Latest KFF Health News Stories
Some Maryland Health Insurance Plans Will Go Up, Some Down For 2022
The state’s dominant insurer, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, plans to raise certain plan rates by about 8%, but other insurers are looking to continue dropping their rates. Meanwhile, the ACLU has asked a judge to block Arkansas’ transgender youth treatment ban.
Biden Scrapping Trump Plan To Shift 340B Discounts on Insulin, Epi-Pens
The policy would have threatened to withhold grant funds from community health centers if they charged low-income patients more than what they paid for the life-saving injections. Other news is on the increasing price of Medicare drugs, incentives at skilled nursing facilities, Florida’s Medicaid budget and a program in Connecticut that will give “baby bonds” to new parents on Medicaid.
America Feels The Itch Of Record STD Infection Levels
In other news, a study suggests kids who eat more ultra-processed food are more likely to be overweight as adults; another study says blood sugar control among Americans has dropped; and New Orleans and Baton Rouge are hit by warnings of excessive ozone.
AMA Pushes Against Clinical Diagnosis Of ‘Excited Delirium’
The diagnosis too often leads to excessive police force and forced sedation, the American Medical Association contends. Lumbar surgery, Apple’s health care efforts, life science companies in Boston and the new job of former FDA chief Stephen Hahn are also in the news.
Arizona Forbids University Mandates On Covid Vaccines, Tests And Masks
Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order is aimed at students at public universities. In other news a Wisconsin bill forbids vaccine passports, San Francisco will require some workers to be vaccinated, and an appeal is filed in the Houston hospital vaccine case.
Toxic Chemicals In Many Cosmetics Targeted In Senate Bill
As a new study finds dangerous chemicals present in over half the mascaras, lipsticks and foundations sold in the U.S., Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act.
Covid Lab-Leak Theory Was Pushed By Trump Administration Officials
According to Politico, “senior” Trump administration officials were behind the hypothesis, despite a lack of intelligence supporting it. The Washington Post covers how the government then investigated the theory, and still has no “smoking gun.”
FDA Clears 25M Doses Of J&J Vaccine Produced At Troubled Plant
The Food and Drug Administration OKs an additional 15 million doses from the huge tranche of vaccine placed in quarantine due to possible contamination at Emergent BioSolutions’ Baltimore plant. Another 10 million had been allowed last week. Meanwhile, the White House announces that 1.35 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s have been sent for use in Mexico.
In A First, Use Of Regeneron Treatment Saved People Hospitalized With Covid
Previous studies of monoclonal antibodies have shown that the treatments, given early in the course of the disease, can prevent patients from being hospitalized. But until now, they had not been shown to help hospitalized patients, Stat reports.
CDC Starts To Guide Doctors On How To Treat Long Covid
Meanwhile, a large study says a quarter of covid patients will have symptoms at least one month after diagnosis. Separate studies cover lingering health problems that had not been seen before covid, long covid in asymptomatic people as well as food and smell distortions.
Study Adds To Theory That Covid Started Spreading In US By Christmas 2019
A new analysis by the National Institutes of Health finds nine possible covid-19 cases in late December 2019 — about a month earlier than the first official confirmed infection of Jan. 21, 2020. Some experts voiced skepticism about the study though.
California, New York Rescind Nearly All Covid-19 Restrictions
As New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo put it, “This is a momentous day, and we deserve it because it has been a long, long road.” In California, a maskless Gov. Gavin Newsom declared, “California has turned the page. Let us all celebrate this remarkable milestone.”
‘Variant Of Concern’: Delta Now Responsible For 10% Of US Cases
As worries grow among health officials and scientists over the delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reclassifies it as evidence mounts that the more transmissible strain could take serious hold in the U.S. Doctors urge Americans to get vaccinated now.
Passing 600K Deaths, Covid’s Toll In US Is Higher Than Any Other Nation
Throughout the pandemic, the magnitude of the loss has proven difficult to comprehend. News outlets try to put the deaths of more than 600,000 Americans in some relatable context. AP also looks at areas of the country that were hardest hit.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Does The Definition Of Death Need Updating?; Learning To Heal From Trauma
Editorial pages analyze these public health issues.
Perspectives: Areas Of Low Vaccination Left Susceptible; Should Children Be Masked This Summer?
Opinion writers examine these Covid, vaccine and mask issues.
England’s Covid Restrictions To Last An Extra Month
“Freedom day” was supposed to happen on June 21, but the delta covid variant is sweeping the U.K. and has delayed the unlocking. Separately, the World Health Organization warned the G7 nations that their pledge of sharing one billion vaccine doses is not enough.
Mississippi Attorney General Alleges Insulin Price-Fixing, Sues Makers
Several drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers in the state are the target of the lawsuit. In other news, Mississippi settled with Centene over Medicaid drug overcharges; and abortion-rights supporters ask a judge to block Arkansas’ strict abortion ban.
Doctors Warn Nevada’s Super-Heated Asphalt Could Cause Road Burns
As a heatwave hits Arizona and Nevada, burn center doctors have warned people to avoid touching road surfaces. Meanwhile, reports say 2020 was the deadliest year for gun violence in decades, and CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour reveals she has ovarian cancer.
