Biden Pick to Lead Social Security Pledges Action on ‘Heartbreaking’ Clawbacks
By David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group
November 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
At a Senate confirmation hearing, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said he would address hardships the Social Security agency has caused by demanding money back from beneficiaries.
States Reconsider Religious Exemptions for Vaccinations in Child Care
By Matt Volz
November 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Providers and health care advocates warn a proposed rule change in Montana would jeopardize immunity levels in child care centers and communities. Efforts to change vaccination exemption rules are underway in other states, too.
Medicare Expands the Roster of Available Mental Health Professionals
By Judith Graham
November 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Medicare is expanding access to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists come Jan. 1. But the belief that seniors who suffer from mental health problems should just grin and bear it remains a troubling barrier to care.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': For ACA Plans, It’s Time to Shop Around
November 2, 2023
Podcast
It’s Obamacare open enrollment season, which means that, for people who rely on these plans for coverage, it’s time to shop around. With enhanced premium subsidies and cost-sharing assistance, consumers may find savings by switching plans. It is especially important for people who lost their coverage because of the Medicaid unwinding to investigate their options. Many qualify for assistance. Meanwhile, the countdown to Election Day is on, and Ohio’s State Issue 1 is grabbing headlines. The closely watched ballot initiative has become a testing ground for abortion-related messaging, which has been rife with misinformation. This week’s panelists are Mary Agnes Carey of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News.
Medical Debt Is Disappearing From Americans’ Credit Reports, Lifting Scores
By Noam N. Levey
November 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As credit rating agencies have removed small unpaid medical bills from consumer credit, scores have gone up, a new study finds.
“Peor de lo que la gente cree”, cambios en Medicaid crean caos en los estados
By Phil Galewitz and Katheryn Houghton and Brett Kelman and Samantha Liss
November 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Tanto beneficiarios como defensores de pacientes dicen que los funcionarios de Medicaid enviaron formularios de renovación obligatoria a direcciones viejas, calcularon mal los niveles de ingresos e hicieron malas traducciones de los documentos.
Research Roundup: Diabetes; Paxlovid; MIS-C; Healthy Air On Cruise Ships
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
The Pandemic Has Faded, But A Survey Shows Vaccine Misinfo Is Still Rife
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania also shows the percentage of Americans who believe approved vaccines are are safe dropped 6 points since April 2021 to 71%. Separately, Moderna posted a quarterly loss, thanks to impacts from unused covid shots.
8 Opioid Overdoses In 3 Weeks Hit A Single Virginia High School
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The overdoses among students at a high school in Sterling, Virginia, show how dramatic the opioid crisis has become — all of them required medical intervention of some sort. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has been asked for the first time to block anti-trans youth care laws in Tennessee.
Lawsuit Raises Energy Drink Safety Questions After Death Of 21-Year-Old
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The lawsuit was filed last week after the death of a 21-year-old who suffered a heart condition. In other news, a new study linked race factors to depression among college students who are minorities at both predominantly white and Black institutions.
Idaho Mom, Son Kidnapped Girl To Get Her An Abortion: Prosecutors
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
The complex case unfolded amid Idaho’s strict anti-abortion laws, which include a ban on helping minors without their parents’ consent, and centers around a young girl who was living with her boyfriend’s family and then taken out of state to get an abortion.
‘Buyer Beware’ Also Applies To ACA Insurance Coverage: Experts
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Now that it’s time to pick health coverage for 2024 on the ACA’s marketplaces, experts are reminding buyers to research which plans they’re choosing to avoid expensive surprises.
‘Pharmageddon’ Staff Walkout Had Low Impact, Say CVS And Walgreens
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Most stores remained open during the three-day walkout action among some pharmacists, the companies said. In other pharma news, Nostrum Laboratories will pay up to $50 million to settle allegations of underpaid Medicaid rebates; Apple’s long-term plans to revolutionize health care; and more.
Morning Briefing for Thursday, November 2, 2023
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Lung cancer screenings, Medicaid “unwinding,” abortion law, ACA open enrollment, opioids, vaccine misinfo, and more are in the news.
American Cancer Society Updates Guidelines For Lung Cancer Screenings
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
People ages 50 to 80 who smoke now or used to smoke and have at least a “20 pack-year” history of smoking should get an annual low-dose CT scan, the group says. A “pack-year” is defined as equal to smoking one pack of cigarettes per day for a year.
First Edition: Nov. 2, 2023
November 2, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘Worse Than People Can Imagine’: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Breeds Chaos in States
By Phil Galewitz and Katheryn Houghton and Brett Kelman and Samantha Liss
November 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As Medicaid programs across the nation review enrollees’ status in the wake of the pandemic, patients struggle to navigate the upheaval.
The AMA May Reconsider Single-Payer Health Care
By Julie Rovner
November 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Is the American Medical Association going soft on single-payer health care? We’re about to find out. For more than a century, the most influential U.S. physician group has stridently opposed what could generally be described as “national health insurance.” It famously helped defeat health reform efforts in the 1930s and 1940s, delayed the establishment of […]