An Arm and a Leg: When Hospitals Sue Patients (Part 1)
By Dan Weissmann
December 14, 2023
Podcast
Some hospitals sue patients over unpaid medical bills. But is this even an effective way for hospitals to recoup lost revenue? On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with medical-debt experts to explore a different solution.
Republicans Once Championed Public Health. What Happened?
By Julie Rovner
December 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
It wasn’t that long ago that Republicans were all-in on boosting public health spending. “The highest investment priority in Washington should be to double the federal budget for scientific research,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) wrote in a 1999 op-ed in The Washington Post. Big spending increases for the National Institutes of Health soon […]
Eisai’s Alzheimer’s Drug To Launch In Japan For 25% Less Than US Price
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Leqembi is set to be available from Dec. 20, with intravenous treatment expected to cost about $20,500 per patient yearly, compared to $26,000-plus in the U.S. Also in Japan, officials reported the country’s first fatality from mpox.
Sanofi Ends Deal With Maze For Rare Disease Drug After FTC Monopoly Suit
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Sanofi terminated its $750 million deal with Maze Therapeutics to develop and license an experimental drug for Pompe disease. The move came hours after the FTC filed an antitrust lawsuit against the partnership.
New Combination Antibiotic On The Horizon; Early Drug Therapy May Halt HIV Progression In Babies
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News’ Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Different Takes: Abortion Exemptions Are Not Working In Texas
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Opinion writers tackle the failure of abortion exemptions in Texas.
Viewpoints: Maybe We Are Talking About Anxiety Too Much; Why Is It So Hard To Find Quality Prenatal Care?
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss mental health, prenatal care, the cost of health care and more.
HHS’ TEFCA Is Now Operational With 5 EHR Vendors Able To Exchange Data
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) has been in the works since 2016 and is seen as a major building block in efforts to achieving national health data interoperability.
Toxin Exposure Found In Nearly Half Of Veterans Screened So Far
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Of the 5 million veterans screened so far by the Department of Veterans Affairs under the PACT Act, 2.1 million have been found to have been exposed to at least one toxic substance during their military service.
Study: You Sent Your Kids Back To School Too Soon After They Had Covid
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
A new study shows 40% of children are still at risk for spreading a covid infection in the day after their symptoms have resolved — it also showed rapid tests were often negative in early covid infection, so aren’t reliable for excluding infection risks. Also in the news: Covid and flu are surging in places.
Spotlight Falls On All-Male Lawyers As Arizona High Court Considers Abortion
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Arizona Republic notes that as six justices from the state Supreme Court began to question attorneys, all four lawyers were men. Meanwhile in New Mexico, the Supreme Court examined whether to strike down local abortion restrictions.
SmileDirectClub Customers Lose Support After Abrupt Shutdown
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Axios reports on the problems facing people who’ve bought teeth-alignment systems from SmileDirectClub, which suddenly collapsed. Separately, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries filed a class-action suit against Humana over alleged use of an algorithm to cut off rehabilitation care payments.
North Carolina Extends Medicaid For Children For Another Year
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
North Carolina Health News says the state paused Medicaid unwinding for children for another year, earning praise from health experts. Also in the news: Federal officials investigate Legionella bacteria at a building in Detroit; a Florida school was fined for allowing a trans girl to play volleyball; and more.
Preventive Services Task Force Advises Counseling From Age 6 For Obese Kids
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
A recommendation from the government-backed USPSTF said the goal is promoting healthier eating and exercise habits: Research shows the impact of such early behavioral interventions. In other news, millennial women are facing a decline in well-being compared with previous generations.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, December 13, 2023
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Electronic records, toxic exposure in military, mental health, opioids, covid, abortion law, obesity in kids, and more are in the news.
First Edition: Dec. 13, 2023
December 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
As Foundation for ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis Cracks, Fallout Spreads
By Renuka Rayasam and Markian Hawryluk and Samantha Young
December 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Major policy changes and disavowals have made this a watershed year for curbing the use of the discredited “excited delirium” diagnosis to explain deaths in police custody. Now the ripple effects are spreading across the country into court cases, state legislation, and police training classes.
Millions in Opioid Settlement Funds Sit Untouched as Overdose Deaths Rise
By Katheryn Houghton and Aneri Pattani
December 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Some states haven’t begun using opioid settlement funds intended to help curb the opioid epidemic. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose last year.
Gun Violence Is a Plague. Could Medicaid Help?
By Samantha Young
December 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
To tackle America’s gun problem, a growing number of states are allowing Medicaid dollars to fund community-based violence programs intended to stop shootings. The idea is to boost resources for violence prevention programs, which have been overwhelmed in some cities by a spike in violent crime since the covid-19 pandemic. An infusion of reliable funding, […]