Latest KFF Health News Stories
Bernie Sanders Is Hopping On A Bus Trip To Canada With Patients Seeking To Buy Cheaper Insulin
Two decades ago Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took a similar trip with Americans on the hunt for lower drug prices. The trip is scheduled to leave from Detroit two days before the next Democratic presidential primary debates which will be held in that the city on July 30 and 31.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) laid out a wide-ranging plan to reform the country’s immigration system, including provisions to address the humanitarian crisis within detention facilities.
2020 hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said she would spend $1 billion to encourage states to clear rape kit backlogs and invest in reforms, including requiring rape kits to be tested within narrow time frames, counting and reporting untested kits, and giving victims information about the status of their testing. The issue received national attention in recent years after it came to light how many states and counties have crushing backlogs of kits.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on the lawsuit against the health law.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from New York, California, Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Illinois, Virginia, Wisconsin and Florida.
Research Roundup: Physicians’ Well-Being; HPV Vaccine; And Long-Term Care
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Social scientists are on the hunt for answers, and are interviewing storm survivors trying to piece together ways to get through to people who have gotten used to ignoring emergency warnings. In other public health news: stem cell treatments, autistic travelers, internet addiction, silent heart attacks and more.
The Wall Street Journal obtained documents that show PG&E knew about the dangers associated with their outdated towers. The utility company’s equipment was responsible for the deadly wildfires last year that left 85 dead.
Attorney Marilyn Mosby also cited discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws that has harmed black communities and called for the government to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. News on the drug and opioid epidemics looks at: Ohio’s strategies to combat addiction; U.S. wins $1.4 billion settlement with Reckitt; seriously ill patients who genuinely need opioids; Medicare’s progress on treating addiction; Narcan training for Phoenix police force; and clean teens in New Hampshire.
While an autopsy report is forthcoming, the most likely cause of his death was SUDEP, or sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. A severe seizure can temporarily shut down the brain, including the centers that control respiration, and if a person is sleeping and lying face down, death can occur, experts say.
Fierce Opposition From Hospitals Leaves California Surprise Medical Bill Legislation On Life Support
“We are going after a practice that has generated billions of dollars for hospitals, so this is high-level,” said Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco). “This certainly does not mean we’re done.” Chiu said he and his team would keep working on amendments to the bill that address the concerns of hospitals while maintaining protections for patients.
Study Eases Fears That Capping Hours For Doctors In Training Has Ill-Effect On Patients
Physicians who trained before the 2003 limits on work hours typically logged about 100 hours a week. When that was capped at 80 hours a week, some worried it wouldn’t be enough to properly train the doctors. But a new study finds that there were no difference in hospital deaths, readmissions or costs from the change.
Actor Victor Garber–who has type 1 diabetes–as well as a sea of children turned up at the Senate hearing to beseech lawmakers to renew funding for research on the disease.
The three-year program, dubbed the Connected Care Pilot, would support a limited number of projects, focusing on pilots that help providers “defray” the broadband costs of bringing telemedicine to low-income Americans and veterans.
Family Races Against Ticking Clock To Get Coverage Approval For $2.1M Gene Therapy
A pricey treatment offered hope to a family with a daughter with a rare defective gene that causes spinal muscular atrophy. The therapy must be administered before the age of 2, but the family is locked in a fight with its insurance company over coverage. In other pharmaceutical news: the use of PrEP in the fight against AIDS, Massachusetts’ governor’s drug plan, clinical trial data, and more.
As conservative states move to put more and more abortion restrictions in place, the national trend is moving toward supporting the procedure as it stands. Meanwhile, lawmakers and advocates start reaching out to men to help join the fight.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The new shelter in Carrizo Springs, Texas opens following a fierce outcry over the quality of the facilities where detainees were held. But for some critics, the damage is bigger than just one building. “All of this is part of a morally bankrupt system,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).
