Latest KFF Health News Stories
BCBS Of Michigan Must Pay $12.7M For Firing Worker Who Refused Covid Vax
Former IT specialist Lisa Domski had worked at Blue Cross for more than 30 years and worked 100% remotely during the pandemic. She said the vaccine went against her Catholic beliefs. The ruling could affect many other cases, including 179 more vaccine requirement cases against BCBSM.
North Carolina Areas Hit Hard By Helene Still Cut Off From Crucial Care
Providers are finding ways to get essential items to rural areas, but residents are still coping with the loss of dental services, which were limited even before the storm. In the mountains, VA teams are still navigating rough terrain as they try to care for veterans.
23andMe Lays Off 40% Of Its Employees, Ends Therapy Programs
As the company restructures, it will pivot to selling genetic tests to consumers and using that data for research. Also: medicinal and tech advancements in cancer care; research monkeys roundup.
Prison Health Care Provider Wellpath Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Bloomberg reports that the H.I.G. Capital-backed firm is dealing with debt and high labor costs. Other health industry news is on Kaiser Permanente, Henry Ford Health’s integrated insurer, St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center, Denver Health, and more.
Demand For Abortion Pills, Birth Control Explodes After Trump Win
Also in abortion news, Wisconsin grapples with its Civil War-era law to end abortion rights. In Florida, the battle continues over its six-week abortion ban. Plus: Missouri’s House speaker is challenged due to support for abortion law, and a Georgia woman suffers through agonizing wait for miscarriage care.
Trump Seeks To Flout Confirmation Rules As He Staffs His Cabinet
Despite Republicans having a majority in the Senate, President-elect Donald Trump wants to bypass that chamber’s responsibility to debate and vote on nominees. Candidates for majority leader are open to the idea. Also, a look at the nominees already tapped for cabinet roles.
RFK Jr. Vetting Candidates For Trump’s Appointees To Top Health Jobs
News outlets report on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role in the Trump transition reviewing and recommending people to serve in federal health agency posts. Kennedy is eyeing about 600 terminations at the National Institutes of Health and is reportedly crowdsourcing names for possible appointees.
CDC Data: Uninsured Rate In US Steadies At 7.6%
The latest numbers collected from April to June show that about 25.3 million Americans don’t have health insurance — numbers consistent with the 2023 all-time low uninsured rate. Nearly 40% of people are insured under public programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or military plans.
First Edition: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Voters Didn’t Tend To US Health Care Needs; The Befuddling Vote For Abortion And Trump
Opinion writers delve into these public health topics.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on the FDA, the 4B movement, food safety, teen health, and more.
DCF Mismanaged Health Care Of Kids, Massachusetts’ State Audit Finds
Thirty-five percent of cases reviewed show signs of lack of care for kids with serious mental health conditions, including missed therapy sessions, missing information on file, and, in some cases, improperly prescribed antipsychotics. Almost a quarter of all kids in protective custody had a prescription for at least one psychotropic medication.
FDA Aims To Yank From The Market A Common But Ineffective Decongestant
The ingredient, called oral phenylephrine, is commonly used in cough and cold medicines. Also: Monkeys are on the loose from a South Carolina research facility; a North Carolina hospital files for bankruptcy; a Maine hospital ends labor and delivery services; a historic fetal surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and more.
ACA, Abortion Rights Among Health Care Priorities Of New Senate Dems
Roll Call lays out what newly elected members have championed in the past and what perspective they might bring to the GOP-controlled Senate. Meanwhile, one more government spending battle looms in Congress.
Bird Flu Cases Among Dairy Workers Flew Under The Radar, Study Finds
As a result, the CDC recommends all workers on farms with infected animals be tested and offered treatment.
4 Million Americans Could Lose Health Insurance In 2026 Under GOP, Trump
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if subsidies are allowed to expire next year, nearly 4 million people will lose their coverage in 2026 because they won’t be able to afford it, NBC News reports. In other policy news: vaccines’ future; fluoride in the water; and more.
Trump’s Campaign Guru, A Tobacco Lobbyist, Will Be His Chief Of Staff
Susie Wiles, who also helped Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to victory in 2018, will be the first woman in the role. Wiles also worked as a tobacco lobbyist for Swisher International during the 2024 campaign, and her firm, Mercury Public Affairs, also has “large lobbying contracts with several junk food companies,” the investigative outlet Sludge reported.
First Edition: Friday, Nov. 8, 2024
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations. Note to readers: The First Edition will not be published Monday in observance of Veterans Day. Look for it again in your inbox on Tuesday.
Opinion writers tackle these public health topics.
4 Cases Of New Mpox Variant ID’d In The UK, A First Outside Of Africa
AP reports on the new U.K. cluster, noting that scientists say public risk remains low. Other global health news is on cigarettes in the U.K., a social media ban in Australia, the future of cancer disparities, and more.
