Truly Random Drug Testing: ADHD Patients Face Uneven Urine Screens and, Sometimes, Stigma
By Arielle Zionts
March 28, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Doctors have no national standards on when to order urine tests to check whether adult ADHD patients are properly taking their prescription stimulants. Some patients are subjected to much more frequent testing than others.
Congressman Seeks to Plug ‘Shocking Loophole’ Exposed by KHN Investigation
By Sarah Jane Tribble
March 28, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A federal lawmaker has introduced a House bill that would close one of a laundry list of oversight gaps revealed in a recent KHN investigation of the system regulators use to ban fraudsters from billing government health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
As Colorado Reels From Another School Shooting, Study Finds 1 in 4 Teens Have Quick Access to Guns
By Markian Hawryluk
March 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The study analyzed Colorado kids’ responses to how quickly they could get their hands on a loaded gun without their parents’ knowledge. More than 1 in 10 said they could do so within 10 minutes.
That Store Receipt Might Contain Toxic Chemicals
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
CBS News reports that about 80% of receipts from 144 major stores across the states contained bisphenols. Another report says chemicals in vehicle exhaust and common products may be causing eczema. Also, a chemical spill that potentially hit Philadelphia’s water supply is being monitored.
FDA Proposes Salt Substitutes In Food To Lower Americans’ Intake
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
To meet its goal of tackling sodium intake, the Food and Drug Administration has now suggested allowing salt substitutes in everyday foods including cheese, frozen peas, and canned tuna. Separately, researchers say early Alzheimer’s could be diagnosed via an eye test.
Drug Shortage Prompts Idaho To Allow Executions By Firing Squad
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
The method will be allowed only if lethal injection drugs aren’t available. As AP explains, pharmaceutical companies increasingly have barred executioners from using their drugs, saying they were meant to save lives. Also in the news: Fines for L.A. Care; California’s plan for cheap insulin; Medicaid for housing; and more.
Bayer Shifts Drug Research Away From Women’s Health
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Reuters reports women’s health has been a “traditional pillar” of the drugmaker, Germany’s largest, but now in statement it says it will focus on oncology, cardiovascular, neurology, and rare diseases. Also: the FDA’s approval process for cancer drugs, insulin costs and more.
Lawsuit: University Of Louisville Health Shared Patient Data With Facebook
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Courier-Journal says the lawsuit, from a mother of a pediatric psychiatric patient, could become a class action. Separately, reports say Northern Light is ending some eye surgeries in Bangor Hospital, a lack of Cantonese services creates health care obstacles in S.F., and more.
Data Show Wealth, Education Linked To Better Covid Outcomes
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Other research shows that covid “exploited” political divisions, along with racial and health disparities among Americans, with a fourfold difference in covid deaths across the states. States with higher poverty and lower education levels experienced the worst outcomes.
US And Mexico Talk Tactics To Stem Flow Of Fentanyl Across Border
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
NBC News reports that the two nations are close to a deal that would prompt the Mexican government to crack down on the production and smuggling of fentanyl into the U.S., while the Biden administration would work to better control guns being sent to Mexico.
Morning Briefing for Monday, March 27, 2023
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Hospital contracts, abortion access, transgender care, fentanyl, covid, toxic chemicals, patient privacy, and more are in the news.
Bishops Issue 14-Page Doctrine Against Transgender Care In Catholic Hospitals
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
There are more than 600 Catholic hospitals in the United States, and in many communities, they are the only option. In other news, Kentucky’s Democratic governor vetoed a sweeping anti-transgender bill on Friday, saying, “My faith teaches me that all children are children of God, and Senate Bill 150 will endanger the children of Kentucky.”
Senate Democrats Urge Pentagon To Uphold Abortion Policies Despite Opposition
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
The military’s abortion access protections for service members and their families are at the center of a Senate dispute, with one Republican holding up Defense Department nominees as a result. A majority of Senate Democrats wrote to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking him to continue the policies anyway.
First Edition: March 27, 2023
March 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Banning Noncompete Contracts for Medical Staff Riles Hospitals
By Harris Meyer
March 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
It’s about the money — on both sides — as arguments swirl about patient safety, rising prices, and paying back on-the-job training.
When College Athletes Kill Themselves, Healing the Team Becomes the Next Goal
By Debby Waldman
March 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students. Contrary to conventional wisdom, athletes aren’t immune from the risk factors. Players at Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin, and other colleges are learning how to protect their mental health and ask for help after their teammates killed themselves.
Journalists Delve Into Insulin Costs and Prior Authorization Policy
March 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KHN 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.
Obamacare at 13: Biden and a KHN Reporter Remember
By Phil Galewitz
March 24, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The White House gathered the people who helped pass the Affordable Care Act 13 years ago — partly to congratulate themselves but also to emphasize that they still have much work to do to make health care affordable.