Latest KFF Health News Stories
Genetic Testing Company Myriad Accused Of Withholding Data From Patients
A complaint filed on behalf of four patients alleges that the company is not providing the patients with access to their full test results. Myriad says that genetic information is not covered by HIPAA rules. Meanwhile, scientists are closer to identifying genes that could lead to “designer babies.”
Prescient 2006 Report Warning Of Prison Health Problems Was Buried With ‘Top-Drawer Veto’
The surgeon general report was a call to action for the government to address substance abuse and mental illness within the prison systems — problems that are now in full bloom throughout the country.
Analysis: 40 Percent Of Cancer Deaths In U.S. Are Preventable By Adjusting Lifestyle Habits
Unhealthy eating habits, smoking and heavy alcohol use are just some of the factors that can be modified to decrease a person’s chance of getting cancer. Meanwhile, melanoma survivors speak out during Melanoma Awareness Month, and a new study finds that people with HIV are less likely to get cancer treatment.
Even As Observers Write Its Obituary, Theranos Pushes Expansion Narrative
The bedeviled blood-testing startup has posted 200 job openings and has recently made several higher-level moves as well.
Groups Blast FDA For ‘Bowing To Industry Pressure’ After It Delays Generic Drug Label Rule
In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration proposed changing labeling rules to “create parity” between generic and brand-name drug makers for how they update their labels, exposing generic companies to legal liability if they failed to properly warn of a drug’s risks. The agency has announced it has decided to put off the decision until 2017.
Okla. Passes Bill Making It A Felony To Perform An Abortion, Effectively Banning Procedure
Gov. Mary Fallin has five days to sign the bill into law or veto it. Critics see the move as largely symbolic as they predict it will face a constitutional challenge in court. “I think it is silly for us to pass bills in Oklahoma that can’t go anywhere,” said Republican state Sen. Ervin Yen.
Poll Finds Concerns Growing Among Obamacare Enrollees About Premium, Deductible Costs
The survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation identifies rising concerns about the prices for medical services and insurance.
EPA Introduces Stricter Guidelines On Cancer-Causing Chemical Found In Water
The agency says the new limits were prompted by recent scientific studies linking perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate to testicular and kidney cancers, as well as birth defects and liver damage.
Clock Is Ticking On House GOP Mental Health Bill
Meanwhile, lawmakers reach an agreement on efforts to overhaul chemical safety laws, and two GOP senators advance legislation to reform the agency that provides health care to Native Americans.
Senate Vote To Fund $1.1B Zika Plan Sets Stage For Showdown With The House
The key difference between the competing versions of the bills is that House GOP conservatives insisted that spending cuts accompany the measure so that its cost isn’t added to the budget deficit.
Clinton’s Plan To Expand Medicare Might Bring Coverage To 7 Million Uninsured: Study
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has proposed that some older Americans be allowed to buy into Medicare early. A study by the consulting group Avalere says that could interest as many as 7 million people who are uninsured and about 6 million who buy coverage on the health law’s marketplaces. Meanwhile, one policy organization revises its estimate of the cost of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ health plan.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Lawmakers And Zika Funding; More On The Health Law’s Contraception Mandate
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: The $629 Band-Aid; Venezuela’s Failing Health System; Going Gluten-Free
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Outlets report on health news in Georgia, Illinois, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Colorado, South Carolina, Iowa, Florida and Ohio.
Kansas Cuts $56 Million From Medicaid To Help Close Budget Shortfall
The cuts to the health program serving low-income residents include a reduction in reimbursements to doctors and hospitals.
Oregon Hospitals Take Step Toward Transparency
News outlets also report on hospital-related news from California, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Maryland.
Researchers: Origin Point Of Colon Tumor More Important Than Anyone Expected
In a new study, cancer patients whose tumor bloomed on the left side of their colon survived a median of 33.3 months, while right-sided colon cancer patients survived 19.4 months.
Companies Begin To Specifically Recruit Those On Autism Spectrum For Their ‘Hidden Talents’
Traits such as intense focus and facility with numbers and patterns can be a huge asset to companies. In other public health news, gay and bisexual men in the South have particularly high HIV rates, pediatricians are urged to ask about families’ financial struggles, scientists hope part-human, party-animal embryos could one day save lives, and a new study finds that a busy schedule might have positive effects on the brain.
Congress Quietly Protects Pharmacies While Trumpeting Efforts To Curb Opioid Epidemic
Although Congress has passed an opioid package that includes such things as bolstering prescription drug monitoring and funding drug disposal efforts, it also sent through a measure that limits the Drug Enforcement Administration’s powers to pursue pharmacies and wholesalers that the agency believes have contributed to the epidemic.
