As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage
By Hannah Recht
June 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
In what’s known as the Medicaid “unwinding,” states are combing through rolls to decide who stays and who goes. But the overwhelming majority of people who have lost coverage so far were dropped because of technicalities, not because officials determined they are no longer eligible.
More States OK Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Beyond Two Months
By Matt Volz
June 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Montana, Alaska, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming are among the latest states moving to provide health coverage for up to a year after pregnancy through the federal-state health insurance program for low-income people.
FDA Approves Heart Failure Drug Inpefa; AI Helps In The Fight Against Antibiotic-Resistant Infections
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KFF Health News Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Amid Eating Disorder Surge, Colorado Restricts Diet Pill Sales To Minors
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Colorado’s acting governor is taking steps to address the use of BMI in determining treatment of eating disorders and to limit sales of diet pills. Separately, North Carolina’s legislature has passed an insurance bill that will let Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina reorganize.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, May 31, 2023
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Opioid lawsuits, the debt deal, abortion access, weight loss, Medicaid, nurses, mood-altering mushrooms, and more are in the news.
Weight-Loss Surgeries For US Youngsters Have Risen In Recent Years
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
New data on weight-loss surgery for people ages 10 to 19 show a 20% jump in 2021 over 2020’s figure. Rates for such surgery also rose between 2019 and 2020 for minors, though rates for adults dipped, Bloomberg notes. Other news includes heart and brain health matters.
Survey Reveals Widespread Racism Inside Nursing Industry
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
In a new survey of nursing professional by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 80% of respondents said they have seen or experienced racism from patients, and 60% from colleagues. Also in the industry news: ongoing high expenses for hospitals; a CMS official urges no rush for Medicaid redeterminations; and more.
If You Ate Out And Got Food Poisoning, It Could Be A Sick Worker’s Fault: CDC
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Federal health officials have concluded that about 40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks with a known cause between 2017 and 2019 are linked to a sick or contagious food worker who showed up while ill. In other news, good sleep is linked to lower odds for developing long covid, and more.
Bucking His Party, Nevada’s Republican Governor Enshrines Abortion Protections
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Gov. Joe Lombardo says he will respect the will of voters who codified abortion rights up to 24 weeks in a 1990 referendum vote. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Republicans have introduced legislation seeking to clarify what constitutes abortion, and the U.S. Space Command gets caught up in the abortion debate.
Loophole In Law Will Shield Sackler Family From Future Opioid Lawsuits
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
A federal appeals court on Tuesday cleared the way for a bankruptcy deal for opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sacklers. The ruling overturns a lower court’s ruling in 2021.
Anti-Hunger Groups Condemn Punitive Work Requirements In Debt Deal
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
NBC News says Republicans argue that expanding SNAP work requirements will push people to get jobs, but anti-hunger advocates say such measures don’t impact participants’ employment and merely punish them by taking away food. Other new outlets report on the debt deal’s progress.
How a Medical Recoding May Limit Cancer Patients’ Options for Breast Reconstruction
By Rachana Pradhan and Anna Werner, CBS News and Leigh Ann Winick, CBS News
May 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The federal government’s arcane process for medical coding is influencing which reconstructive surgery options are available, creating anxiety for breast cancer patients.
First Edition: May 31, 2023
May 31, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Health Care Coalition Jockeys Over Medi-Cal Spending, Eyes Ballot Initiative
By Angela Hart and Samantha Young
May 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
California Healthline has learned that a coalition of doctors, hospitals, insurers, and community clinics want to lock in a tax on health insurance companies to draw in extra Medicaid funding. It also wants to make the tax permanent.
Readers and Tweeters Weigh Marijuana’s Merits Against Those of Alcohol or Opioids
May 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Mood-Altering Mushroom Sales Bloom Despite Safety Concerns
By Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times
Illustration by Oona Zenda
May 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The well-known “Amanita muscaria” mushroom is legal to possess and consume in 49 states. The market for gummies, powders, and capsules containing extracts of the fungus is raising eyebrows, though, amid concerns from the FDA and in the absence of human clinical trials.
Texas School Safety Bill Requires Armed Person At Each Campus
May 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets cover what the Texas Tribune called a “sweeping” school safety bill, which is now on the governor’s desk one year after the mass shooting in Uvalde. The bill requires arming personnel and mental health training for some employees. Other news is from California, New York, and elsewhere.