Oh, Dear! Baby Gear! Why Are the Manuals So Unclear?
By Darius Tahir
May 3, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Sure, new parents are an anxious lot. But instruction manuals for devices meant to keep the baby safe and healthy are daunting and add to the anxiety. Why are they so confusing?
Bird Flu Is Bad for Poultry and Dairy Cows. It’s Not a Dire Threat for Most of Us — Yet.
By Amy Maxmen
May 3, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Cattle across the country are infected by the H5N1 bird flu. The virus isn’t spreading among people — but if it evolves to do that, fears of another pandemic could be realized.
California Floats Extending Health Insurance Subsidies to All Adult Immigrants
By Jasmine Aguilera, El Tímpano
May 3, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The legislature is considering taking the first steps to make Covered California plans available to immigrants without permanent legal status. The state has already extended Medi-Cal coverage to low-income immigrants.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Abortion Access Changing Again in Florida and Arizona
May 2, 2024
Podcast
A six-week abortion ban took effect in Florida this week, dramatically restricting access to the procedure not just in the nation’s third-most-populous state but across the South. Patients from states with even more restrictive bans had been flooding in since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Meanwhile, the CEO of the health behemoth UnitedHealth Group appeared before committees in both the House and Senate, where lawmakers grilled him about the February cyberattack on subsidiary Change Healthcare and how its ramifications are being felt months later. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
In Oregon, Medicaid Is Buying People Air Conditioners
By Samantha Young
May 2, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Oregon has started providing air conditioners, air purifiers and power banks to help some of its Medicaid recipients cope with soaring heat, smoky skies and other dangers of climate change. It’s a first-in-the-nation experiment that expands a Biden administration strategy to take Medicaid beyond traditional medical care and into the realm of social services. “Climate change is […]
Viewpoints: Infant Formula Bill Will Prevent Future Shortages; It’s Time To Start Testing Wastewater for H5N1
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers delve into the infant formula shortage, bird flu, health insurance claims, and more.
Morphine Regulation Is Changed Back After Plan To Avert Shortages Backfired
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced in December that it would switch from annual to quarterly quotas in an attempt to prevent shortages. However, STAT reports that the change had the opposite effect. The DEA is returning to annual quotas.
After HCA Cut Staff At North Carolina Hospital, Profits ‘Soared’
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
Carolina Public Press reports on financial affairs at the Mission Hospital in Asheville after it was acquired by HCA Healthcare. Also in the news: Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses call for better pay, a new medical school is slated for Northern Colorado, more.
Appeals Court Orders End To Children’s Climate Change Lawsuit
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
A U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said a lower court judge must end the suit brought against the federal government. In other news, skyrocketing weight-loss drug coverage costs in Illinois, opioid overdoses in Austin, and more.
A Majority Of Americans Believe Mental Health Isn’t Properly Addressed
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
A new survey shows 3 in 4 respondents say mental health issues aren’t spotted and treated in the same way that physical ailments are. Meanwhile, a study found 12% of LGBTQ+ youth attempted suicide last year, and some 39% seriously considered it.
Research Roundup: New Strain Of Mpox; Cancer; Antibiotic Resistance
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health studies and briefs.
Biden Will Reveal $3 Billion Plan To Replace Hazardous Lead Pipes
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
President Joe Biden is set to announce the initiative today, with funding from the $15 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Separately, the FDA appears to have overrun on a plan to ban formaldehyde from hair relaxers — the proposal was due to be announced in April.
Morning Briefing for Thursday, May 2, 2024
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
Maternal death rates, Arizona abortion ban, bird flu vaccines, cybersecurity, morphine regulation, mental health, and more are in the news.
‘Long Way To Go’: Maternal Deaths Decrease, But Racial Disparities Persist
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
A CDC report shows that the spike in maternal death rates reported in 2021 fell significantly in 2022 — returning to pre-pandemic levels. But an alarming pattern remains: Far more Black pregnant patients are dying than white, Asian, or Hispanic.
Two Bird Flu Vaccines Are Ready For Humans, If Needed
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
As the government girds for a potential human outbreak, it is finding that food products — milk, sour cream, cheese, and ground beef — are still safe for consumption.
UnitedHealth CEO Faces Blistering Questions At Hearings On Change Hack
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty faced criticisms from Senate and House committees on Wednesday over his company’s cybersecurity that led to the ransomware attack on subsidiary Change Healthcare. He also answered questions about the company’s response to the incident that compromised private data for as many as a third of Americans.
Arizona Senate Rescinds Abortion Ban With Little Help From GOP Lawmakers
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, is expected to sign the measure, which then would reinstate the law allowing for elective abortions up to 15 weeks. Meanwhile, women are reeling after Florida’s strict six-week abortion law takes hold.
First Edition: May 2, 2024
May 2, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Wrong About a Ban on NIH Research About Mass Shootings
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
May 2, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Since 2020, the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies have collectively funded millions of dollars in gun-related research, including studies addressing mass shootings.
‘Breaking a Promise’: California Deficit Could Halt Raises for Disability Workers
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
May 2, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Families of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities say Gov. Gavin Newsom is reneging on an expected pay increase for care workers. If the delay goes through, it could impede services and invite legal challenges from advocates.