Darius Tahir

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@dariustahir

Under Fire for Massive Health System Hack, Biden Team Leans on Insurers

KFF Health News Original

The Biden administration has hit on a strategy to deal with the massive, industry-paralyzing cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Group unit: pressuring insurers to fix it. Federal officials have been in constant conversation with senior leaders at UnitedHealth and across the industry, including at a Monday meeting where Department of Health and Human Services and White […]

Biden Team, UnitedHealth Struggle to Restore Paralyzed Billing Systems After Cyberattack

KFF Health News Original

The cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division is the worst on the health care industry in U.S. history, hospitals say. Providers struggling to get paid for care say the response by the insurer and the Biden administration has been inadequate.

Hacking at UnitedHealth Unit Cripples a Swath of the US Health System: What to Know

KFF Health News Original

Change Healthcare, a firm recently bought by insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, reportedly suffered a cyberattack. The company processes 14 billion transactions annually, including payments and requests for insurance authorizations.

Senators Weigh Whether Health Care AI Needs a Leash

KFF Health News Original

The Senate Finance Committee contemplated the future yesterday: artificial intelligence and its potential applications to health care. And it turns out the future looks an awful lot like the past and present: Democrats want regulations. And the industry wants money. “There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic,” Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) […]

GOP Presidential Hopefuls Use Trump’s Covid Record to Court Vaccine Skeptics

KFF Health News Original

Candidates see former President Donald Trump’s embrace of his administration’s covid-19 vaccine policies as an opportunity to gain ground. So far, their efforts haven’t found traction.

Progressive and Anti-Abortion? New Group Plays Fast and Loose to Make Points

KFF Health News Original

Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, which operates mostly in the nation’s capital, is part of a confrontational anti-abortion movement that embraces all types of media — graffiti, social media, and livestreams — to communicate a smashmouth message.

Nikki Haley (And Her Opponents) Struggle With a Vaccine Message

KFF Health News Original

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley portrays herself as a voice of reason in the Republican Party. “Let’s find consensus,” she said about abortion during the first GOP primary debate. “Let’s treat this like a respectful issue.” It’s talk like that — and strong polling in a hypothetical matchup against President Biden — that has […]

The NIH Ices a Research Project. Is It Self-Censorship?

KFF Health News Original

The National Institutes of Health appeared to be digging into health misinformation. But then the federal agency stepped back. It can’t quite explain why, sometimes even offering contradictory explanations.

FDA Head Robert Califf Battles Misinformation — Sometimes With Fuzzy Facts

KFF Health News Original

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf has called misinformation one of the deadliest killers in the United States. As the FDA tries to fight that scourge, it sometimes stumbles.

How a Combination of Covid Lawsuits and Media Coverage Keeps Misinformation Churning

KFF Health News Original

Even as the covid-19 pandemic wanes, litigation — whether about vaccines, masks, or a range of other public health policies made during the pandemic — isn’t about to end.

Need to Get Plan B or an HIV Test Online? Facebook May Know About It

KFF Health News Original

Twelve of the largest drugstores in the U.S. sent shoppers’ sensitive health information to Facebook or other platforms, according to an investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News.

Tech Luminaries Give RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Message a Boost

KFF Health News Original

The views of the leader of a broad anti-vaccine movement who is now running for president are unchallenged in public forums run by several prominent Silicon Valley figures.

How the Mixed Messaging of Vaccine Skeptics Sows Seeds of Doubt

KFF Health News Original

Some GOP members of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic have two-stepped around vaccine skepticism, proclaiming themselves to be pro-vaccine while also validating the beliefs of people who oppose vaccine mandates. The result could have serious public health consequences.