Latest KFF Health News Stories
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid and vaccine topics.
Perspectives: Medicare Must Negotiate Drug Prices; Youth Opioid Rxs Risky?
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Disulfiram Shows Promise As Covid Treatment
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
At Least 400 Million People Have Had Covid Now
In a sign of how quickly the pandemic is moving, the number of total cases was 300 million just one month ago, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, there are more deaths in the U.S. caused by covid than ever before in the pandemic, despite the milder infections of omicron.
Florida’s Stymying Of LGBTQ+ School Topics Hurts Students: White House
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the legislation “is designed to target and attack the kids who need the support the most.” In other news, $600,000 funding will help Wisconsin test tap water for “forever chemicals,” recreational marijuana laws move forward in Pennsylvania, and more.
Surgeon General Says Covid Has Harmed Youth Mental Health
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who is also a parent, made the remarks to the Senate Finance Committee. Separately, Bloomberg reports that Wall Street firms are joining an initiative to destigmatize mental health challenges, as the industry faces issues of employee burnout.
Amazon Care Clinics Coming To 20 More US Cities In 2022
Brick-and-mortar facilities will open in New York and 19 other cities, as the shopping giant expands its push into health care after first launching services for its employees. Structural racism in health care, problems in Alaska’s state psychiatric institute, and more are also in the news.
Vermont Lawmakers Advance Measure To Guarantee Abortion Rights
The proposed constitutional amendment now goes to the governor and could be on the ballot in the fall. In Wisconsin, however, state legislators are weighing a bill that would ban abortions if a “heartbeat” is detected.
Website Shows If Medicare’s Price-Transparency Rules Work
Turquoise Health, a price-comparison site for medical services, now has 4,000 health care providers — including hospitals and other providers such as imaging centers — in its database.
4-Minute Covid Test, With PCR-Like Accuracy, Developed In China
CBS News reports on the results presented in a new peer-reviewed article, saying the tests use microelectronics to analyze DNA from swabs. In other news, the Oklahoma attorney general said there was no legal basis to discipline doctors prescribing unproven drugs like ivermectin to treat covid.
HHS Gives $66.5M To Community Groups To Promote Vaccinations
The Health Resources and Services Administration is awarding the money to “trusted voices” in 38 states and Washington, D.C., to help spur hard-to-reach groups to accept the covid vaccines. The Biden administration is also losing a key player: Beth Cameron, who helped reestablish the Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense in the National Security Council.
Though The Pandemic Persists, J&J Paused Vax Production
The New York Times report says that though the U.S. firm is behind on delivering promised vaccine doses to poorer countries, it paused production at the only plant making usable shots and was relying on stockpiles, as well as making different vaccines for another disease.
9 Air Force Members Got Religious Exemptions For Covid Shots So Far
The Air Force is still processing 2,556 pending requests and 732 appeals. Over 3,200 exemption requests and over 440 appeals have already been rejected. Meanwhile, Hawaii is debating when to drop its strict covid travel restrictions.
More School Masking Decisions Are Being Made At Local Level
More states are rolling back mask mandates in schools, including ones led by Democratic governors. Some teachers and parents raise concerns that decisions are not being based on science.
CDC Chief Warns It’s Too Early To Drop Mask Requirements
While a growing number of states are dropping mask mandates, CDC covid data on transmission rates indicate that more than 99% of U.S. counties should keep covering up. Director Rochelle Walensky said in several interviews that “now is not the moment” to drop the precautions.
US Nearly Past ‘Full Blown’ Phase Of Pandemic, Fauci Forecasts
Dr. Anthony Fauci tells the Financial Times that he can see an end over the coming months to covid-related precautions like masks and physical distancing, under the current trends in cases. But he cautioned that local restrictions might be needed to control future outbreaks. Hospitals are starting to see a decrease in infections.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Boston Doctors Face Appalling New Threat; Ideas For Repairing The Nursing Shortage
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Different Takes: What’s The Data On Covid Shots For Kids Under 5?; Steps To End Omicron
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid topics.
Crucial Drugs Added To Formulary Exclusion List By CVS
Modern Healthcare covers the controversial moves, with pharmacy benefit managers said to be increasingly dropping key medications from coverage lists. Separately, a small company lost regulatory approval for drugs to treat the rare Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.
