Study Casts Doubt On Benefits Of Paying Off People’s Medical Debt
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
A New York Times report covers a study by some economists that says paying off people’s medical debt has little impact on their lives. Separately, health care costs are found to be driving up anxiety in millennials and Gen Z, another study finds.
Google Searches For ‘Hurt’ Eyes Spiked After Solar Eclipse
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The searches suggest some people were worried they’d damaged their vision by looking at the image of the sun during yesterday’s total eclipse event. Also in the news, wildfires and mental health, legal weed, and vape use in college.
Transgender Catholics Express Disappointment At Vatican Statement
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
AP reports that transgender Catholics are dismayed by a recent Vatican document that rejects the principles of being transgender and say it shows a lack of understanding. The White House also reacted, affirming President Joe Biden’s support for the trans community.
Brain Implant Startup Synchron Ready For Large-Scale Human Trials
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The startup, a rival to Elon Musk’s Neuralink system, will set up an online registry for patients interested in joining the medical trial. Also in the news: AI mammograms; tests for pancreatic cancer; and LupusChat, a support system for those suffering with lupus.
CDC: Human Risk From Bird Flu Is Small, But States Should Prepare
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged state health officials to get ready with plans to rapidly test and treat any farm workers if they test positive after cattle have been found with bird flu.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, April 9, 2024
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
KFF Health News is on Instagram and TikTok ! Watch our videos and follow along as we break down health care headlines and policy.
Arizona’s Highest Court Set To Rule Today On Near-Total Abortion Ban
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Arizona Supreme Court is expected to decide an appeal that has called for reinstating a near-total abortion ban from 1864, nearly 60 years before Arizona’s statehood. Also in the news: religious exemptions for Indiana’s near-total abortion ban, how pregnancy ages you, and more.
Trump’s Abortion Position Upsets GOP Hardliners
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Former President Donald Trump’s statement that abortion is a matter for states and “the people” to decide has not gone down well with some Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s criticism of his announcement spurred Trump to say hardliners like Graham were doing “disservice.”
Data Stolen From Change Healthcare Ransomed In Second Attack
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on what cybersecurity experts had warned may happen in the aftermath of the recent attack on Change Healthcare: an alliance between cybercriminals. The alleged second ransom effort centers on 4TB of personal data on Change patients, which a new group threatens to release.
First Edition: April 9, 2024
April 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
After Public Push, CMS Curbs Health Insurance Agents’ Access to Consumer SSNs
By Julie Appleby
April 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Days after publication of a KFF Health News article about Obamacare enrollees being switched to different plans without their knowledge or consent, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services took steps to tighten insurance agents’ access to private consumer information on the federal marketplace.
Readers Speak Up About Women’s Health Issues, From Reproductive Care to Drinking
April 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
City-Country Mortality Gap Widens Amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
April 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
People in their prime working years living in rural America are 43% more likely to die of natural causes, like diseases, than their urban counterparts, a disparity that grew rapidly in recent decades, according to a new federal report.
Viewpoints: Is It The Kids Or The Parents Who Are Struggling?; Medicaid Urgently Needs Administrative Updates
April 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers delve into parental anxiety, Medicaid, AI in hospitals, and more.
Analysis Finds Half Of Accelerated Approval Cancer Drugs Don’t Help
April 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
A study presented at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting showed that the drugs didn’t improve patient survival or quality of life, but some even went on to be converted to full approval by the FDA. Also in the news: a link between accelerated aging and cancer risks.
Nuclear Medicine Safety Advisers Found To Have Conflicts Of Interest
April 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Axios reports on a special inquiry into the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, finding there was no policy requiring conflicts of interest to be reported. The inquiry centered on how diagnostic radioactive injections can sometimes leak into surrounding tissue.
New England Journal Of Medicine Often Ignored Nazi Atrocities, Article Says
April 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
An article in the NEJM criticizes the journal itself for its weak reporting when the Nazis were rising in Germany and performing horrific medical experiments. Also in the news: a probe into liver transplants at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
FDA Should Not Have Approved AvertD Test For Opioid Risk, Experts Say
April 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
A group of 31 experts in genetics, addiction, psychiatry, and medical-device regulation sent letters to the FDA and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The Washington Post reported. The experts called the approval a mistake that relied on faulty science.
As Online Sports Betting Rises, So Do Calls To Gambling Addiction Lines
April 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
NBC News covers the rising mental health impact of the boom in online sports betting. Separately, in Maryland, lawmakers passed two sweeping privacy bills, one of which is aimed at breaking youths’ addiction to social media.
Kansas And Texas Are The Only 2 States Seeing Covid Infections Rise
April 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Just these two states, the CDC says, have had increases — or likely increases — since March 30. Elsewhere across the country, respiratory viruses are continuing to fade. Exercise and long covid are also in the news.