Latest KFF Health News Stories
Supreme Court Hears Indiana Nursing Home Case That Could Shake Medicaid
In the case of Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County v. Talevski, the Supreme Court justices appeared reluctant to side with the defendants who argued that Medicaid recipients did not have the right to sue for benefits. The court ruling in favor would largely gut rights within safety net programs like Medicaid and CHIP.
Voters Have Their Say On Medical Debt, Pot, Mushrooms, Human Rights, More
In Arizona, voters overwhelmingly voted to decrease interest rates on medical debt. In Massachusetts, dental costs were front and center. In Pennsylvania, former heart surgeon and TV celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Republican, lost his bid for governor.
Californians Defeat Dialysis Clinic Proposition, Ban Flavored Tobacco
California voted “no” on Proposition 29, which would have required more doctor staffing at dialysis clinics. Voters said “yes,” though, to Proposition 31, a measure that bans most flavored tobacco products in the most populous state.
1.3 Million People With Diabetes Rationed Insulin In The Last Year
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Abortion Rights Supported By Midterm Voters In 5 States
On Election Day, residents in California, Michigan, and Vermont approved ballot measures protecting abortion rights. And voters in Montana and Kentucky turned away initiatives that would have restricted access.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In Texas, Medicaid Expansion Is Still A Republican Taboo
Public Health Watch explains why Republican politicians in Texas oppose expanding the medical support net. Meanwhile News Service of Florida examines challenges to the minimums wage for Medicaid providers. Among other news, pharmacy closures hit parts of Boston.
Editorial writers weigh in on these public health issues.
New Blood Pressure Drug Seems To Tackle Uncontrolled Cases
The new daily oral medication baxdrostat works by targeting a hormone that regulates the amount of salt in the body, NBC News explains. Separately, a medical device from Medtronic is reportedly good at curbing otherwise tough-to-treat hypertension.
Half Of Dentists In Survey Say Patients Have Arrived For Procedures High
The American Dental Association surveyed 557 dentists, and 52% of them said they’ve been greeted with patients who were under the influence of marijuana or other drugs. A new patient code of conduct at Mass General Brigham in response to hostile patient behavior is among other health personnel news.
High Stress Of Pandemic Affected Menstrual Cycles, Researchers Find
Between March 2020 and May 2021, women experienced at least four major changes in their periods, a study from the University of Pittsburgh found.
Veterans With Cancer Will Be The First To Get Benefits From New PACT Act
The law, which passed in August, expanded benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits. The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin processing claims for benefits beginning Jan. 1. Meanwhile, the VA said it will expand screening for those potentially exposed to toxic hazards.
Abortion Bans Have Disproportionate Impact On Latinas, Data Show
Data analysis by two advocacy groups finds that 42% of Latina women ages 15 to 49 live in a state that has or is likely to ban abortion. Other state reproductive health news comes from South Carolina, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.
Votes Cast Today Will Shape Future Federal And State Abortion Laws
Democrats and the White House are already second-guessing their messaging on the controversial subject in the lead-up to midterm elections that could shift the balance of power in the U.S. Congress.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
IVF Embryo Disposal Isn’t Subject To Abortion Ban, Tennessee AG Says
The strict abortion ban in the state does not apply to disposal of fertilized embryos that haven’t been transferred to a uterus, Tennessee’s attorney general has stated in an opinion. Separately, Wisconsin doctors want to join a lawsuit challenging an 1849-era abortion ban.
Editorial writers tackle these public health topics.
Highly Processed Foods May Kill You Sooner: Study
NBC News covers a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that linked 57,000 deaths in 2019 in Brazil with the consumption of ultra-processed food — 10% of premature deaths in that age group.
Florida Medical Board Blocks Doctors From Giving Gender Care To Minors
The state board voted 6-3 Friday to adopt a standard of care forbidding doctors from giving puberty blockers and hormones or performing surgery until transgender patients are 18. The New York Times says board members received calls from Florida’s surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo urging the ban.
Man In First Muscular Dystrophy CRISPR Treatment Trial Dies
The Boston Globe, reporting on the news, said 27-year-old Terry Horgan was due to be the first person to get a custom CRISPR therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but it’s unclear when or if he got the treatment. AP notes he was the lone volunteer in the study.
