KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': 2023 Is a Wrap
December 21, 2023
Podcast
2023 was another busy year in health care. As the covid-19 pandemic waned, policymakers looked anew at long-standing obstacles to obtaining and paying for care in the nation’s health care system. Meanwhile, abortion has continued to be an issue in much of the nation, as states respond to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the constitutional right to the procedure. This week, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and wrap up the year in health. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Jordan Rau about his joint KFF Health News-New York Times series “Dying Broke.”
Viewpoints: Once Ozempic Is Started, Can It Ever Be Stopped?; Tackling The Weight-Loss Drug Misinformation
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss obesity drugs, health care and medical ethics.
FTC Calls For Broad Steps To Better Protect Online Privacy For Kids
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Federal Trade Commission proposed revisions on Wednesday to the 1998 law that currently governs children’s online privacy. Among the suggested changes would be a requirement for online services and app makers to turn off ad tracking and prohibit use of personal data for kids under 13.
Spotlight Falls On Obscure FDA Program Shunting Money Into Costly Drugs
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
A little-known FDA voucher program, designed to incentivize companies to make drugs for uncommon illnesses, is being leveraged to cash in by big pharma names. Meanwhile, Medicare is warning some of the largest U.S. hospital chains for not being transparent on pricing.
Research Finds Those Long Weekend Lie-Ins May Help Your Heart
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
A new study published in the journal Sleep Health suggests that improved cardiovascular health could come from getting extra sleep during the weekend. Also in the news: worries over the use of artificial intelligence in health care; long covid’s impact on heart rate; and more.
Young International Traveler Arrived In Colorado Infected With Measles
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
The adolescent patient arrived in Denver International Airport Dec. 13 after traveling to several other countries, and is in isolation. Officials are working to notify people who may have been exposed. It is the first confirmed case of measles in a Colorado resident since Jan. 2019.
New York’s Program For Monitoring People With Serious Mental Illness Has Broken Down Repeatedly
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
A New York Times investigation finds that people under Kendra’s Law orders — a program that monitors New Yorkers with serious mental illness who are also at risk of committing violence — have been accused of committing more than 380 beatings, stabbings, subway shovings, and other violent acts in the past 5 years.
Research Roundup: HPV Vaccination; Paxlovid; Pneumonia; Noma
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Morning Briefing for Thursday, December 21, 2023
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s briefing includes news on high Obamacare signups, spiking homelessness, online privacy, measles, long covid, heart health, and more.
Obamacare Marketplaces On Track To Break Sign-Up Records
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
HHS says that more than 19 million have signed up so far at healthcare.gov for a 2024 health insurance plan —exceeding last year’s mark of 16.3 million at this point in the enrollment season. Another 4 million people have enrolled through a state marketplace.
As Homelessness Spikes Post-Pandemic, Midsize Cities Try To Problem Solve
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Wall Street Journal looks at efforts in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where homelessness has increased 34% since the start of the pandemic. Other related news comes from the District of Columbia, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon.
Texas Medical Board Has Yet To Clarify Abortion Rules After Cox Legal Case
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Texas Tribune notes that even after the complex legal spat over a bid by Kate Cox to end her nonviable pregnancy, which included calls from the state Supreme Court for the Texas Medical Board to offer guidance, the board has yet to do so. Meanwhile, FactCheck.org calls out misleading online info about the high-profile case.
First Edition: December 21, 2023
December 21, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The Year in Opioid Settlements: 5 Things You Need to Know
By Aneri Pattani
December 21, 2023
KFF Health News Original
In the past year, opioid settlement money has gone from an emerging funding stream for which people had lofty but uncertain aspirations to a coveted pot of billions being invested in remediation efforts. Here are some important and evolving factors to watch going forward.
Deep Flaws in FDA Oversight of Medical Devices, and Patient Harm, Exposed in Lawsuits and Records
By Fred Schulte and Holly K. Hacker
Illustration by Oona Zenda
December 21, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Thousands of medical devices are sold, and even implanted, with no safety tests.
Inside the Pentagon’s Painfully Slow Effort to Clean Up Decades of PFAS Contamination
By Hannah Norman and Patricia Kime
December 21, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Cost estimates balloon and complications mount as the Defense Department grapples with PFAS pollution at hundreds of its bases and surrounding communities.
What a Bison Goring Can Teach Us About Rural Emergency Care
By Arielle Zionts
December 20, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Millions of Americans live in “ambulance deserts” — areas that are more than a 25-minute drive to the nearest emergency medical services (EMS) station. The most rural areas can be more than an hour away from help. These sparsely populated communities can have trouble sustaining ambulance services, if small patient volumes and low reimbursements […]
Though More Need It, Housing Aid Levels Fall To Worrying Lows
December 20, 2023
Morning Briefing
The New York Times reports on safety net loopholes concerning housing aid: Though the number of eligible households for public housing, Section 8, and Housing Choice Vouchers are up by a quarter since 2004, those three federal programs serve 6% fewer households than they did then.
Federal Judge Dismisses Claim Autism And ADHD Are Linked To Tylenol
December 20, 2023
Morning Briefing
The plaintiffs didn’t have evidence to support their claims that Tylenol and generic acetaminophen use during pregnancy raises a child’s risks of the conditions, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said. Also in the news: a possible longevity breakthrough in new menopause drugs.
Paxlovid Cuts Death Rates In Half When Taken On Day Zero Or 1
December 20, 2023
Morning Briefing
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News’ Prescription Drug Watch roundup.