Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: Protecting The ‘Miracle Drugs’; Family Physicians And The Opioid-Abuse Battle
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Opinion writers offer a variety of thoughts on the current zeitgeist surrounding the Capitol Hill repeal-and-replace discussion as well as a number of other policy issues.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio, Georgia, Texas, Minnesota, Washington and South Carolina.
U.S. News Releases 2017 Rankings For Hospitals
In other news, a hospital system in Houston adds more facilities while a group of physicians who are hospitalists are seeking to expand beyond Maryland.
Lawmakers Taking Strides To Address Menstruation Care As Basic Health Need
Getting rid of a tax on menstrual products is one of several ideas around menstruation care that’s gaining speed across the country. In other women’s health news: weight gain, postpartum depression and mothers of kids with cancer.
Young People On ‘Brink Of The Worst Mental Health Crisis In Decades,’ Expert Warns
Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, talks about how attachment to smartphones and social media is proving damaging to the mental health of those in the “iGen” generation. In other public health news: sunscreen, malaria, heart disease, a mysterious illness, smoking and damaged skin cells.
Smoking One Of Biggest Culprits In Appalachia’s Health Disparities
Appalachia is falling behind the rest of the country in infant mortality and life expectancy. And although much attention has focused on the area’s opioid crisis, the study finds that the region’s tendency to be “more accepting of tobacco use as a social norm” is a bigger factor in its health problems.
Doctor’s Murder Raises Tough Questions About Battling Opioid Epidemic
Dr. Todd Graham refused to give a patient a pain killer prescription. The woman’s husband returned with threats and a gun. Graham’s death is serving as a stark reminder to the community that doctors are on the front lines of the crisis. Meanwhile, deaths from drug overdoses in the U.S. rose sharply in the first nine months of 2016.
Those who have studied health care’s specific vulnerabilities worry that hackers — working for enemy states or cybercrime groups — could train their digital sights directly on U.S. hospitals, health care networks and medical devices.
Oregon Latest State To Offer Medicaid To Children Of Immigrants Regardless Of Status
Although advocates are cheering the victory, they don’t see many more states following suit under the Trump administration.
Appeals Court Strikes Down Calif.’s Lowered Medi-Cal Payments For Hospital Outpatients
The state cut its Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals by 10 percent for services that didn’t require an overnight stay and eventually got approval from the Obama administration. The federal appeals court said the government can adopt such measures only if it shows that access to care is not affected.
‘I’m Not Sure What Happens Next’: McConnell Asks For Patience With Congress Over Health Care
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he doesn’t know what the path forward looks like, but he thinks that “no action is probably not going to work.”
For Insurance Commissioners On Front Lines, Subsidies Aren’t Just A Part Of A Political Game
In Washington, the subsidies for insurers have become a hot topic in the health care debates, but state insurance commissioners are more concerned about what they’ll actually have to do if they’re cut off. Without the federal subsidies, insurers would need to get the money — estimated at $7 billion to $10 billion next year — from another source. Meanwhile, in other marketplace news, Anthem is pulling out of Nevada’s exchanges and paring back its offerings in Georgia, and Molina is closing a clinic in Michigan.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Opioid Epidemic Demands Focus, Urgent Action And Big Spending; Paying For Organs?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Perspectives: ‘Obamacare Sabatuers’ Are Driving Costs Up; States, ‘Bad Ideas’ And Insurance Markets
Opinion writers offer thoughts on the current state of play regarding the Affordable Care Act, the repeal-and-replace effort and other ideas regarding health system reform.
Media outlets report on news from California, Vermont, Kansas, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.
The Way People Touch, Use Smartphones Could Predict And Preempt Mental Health Issues
A study has found a strong correlation between patients suffering from depression and anxiety and certain patterns in keyboard and other touchscreen actions on their smartphones. In other public health news: Alzheimer’s tests, tobacco, sleep apnea, sexual assault and paralysis, kids with inexplicable pain, and more.
Fears Of Entering Into A ‘Designer Baby’ Era Through Gene Editing Unfounded, Experts Say
For the first time, researchers were able to repair a gene mutation through editing, but that doesn’t mean parents will be able to order a custom baby anytime soon, if ever.
FDA Ramps Up Efforts To Stop Flood Of Synthetic Opioids Coming Into U.S. Through Postal Service
Members of Congress also are trying to address the mail issue. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is pushing a bipartisan bill called the STOP Act, which would require foreign postal services to provide electronic security data on all packages shipped to the United States. Meanwhile, officials are worried that the surge in opioid-related deaths in Maryland signal a worsening of the crisis.
