Journalists Track Hospitals’ Delivery of Charity Care and the Menace of ‘Forever Chemicals’
August 26, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Untangling Ron DeSantis’ Debate Anecdote About an Improbable Abortion Survival Story
By Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact
August 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
One woman’s narrative has been used to support state legislation that aims to protect infants that survive an abortion. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made reference to it during the first Republican primary presidential debate, held this week in Milwaukee.
“Lo que queremos es venganza”: cómo las redes sociales alimentan la violencia armada entre adolescentes
By Liz Szabo
August 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Los adolescentes publican en Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat o TikTok, fotos o videos de sí mismos con armas y montones de dinero, a veces desafiando a sus rivales. Cuando los mensajes se hacen virales, alimentados por los “likes” y los comentarios, el peligro es difícil de contener.
Survey Finds Bullying Has Soared In Schools Over Past Five Years
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
The results come from the annual survey by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Axios suggests years of pandemic disruption are to blame as students struggle with stress and peer relationships. Meanwhile, doctors have spoken up about another TikTok trend: smashing eggs on kids’ heads.
Medicaid Expansion In Michigan Includes Pregnant Women
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
CBS News says expanded coverage will include children with green cards and pregnant women, though the extra coverage may only impact about 3,000 people. North Carolina Health News digs into why so many are losing Medicaid. Other news is from Texas, West Virginia, and elsewhere.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to read. This week’s selections include stories on rape, vaping, STIs, wheelchair football, transgender health, vaccines, and more.
Viewpoints: Who Should Take New Alzheimer’s Drugs?; Most Can Wait For New Covid Boosters
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers weigh in on these public health topics.
CDC Unveils New Sepsis Guidelines In Effort To Improve Survival Rates
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
Annually, at least 350,000 people die in the hospital or are moved into hospice care after developing sepsis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
West Virginia Can Block Sale Of Mifepristone, Federal Judge Rules
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
The decision is a blow to abortion-rights groups. GenBioPro, which makes the generic version of the drug, said it was considering “next steps.” In other abortion news: Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State agrees to a wording change on the state’s November ballot measure that is being criticized as “misleading and defective.”
Mark Your Calendars: New Covid Shots Reportedly Coming In Mid-September
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
“We are in our strongest position yet to be able to fight covid-19 as well as the other viruses that are responsible for the majority of fall and winter hospitalizations,” a CDC official told reporters Thursday. Also: pulse oximeters and their effects on care for Black and Hispanic patients.
Though There Were Fewer Health Care Hacks In Early 2023, They Were Bigger
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
The health industry has been hit by fewer but larger cybersecurity breaches in the first half of 2023, which experts suggest may show a shift in targets and tactics. Among other news, Cigna has removed preauthorization requirements for about 25% of medical services.
Wegovy Shown To Reduce Heart Failure Symptoms For Obese Patients
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
Separately, researchers are calling for governments to raise the legal smoking age to 22. Also: Charles River Laboratories signed an agreement to help protect horseshoe crabs, whose blue blood is useful for medical testing purposes.
Canadian Wildfire Smoke Drove Up ER Visits For Asthma
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
The spikes in visits were particularly bad in the New York area, AP reports. In other news, West Nile virus remains the most common mosquito-borne disease in the U.S., and a death linked to the virus has been reported in Northern California.
First Edition: Aug. 25, 2023
August 25, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California’s Medical Board Can’t Pay Its Bills, but Doctors Resist Proposed Fixes
By Annie Sciacca
August 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Patient advocates have long alleged the Medical Board of California is ineffective at policing doctors. But a proposal to beef up its budget and overhaul procedures faces stiff resistance from the doctors’ lobby.
Illustrated Report: How Gun Violence Goes Viral
By Oona Zenda and Liz Szabo
August 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As chatter and images about guns and violence slip into the social media feeds of more teens, viral messages fueled by “likes” can lead to real-world conflict and loss.
‘All We Want Is Revenge’: How Social Media Fuels Gun Violence Among Teens
By Liz Szabo
Illustrations by Oona Zenda
August 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Teens share photos or videos of themselves with guns and stacks of cash, sometimes calling out rivals, on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. When posts go viral, fueled by “likes” and comments, the danger is hard to contain.
California Offers Lifeline to 17 Troubled Hospitals
By Bernard J. Wolfson
August 24, 2023
KFF Health News Original
California’s new lending program for distressed hospitals will provide Madera Community Hospital with interest-free loans of up to $52 million if it can agree on a viable reopening plan with Adventist Health. The state will offer an additional $240.5 million in interest-free loans to 16 other troubled hospitals.
Republican Debate Highlights Candidates’ Views on Abortion
By KFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs
August 24, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Though health policies in general got little airtime, the discussion of whether candidates support a federal abortion ban underscored how Republicans, in a post-Roe environment, face political challenges on the issue.