For People With Sickle Cell Disease, ERs Can Mean Life-Threatening Waits
By Sara Hutchinson
October 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
When patients with sickle cell disease have a health crisis — crescent-shaped red blood cells blocking blood flow — their condition can quickly lead to a fatal stroke or infection. But, despite efforts to educate doctors, research shows that patients are waiting hours in ERs and are often denied pain medication.
Michigan Voters Backed Abortion Rights. Now Democrats Want to Go Further.
By Kate Wells, Michigan Public
October 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Michigan is one of the few remaining abortion havens in the Midwest. But getting an abortion in that state is still more difficult than it should be, providers say.
More Maternity Units Closing Amid Staff Shortages And Rising Costs
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
The closure of maternity units in three Alabama hospitals is part of a trend in parts of the country that are leaving pregnant women with a dangerous lack of medical services.
Viewpoints: GOP Tying PEPFAR Extension To Abortion Agenda; Women Need Us To Continue AIDS Fight
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss PEPFAR, cancer, health care strikes, and more .
Biden Administration Invests $500 Million Into Future Anti-Covid Vaccines, Tech
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
The ProjectNext Gen investment is aimed at three different vaccine candidates, including intranasal versions. Meanwhile, covid indicators in the U.S. are trending downward, and researchers find a link between the nose and why children usually don’t get too sick from catching the virus.
Atrium Health, Big Collector Of Medical Debt, Stops Suing Patients
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Charlotte Ledger and North Carolina Health News report that the hospital system has quietly stopped suing patients for unpaid medical bills, earning praise from critics who object to health system debt collection habits. Separately, Allina Health physicians have voted to unionize; UnitedHealth Group sees profits jump; and more.
Emergency Doctors’ Group Withdraws Its ‘Excited Delirium’ Paper
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
Though previously rejected by most other medical organizations, the American College of Emergency Physicians has now disavowed its 2009 report on”excited delirium” syndrome that was subsequently used to justify police custody deaths.
Doctors Write Letter Warning Of Risks From Low Blood Transfusion Rates
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
Preventable deaths and risks to national security are said to be the result of health care facilities and emergency vehicles lacking equipment for transfusions. Among other news, a study pinpoints possible better treatments for Raynaud’s disease; ways around the U.S. vape ban; and more.
Medicare Coverage Expanded For More Brain Scans To Detect Alzheimer’s
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
The goal of the expanded coverage is to detect a brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease, which is the target of new Alzheimer’s drugs. Meanwhile, a neuroscientist whose studies are linked to an experimental Alzheimer’s treatment has been faulted for errors in his research after an investigation.
California Health Workers Will Get $25-Per-Hour Minimum Pay Soon
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill late Friday; wages will be gradually raised to $25 per hour over several years. California is the first state to enact minimum pay for health industry workers. In other news, Kaiser Permanente and union workers have reached a tentative deal to avert further strikes.
Morning Briefing for Monday, October 16, 2023
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
Bankruptcies and closures, Medicare open enrollment, opioids, health worker pay, covid vaccines, medical debt, and more are in the news.
Falling Sales, Opioid Lawsuits Drive Rite Aid Into Bankruptcy
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
More than a thousand federal, state, and local lawsuits, sales losses, and problem mergers are reportedly behind the pharmacy giant’s bankruptcy filing. Also in the news, the tragic deaths of dozens of toddlers in Missouri and Kansas from fentanyl overdoses
Enrollment For 2024 Medicare Plans Now Open
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
As Medicare open enrollment kicks off — running from Oct. 15 to Dec. — media outlets round up this year’s changes and other information that shoppers should know.
First Edition: Oct. 16, 2023
October 16, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Doctors Abandon a Diagnosis Used to Justify Police Custody Deaths. It Might Live On, Anyway.
By Markian Hawryluk and Renuka Rayasam
October 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The American College of Emergency Physicians agreed to withdraw its 2009 white paper on excited delirium, removing the only official medical pillar of support left for the theory that has played a key role in absolving police of culpability for in-custody deaths.
Listen: Inroads for Women in California’s Health Care Workforce
October 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart leads a discussion about the role women play as California grapples with a shortage of health care providers.
Medicare Enrollees Can Switch Coverage Now. Here’s What’s New and What to Consider.
By Julie Appleby
October 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Fall is the time when enrollees in the federal program for older people and people with certain disabilities can make changes to their health and drug plans. The decision can be complicated, but here are some key points to keep in mind.
Es el momento de revisar el plan de Medicare. Lo nuevo que hay que saber
By Julie Appleby
October 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Desde el 15 de octubre y hasta el 7 de diciembre, los afiliados al programa tradicional o a los planes de Medicare Advantage, que ofrecen aseguradoras privadas, pueden cambiar su cobertura.
A Third of Schools Don’t Have a Nurse. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.
By Colleen DeGuzman
Photos by Eric Harkleroad
October 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
School nurses treat children daily for a wide range of illnesses and injuries, and sometimes serve as a young patient’s only health provider. They also function as a point person for critical public health interventions. Yet many states don’t require them, and school districts struggle to hire them.
Journalists Offer Insights on Mobile Clinics and Suicide Prevention
October 14, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.