First Edition: Sept. 5, 2023
September 5, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Mississippi’s Cervical Cancer Deaths Indicate Broader Health Care Problems
By Virginia Anderson
September 5, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Mississippi has among the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in the U.S. When low-income women can’t afford regular preventive care, much less gynecological visits, this highly preventable and treatable cancer becomes a killer.
NPR and KFF Health News Share the Story of Two Health Heroes Who Helped Stop Smallpox
September 5, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Regina G. Barber from NPR’s “Shortwave” podcast speaks with physician-epidemiologist Céline Gounder about two men who were among the public health heroes who helped wipe out a 3,000-year-old virus, and the lessons that victory offers for the next public health emergency.
Workers Pay the Price While Congress and Employers Debate Need for Heat Regulations
By Amy Maxmen
September 5, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Studies suggest official numbers vastly underestimate heat-related injuries and illness on the job. To institute protections, the government must calculate their cost — and the cost of inaction.
Biden Administration Proposes New Standards to Boost Nursing Home Staffing
By Jordan Rau
September 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The proposal would require major hiring at the most sparsely staffed homes. But the proposal is already badly received by the nursing home industry, which claims it can’t boost wages enough to attract workers.
Activista distorsiona datos federales para afirmar falsamente que las vacunas contra covid causaron 676,000 muertes
By Tom Kertscher, PolitiFact
September 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
La publicación fue escrita por el activista anti-vacunas Steve Kirsch, quien ha hecho otras afirmaciones sobre las vacunas que han sido desacreditadas por PolitiFact y otros verificadores de datos.
When Temps Rise, So Do Medical Risks. Should Doctors and Nurses Talk More About Heat?
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
September 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The medical dangers of heat are real. But people often ignore public heat alerts or don’t realize how vulnerable they are. A new alert system prompts clinicians to talk about heat with patients.
Activist Misuses Federal Data to Make False Claim That Covid Vaccines Killed 676,000
By Tom Kertscher, PolitiFact
September 1, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Anti-vaccine tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch, whose wild assertions have been repeatedly debunked, wrongly attributes deaths following vaccination to the vaccines themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which runs the database, calls that inaccurate and irresponsible.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': 3 Health Policy Experts You Should Know
August 31, 2023
Podcast
In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” host Julie Rovner interviews three health policy experts.
How Far Will Montana’s Push to Remove Lead from School Drinking Water Go?
By Keely Larson
August 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Montana has earmarked $3.7 million to address widespread high levels of lead in school drinking water. But it likely isn’t enough to solve the problem.
Join Our Live Web Event
August 30, 2023
Page
Web Event: Thinking Big in Public Health, Inspired by the End of Smallpox Join an online conversation led by Céline Gounder, a physician-epidemiologist and the host of “Eradicating Smallpox,” Season 2 of the “Epidemic” podcast. The docuseries explores the parallels between the campaign to end a centuries-old disease and the challenges public health faces today. […]
New Mexico Supreme Court Set To Hear Arguments Against Abortion Bans
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
The lawsuit’s target is recent abortion ban ordinances in several cities and counties. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s top court on Tuesday declined to reconsider a recent ruling upholding the state’s fetal heartbeat abortion ban.
MOVEit Data Breach Has Affected At Least 88 Health Providers
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
A threat analyst at Emsisoft said, “This isn’t simply people’s logins, passwords or even Social Security numbers,” Modern Healthcare reported. “It’s a mix of health records, legal records … and a huge variety of data.”
Walmart Asks Some Pharmacists To Take Pay Cuts To Lower Costs
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
Reuters has an exclusive on the cuts, which target pharmacists in higher wage brackets. They’re being asked to reduce their working hours. To blame: so many people buying “weight-loss drugs that drag on profits.” AI-based drug discovery is also in the news, along with developments on 3M’s legal problems over earplugs.
Forget Alcohol, Tobacco: Dirty Air Is Now Biggest External Health Threat
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
A major new study is saying that air pollution is a more dangerous threat to the average person on the planet than smoking or alcohol. Also in the news: deadly West Nile virus in Massachusetts; an E. coli outbreak at the University of Arkansas; warnings over malaria; and more.
Prescribing Healthy Food Leads To Health Benefits, Study Finds
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
In a deliciously unsurprising finding, a new analysis published in an American Heart Association journal found that if fruits and vegetables are “prescribed” to adults and children, they eat more of them and have multiple health benefits. Also in the news; drug misuse and abuse.
Hospital Financial Performance Squeezed As Medicaid Unwinds: Report
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
A summertime drop in outpatient business and ongoing Medicaid redeterminations are hitting hospital financial performance, according to an industry report. The Hill, meanwhile, reports that Medicaid-eligible people who are not actually enrolled are far more likely to delay care.
Major Antibiotic Overprescribing For Children Reported
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News’ Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Perspectives: The Drug Pricing War Rages On
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Viewpoints: Will People Take Covid Precautions This Time?; Cancer Diagnosis May Not Be Cancer
August 30, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers delve into covid, cancer, aging, and more.