Number Of US Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes Hits All-Time Low, But Vaping Is Up
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Only 1 in 9 American adults said they were current cigarette smokers, a new government survey reveals. But the same data showed electronic cigarette use is rising to include about 1 in 17 adults. Rising uterine cancer in young, Hispanic women, Havana syndrome, and more are also in the news.
4 Deaths At Seattle Hospital Amid Bacterial Outbreak
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Klebsiella, a bacteria often found in health care settings, is behind the outbreak, USA Today says. Separately, a contentious bill restructuring Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina passed quickly through the state House of Representatives. Also, overdose prevention centers are still not allowed in Colorado.
FDA Approves First Pill-Based Fecal Transplant Treatment
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
The treatment from Seres Therapeutics is said to provide a simpler version of stool-based transplant procedures that some specialists have been performing. Meanwhile, a penicillin G benzathine shortage is hitting the U.S. as syphilis and strep cases rise — it joins other drugs in short supply.
Kaiser Permanente Acquiring Geisinger To Create New Not-For-Profit System
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Stat says the new entity will be a new “national health system” that encompasses health insurance, hospitals, and medical groups. (Note: KFF Health News is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.) Other news includes CMS moves on hospital price transparency, insurance CEOs’ pay, and more.
Missouri Gender Care Restrictions Temporarily Suspended By Judge
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo stayed restrictions on transgender minors and adults accessing gender-affirming care issued by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. St. Louis Public Radio reports that trans Missourians are “terrified” by the sweeping restrictions.
Senate Judiciary Committee Looks Into ‘Chaos’ After Roe Overturn
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Roll Call reports the Senate Judiciary Committee dove into the “partisan divide on abortion policy.” One witness, who is suing Texas after being denied an emergency abortion, criticized Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, who both sit on the committee but weren’t at the hearing.
Old TB Vaccine Doesn’t Work On Covid, But It May Have Other Benefits
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
The tuberculosis vaccine, known as B.C.G., was being tested on health care workers in 2020. But the rapid development of mRNA covid vaccines made it impossible to complete the trial because health care workers were first in line to get the newly available mRNA shots, The New York Times says.
House Passes Debt-Limit Bill That Adds Rules For Medicaid, SNAP Recipients
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
The GOP-sponsored plan, which eked by on a vote of 217-215 with four Republicans voting against it, requires low-income Americans who receive federal benefits to work longer hours or risk losing benefits entirely. The plan has no chance of passing the Democratic-led Senate.
First Edition: April 27, 2023
April 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Expectant Mom Needed $15,000 Overnight to Save Her Twins
By Renuka Rayasam
April 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Doctors rushed a pregnant woman to a surgeon who charged thousands upfront just to see her. The case reveals a gap in medical billing protections for those with rare, specialized conditions.
As US Life Expectancy Falls, Experts Cite the Health Impacts of Incarceration
By Fred Clasen-Kelly
April 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
In a nation with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, imprisonment speeds the aging process, research shows. Some experts complain the federal government isn’t collecting or releasing data that could identify disease patterns and prevent deaths.
How One Patient’s Textured Hair Nearly Kept Her From a Needed EEG
By Tarena Lofton
Illustration by Oona Zenda
April 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
An EEG can help diagnose conditions like epilepsy, sleep disorders, and brain tumors. But a design flaw and outdated Eurocentric practices make the test less effective on thicker, denser, and curly hair types, potentially excluding or deterring some people from getting screened.
Viewpoints: How The US Botched The Covid Response; One Judge Should Not Hold Abortion Hostage
April 26, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss covid, mifepristone , clinical trials and more.
FDA Greenlights Biogen’s Treatment For Rare Form Of ALS
April 26, 2023
Morning Briefing
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KFF Health News Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Anti-Trans Law Controversy Deepens In Montana House
April 26, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on a political storm in Montana that began after the only transgender lawmaker protested an anti-trans law: State Rep. Zooey Zephyr has been silenced by GOP lawmakers in the House since then, causing public protests that led to a cancellation of a House session Tuesday.
Blue Cross Restructure Plan Upsets North Carolina Regulator
April 26, 2023
Morning Briefing
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey complained about the bill passed by the House Health Committee because it could allow nonprofit Blue Cross to transfer billions to a holding company instead of returning some of the surplus to policyholders. “This is the people’s money,” he argued.
Concerns Over Melatonin Gummy Safety Amid Rising Child Poisonings
April 26, 2023
Morning Briefing
USA Today notes that a sixfold rise in poisonings from melatonin supplements among U.S. children over a decade are driving concerns over the unregulated sleep aid. Separately, a crackdown against salmonella in breaded raw chicken, anxiety risks linked to fried food, and more are also in the news.
Physicians Continue To Dismiss Symptoms Of Those With Long Covid
April 26, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Conversation reports on cases of “medical gaslighting” experienced by people suffering long covid, even though new research on the condition is readily available. Axios remarks that the FDA is asking for data from patients who’ve turned to unproven remedies for the illness.
Nursing Shortage May Get Worse With Visa Slots Running Out
April 26, 2023
Morning Briefing
The State Department recently announced that most green card allocations for foreign nurses have been filled, and that only people who applied before June 2022 will be considered for the remaining slots — even if the applicant has a job offer in the U.S. Health groups worry this will exacerbate the already stretched corps of nurses in this country.