Latest KFF Health News Stories
Missouri Mulls Law Extending Medicaid For New Mothers And Babies
The bipartisan legislation debated Wednesday would extend insurance coverage for low-income mothers from the current 60 days after giving birth to 12 months. Problems in nursing homes in Connecticut and California, trans health care targeted in Florida universities, and more are also in the news.
San Francisco’s Opioid Death Epidemic Only Slightly Declines: Data
Data reported by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner show that opioid drug deaths, driven by fentanyl, did fall slightly for the second year in a row. But the San Francisco Chronicle notes the crisis continues, and city efforts to limit deaths only resulted in the figures falling by 3% in 2022.
Democrats Focus On Gun Violence With New Restrictions
Stateline shines a spotlight on Democrats’ efforts to pass gun safety measures in states where they hold power. Meanwhile, in California, a bill would ban most ownership of body armor. And the Supreme Court again declined to pause New York gun regulations.
Concerns As Two Top NIH Leadership Positions Remain Empty
Roll Call reports on worries that the unfilled director posts at NIH and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, vacated by Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci, respectively, may cause problems for the NIH’s agenda in the new Congress.
HHS Oversight Of Pathogen Research Must Improve, Watchdog Report Says
The Government Accountability Office has several concerns about the Health and Human Services Department’s framework for virus research, news media outlets report.
Study Estimates That 65 Million People Worldwide May Have Long Covid
Researchers say that the condition is undercounted as symptoms are not always recognized as long covid. Other news stories report on covid immunity, the XBB.1.5 subvariant, and more.
FDA Disputes Texas Lawsuit Aiming To Reverse Its Approval Of Mifepristone
“The public interest would be dramatically harmed by effectively withdrawing from the marketplace a safe and effective drug that has lawfully been on the market for twenty-two years,” the FDA wrote in a filing to District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk arguing that the lawsuit from the Alliance Defending Freedom has no merit or standing. A separate FDA decision allowing pharmacies to dispense abortion pills is also expected to be challenged in the courts.
Trial Of J&J HIV Vaccine Halted After ‘Disappointing’ Failure
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Wednesday that Johnson & Johnson’s experimental vaccine does not effectively prevent HIV infections and that the Phase 3 clinical trial was closing. This development follows the failure of a similar vaccine candidate in 2021.
Editorial writers examine the following public health issues.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: Congress Must Address The Drug Shortage Issue Quickly; The Pharmacists Are Not OK
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Missouri Set To Launch Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that “after years of Republican resistance,” Missouri will launch a statewide prescription drug monitoring program to tackle the opioid addiction crisis. Other health news is from North Carolina, Colorado, Maryland, South Dakota, Ohio and elsewhere.
Bad Seasonings: Your Spice Jars Are Likely Harboring Germs
A new study identifies a surprise culprit as the most contaminated spot in the kitchen: the spice drawer. Other news stories report on dry January, weight loss strategies, sleep, and more.
Nursing Homes’ Use Of Antipsychotic Drugs To Be Audited By CMS
The effort is targeting inappropriate prescriptions, where antipsychotic drugs are being abused to sedate patients. Inaccurate coding for schizophrenia will reportedly see nursing homes “negatively impacted.” Meanwhile, in St. Louis, nursing home workers strike over low-pay claims and bed bugs.
Maine Governor Signals Allowing Abortions Past 24 Weeks
The move would expand abortion access by loosening what the Bangor Daily News calls “Maine’s already liberal set of abortion laws.” Separately, New York City will offer free abortion pills at four city-run sexual health clinics as early as today, to boost abortion access in low-income communities.
Citing ‘Perverse Incentives,’ Harvard Medical School Exits U.S. News Ranking
News outlets report on the decision of the No. 1 ranked medical school for research, Harvard Medical School, to withdraw from the U.S. News rankings — a decision reportedly made in part because the rankings result in the creation of “perverse incentives for institutions to report misleading or inaccurate data.”
Rush To Return To ‘Normal’ May Have Outpaced Anti-Covid Air Safety Device
Bloomberg spotlights an invention that creates an “air shield” by clipping on to air vents — but flyers have returned back to the skies regardless of concerns over cabin air quality. Other pandemic news is on the dangers of dual RSV-covid infections, state actions, China, and more.
Medical Debt Fell During The Pandemic
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show medical debt hit fewer American families in 2021 than in 2019, due in part to relief measures enacted to soften the economic blow of covid. Separately, a survey finds that a record level of patients delayed health care over costs in 2022.
Moderna Says Its RSV Vaccine Effectively Protects Older Adults
Moderna announced that its experimental shot was nearly 84 percent effective at preventing respiratory syncytial virus symptoms in a large study of adults 60 years and older. The drugmaker plans to ask for FDA approval of the vaccine this year, while other pharmaceutical companies are also working on RSV vaccines.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
