Study: 8 In 10 Calls To Florida’s Medicaid Call Center Get Disconnected
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
A study finds that dropped calls and long wait times are “hindering” access to health care for people with Medicaid coverage. Other regional health news comes from Minnesota, Kentucky, and California.
Measles Cases Reported In Midwest While Outbreak Grows In Florida
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The first measles case in five years was reported in Chicago, while three cases and the potential for more raised concern in Michigan. Also: news on meningitis, RSV, covid, and more.
Eli Lilly Ad Calls Out Hollywood Obsession With Ozempic
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Drugmaker Eli Lilly, which produces weight-loss drug Zepbound, is criticizing people who prescribe or take such drugs without an obesity diagnosis.
ER Visits Rise 420% Among Kids Who Accidentally Ate Melatonin
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Wall Street Journal reports on federal data showing a four-fold rise from 2009 to 2020. Also in the news: domestic violence and brain damage; the effects of daylight saving time on heart health; a new report on female genital mutilation; and more.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on twins, ZTTK syndrome, diabetic retinopathy, and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, March 8, 2024
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Health care at the State of the Union, abortion law, drug costs, measles, Medicaid, and more are in the news. Plus, your weekend reads.
Abortion Rights And IVF Issues Kick Off State Of The Union
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
President Joe Biden predicted that voters who support abortion rights would influence Election Day, and said: “If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you: I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.” One of the invited guests was an Alabama woman whose IVF treatment was disrupted by the Alabama Supreme Court’s frozen embryo ruling.
Biden Touts Record On Medicare Drug Pricing And Proposes Expansion
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
In a preview of his 2024 campaign messaging, President Joe Biden spotlighted his health care priorities during his State of the Union speech. Focusing on drug pricing in particular, he wants to expand the number of medications for which Medicare can negotiate pricing and took aim at “Big Pharma” more broadly.
In Face Of Questions About Age, Biden Delivers ‘Vigorous’ And Rapid Speech
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
President Joe Biden tackled concerns over cognitive ability during his State of the Union, arguing that with his years comes key experience: “When you get to my age, certain things become clearer than ever.” News reports described the speech as “feisty” and one that went on the offensive against Republicans’ positions.
Going Against Voters’ Wishes, Kansas Advances Another Anti-Abortion Bill
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
On Thursday, the state House approved a bill that would force abortion providers to quiz patients on 11 questions about why they want to end their pregnancies. Other states have similar restrictions, but none of them had a statewide vote on abortion rights, as Kansas did in 2022, AP reports.
Change Healthcare Partially Reopens System More Than 2 Weeks After Hack
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Its e-prescribing platform is up and running after a Feb. 21 cyberattack pushed it offline. The company hopes to reactivate two other platforms — for electronic payments and medical claims — late next week.
Radiation Exposure By Government Would Be Compensated Under Senate Bill
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Senate approved legislation by a 69-30 vote Thursday that would expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to cover more Americans who were likely sickened by radiation exposure due to government activities. Other news from Capitol Hill focuses on health measure expiring at the end of this year and WIC funding.
Newsom’s $6.4 Billion Homelessness Gambit Hangs by a Thread
By Angela Hart
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious attempt to combat the mental health and addiction epidemic in his state is leading by a razor-thin margin, calling into question whether voters trust him to confront the state’s growing homelessness crisis. Newsom asked voters on Tuesday to approve his $6.4 billion bond measure, dubbed “Treatment not Tents” — the […]
First Edition: March 8, 2024
March 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California May Face More Than $40M in Fines for Lapses in Prison Suicide Prevention
By Don Thompson
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A court expert reported that California prisons continue to lag on 14 of 15 suicide prevention measures, and even regressed in some areas. The state could face more than $40 million in fines after a federal judge warned more than a year ago that she would impose penalties for each violation.
VIP Health System for Top US Officials Risked Jeopardizing Care for Soldiers
By David Hilzenrath
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The historically troubled White House Medical Unit is just one part of a government health system that gives VIP care to top officials, military officers, military retirees, and families. Pentagon investigators say some were prioritized over rank-and-file soldiers.
Biden Team, UnitedHealth Struggle to Restore Paralyzed Billing Systems After Cyberattack
By Darius Tahir and Bernard J. Wolfson and Daniel Chang
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division is the worst on the health care industry in U.S. history, hospitals say. Providers struggling to get paid for care say the response by the insurer and the Biden administration has been inadequate.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The State of the Union Is … Busy
March 7, 2024
Podcast
At last, Congress is getting half of its annual spending bills across the finish line, albeit five months after the start of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden delivers his annual State of the Union address, an over-the-counter birth control pill is (finally) available, and controversy erupts over new public health guidelines for covid-19 isolation. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Neera Tanden, the White House domestic policy adviser, about Biden’s health agenda. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Staff Shortages Limit Admissions In Half Of Nursing Homes In Survey
March 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
The American Health Care Association found many homes facing such severe staff shortages that they had to limit new admissions. Separately, New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center will shut some units as a staffing shortage impacts patient safety.
Even Among Health Care Workers, Getting Care For Long Covid Isn’t Easy
March 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
CIDRAP reports that some of the health care workers with long covid also said the experience made them feel more empathy for patients. Other covid news is on alcohol sensitivity among those with long covid, ordering your free mail-order tests by Friday, and more.