Se agrava la crisis del fentanilo en California
By Don Thompson
May 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Impulsadas en gran medida por la prevalencia del fentanilo, un opioide sintético hasta 100 veces más potente que la morfina, las sobredosis de drogas en California matan ahora a más del doble de personas que los accidentes de tráfico.
He Returned to the US for His Daughter’s Wedding. He Left With a $42,000 Hospital Bill.
By Sarah Jane Tribble
May 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
After emergency surgery, an American expatriate with Swiss insurance now carries the baggage of a five-figure bill. Costs for medical care in the U.S. can be two to three times the rates in other developed countries, so foreigners and expats with good insurance in their home countries need travel insurance to protect themselves from “crazy prices.”
California’s Fentanyl Problem Is Getting Worse
By Don Thompson
May 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
State lawmakers have recently been debating whether and how to stiffen punishments for dealers, while Gov. Gavin Newsom is targeting fentanyl trafficking and distributing more naloxone. The problem, experts say, is one with no easy or clear answers.
Small, Rural Communities Have Become Abortion Access Battlegrounds
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
May 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
After local leaders in rural Nevada reached an impasse over a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic, an anti-abortion activist pitching local abortion bans across the U.S. arrived at their remote City Hall.
Texas AG Targets Hospitals Providing Gender-Transition Care
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
Other news about the issue concerns a private Florida fund to help transgender people and an Illinois politician who says all-gender bathrooms will cause violence.
Connecticut Tries To Lower Drunk-Driving Limit
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
The state wants to drop the level to 0.05% from 0.08%. In other health care news from across the country: Minnesota inches closer to legalizing recreational pot; New Hampshire aims to end “ER boarding”; and more.
Canadian Wildfires Drive Down Air Quality For Millions In US
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
A large portion of the U.S. has been experiencing low air quality, presenting unhealthy situations for people with heart and lung conditions, due to wildfire smoke blowing south. Meanwhile, Denver ranked among the worst cities in the world for air quality.
After FDA Change, Tech Brands Restyle Hearing Aids As Lifestyle Products
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
Axios reports on the “hipper” status of hearing aids after the FDA changed its rules to allow over-the-counter sales. In other news, Black women are finding shortages when looking for Black sperm donors; and the striking gap between deaths in Black and white babies in the South.
FTC Warns Consumer Biometric, Health Data Must Be Better Protected
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
Federal Trade Commission has privacy concerns over consumer data for facial recognition and how information from health apps is treated. Penn Medicine, a women’s health research facility in Ohio, and the Kinsey Institute in Indiana are also in heath industry news.
Obesity Drug Shows Heart Benefit
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
A small study says Wegovy helped reduce the risk of heart disease. (Another larger study is in the works.) And The Atlantic examines the potential use of Ozempic as an anti-addiction drug. And NBC News reports that weight-loss drugs also leads to muscle loss.
Morning Briefing for Monday, May 22, 2023
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
Maternal health, debt limit talks, pharmaceutical news, the next pandemic, weight-loss drugs, air quality, and more are in the news.
Bacteria-Tainted Eye Drops Linked To 4 Deaths
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
Also in pharmaceutical news: An antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis works on leprosy; a new therapy for fragile skin; an altered epigenome reduces cholesterol; a preeclampsia test; and more.
WHO Urges Greater Preparation For Next Pandemic
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
The World Health Organization also is starting a network to map the genetic code of disease-causing organisms. Other news is on bird flu and hospitals dropping mask mandates for covid.
Fallout From NC Abortion Ban Will Reverberate In Southeast
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
The AP looks at why a former Democrat who ran on a pro-choice platform voted with Republicans in North Carolina to ban abortions at 12 weeks. Abortion developments from Texas, Wisconsin, and Nebraska are also in the news. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tries to avoid the abortion issue before an anti-abortion group.
Biden Hints At 14th Amendment Debt Limit Strategy
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
President Joe Biden says he believes the 14th Amendment could be used to raise the debt ceiling but that the delay caused by legal challenges will lead to a default anyway. In other news, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that drug price caps in the Inflation Reduction Act are exacerbating drug shortages. Gottlieb serves as a director of Pfizer.
First Edition: May 22, 2023
May 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Una FTC más agresiva persigue las fusiones en la industria farmacéutica y a los intermediarios del sector
By Arthur Allen
May 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
La Comisión Federal de Comercio está actuando contra las empresas farmacéuticas y los intermediarios del sector, como parte de la campaña de la administración Biden para reducir los precios de los medicamentos en las farmacias.
Por qué los adultos jóvenes tienen menos sexo que el que tuvieron sus padres
By Phillip Reese
May 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
La cantidad de adultos jóvenes que no tienen relaciones sexuales ya estaba aumentando antes de que covid-19 hiciera que las citas fueran más difíciles y riesgosas.
A More Aggressive FTC Is Starting to Target Drug Mergers and Industry Middlemen
By Arthur Allen
May 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Industry analysts are skeptical that Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan can win her first fight against a drug industry merger. It will be reviewed by a judge appointed by then-President Donald Trump.