Disneyland Lines
“When you go to Disneyland, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line?” Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald asked. “What’s important? What’s important is: What’s your satisfaction with the experience?” Critics are calling the comments flippant and saying the secretary “is utterly out of touch.”
The abortion issue is in the public eye as news highlights the virus that causes devastating birth defects, the ongoing Supreme Court cases that could change the landscape of abortion access and candidates’ views on the topic. Meanwhile, activists are closely following the court case of a woman who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after ingesting abortion-inducing drugs.
Federal Judge Halts Law Defunding Ohio Planned Parenthood Clinics
U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett has granted a two-week stay, saying the law was enacted to make it difficult for women to obtain an abortion.
Theranos: A Company That Made A Few Mistakes Or The Enron Of Biotech Startups?
KQED takes a look at the troubled blood-testing startup.
Mich. Legislation Would Require Equal Coverage Of Chemo Treatments
Health plans would be required to cover chemotherapy at the same level whether it is taken orally by patients or given in a physician’s office. Meanwhile, a California survey shows that nearly half of the therapists in that state don’t take insurance because of the red tape.
Management Squabbles, Pending Market Review Could Doom Anthem-Cigna Merger
Culture clashes between the two insurers, as well as an upcoming assessment by antitrust officials, have led some Wall Street analysts to downgrade the likelihood of the proposed $54-billion acquisition going through.
Lawmaker: NFL Strong-Armed NIH Over Study On Link Between Brain Injuries, Football
The National Football League says allegations by Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., that the league tried to influence the study by removing a prominent Boston researcher who was critical of the NFL are false.
House Bill Would Pillage HHS Medicare Fund To Pay For Battle Against Zika
HHS plans to use the $230 million Nonrecurring Expenses Fund to pay for Medicare payment improvements, but if the House bill passes, that money would go toward fighting the virus. Meanwhile, senators have sent a letter to the U.S. Olympic Committee wanting to know how athletes participating in the games are going to be protected, and World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan blasts countries for dropping the ball on mosquito control.
Okla. Senate Leader Says Medicaid Expansion Not Likely To Advance This Session
Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman says expansion advocates don’t have the votes in the Republican Senate, which is set to adjourn next week. At the same time, the Oklahoma Medicaid Board is waiting to see what spending level the legislature sets so the board can determine if it needs to go forward with a 25 percent reimbursement cut.
2 GOP Congressmen Offer Alternative Health Care Plan
The proposal from Reps. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., would repeal the individual and employer mandates. Also in the news are programs to help migrant farm workers in North Carolina sign up for coverage and proposals to increase premiums in Georgia.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Zika Readiness Falls Short; A Lack Of Obamacare Enthusiasm?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Exeter Hospital Files Suit To Recover Settlements In Hep C Outbreak Case
In other legal action, the Texas high court ruled that a state law designed to protect health care providers from malpractice suits prevents a widow from suing a hospital after her husband’s heart was misplaced in the autopsy. News outlets report on other hospital developments from Massachusetts, Mississippi and New Hampshire.
Dental Therapists Aim To Improve Oral Health For Underserved American Indians
A school in Alaska trains therapists to perform the most common procedures to work in areas where dentists are in short supply. Because most states bar dental therapists, a tribe in Washington created its own licensing system and gets private funding for the program.
Efforts To Keep Donated Organs ‘Alive’ May Address Shortages
Other public health news covers hot topics like bone cement, penicillin shortages for people with syphilis, nerve damage in prediabetics and the discussion about whether women really need to have periods.
States Start To Swoop In Where Doctors Fail To Police Selves On Opioid Prescriptions
As the opioid epidemic rages across the country, states have begun passing laws to rein in opioid prescriptions. Meanwhile, an analysis shows that the number of opioid prescriptions are in fact down in the past three years, but related deaths have gone up.
Wearables Pose Tricky Privacy Issues For Employers Collecting Health And Location Data
Experts weigh in on questions surrounding mandatory use of wearables and the danger of discrimination, based on the data. In other health information technology news, a Wisconsin-based company gets a $1.6 million grant from NIH to fund hospital training software.
Candy-Flavored Amphetamine Hits Market Amid Controversy
Adzenys is geared toward treating children with ADHD, but experts worry that the chewable, fruity medication is problematic as the line between need and want for those types of drugs is increasingly blurry.
