Latest KFF Health News Stories
UnitedHealth Group Dodges Blame for System Failures In Wake Of CEO Killing
In the first public appearance since Brian Thompson’s slaying in early December, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty addressed the public’s discontent, skirting responsibility and blaming drug companies and hospitals for the health care system’s failures.
AIDS Relief Program ‘In Jeopardy,’ Lawmaker Says, Citing Misuse Of Funds
Republican Sen. Jim Risch says PEPFAR money paid for abortions in Mozambique. Although the CDC acknowledged money was used to pay abortion providers who weren’t aware of the restrictions, it says the $4,100 has been returned. “CDC identified the error, took immediate action, has a plan in place to prevent it from happening again,” a spokesperson said.
States’ Lawsuit To Restrict Mifepristone Access Allowed To Proceed
After abortion opponents and doctors failed in their case to have the drug restricted — the Supreme Court ruled they lacked standing — Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri stepped in. Meanwhile, other states are making moves to protect reproductive rights.
Biden Issues Flurry Of Decisions At End Of Presidency; Trump Vows To Undo
On Friday, outgoing President Joe Biden said he was commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 prison inmates serving long terms for nonviolent drug offenses. Gun control and the Equal Rights Amendment were among the topics Biden was asked to consider in his final days in the White House.
First Edition: Friday, Jan. 17, 2025
Note to readers: the First Edition will not be published Monday, Jan. 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Look for it again in your inbox Tuesday. Here are today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers delve into these public health issues.
First Covid, Now Wildfires: Calif. Teens Say Their Mental Health Is Suffering
The disaster has again disrupted the education and nutrition of thousands of children. In Pasadena alone, five school sites were destroyed or severely damaged, leaving 14,000 students with no clear plan. And it’s not just students: Almost half of Pasadena’s district employees lived in the evacuation zone, the Los Angeles Times noted.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Weighs Clash Over Conversion Therapy For LGBTQ+
Justices are examining whether a GOP-led legislative panel overreached its authority when it blocked the ban that forbids professionals from counseling people to try to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. More news comes from Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and elsewhere.
CMS Retracts Medicare Advantage Enrollment Report For Corrections
Meanwhile: Medicare Advantage enrollees aren’t seeing expected savings on supplemental care; Inflation Reduction Act’s annual prescription cap will provide significant savings; Georgia wants to change Medicaid eligibility requirements; and more.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
New Rule From DEA, HHS Will Allow Some Opioid Treatment Via Telehealth
Roll Call reports that the newly finalized rule will allow for health care providers who have not seen a patient in person to prescribe six months’ worth of buprenorphine via telehealth. Also in pharma news: FDA’s proposed nicotine crackdown; FDA’s fast-track approval process for drugs; insulin prices; and more.
FDA Prohibits Red Dye No. 3, Which Is Linked To Cancer In Rats
Food safety advocates, who had urged the ban for decades, do not anticipate difficulties in the transition and hope this will lead to more bans on synthetic dyes. Also in public health news: baby formula, processed meats, and more.
NIH Director To Step Down After Only One Year In The Role
National Institutes of Health Director Monica Bertagnolli will resign Friday. The Hill reports that while the agency has typically held bipartisan support, residual Republican dissatisfaction over the handling of the pandemic “has pushed NIH squarely into partisan crosshairs.” Also in the news: a conservative effort to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination; Trump’s plans for HHS; and more.
Industry Leaders Back Policy Allowing Interstate Health Care Professionals
Texas is being encouraged to join existing interstate compacts, which would allow health care workers from nine professions to practice in other states and out-of-state workers to come to Texas. Other health industry news is on furloughs, contract deals, updates on the J.P. Morgan conference, and more.
First Edition: Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
After 2 Deaths, Philips Recalls Software That Mishandled Some EKG Readings
Another 109 people reported injuries after using the remote cardiac monitoring software, Modern Healthcare reported. Other pharmaceutical and tech news is on the FDA’s drug approval system and a rapid diagnostic test for bloodstream infections.
Viewpoints: GOP Plan To ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Would Have The Opposite Effect
Opinion writers discuss these public health topics.
Newly Sworn In, W.Va. Governor Immediately OKs Vaccine Exemptions
On his first full day in office, Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey approved religious exemptions from school vaccinations. Also: the threat of contaminated water from the California wildfires; a new Mississippi law that stops people from being jailed while awaiting mental health care; and more.
Trump Administration Could Squelch Biomedical Innovation, Experts Warn
Although some concede reforms are needed at the National Institutes of Health, and specifically the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, overhauling the agency whose research saves lives is a concern. ProPublica explains why.
Biden Team Begins Cooperation With Trump Officials On Bird Flu Response
“We sent them all of the information on our work,” a Biden health official told NBC News. Public health officials raise concern that a lack of coordination could imperil the response to the emerging H5N1 threat. Other news is on the current norovirus wave and MIS-C recovery.
