Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Care Officials, Patients Sue Montana Over Vaccine Mandate Ban
Elsewhere in Montana, the public health officer in Blaine County is resigning because of the “constant negativity, pushback, disregard and lack of support” throughout the pandemic, AP reports.
Emails Indicate Trump’s Covid Response Took ‘Backseat’ To Campaign
Communications obtained by a House committee, provide a window into White House priorities ahead of last November’s election, as well as in the months following. Separately, a survey outlines how pandemic views were shaped by the Trump administration’s early-days messaging.
Texas Abortion Providers Ask Supreme Court For Fast Review Of Law
Just weeks after the justices declined to block a Texas state law that bans the procedure after 6 weeks of pregnancy, they are again being asked to step in by abortion providers who say the restrictions are harming patients.
Ohio Doling Out 55 More Scholarships For Ages 12-25 Who Get A Covid Shot
The Buckeye State is on CNN’s list of the 18 states that have yet to fully vaccinate at least half of its eligible residents. Is your state on the list?
More Hospital Systems In Crisis With Rationed Care, Disrupted Transfers
In Alaska — the state with the current highest covid rate — health workers face anger and threats while coping with limited resources, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Troubles in Kentucky, Nebraska and Arizona are also in the news.
Pandemic’s End In A Year? Moderna CEO Says Enough Vaccine Will Be Available
Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel told a Swiss newspaper that vaccine makers will produce enough doses in that time to inoculate “everyone on earth.” But it’s going to bee an uphill climb: only 16 nations so far have hit a 70% vaccination rate.
Require Covid Vaccines For Eligible Students, Education Secretary Says
Also in education news, money flows from the Biden administration to a Florida school district penalized by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration over a mask mandate; regular testing at schools in Omaha, Nebraska, doubles covid detection; and more.
With CDC Stamp, Pfizer Boosters Now Available To Millions Of Americans
In the final stage of the regulatory process, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on third doses for frontline and high-risk workers. That decision was unusual as it aligned with FDA approval criteria but overruled the guidance reached by a CDC advisory panel yesterday. The Pfizer covid vaccine booster is also available for anyone 65 or older starting Friday.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Texas Abortion Care Doctor Being Sued; Why Are Dementia Rates Declining?
Editorial writers weigh in on these various public health topics.
Different Takes: US Vaccine Donation Goals; Prisons Ideal Setting For Covid Spread
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid and vaccine issues.
Research Roundup: Covid; Malaria; Liver Injury; Schizophrenia; More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Methamphetamine Deaths Soar, Especially For Blacks, Native Americans
From 2015 to 2019, the number of overall deaths in the U.S. linked to methamphetamines rose about 180%. As NPR reports, researchers also found another worrisome trend: the rapid transition of casual and recreational meth use into full-blown addiction for many people.
ACA Insurance Premiums Going Down In New Mexico, Up In Florida
Meanwhile in Georgia, enrollment on the health exchange hit a record level during the special signup period. Other news is on lead pipes in Chicago, the death of an elderly Colorado woman who was left outside in the heat and Florida’s new surgeon general.
WHO Tightens Rules On What Defines Unhealthy Air Quality
Calling air pollution one of the “biggest environmental threats to human health,” the World Health Organization lowered recommended exposure levels to pollutants including ozone and carbon monoxide. In other news, U.S. Olympians must be vaccinated for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Few Patients Receiving Alzheimer’s Drug; Some Hospitals Are Refusing It
In other pharmaceutical industry news, the Theranos trial heated up Wednesday as former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified that he and other board members were blindsided when they discovered the company wasn’t conducting all of its blood tests using its proprietary technology.
20 Medicare Advantage Insurers Took Lion’s Share Of Payments, Probe Finds
A Wednesday report from the HHS’s Office of Inspector General said the 20 accounted for more than half of the $9.2 billion the federal government paid for care that beneficiaries may not have needed or received in 2016, Modern Healthcare reports.
Texas Women Seeking Abortions In Neighboring State Clinics
The new Texas abortion restriction that bans the procedure after 6 weeks — before most women even know they are pregnant — is driving some patients to travel to Louisiana, Oklahoma and other states. Other fallout from the restrictive law include a new crop of bounty hunters, threats against lawmakers and private-sector objections.
House Plans Vote On Abortion Bill, But Senate Future Is Sealed
House members are slated to vote Friday on the Women’s Health Protection Act, through which Democrats aim to codify Roe v. Wade. Even if it passes, the bill is considered “dead on arrival” in the Senate — especially after Sen. Susan Collins said she would vote “no.” Elsewhere, a Florida lawmaker introduced a bill similar to the restrictive Texas law. And abortion news is also reported from California and Arizona.
High-Stakes Fight Ratchets Up Over Contentious Drug Pricing Measure
The latest example comes from a video message, obtained by Politico, in which Pfizer’s CEO urges employees to speak out against efforts to allow Medicare to more broadly negotiate prescription prices. Meanwhile, that measure continues to tangle up Democrats and the $350-trillion spending bill, prompting a series of meetings with President Joe Biden to try to smooth a path forward.
