Latest KFF Health News Stories
US Officials Try To Calm Furor Over Paralympic Swimmer’s Withdrawal
Becca Meyers, a 26-year-old blind and deaf athlete who has won medals in past Games, pulled out of the Tokyo competition after she said U.S. Paralympic officials would not let her have her mother, who is also her personal care assistant, with her. The team officials said the decision was based on pandemic rules set up to limit the number of support staff and that the team had a designated personal care assistant to help athletes.
Arkansas, WVa Transgender Restrictions Blocked By Federal Judges
The laws — Arkansas banned gender-affirming treatments for youths and West Virginia banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports — are among several restrictions on transgender people’s rights that were enacted in Republican states this year. In other state legal efforts, Mississippi officials are finalizing their briefs for a Supreme Court case on the state’s strict abortion law.
Report: Males Ages 15-19 Are 10 Times More Likely To Drown Than Girls
The report from the American Academy of Pediatrics said it could be due to multiple factors, including boys overestimating their swimming abilities or greater alcohol use than girls.
Health Officials Warn Of Risks Linked To Increasing Marijuana Use
Doctors say children can sometimes mistake edible marijuana products for candy and become sick after ingesting them. In addition, a study finds a link for some people to schizophrenia. Other public health news reports look at the effects of smoke from the wildfires out west and the heat wave across the country.
Cigna Offers Cash To Get Patients To Switch From Costly Biological Drugs
The insurer gives members a $500 prepaid debit card when they switch to biosimilar versions of two popular biological drugs. Also, another insurer, Anthem, is still weighing how it will handle claims for a new expensive drug to treat some Alzheimer’s patients.
Health Care Leaders Beg For Anti-Gun Violence Funding
In a letter, leaders from over a dozen health systems urged Congress to support President Joe Biden’s $5 billion proposition for anti-gun violence programs. Meanwhile, a study links superbugs in the emergency department with patients arriving by ambulance.
CIA Officer Who Hunted For Bin Laden To Lead ‘Havana Syndrome’ Task Force
The officer, whose identity is secret, was handpicked by CIA Director William Burns to help investigate suspected “directed energy attacks” that have sickened scores of U.S. officials in Cuba, Austria, the United States and elsewhere.
Covid’s Grip On Hospitals, Health Workers Shows No Sign Of Relenting
Medical personnel worry about whether they’ll be able to handle another rock-bottom as covid hospitalizations increase again. Meanwhile, doctor visits haven’t fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels; at Novartis, cancer diagnoses are still 30% to 40% lower than pre-covid-19 levels.
Breakthrough Covid Cases Remain Rare But, Inevitably, Are Happening
The AP says that when people who have had covid vaccines test positive for the virus, it is causing alarm and confusion, but that the situation remains rare. Reports from New Jersey say nearly 50 fully vaxxed people have died from covid, all of them over 50.
Drug Companies, States Reach $26 Billion Opioid Settlement
Drug wholesalers McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health will pay $21 billion in compensation over 18 years as part of the deal, and Johnson & Johnson will pay up to $5 billion over nine years and exit the opioid business. Outlets report on how much money some states may get.
Virus Cases Surge Across US, Nearly Tripling Over 2 Weeks
The AP reports how the surge of vaccine misinformation is driving a huge uptick in covid cases, nearly tripling the number over a two-week period. Outlets across the country report on covid clusters, persistent case count growth and “alarming” spikes in covid cases.
Mandatory Covid Shots Supported By American Hospital Association
The country’s largest hospital association said that to protect “all patients, communities and personnel,” all health workers should be vaccinated against covid. Separately, New Jersey’s hospital system is threatening to fire unvaccinated employees, prompting a backlash.
With Supporters Dying, Republicans Swing To Supporting Covid Vaccines
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined other Republican leaders with surprisingly pro-vax statements, saying the “vaccines are saving lives. They are reducing mortality.” News outlets cover the sudden Republican swing to supporting vaccines, and reasons why.
Vaccine Myths And Truths: Biden Tackles Low Uptake At Town Hall
At a Cincinnati town hall event, President Joe Biden tried to drive enthusiasm for getting a covid shot, noting it was “gigantically important” for beating the pandemic. News outlets analyze some of his pro-vax statements, and cover the “ridiculous” vaccine myths that are contributing to low uptake.
Unvaxxed Kids Likely Will Be Asked To Mask-Up In School This Fall, Biden Says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is likely to advise unvaccinated youngsters and everyone under the age of 12 that they’ll need to wear masks when they return to school, President Joe Biden said yesterday. He noted it was a “community responsibility” issue and would be hard to enforce.
Biden Sets Out Rough Timeline For Starting Kids’ Vaccinations
President Joe Biden, speaking at a town hall event in Cincinnati, sketched a rough timeline for starting covid vaccinations in children under 12. He didn’t promise specific dates but noted he was following scientists’ advice and suggested that vaccinations may start at the beginning of the school year.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: CDC Needs New Way To Provide Information; Climate Change Causing Health Issues
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Different Takes: PCPs Vital In Vaccination Effort; Employers Have Authority To Mandate Vaccination
Opinion writers explore these covid and vaccine topics.
Perspectives: The Democratic Majority Is Riding On The Infrastructure Bill
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
