Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on Obamacare, organ donation, vitamins, diphtheria, expensive toilets, and more.
Viewpoints: Why Do We Know So Little About Long Covid?; Biden Was Right About Obamacare
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers tackle long covid, “Bidencare,” affordability of health care, and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, January 26, 2024
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Assisted living facilities, drug shortages and costs, health industry money woes, Medicare, measles, long covid, and more are in the news.
Bankruptcies Soared Among Health Care Companies Last Year
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
News outlets round up a host of stories on the financial pressures currently facing health care systems, hospitals, Medicare insurance providers, and pharmacy giants.
Senators Propose Medicare Hospital Incentives To Relieve Drug Shortages
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Senate Finance Committee released a paper Thursday that floats multiple legislative proposals for fixing the current national crisis over prescription drug shortages, including bonuses to hospitals that take steps to fend off shortfalls. Separately, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is urging the White House to take steps to tackle Medicare Advantage overpayments and denials.
Snapchat Moves To Support Bill Protecting Young Social Media Users
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Snapchat’s owner is publicly supporting the Kids Online Safety Act. Politico says it’s the first big tech platform to do so. Meanwhile, a study has identified social withdrawal as a behavioral risk factor for teen suicide. Separate research found teens from large families may have worse mental health.
CDC Warns Health Providers To Watch For Measles Cases
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
An increased number of measles cases imported from abroad have triggered the CDC’s new warning. In the U.K. a measles outbreak has seen 216 cases in one region alone since October—in 2022 there were just 53. Separately, research shows covid during pregnancy can cause health issues in babies.
Texas’ Rape Pregnancy Data Show Hollowness Of Governor’s Promise
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Houston Chronicle says new data of an estimated 26,000 rape-related pregnancies in Texas since it enforced an abortion ban is drawing attention to Gov. Greg Abbott’s vow to “eliminate rape.” In Iowa, a new bill would allow medical providers to refuse any care that violates their beliefs.
Cardiologists Suggest Health Records Should Note Gender Identity
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Since little is known about unique health challenges LGBTQ+ people face, Stat says, researchers are pushing for health systems to record patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to boost data collection. Also in the news: Medicare Advantage data transparency issues.
First Edition: Jan. 26, 2024
January 26, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Prescribing Love: Send Us Your Health Policy Valentines
January 26, 2024
KFF Health News Original
We want your sweetest “Health Policy Valentines.” Submissions will be judged by an esteemed panel of experts. We’ll share favorites on our social media channels, and tenderhearted members of our staff will pick the winners, announced on Feb. 14.
A Record Number of Californians Are Visiting Emergency Rooms for Dog Bites
By Phillip Reese
January 26, 2024
KFF Health News Original
There were nearly 50,000 emergency room visits for dog bites in California in 2022. The rate of such visits per capita is up about 70% since 2005.
Ouch. That ‘Free’ Annual Checkup Might Cost You. Here’s Why.
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
January 26, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The designers of the Affordable Care Act might have assumed that they spelled out with sufficient clarity that millions of Americans would no longer have to pay for certain types of preventive care. But they didn’t reckon with America’s ever-creative medical billing juggernaut.
Senate Probes the Cost of Assisted Living and Its Burden on American Families
By Jordan Rau
January 25, 2024
KFF Health News Original
In the wake of a KFF Health News-New York Times series, members of the Special Committee on Aging are asking residents and their families to submit their bills and are calling for a Government Accountability Office study.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Health Enters the Presidential Race
January 25, 2024
Podcast
New Hampshire voters have spoken, and it seems increasingly clear that this November’s election will pit President Joe Biden against former President Donald Trump. Both appear to be making health a key part of their campaigns, with Trump vowing (again) to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and Biden stressing his support for contraception and abortion rights. Meanwhile, both candidates will try to highlight efforts to rein in prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sarah Somers of the National Health Law Program about the potential consequences for the health care system if the Supreme Court overturns a key precedent attempting to balance executive vs. judicial power.
Ohio Senate Overrides Governor’s Veto, Restricts Trans Care And Trans Athletes
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine had vetoed the bill, which bars doctors from prescribing gender care to people under 18, forces parental consent before diagnoses of gender dysphoria, and blocks trans girls from female sports. Also, in Missouri, a parents’ bill of “rights” would limit bathroom choices.
Fungal Blastomycosis Infections, Once Thought Rare, Appear Across US
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
The infection, which can be tricky to diagnose, had been thought to mainly occur in the northern Midwest and parts of the Southeast — but it’s actually more widespread, a new study found. Also in the news, Robitussin products are recalled nationwide over contamination issues.
Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ Linked To Premature Births, Low Baby Weights
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
A Human Rights Watch report found that for pregnant women living in parts of Louisiana, there’s a much higher risk of premature birth and low birth weight than is found outside the state. The study links the pregnancy risks in “Cancer Alley” to air pollution.
Alabama Execution Today Will Use Controversial Nitrogen Gas
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Kenneth Smith survived an earlier execution attempt due to botched IV lines, the Washington Post says. Now he will be executed by an untested, controversial method: nitrogen hypoxia. Also in the news, a St. Louis nursing home endangered residents; medical debt erasure in New York; and more.
A Year In Action, CMS’ Rural Pay Model Has Helped Hospitals
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Modern Healthcare looks into an effort to help out hospitals in remoter rural areas. Also in the news, a receivership discussion over Steward Health Care’s financial problems; U.S. News sues San Francisco’s city attorney over subpoenas concerning the media outlet’s hospital rankings; more.