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.
Research Roundup: Long Covid; Maternal Covid; Breast Milk; Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
Viewpoints: There May Be A Dark Side To New Weight-Loss Drugs; Should THC Levels Be Regulated?
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers delve into weight-loss drugs, high potency marijuana, abortion restrictions, and prior authorizations.
Morning Briefing for Thursday, January 25, 2024
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Colonoscopy costs, record Obamacare enrollment, pregnancies due to rape, social media dangers, rural health care, and more are in the news.
Red States Drive Record Obamacare Enrollment With 21 Million Signing Up
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Nationally, enrollment in an Affordable Care Act plan so far for 2024 coverage increased 31% over last year. Republican-majority states like West Virginia, Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas saw even higher percentage increases in people now covered under the law that is still a campaign issue in 2024.
Nearly 65,000 Pregnancies From Rape Estimated In States With Abortion Bans
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
A new study estimates that nearly 520,000 rapes were associated with 64,565 pregnancies across 14 states with abortion restrictions — many of which don’t allow for exceptions in cases of rape and incest. The highest number was in Texas, which accounts for 26,313 of the total.
New York City Labels Social Media A Hazard To Public Health
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
The move makes New York the first city in the U.S. to take this step, and Mayor Eric Adams explained it was all about combating a mental health crisis driven by social media platforms. Meanwhile, in Florida, the House OK’d a ban on social media for children.
The FTC Escalates Biden’s Fight Against Drug Prices
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
January 25, 2024
KFF Health News Original
It’s daggers out at the Federal Trade Commission in its fight against anticompetitive practices in health care. This past year, it has issued more stringent guidelines to block and discourage hospital mergers, and it investigated practices by middlemen in the drug supply chain. Now drug manufacturers themselves are in the agency’s crosshairs. In November, the FTC challenged the validity of more […]
First Edition: Jan. 25, 2024
January 25, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.