KFF Health News Weekly Edition: June 7, 2024
Thousands of Children Got Tested for Lead With Faulty Devices: What Parents Should Know
Julie Appleby
Faulty lead test kits made by Magellan Diagnostics may have been used as late as 2021 to test children for exposure to the toxic metal. The company agreed to pay $42 million to settle criminal charges that it concealed malfunctions.
Nursing Home Staffing Rules Prompt Pushback
The nursing home industry — as well as a healthy number of Congress members — are all pushing back on the Biden administration’s new rules on nursing home staffing. Industry officials say that there are not enough workers to meet the requirements and that the costs would be prohibitive. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to force Republicans to explain their exact positions on assuring access to contraceptives and in vitro fertilization. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a free cruise that turned out to be anything but.
White House Enlists Doctors and Hospitals To Combat Gun Violence
Samantha Young
As Congress remains deadlocked on gun policy, the Biden administration is calling on hospital leaders and doctors to gather more data about gunshot injuries and deaths and step up their violence prevention work.
Wins at the Ballot Box for Abortion Rights Still Mean Court Battles for Access
Bram Sable-Smith
Michigan and Ohio serve as cautionary tales for states whose voters will decide abortion ballot initiatives this year: Even if the measures pass, it would take time to unwind conflicting laws.
End of Pandemic Internet Subsidies Threatens a Health Care Lifeline for Rural America
Sarah Jane Tribble
As the Affordable Connectivity Program runs out of money, millions of people face a jump in internet costs or lost connections if federal lawmakers don't pass a funding extension.
California Becomes Latest State To Try Capping Health Care Spending
Bernard J. Wolfson
California is the ninth state to set annual health spending targets for the industry. Already hospitals and doctors are voicing resistance to the fledgling Office of Health Care Affordability, even as they avoid overtly opposing its goals.
Health Worker for a Nonprofit? The New Ban on Noncompete Contracts May Not Help You
Harris Meyer
Provider groups are disappointed that the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule may not protect those who work for nonprofit hospitals and health care facilities, which employ the largest number of medical professionals.
Urged on by LGBTQ+ Activists, California Cities Weigh Stricter Smoking Rules
Stephanie Stephens
High rates of smoking in the LGBTQ+ community, and the ease with which young people can buy a range of nicotine products, is leading several Northern California cities to consider new restrictions on cigarettes, vapes, and cigars.
‘So Much Death’: Lawmakers Weigh Stricter Speed Limits, Safer Roads for Pedestrians
Vanessa G. Sánchez
New York and Michigan recently passed laws allowing local jurisdictions to lower speed limits, and Los Angeles voters backed safer road designs, but enforcement often meets political resistance. The number of pedestrians killed or injured on the road remains high.
Medicaid Recipients Struggle To Stay Enrolled
Dan Weissmann
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” the show takes its first look at Medicaid. The program has dropped more than 22 million people since spring 2023, when covid-era protections ended.
Watch: Anthony Fauci Defends Feds’ Covid Response, Calling Lawmakers’ Accusations ‘Preposterous’
Hannah Norman
At a June 3 congressional hearing that underscored the nation's deep political divide over the coronavirus pandemic response, the longtime National Institutes of Health official addressed the agency’s controversies head-on.
Journalists Talk Cost of Weight Loss Drugs and Lack of Obesity Doctors to Manage Their Use
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
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.
Readers Issue Rx for Clogged ERs and Outrageous Out-of-Pocket Costs
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.