‘Close,’ But Senators Not There Yet On Deal To Keep Government Open
December 22, 2022
Morning Briefing
After working late into the night, senators are set to reconvene early Thursday morning to continue hammering through amendments to the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that includes several major changes to U.S. health programs. Title 42 is at the center of much of the disputes.
Average American Life Span Falls To Shortest Mark In Decades
December 22, 2022
Morning Briefing
Federal government data shows that an American child born in 2021 could expect to live to age 76.4. That number fell by almost eight months in 2021, following an even greater drop of 1.8 years in 2020. Covid and drug overdoses largely account for the negative shifts.
First Edition: Dec. 22, 2022
December 22, 2022
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Centene, Under Siege in America, Moved Into Britain’s National Health Service
By Christine Spolar
December 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A nine-minute public hearing gave the U.S. insurance giant a foothold in Britain’s prized National Health Service. One doctor called it “privatization of NHS by stealth.” And critics worry that business efficiencies will degrade the quality of care.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Getting Insurance to Pay for Oral Surgery Is Like Pulling Teeth
By Dan Weissmann
December 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A car crash left a woman in need of oral surgery, but her health insurance wouldn’t cover it. Her ongoing fight shows podcast host Dan Weissmann the weird way insurance treats teeth and reveals a big problem in the Obamacare marketplace.
ER Doctors Call Private Equity Staffing Practices Illegal and Seek to Ban Them
By Bernard J. Wolfson
December 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Doctors, consumer advocates, and some lawmakers are looking forward to a California lawsuit against private equity-backed Envision Healthcare. The case is part of a multistate effort to enforce rules banning corporate ownership of physician practices.
‘Caged … For No Fault of Your Own’: Detainees Dread Covid While Awaiting Immigration Hearings
By Renuka Rayasam
December 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Covid remains a threat for the roughly 30,000 people in the country’s network of immigration facilities. But ICE continues to flout its own pandemic protocols, an extension of the facilities’ poor history of medical care.
77 People Died ‘Without The Dignity Of A Home’ In DC This year
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post covers the grim death statistic that was reported by the District’s medical examiner, with intoxication, the cold, and homicide among the causes. Meanwhile, the Salt Lake Tribune reports that five unsheltered residents died in recent days, likely due to recent winter weather.
3M Says It Will Stop Making PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In 2025
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
PFAS chemicals have been in the spotlight, the Wall Street Journal says, as concerns over their alleged health and environmental impacts grow. Separately, the Environmental Protection Agency will propose new national drinking water standards for two key PFAS chemicals by the end of 2022.
Viewpoints: Pump Act Will Help Families If Passed; End To China’s ‘Zero Covid’ Could Be Disastrous
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers examine breastfeeding rights, covid, sickle cell and more.
Sphaerimicin Antibiotics Show Promise Against Drug-Resistant Infections; RAS For Malaria Proves Ineffective
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
White House Shares Ownership Data For All Medicare-Certified Hospitals
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
Stat notes the move is part of the Biden administration’s goal of improving transparency and boosting competition. The data span over 7,000 hospitals. In other news, the Wall Street Journal explains how hospitals’ drug price discounts don’t necessarily lead to lower patient bills.
Republicans Block Unanimous Consent Bid To Protect IVF, Birth Control Access
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
Axios reports Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican, blocked a bid to pass by unanimous consent a bill to add federal protections for birth control and IVF. Meanwhile, in San Diego, an anti-gun law was blocked — but California’s governor approved, saying the decision reflected on Texas’ anti-abortion law.
CDC Warns ‘Tripledemic’ Levels Could Stay High For Weeks, Maybe Months
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells Fox 5 D.C. that the agency anticipates that flu, RSV, and covid infections could remain at this high level for “several more weeks, or possibly even months.” Meanwhile, over-the-counter medications used to treat these respiratory viruses are running low.
Covid Subvariant BF.7 In Spotlight After Surge In China
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
CBS News focuses attention on an omicron covid subvariant virus named BF.7. The variant emerged in late 2021 but is now concerning due to being the main variant spreading in Beijing and driving a surge across China. Also in the news: covid vaccine efficiency, long covid, mask mandates, and more.
Medicaid Enrollment Nears 100 Million, But Millions May Lose Access In April
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
A report in Axios says the number of Americans on Medicaid could hit the 100 million mark — around 1 in 3 people — as soon as next month. But AP notes that rules in the new $1.7 trillion spending plan could see millions of enrollees who signed up during the pandemic booted off Medicaid early.
DEA Seized 379 Million Doses Of Fentanyl This Year In Record Haul
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
The Drug Enforcement Administration says that it confiscated double the amount of fake pills disguised as the deadly and addictive synthetic opioid in 2022 than it did the previous year. Other news on the drug epidemic is reported from Minnesota and California.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, December 21, 2022
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
Wednesday’s roundup covers medical debt, Medicaid enrollment, fentanyl, reproductive health, the “tripledemic,” subvariant BF.7, and more.
First Edition: Dec. 21, 2022
December 21, 2022
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.