Depression During Or After Pregnancy Linked To Higher Suicide Risk
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
New research shows that people who develop depression during pregnancy or soon after are at a greater risk of attempting suicide for a number of years after. Other reproductive health news reports on postpartum depression, midwifery services, and more.
Ohio Won’t Indict Woman Who Miscarried A Nonviable Fetus
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Brittany Watts, 34, was arrested after suffering a miscarriage in her bathroom and trying to flush the remains down the toilet. She had previously visited a hospital several times, where doctors ruled the fetus was not viable. On one trip, she waited for eight hours as an ethics board determined what to do, The New York Times wrote.
Fentanyl Poisonings Pushed Teen Overdose Rates To Record High In 2022
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
The fentanyl overdoses came from counterfeit pills, a new study based on CDC data says. Meanwhile, rapper Jelly Roll spoke in front of Congress to tackle the deadly spread of fentanyl across the country. Also in the news: A landmark study finds prescribed opioids can reduce deaths and overdoses.
Hormone-Disrupting Plastic Chemicals Cost US Billions Annually
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
In 2018 alone, the tally reached $249 billion, a new study found. The endocrine-disrupting chemicals from plastics are linked with illnesses that drive up health care costs, CNN explains. Also in the news: the role “high touch” surfaces like bed rails have in spreading pathogens in hospitals.
In Philly Measles Outbreak, A Child Was Sent To Day Care, Breaking Quarantine
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
NBC News says that during the outbreak, which has affected at least eight people, an unvaccinated child who had been exposed to measles was then was sent to day care, despite quarantine instructions. Measles in a children’s hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, is also in the news.
Morning Briefing for Friday, January 12, 2024
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Rural hospitals, government funding, weight-loss drugs, depression during pregnancy, dangerous plastics, measles, and more are in the news.
Senate Preps For Stopgap Funding Measure While House At Impasse
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Lawmakers are now in recess for the holiday weekend, while the clock ticks down on a first deadline before a partial government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson continues to try to navigate between the demands of hard-right Republicans and the rest of his caucus.
First Edition: Jan. 12, 2024
January 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations. Note to readers: First Edition will not be published Monday, Jan. 15. Look for us in your inbox Tuesday.
Hospitales rurales, atrapados en el dilema de sus viejas infraestructuras
By Markian Hawryluk
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
El aumento de los costos, en medio de reducciones de los pagos de las aseguradoras, dificulta que los pequeños hospitales obtengan financiación para grandes renovaciones.
What Would a Nikki Haley Presidency Look Like for Health Care?
By Lauren Sausser
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s tenure in the Palmetto State — which overlapped with several tumultuous years of health care reform — and her recent comments offer clues to how her presidency might affect national health care policy.
Rural Hospitals Are Caught in an Aging-Infrastructure Conundrum
By Markian Hawryluk
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Small, community hospitals face challenges in paying for the capital improvement projects they need to stay open.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': All About the (Government) Funding
January 11, 2024
Podcast
With days to go until a large chunk of the federal government runs out of money needed to keep it operating, Congress is still struggling to find a compromise spending plan. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to hear — this year — a case that pits federal requirements for emergency treatment against state abortion bans. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews American Medical Association President Jesse Ehrenfeld about the choppy waters facing the nation’s physicians in 2024.
In a Fractious Rerun, GOP Rivals Haley and DeSantis Debate Health Care. Trump Sits It Out.
By KFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs
January 11, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The fifth debate of the 2024 GOP presidential primary season took place days before Iowa Republicans will caucus to determine their pick for the top of the party’s ticket. The front-runner, former President Donald Trump, once again did not participate.
The AMA Wants a Medicare Cut Reversed – And Lawmakers To Stay Out of Care
By Julie Rovner
January 11, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Congress is back this week and feverishly working on a bipartisan agreement to fund the government for the rest of the 2024 fiscal year. Ahead of a potential vote, I spoke with Jesse Ehrenfeld, the president of the American Medical Association, the nation’s largest lobby group for doctors, about his organization’s priorities in Washington. Some […]
Study Found 60% Of Doctors On DSM-5 Panel Received Industry Payments
January 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
The payments totaled over $14 million, the study found, and raise questions about the editorial independence of the psychiatric “bible.” A separate study looked into ADHD treatment during the pandemic and concluded that prescriptions for adults surged, helping to fuel drug shortages.
Spotlight Falls On US Diet Panel Member’s Ties To Alcohol Industry
January 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
The New York Times says the national organization charged with assembling a committee to examine evidence about drinking and health has chosen a new panelist who has financial ties to the alcohol industry shortly after it dropped two scientists with financial interest conflicts.
FDA Says French Syphilis Drug Can Be Imported To Tackle Shortages
January 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
In June, Pfizer warned it would run out of its Bicillin L-A drug in the face of high demand, so the FDA has now temporarily allowed import of a drug from France’s Laboratoires Delbert. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, authorities seized a poisonous solvent that was used in cough syrup.
Reflecting Growing Demand For Care, Gender Dysphoria Cases Are Rising
January 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
Nearly every state saw a rise in gender dysphoria diagnoses between 2018 and 2022, a new report shows, with only South Dakota showing a fall. The report suggests increases are due to trans and gender issues being “more accepted by society.” In Ohio, the House voted to restrict gender care for minors.
Your High Rent May Be Hurting Your Health, Shortening Your Life: Report
January 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
A recent study linked paying a higher proportion of income on rent with poorer health experiences and a greater risk of premature death. Meanwhile, other researchers found Black Americans are facing higher stroke risks at a younger age than white patients, although overall stroke rates fell.
Research Roundup: Neurodegenerative Diseases; Covid; Mpox; More
January 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.