ACA’s Free Preventive Services Mandate Stands, Appeals Court Rules
June 24, 2024
Morning Briefing
The lawsuit was brought by two Christian-owned Texas businesses opposed to covering the HIV-prevention drug. That portion of the case — specifically a panel’s authority — has been sent back to a lower court for review.
On 2nd Anniversary Of Dobbs Ruling, Not Much Has Improved For Doctors
June 24, 2024
Morning Briefing
Physicians say they’ve developed workflows to help them navigate confusing state laws. Still, they are regularly forced to turn away pregnant patients in need. Meanwhile, learning how to perform an abortion is increasingly tough: Some doctors travel hundreds of miles to Illinois for training.
Texas Updates Abortion Guidelines But Adds Little Clarity Over Exceptions
June 24, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Texas Medical Board loosened some paperwork requirements for physicians. Plus: Data show Texas is averaging five abortions a month now.
Raising Hospital Prices Hurts The Local Economy, Study Shows
June 24, 2024
Morning Briefing
“Employers that face increases in health care spending respond by laying off workers who they can no longer afford to retain,” said one of the University of Chicago researchers responsible for the study. Meanwhile, Sutter Health gets a legal reprieve after a court found it didn’t double-bill patients.
Florida Law Requiring Hospitals To Ask About Immigration Status Leads To Big Drop In Medicaid Spending
June 24, 2024
Morning Briefing
Politico’s analysis finds that Medicaid expenditures for undocumented immigrants in Florida have dropped dramatically since Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law directing hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status.
Anti-Tobacco Critics: FDA’s Menthol Vape Approval ‘Blow To Public Health’
June 24, 2024
Morning Briefing
The products, intended as less-harmful alternative to cigarettes, were authorized by the FDA, drawing criticism from pediatricians and anti-tobacco groups. Separately, the Washington Post reports that the tobacco industry is using Black activists to battle menthol tobacco bans.
First Edition: June 24, 2024
June 24, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Young Gay Latinos See Rising Share of New HIV Cases, Leading to Call for Targeted Funding
By Vanessa G. Sánchez Devna Bose, The Associated Press Phillip Reese
June 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Since being diagnosed with HIV in 2022, Fernando Hermida has had to move three times to access treatment. A KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis found gay and bisexual Latino men account for a fast-growing proportion of new diagnoses and infections, showing they are falling behind in the fight against HIV.
Jóvenes latinos gay ven un porcentaje cada vez mayor de nuevos casos de VIH; piden financiación específica
By Vanessa G. Sánchez Devna Bose, The Associated Press Phillip Reese
June 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Un análisis de KFF Health News-Associated Press halló que los hombres latinos homosexuales y bisexuales representan una proporción cada vez mayor de nuevos diagnósticos e infecciones, lo que demuestra que los están dejando atrás en la lucha contra el VIH.
Medicaid for Millions in America Hinges on Deloitte-Run Systems Plagued by Errors
By Rachana Pradhan Samantha Liss
June 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The technology has generated notices with errors, sent Medicaid paperwork to the wrong addresses, and been frozen for hours at a time, according to state audits, court documents, and interviews. While it can take months to fix problems, America’s poorest residents pay the price.
It’s Called an Urgent Care Emergency Center — But Which Is It?
By Renuka Rayasam
June 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Suffering stomach pain, a Dallas man visited his local urgent care clinic — or so he thought, until he got a bill 10 times what he’d expected.
Journalists Discuss Bird Flu, Tick-Borne Illnesses, and Lessons From Covid Response
June 22, 2024
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Live From Aspen: Health and the 2024 Elections
June 21, 2024
Podcast
Health policy may not be the top issue in this year’s presidential and congressional elections, but it’s likely to play a key role. President Joe Biden and Democrats intend to hold Republicans responsible for the Supreme Court’s unpopular ruling overturning the right to abortion, and former President Donald Trump aims to take credit for government efforts to lower prescription drug prices — even in cases in which he played no role. Meanwhile, some critical health care issues, such as those involving Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, are unlikely to get discussed much, even though the party in power after the elections would control the future of those programs. This week, in an episode taped before a live audience at the Aspen Ideas: Health festival in Aspen, Colorado, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Despite Staff Opposition, FDA Official OKs Sarepta’s Duchenne Gene Therapy
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Elevidys, which failed a large phase 3 trial last year, is now approved to cover nearly all patients, regardless of age or wheelchair status. Also in the news: biosimilars, covid vaccine recommendations, antibiotics, and more.
WHO and Eli Lilly Issue Global Warning About Phony Weight Loss Drugs
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Eli Lilly says it is “deeply concerned” over the spread of fake or compounded versions of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound. As AP reported, Eli Lilly is the only lawful supplier of those drugs, and it does not provide tirzepatide to compounding pharmacies or online retailers.
Feds Blast State Of Missouri For Putting Mentally Ill Patients in Nursing Homes
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
It’s a violation of federal disability law, the Department of Justice has now said. Also in the news: a nursing home Medicaid fraud suit in New York, California aims to protect workers from indoor heat, and more.
UnitedHealth Ponies Up $1 Million After Denying Access To Birth Control
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
The settlement with New York effectively ends the probe into the insurer’s violation of the state’s Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, which mandates all FDA-approved contraceptives without copays, restrictions or delays.
Democrats Eye Comstock Act Repeal In Effort To Protect Reproductive Rights
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
The fear is Republicans will revive the 150-year-old law to further curtail abortion rights, despite assurances from the Biden administration that the law won’t have an impact.
Gen Xers More Likely To Have Cancer Than Baby Boomers, Study Finds
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
The rate increases “appeared in all racial and ethnic groups except Asian or Pacific Islander men,” researchers found. Also in the news: depression, migraines, and food insecurity.
