‘Black Box’ For Recording Every Action In An OR Is Tested In Massachusetts
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Boston Globe reports on an operating room-watching, AI-powered system that is meant to gain insights that can boost quality of procedures and performance, though it remains controversial. The Apple Watch ban, experimental Alzheimer’s treatments, and more are also in the news.
Study Finds Link Between Chronic Ear Infections And Delayed Speech
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
A study out of the University of Florida finds that kids who had several ear infections before age 3 had a smaller vocabulary and had difficulty matching similar-sounding words. Other health and wellness news is on organ donation, eye disease in older age, snow shoveling safety tips, and more.
Viewpoints: Lack Of Childcare Is Making Parents Sick; How Much Plastic Are You Drinking?
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss parental anxieties, nanoplastics, women’s health, and more.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, January 16, 2024
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Drug pricing, Obamacare enrollment, restrictions on pot, tobacco use, employer wellness programs, ear infections, and more are in the news.
NIH Director Taking Slow Approach To Invoking March-In Drug Patent Rights
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
NIH’s new director, Monica Bertagnolli, spoke to Stat about the challenges of requiring pharmaceutical companies to charge a reasonable price for drugs created with the help of federal funds—a policy move that President Joe Biden has pressed.
Lawmakers Rush To Pass Stopgap Funding Bill Before Shutdown Deadline
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Congressional leaders unveiled the measure over the weekend that would keep the federal government operating through March. The measure faces opposition among some Republicans and must pass before Friday’s deadline to avert a partial shutdown.
As ACA Enrollment Window Closes, Florida Leads In Sign-Ups
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
A record number — about 20 million — signed up for ACA coverage. Over 4 million enrollees are in Florida. Also in Florida, the House began to move on its plans to boost the number of physicians and expand health care access. Meanwhile, data show cancer care improves in Medicaid expansion states.
US Should Ease Restrictions On Pot, Federal Scientists Recommend
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
A newly released scientific review sheds light for the first time on the thinking of federal health officials who are pondering a momentous change. Also, a study found that using cannabis doesn’t lead to using opioids.
Fewer People Using Tobacco Globally, Despite Big Tobacco’s Huffs And Puffs
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on dramatically tumbling tobacco use over a generation, though “Big Tobacco” is working hard to reverse the trend, including trying to influence global health policies, the WHO says. Also in the news, a tobacco ban advances in Vermont; nicotine pouches are a growing trend; and more.
First Edition: Jan. 16, 2024
January 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
What Would a Second Trump Presidency Look Like for Health Care?
By Julie Rovner
January 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Health policy during Donald Trump’s tenure was dominated by covid-19 and a failed effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. His appointments to the Supreme Court led to the end of national abortion rights, and he took steps to increase hospital price transparency and improve care for veterans.
Federal Program to Save Rural Hospitals Feels ‘Growing Pains’
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Tony Leys
January 16, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Fewer than two dozen rural hospitals were converted into Rural Emergency Hospitals in the program’s first year. Now, advocates and lawmakers say tweaks to the law are necessary to lure more takers and keep health care in rural communities.
Mary Lou Retton’s Explanation of Health Insurance Takes Some Somersaults
By Julie Appleby
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The gold-medal gymnast’s explanation of why she remained uninsured has health policy experts doing mental gymnastics — because it makes little sense.
Trump Official Who OK’d Drugs From Canada Chairs Company Behind Florida’s Import Plan
By Phil Galewitz
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Alex Azar advanced Canadian drug importation as Donald Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services. Now he chairs the board of a company managing Florida’s importation program.
Oficial de Trump que aprobó traer medicamentos de Canadá ahora preside la empresa detrás de la importación
By Phil Galewitz
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Es común que altos funcionarios de ambos partidos dejen el servicio público por trabajos o puestos en juntas directivas, a menudo mejor remunerados, en empresas de las industrias que antes regulaban
Alex Azar’s Unusual Spin Through the Revolving Door
By Phil Galewitz
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Washington’s infamous revolving door took an unusual turn for former Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar. Azar spent about a decade with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. before coming to the nation’s capital to lead HHS in the Trump administration. But in September 2020, just a couple of months before former president Donald […]
New York Governor Launches Expanded Mental Health Initiatives
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Gov. Kathy Hochul is, CBS News says, “doubling down” on her pledge to tackle mental health in the state — including with 1,000 more beds toward in-patient capacity. Meanwhile, in Florida, the Senate is set to pass a broad health care plan that includes efforts to boost the number of doctors.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on mental health, “clown cardio,” padel, and more.
Viewpoints: Conservative Judges Couldn’t Care Less About Women; How Worried Should You Be About Nanoplastics?
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers tackle abortion rights, microplastics, prescription drugs and more.
FDA: No Link Between Suicidal Thoughts And Weight-Loss Drugs
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
In positive news for the millions of people already taking GLP-1 drugs, the pharmaceuticals are not linked to adverse-event reports of suicidal thoughts or actions, preliminary analysis by the FDA found. It wasn’t possible to rule out a “small risk” however, and further monitoring will now happen.