Providers, Pharmacies Wrestle With Mixed Court Messages On Mifepristone
April 14, 2023
Morning Briefing
The current patchwork of restrictions and access left by different court rulings over the abortion medication have in-person and telehealth health care providers scrambling to respond.
Judge Halts Tighter Abortion Pill Rules In 17 States As Fight Heads To Supreme Court
April 14, 2023
Morning Briefing
A federal judge in Washington state ordered the FDA to maintain access to mifepristone under its current framework for states involved in the legal fight, despite a previous ruling from an appeals court that restricted the terms under which the abortion medication can be used. As conflicting decisions ping pong in the lower courts, the Justice Department says it will appeal to the Supreme Court to restore full access to the drug.
Florida’s 6-Week Abortion Ban Signed Rapidly Into Law
April 14, 2023
Morning Briefing
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion measures into law late Thursday night. It prohibits abortion after 6 weeks or 15 weeks in cases of rape, incest, or trafficking. It also contains criminal penalties for health providers who aid in a banned abortion and bans the use of telehealth or mail to receive abortion medications.
First Edition: April 14, 2023
April 14, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A Smart Move on Tax Day: Get Health Insurance Information Using Your State’s Tax Forms
By Sarah Boden, WESA
April 14, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A growing number of states — including Maryland, Colorado, and Massachusetts — are using tax forms to point people toward lower-cost health coverage available through state insurance marketplaces.
La empresa farmacéutica que prosperó sin crear ni un solo medicamento
By Arthur Allen
April 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Aunque Horizon afirma que ahora tiene 20 fármacos en desarrollo, en sus 15 años de existencia aún no ha obtenido la licencia de un producto de su creación.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Confusing Fate of the Abortion Pill
April 13, 2023
Podcast
The legality and availability of the abortion pill mifepristone is in question after a federal judge in Texas canceled the FDA’s approval of the first drug used in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. A 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel overruled that decision in part, saying the pill should remain available, but only under the onerous restrictions in place before 2016. Meanwhile, another federal judge in Washington state issued a ruling in a separate case that conflicts with the Texas decision, ordering the FDA not to roll back any of its restrictions on the drug. Victoria Knight of Axios, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Research Roundup: Parkinson’s; Nanoplasmonic Imaging; Covid
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Perspectives: Why It Matters To Know How Covid Began; A Doctor’s Take On AR-15s
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers tackle these public health topics.
Adderall Shortage Is Causing Major Life Disruptions For Patients
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Substituting a different drug doesn’t always work, doctors say. And because stimulants are controlled substances, patients face extra hurdles in trying to get them: Prescriptions can’t be transferred or filled early, the Wall Street Journal reported. One patient says she called 73 pharmacies the day she ran out, to no avail.
At One VA System, Nearly Half The Employees Came To Work With Covid
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The study focused on workers at the Veterans’ Affairs Boston Healthcare System between December 2020 and September 2021. In related news, patients who are especially vulnerable to covid say they face the “impossible choice” of risking getting infected at a doctor’s office or not going to the doctor at all now that mask mandates are gone.
Juul Settles Lawsuits With 6 States And DC For $462 Million
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
According to The New York Times, this agreement wraps up many of Juul’s legal fights, with settlements now in place in 47 states and territories, along with 5,000 individuals and local governments. Other news from around the country comes out of California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Louisiana, and elsewhere.
Suicide Rates Increased In 2021, Following Two Years Of Decline
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Rates rose 4% in 2021, marking the largest one-year increase in two decades. Separately, news outlets cover gun violence and mental health.
Medicare Targets July To Finalize Details Of Drug Negotiation Program
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is accepting feedback until the end of this week on its draft plan, and will publish the much-anticipated final guidance this summer. The list of 10 drugs that will be included in the program is expected in September.
HHS Seeks To Protect Privacy Of Patients Who Travel For Abortion
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Department of Health and Human Services released a proposed rule that would strengthen HIPAA protections to keep private medical information from being used in an investigation against patients who seek an abortion across state lines, as well as health care providers.
Appeals Court Upholds Access To Abortion Pill For Now, But Narrows Use
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
While in part blocking a Texas judge’s ruling that would have vacated FDA approval of mifepristone, the 5th Circuit judges rolled back rule changes made by the FDA since 2016, like allowing mail delivery of the drug or its use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. Their decision is in place until the case can receive a full hearing.
Aumenta el número de californianos mayores que muere por desnutrición
By Phillip Reese
April 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Las muertes atribuidas a la desnutrición aumentaron más del doble, de unas 650 en 2018 a aproximadamente 1,400 en 2022, según datos preliminares de certificados de defunción del Departamento de Salud Pública estatal.
First Edition: April 13, 2023
April 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The Drug Company That Prospered Without Creating Any Drugs
By Arthur Allen
April 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Horizon Therapeutics, which Amgen is acquiring for about $28 billion, grew large by snapping up cheap drugs from other companies, marketing them to perfection, and jacking up prices.