Latest KFF Health News Stories
8 In 10 Americans Have Weed-Killer Traces In Their Urine
CBS News covers the staggeringly high share of U.S. adults and kids found with traces of glyphosate in their urine as part of a survey made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A cancer cluster in a Long Island school district, poor air quality in California, and more are also reported.
Millions To See Credit Report Changes With Medical Debt Removal
The three major credit reporting bureaus have removed some medical debts from reports, effective July 1. Separately, a case at the Supreme Court will likely determine if Medicaid providers and patients can sue states over improper payments.
1 In 6 Calls To Suicide Prevention Line Go Unanswered
The Wall Street Journal reports that 1.5 million calls of the over 9 million made to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from 2016 to 2021 were abandoned by callers or disconnected before a counselor could respond. The service is poised to expand and transition to the new 988 number soon, but NPR cautions many states aren’t ready.
President Touts Gun Legislation But Admits ‘It’s Not Enough’
In his Monday speech marking the passage of gun safety legislation, President Joe Biden talked about “everyday places that have turned into killing fields,” thanks to gun violence. The father of one of the victims of the 2018 school massacre in Parkland, Florida, interrupted the president’s speech: “You have to do more,” Manuel Oliver told him.
To Combat Health Risks, CDC To Boost International Air Contact Tracing
Reuters covers plans by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to better trace health risk contact tracing from international flights. And Bloomberg reports the White House is set to extend, again, the covid public health emergency after the current extension expires Friday.
Biden Administration May Soon Allow All Adults To Get Second Booster Shot
But another dose for those younger than 18 would require regulatory approval, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, the federal government announced it is buying 3.2 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, which does not use mRNA technology.
After Roe Reversal, Many Autoimmune Patients Denied ‘Gold-Standard’ Drug
Patients across the U.S. — even in states where abortion is protected — are being refused access to methotrexate, a safe, inexpensive, and effective treatment for about a dozen autoimmune conditions.
Minnesota Judge Throws Out Most Abortion Restrictions
The judge said the state constitution protects abortion rights and that a variety of restrictions — including a mandatory 24-hour waiting period, requirements that only doctors perform abortions and a rule that abortions after the first trimester be performed in hospitals — can’t be enforced.
Hospitals Can Perform Abortions To Save Mother In Emergencies, HHS Says
Federal law on emergency treatment requires medical providers to provide abortion services if the life of the mother is at risk and preempts any state laws banning abortions. State laws restricting abortion do permit exceptions for the life of the mother, but doctors say they are often confused about what they can do under the abortion bans some states are setting.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers examine these public health issues.
Opinion writers discuss life after Roe.
Confusion Around Minnesota’s Near-Legalization Of Weed
Politico reports that lawmakers who passed a recent change in Minnesota’s drug policy are confused as to what has actually happened, with questions over coverage of hemp-derived THC Delta-8 versus Delta-9, which remains illegal at federal level. Also: the opioid crisis, transgender laws, and more.
Study: Big, For-Profit Hospitals Charge More Facility Fees Than Not-For-Profits
Though that sounds self-evident, the study of 2021 data from over 1,600 hospitals underlines wide variations in facility fees charged across the industry. Separately, Stateline reports on drugmaker cutbacks on participation in federal drug discount programs — impacting low-income patients.
Michigan Baby Formula Factory Reopens, Again, After Floods
Abbott Nutrition’s factory reopened July 1 to produce a specialty baby formula, after flooding caused the facility to close in June shortly after it had restarted operations in the wake of a Cronobacter contamination scandal. Separately, a beach in Iowa was closed due to finding a brain-eating amoeba.
Possible Biomarker For Long Covid Identified In Blood
Boston researchers suggest that finding spike proteins in the blood up to 12 months after covid infections is an indicator for long covid that could help diagnoses of the illness. Other reports say big pharma is being slower to tackle long covid than the speed the industry achieved to fight covid itself.
Scientists Warn Of Ineffective US Effort Against Monkeypox
The New York Times and Axios report on concerns that lessons from the early covid response haven’t been learned when it comes to combating monkeypox. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is set to reconvene an emergency committee to tackle the global outbreak.
Alarm Bells Ring Over New Omicron Variants BA.2.75 and BA.5.2.1
BA.2.75 appears to spread even faster than the highly-contagious BA.5, the strain that currently dominates the United States. BA.2.75 is making its way across India and about 10 other countries, including the U.S., where a third case was detected last week. Meanwhile, a new strain of BA.5 has materialized, but its effect is still unclear.
Gulf Of Mexico May Get Floating Abortion Clinic
To skirt Texas’ and other Southern states’ new anti-abortion laws, media outlets report on plans for a floating reproductive health center in the Gulf of Mexico, where care is instead regulated at a federal level. Also: HIPAA, abortion providers and technology, health education, vasectomies, and more.
Federal Abortion Rules Versus State Bans Causing Legal Morass For Doctors
The complicated legal situation between federal mandates for medical emergency abortions versus state laws that ban or restrict the procedure is reported by the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, in Iowa, a 24-hour waiting rule is now enforceable, making women wait for abortion treatments.
