CEO’s Slaying Lays Bare The Disdain People Feel About Insurance Industry
December 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
Social media lit up with comments like “thoughts and deductibles” in the days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in New York, exposing Americans’ frustration with health insurers that determine the breadth of care and coverage patients can receive.
High-Level Execs Scramble For More Protection After Thompson’s Slaying
December 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
Phones have been “ringing off the hook” at Allied Universal, which provides security services for many Fortune 500 companies, The New York Times reported. Plus: Updates on the hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer.
Anthem Blue Cross Reverses Anesthesia Coverage Policy After Outcry
December 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
The insurance provider is dropping a proposed policy update that would have limited anesthesia coverage to an estimated time for a procedure. Meanwhile, Medical Economics reports that health care costs for businesses are increasing at a rate not seen in years.
FDA Needs More Authority And Funds From Congress To Curb Obesity Trend
December 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
On Thursday, senators decried the FDA’s lack of action on obesity and diabetes. Commissioner Robert Califf argued that the FDA needs more assistance to get things done. Meanwhile, only under President Joe Biden has the FDA begun to regulate lab-developed tests, Stat reports.
Trainee Doctors At Mass General Brigham Protest Over Exploitation
December 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
An estimated 400 doctors protested Thursday, claiming the raises promised by MGB failed to keep up with inflation, while the CEO’s salary jumped nearly 12% in last year alone. Also, Iowa’s physician-to-patient ratio is one of the worst in the country and is expected to get worse.
First Edition: Friday, Dec. 6, 2024
December 6, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
How Measles, Whooping Cough, and Worse Could Roar Back on RFK Jr.’s Watch
By Arthur Allen
December 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Inoculation campaigns that protect children and adults from dangerous diseases rely on a delicate web of state and federal laws and programs. If senior officials cast doubt on vaccine safety, the whole system might collapse, especially in red states.
Six Years Into an Appalachia Hospital Monopoly, Patients Are Fearful and Furious
By Brett Kelman
December 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Ballad Health, with the largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in the nation, has failed for years to meet many quality-of-care goals, leaving some patients afraid of their local hospitals but with no other nearby options.
Por qué el sarampión, la tos ferina y otras enfermedades graves podrían resurgir con RFK Jr.
By Arthur Allen
December 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Expertos afirman que una confluencia de factores podría causar el resurgimiento de epidemias mortales de enfermedades como el sarampión, la tos ferina y la meningitis, o incluso de polio.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies
December 5, 2024
Podcast
President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard its first two health-related cases of the term, challenging a Tennessee law barring transgender medical care for minors and, separately, challenging the FDA’s handling of e-cigarettes. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post Well+Being “Bill of the Month” feature, about an emergency room bill for a visit that didn’t get past the waiting room.
Trump Taps Fiserv’s Frank Bisignano To Head Social Security Administration
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Also in the news: a spotlight on Pete Hegseth’s history with alcohol, a look at what could happen to Texas’ Medicaid program under the new administration, and more.
EPA Proposes Limits On Pesticide Linked To Learning Disorders In Kids
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
The EPA is calling for limits to chlorpyrifos after a federal court overturned a ban on the pesticide last year. It has been linked to learning disorders in kids and is known to be harmful. Also, a study published Wednesday has linked exposure to lead in gasoline in childhood with increased mental health symptoms later in life.
Education Dept. Steps Up Pressure On All Schools To Create Cellphone Rules
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
To reduce mental health struggles, “every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a written statement. He did not dictate what the policy should say. In other news: Texas could ban THC.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Morning Briefing for Thursday, December 5, 2024
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Medicaid cuts, food stamps, killing of UnitedHealthcare exec, maternity wards closing, transgender care, pharma patents, and more
UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Killer Eludes Police As Industry Reels From News
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on the race to find the person who gunned down Brian Thompson on Wednesday in New York, the possible motive, the insurance industry’s shocked response, and the rise of an executive who kept a low public profile.
Some Justices Signal Willingness To Let Transgender Care Bans Stand
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Neil Gorsuch’s silence and Amy Coney Barrett’s impartial approach to questions during the hearing make it hard to predict which way the court will rule in the case regarding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming treatment, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Health Care Policy Compromise Elusive As Congressional Deadline Looms
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
Both sides will continue negotiating after Democrats spurned Republicans’ proposal to repeal the Biden administration’s nursing home staffing rule. Meanwhile, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, who will have the narrowest House majority in history, would like to cut spending for PBS and Planned Parenthood.
Most Rural And One-Third Of Urban Hospitals Have Closed Maternity Wards
December 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
The study, published Wednesday in JAMA, found that from 2010 through 2022, more than 500 hospitals closed their labor and delivery units. Other news is on health care costs for older Americans, CVS MinuteClinic locations in Utah, the important role of housekeepers at hospitals, and more.
