Latest KFF Health News Stories
Mexican President Says America’s Fentanyl Crisis Caused By Lack Of Hugs
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has been on the defensive since four Americans were kidnapped while visiting Mexico for a medical procedure, said U.S. family values are to blame, in part because parents don’t let their children live at home long enough, AP reported.
State Laws, Business Practices Shape Nascent Field Of Psychedelic Medicine
Stat News dives into the business of ketamine clinics, while NBC News reports on a new political action committee that aims to bolster legal access to psychedelics as treatment for mental health conditions.
Black Veterans Were Denied PTSD VA Benefits More Often: Report
The report was from 2017, but has been “newly surfaced,” NBC News explains, and shows that between 2011 and 2016 Black veterans seeking disability benefits for PTSD were denied 57% of the time, compared with 43% for white veterans. High cancer rates in military pilots are also in the news.
California Partners With Civica To Make Insulin, With Cost Capped At $30
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced Saturday his state’s selection of generic maker Civica to make its own insulin on which costs will be capped at $30. Newsom’s administration is moving forward on manufacturing injectable and nasal naloxone to tackle opioid overdoses.
Medicare Experts Tell Congress Hospitals Aren’t Failing, Despite Alarm
A Stat report says despite industry groups’ worry over hospital finances, Medicare policy experts are confident the situation isn’t as bad as expected, and they are saying as much to Congress. Meanwhile, HHS owes tens of millions of dollars of adjusted Medicare payments to dozens of safety-net hospitals.
Medical Students Are Ditching The ER, Choosing Other Specialties
The Washington Post and Axios say Match Day trends show more medical student graduates are shunning the ER and instead choosing specialties like orthopedics and plastic surgery. In Boston, reports say medical residents are planning to unionize. A shortage of medical interpreters is among other news.
With Bird Flu Threat On Horizon, Drugmakers Prepare Vaccines For Humans
Rich nations are locking in supplies of the shots, Reuters reports. Hundreds of millions of shots could be ready within months in case of a cross-species jump. Two vaccines for poultry tested by a Dutch facility, meanwhile, have proved effective against highly infectious bird flu.
Global Pandemic Declaration Expected To End In 2023
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he’s optimistic that the agency will lift the public health emergency designation this year in light of current covid trends. In the U.S., deaths hit a 3-year low.
WHO Calls On China To Release All Covid Data After Origins Clue Discovery
Genetic sequencing pointing to a possible zoonotic link to the start of the covid pandemic was unearthed this month on an international database — and then withdrawn by China when flagged. The World Health Organization is urging China to halt a pattern of hampering investigations into the virus’ origins and to release all its available information.
Idaho Hospital Labor Ward Shuts Due To Abortion Politics, Staffing Shortage
A hospital official cited the “political climate” that has made it too difficult to keep obstetric services staffed at Idaho’s Bonner General Health, the only hospital in Sandpoint, a city of more than 9,000 people. Meanwhile, Vermont and New Mexico make legal moves to protect abortion providers.
Wyoming Governor Signs Nation’s First Ban On Abortion Pills
On Friday night, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed the first ban explicitly targeting abortion pills, making it a felony to prescribe, sell, and to use “any drug” for the purpose of performing an abortion. He also allowed new abortion restrictions to become law.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Politicians Are Not Doctors; Harms Caused By Anti-Abortion Laws Are Leading To Lawsuits
Editorial writers delve into these public health topics.
Effort To Reduce Military Suicides Doesn’t Include Gun Purchase Limits
The AP explains a “number of improvements” for mental health care access ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin do not include controversial moves to limit gun or ammunition purchases by young troops. Stateline, meanwhile, shows how some states are trying to combat rates of gun suicide.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on TikTok, nursing homes, sandwiches, physician-rating websites, and doctors who make a difference.
Medicaid Officials Put Pressure On States To Auto-Enroll Recipients
A coverage cliff is looming, but many people likely won’t reapply for coverage because state Medicaid agencies have lost track of their addresses. “If you can … match up against IRS or other data, you don’t even need to send them a form,” says Medicaid chief Daniel Tsai.
Cases Of Tick-Borne Babesiosis Rising Fast In Northeastern States
The disease can lead to flu-like symptoms and can be severe or even fatal, which is concerning as cases doubled between 2011 and 2019 in some Northeastern states. Other public health stories in the news cover school nutrition, pets’ impact on sleep quality, allergies, mpox and more.
LGBTQ+ Rights Boosted In Michigan; Kentucky Targets Youth Trans Care
In Michigan, LGBTQ+ protections are now part of the state’s civil rights law. On the other side of the issue: Kentucky lawmakers passed a ban on gender care for minors, and a ban on such care went into effect in Florida.
Key Treatment Shortages Impacting Care Of Those With Cancer
CIDRAP notes that three generic drugs used widely for treating common cancers in adults, children are in short supply and driving physicians’ concerns that they may have to swap to less effective meds. CBS News reports on shortages of Pluvicto, a drug used against advanced prostate cancer.
10 Charged In Man’s Asphyxiation Death At Va. Mental Health Facility
Three former employees of Central State Hospital in Petersburg, Virginia, were charged with second-degree murder on Thursday; seven sheriff’s deputies were arrested and charged earlier this week. Irvo Otieno, 28, died March 6 while being admitted to the hospital. Otieno’s mother, who was shown video of the incident, said, “My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog.”
