Police Blame Some Deaths on ‘Excited Delirium.’ ER Docs Consider Pulling the Plug on the Term.
By Markian Hawryluk and Renuka Rayasam
October 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The American College of Emergency Physicians will vote in early October on whether to disavow its 2009 research paper on excited delirium, which has been cited as a cause of death and used as a legal defense by police officers in several high-profile cases.
Journalists Track Opioid Settlement Cash and New Fees for Emailing Your Doctor
September 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News 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.
Viewpoints: Why Is Polio Proving So Hard To Eliminate?; Heat Waves Are More Deadly Than People Realize
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss polio, heat waves, cold medicine and more.
Credit Rating Downgrades Hitting Dozens Of Health Systems
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Current challenging operating environments are blamed. Separate reports show there’s an “exodus” of life scientists from academia to industry positions, raising worries over the future of U.S. science. Other news includes new drug reviews and approvals, an Eli Lilly whistleblower lawsuit and more.
San Francisco To Start New Court Process For Unhoused People With Mental Illness
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
The CARE court will allow some parties to directly petition the court for behavioral health services. Pilots in San Francisco and Stanislaus counties are set to launch Monday. Separately, Los Angeles city and county are set to spend billions of dollars to provide support, housing services for homeless people.
Surgeon General: Beating Loneliness May Help US Mental Health Crisis
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy say that he worries that the state of U.S. mental health is worse than ever, and called for stronger communities to help tackle loneliness. Among other public health news: a worrying parasite in Baltimore drinking water, TikTok promotions for steroids, more.
3 In 4 Infants Needing Hospital Care For Covid Had Unvaccinated Mothers
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, researchers found covid vaccines received during pregnancy help protect newborns. Other scientists looked into evolving covid vaccine loads and the timing of at-home testing. Also: antibiotic-resistant bacteria, an implantable for paralyzed patients, and menopause symptoms.
Manchin Joins Republicans in Blocking VA Nominee Over Abortion Policy
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, has joined with Republicans on the Veterans Affairs Committee to block the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s nominee for general counsel at Veterans Affairs, Politico reports. Manchin and the Republicans oppose a policy the VA adopted to counsel patients on abortion and provide the procedure under limited circumstances. The nomination has been stalled for more than a year.
Medicare’s ‘Innovation’ Agency Was Expected to Save Money. It’s Cost Billions.
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Congressional Budget Office once predicted that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation would save taxpayers nearly $3 billion over a decade. It’s instead increased spending on federal health care programs by billions of dollars.
Don’t Be Surprised If Your Free Govt. Covid Tests Are Already ‘Expired’
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Experts say that expired tests that may be delivered as part of the latest round of free test kits shouldn’t immediately be discarded — they may still be valid. Meanwhile, the CDC director is urging flu and covid vaccinations this fall amid low uptake rates. Also: hydroxychloroquine is in the news again.
McCarthy Wins Votes On A Few Spending Bills, But Government Shutdown Looms
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy managed to win passage of a handful of spending bills late Thursday, potentially strengthening his position in last-minute negotiations to avert a government shutdown.
House Republicans Introduce Bill To Ban Abortion Meds
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
The goal is to ban nationwide what bill supporters claim are “dangerous drugs.” Mifepristone has been approved for 23 years for abortions until 10 weeks and the drugs have become the most common abortion method. In other news, a legal to-and-fro in Texas over Yelp and “crisis pregnancy centers.”
Morning Briefing for Friday, September 29, 2023
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Shutdown watch, abortion pills, Medicare, loneliness, covid tests and vaccines, and more are in the news. Plus, the bill of the month.
First Edition: Sept. 29, 2023
September 29, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
She Received Chemo in Two States. Why Did It Cost So Much More in Alaska?
By Arielle Zionts
September 29, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A breast cancer patient who received similar treatments in two states saw significant differences in cost, illuminating how care in remote areas can come with a stiffer price tag.
Social Security Overpayments Draw Scrutiny and Outrage From Members of Congress
By David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group
September 29, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Lawmakers are faulting the Social Security Administration for issuing billions of dollars of payments that beneficiaries weren’t entitled to receive — and then demanding the money back — in the wake of an investigation by KFF Health News and Cox Media Group.
These Appalachia Hospitals Made Big Promises to Gain a Monopoly. They’re Failing to Deliver.
By Brett Kelman and Samantha Liss
September 29, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Ballad Health, the only hospital system across a large swath of Tennessee and Virginia, has fallen short of quality-of-care and charity care obligations — even as it’s sued thousands of patients for unpaid bills.
GOP Presidential Primary Debate No. 2: An Angry Rematch and the Same Notable No-Show
By KFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs
September 28, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Though never framed as a marquee issue, the topic of health care crept into the chaotic seven-way faceoff throughout the evening, highlighting Republican culture-war themes.
Viewpoints: Americans Should Focus On Health Span Versus Life Span; Hospital Prices Are Clear As Mud
September 28, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss living a long, healthy life, hospital price transparency, health care innovation and more.
CVS Promises To Boost Hiring, Avoids A Repeat Pharmacists Strike
September 28, 2023
Morning Briefing
The goal is to ease workloads of overburdened pharmacists. But the company was also sued by a small Iowa pharmacy alleging that CVS violated antitrust laws. Among other news: Google led a funding round for Midi Health; Pfizer’s chief sees a “scientific renaissance” emerge as populations age; and more.