What’s At Electoral Stake: Health Care Access, Abortion, Drug Pricing
November 7, 2022
Morning Briefing
Tuesday’s midterm elections will carry far-reaching health care implications for all Americans with issues like abortion access, public health investments, Medicaid, fentanyl, vaping, pot, and much more at stake.
Voluntarios electorales quieren que los latinos sepan que votar es bueno para su salud
By Bernard J. Wolfson
November 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
En los últimos años, las instituciones de atención de salud a lo largo de todo Estados Unidos han realizado esfuerzos para promover el voto, inspiradas por la creciente creencia de que votar mejora la salud de las personas y las comunidades.
First Edition: Nov. 7, 2022
November 7, 2022
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Election Canvassers Want Latinos to Know Voting Is Good for Their Health
By Bernard J. Wolfson
November 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
One of the nation’s largest community clinic chains is running a get-out-the-vote campaign in Los Angeles and Orange counties this election, targeting primarily Latino communities, where turnout tends to be low.
Supreme Court to Hear Nursing Home Case That Could Affect Millions
By Farah Yousry, Side Effects Public Media
November 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
An Indiana man’s family sued a state-owned nursing home for alleged mistreatment. A U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case could determine the right of many Americans to sue government agencies.
Post-‘Roe,’ Contraceptive Failures Carry Bigger Stakes
By Sarah Varney
November 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Science Friday and KHN ran the numbers on birth control failure. Depending on the contraception method, typical-use error rates can add up to hundreds of thousands of unplanned pregnancies each year.
Journalists Cut Through the Noise, From Open Enrollment to Magic Mushrooms
November 5, 2022
KFF Health News Original
KHN 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.
Pennsylvania Decriminalizes Fentanyl Test Strips
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
Previously the test strips were defined as drug paraphernalia, and the goal of the new law is to try to reduce opioid overdoses. In Texas, doctors threaten legal action over a delayed report on pregnancy-related deaths. And in Santa Clara County, California, a resident died from West Nile virus.
Alcohol Use Caused More Deaths During Pandemic
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
Between 2019 and 2020, the alcohol-caused death rate spiked 26%, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. The increase was even bigger for women ages 35 to 44, rising 42%. Separately a study linked alcohol to stroke risk in young people.
‘Definitely A Big Deal’: New Antibiotic Effective Against UTIs
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
CNN says gepotidacin is the first new type of antibiotic targeting urinary tract infections in 20 years and notes its maker will soon submit data to the FDA for approval. Meanwhile, the amoxycillin shortage is hitting “hundreds” of pharmacies across the country, according to Bloomberg.
Report Highlights Health Services’ Vulnerability To Cyberattacks
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report into cybersecurity issues in the health care industry, suggesting government steps to take to improve the risks. Meanwhile, Healthcare Dive reports on eight ways hospitals can prevent cyberattacks.
Sales Of Mail-Order Abortion Pills From India Surge
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
According to the FDA website, “in most circumstances, it is illegal for individuals to import drugs into the United States for personal use,” though there are loopholes, such as when the drug isn’t considered risky and the buyer isn’t selling it to others, Bloomberg reported. Furthermore, the Biden administration has pledged to protect access to mail-order abortion pills.
Pfizer’s New Booster Is ‘Substantially’ Better Than Original In Older Adults
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
Pfizer reports that one month after getting its new bivalent booster, trial participants ages 55 and older had antibody levels almost four times as high as those who received the original booster. But the test group was small, involving just 76 adults, and it’s unclear what effect the vaccine will have on a possible winter surge.
Manchin Urges Bipartisan Deal To Protect Medicare, Medicaid
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
The West Virginia Democrat, who sank President Joe Biden’s ambitious $3 trillion Build Back Better agenda last year, suggests both federal health care programs are “going bankrupt” and have “tremendous problems.”
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on lying, “biology’s century,” embalming, nightmares, the astronaut microbiome, and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, November 4, 2022
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
Friday’s roundup covers pain pill guidance, covid boosters, Medicare, Medicaid, abortion, antibiotics, cyberattacks, and more. Plus, weekend reads.
CDC Relaxes Opioid Guidelines, Giving Doctors More Flexibility To Treat Pain
November 4, 2022
Morning Briefing
The CDC is updating and clarifying its 2016 guidance on opioid prescribing that many doctors and patients say led to untreated or undertreated pain. The new 100-page roadmap emphasizes greater flexibility for physicians in handling acute or post-surgical care as well as for treating chronic pain.
Hospital Giant HCA Fends Off Accusations of Questionable Inpatient Admissions
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
November 4, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The nation’s largest private health system, HCA Healthcare, has faced years of scrutiny over its share of emergency room patients who are admitted to the hospital. And now U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey, is calling for a federal investigation, prompting an escalating defense by the hospital system, based in Nashville, Tennessee.