KFF Health News Weekly Edition: Aug. 4, 2023
As Water Reuse Expands, Proponents Battle the ‘Yuck’ Factor
By Jim Robbins
As drought and climate change threaten water supplies, municipalities around the country are ramping up water reuse efforts. But they have to overcome the “yuk” factor.
Survey: Americans Want Weight Loss Drugs Despite High Cost
By Julie Appleby
A new poll reveals enthusiasm for a pricey new generation of weight loss drugs, but interest drops if users potentially have to deal with weekly injections, lack of insurance coverage, or a need to continue the medications indefinitely to avoid regaining weight.
Teens With Addiction Are Often Left to Detox Without Medication
By Markian Hawryluk
Facilities that offer medically managed substance use treatment for patients under 18 are few and far between in the United States. A Denver hospital is trying to help fill the gap.
Sen. Sanders Says Millions of People Can’t Find a Doctor. He’s Mostly Right.
By Michelle Andrews
The Vermont senator sees beefing up the primary care workforce as a critical step in expanding Americans’ access to health care.
Journalists Explore Shortage of Foster Care Sites and Prevalence of Covid Misinformation
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
To Protect a Mother’s Health: How Abortion Ban Exemptions Play Out in a Post-‘Roe’ World
By Christopher O’Donnell, Tampa Bay Times
Florida’s six-week abortion law allows exemptions in cases of rape, incest, and human trafficking, and to save the health or life of the mother. But the recent history of such exemptions in other states suggests that very few women will be able to take advantage of them.
Be Aware: Someone Could Steal Your Medical Records and Bill You for Their Care
By Michelle Andrews
Consumers should know that this type of fraud can happen, whether from a large-scale breach or theft of an individual’s data. The result could be thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Repeating History: California County Plugs Budget Gap With Opioid Settlement Cash
By Aneri Pattani
State attorneys general vowed that opioid settlement funds — unlike the tobacco settlement of the 1990s — would go toward tackling the underlying crisis. But in Mendocino County, officials have found a way to use some of its share to help fill a budget shortfall — a throwback to what agreement architects hoped to avoid.
Black Women Weigh Emerging Risks of ‘Creamy Crack’ Hair Straighteners
By Ronnie Cohen
Social and economic pressures have long compelled Black girls and women to straighten their hair. But mounting evidence shows chemical straighteners — products with little regulatory oversight — may pose cancer and other health risks.
Do You Know Dutta?
Who gets credit for wiping smallpox from the planet? American men have been widely recognized while the contributions of South Asian public health workers have been less celebrated. Episode 2 of the “Eradicating Smallpox” podcast tells the story of Mahendra Dutta, an Indian public health leader, whose political savvy helped usher in a transformative approach to finding and containing smallpox cases.
The Real Costs of the New Alzheimer’s Drug, Most of Which Will Fall to Taxpayers
By Arthur Allen
The annual cost of lecanemab treatment quadruples if the expense of brain scans to monitor for bleeds and other associated care is factored in. The full financial toll likely puts it beyond reach for low-income seniors at risk of Alzheimer’s, experts say.
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.
‘Conscience’ Bills Let Medical Providers Opt Out of Providing a Wide Range of Care
By Carly Graf
Opponents of the wave of state legislation say the measures place health providers’ preferences over patients’ rights.
Doctors Sound Alarm About Child Nicotine Poisoning as Vapes Flood the US Market
By Liz Szabo
Popular e-cigarettes lack packaging that stops kids from consuming the hazardous nicotine inside.
Congress Is Out. The Presidential Campaign Is In.
Congress is in recess until after Labor Day, and lawmakers won’t have much time when they return to get the government funded before the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, the Republican campaign for president has begun in earnest, and while repealing the Affordable Care Act is no longer the top promise, some candidates have lively ideas about what to do with federal health programs. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Phil Galewitz, who reported the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month,” about how a bill that should never have been sent created headaches for one patient.