Mobile Clinics Really Got Rolling in the Pandemic. A New Law Will Help Them Cast a Wider Safety Net.
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
March 20, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Mobile clinics that provided covid-19 testing and vaccines at the peak of the pandemic are now being used to provide a range of health services in hard-to-reach communities. A law passed late last year allows qualified health care centers to use federal grants to expand the fleets.
Judge Signals He Could Rule to Halt Sales of Common Abortion Pill
By Sarah Varney
March 20, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A U.S. District Court case is being widely followed because the judge’s decision could overturn the FDA’s approval of mifepristone two decades ago. With abortion rights polling well even in red states, anti-abortion activists are increasingly turning to the courts to achieve their aims.
California eligió a la compañía de genéricos Civica para producir insulina de bajo costo
By Angela Hart
March 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Civica está desarrollando tres tipos de insulina genérica, conocida como biosimilar, que estarán disponibles tanto en viales como en plumas inyectables, a un costo de entre $30 y $55.
California Picks Generic Drug Company Civica to Produce Low-Cost Insulin
By Angela Hart
March 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who blasted pharmaceutical companies for gouging Californians, is moving ahead with state-branded insulin. He’s also eyeing other generic drugs.
Journalists Discuss Medicaid Unwinding and Clawbacks
March 18, 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.
Morning Briefing for Friday, March 17, 2023
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
KHN is on Instagram! Follow along here as we break down health care headlines and policy.
Effort To Reduce Military Suicides Doesn’t Include Gun Purchase Limits
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
The AP explains a “number of improvements” for mental health care access ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin do not include controversial moves to limit gun or ammunition purchases by young troops. Stateline, meanwhile, shows how some states are trying to combat rates of gun suicide.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on TikTok, nursing homes, sandwiches, physician-rating websites, and doctors who make a difference.
Medicaid Officials Put Pressure On States To Auto-Enroll Recipients
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
A coverage cliff is looming, but many people likely won’t reapply for coverage because state Medicaid agencies have lost track of their addresses. “If you can … match up against IRS or other data, you don’t even need to send them a form,” says Medicaid chief Daniel Tsai.
Cases Of Tick-Borne Babesiosis Rising Fast In Northeastern States
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
The disease can lead to flu-like symptoms and can be severe or even fatal, which is concerning as cases doubled between 2011 and 2019 in some Northeastern states. Other public health stories in the news cover school nutrition, pets’ impact on sleep quality, allergies, mpox and more.
LGBTQ+ Rights Boosted In Michigan; Kentucky Targets Youth Trans Care
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
In Michigan, LGBTQ+ protections are now part of the state’s civil rights law. On the other side of the issue: Kentucky lawmakers passed a ban on gender care for minors, and a ban on such care went into effect in Florida.
Key Treatment Shortages Impacting Care Of Those With Cancer
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
CIDRAP notes that three generic drugs used widely for treating common cancers in adults, children are in short supply and driving physicians’ concerns that they may have to swap to less effective meds. CBS News reports on shortages of Pluvicto, a drug used against advanced prostate cancer.
10 Charged In Man’s Asphyxiation Death At Va. Mental Health Facility
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
Three former employees of Central State Hospital in Petersburg, Virginia, were charged with second-degree murder on Thursday; seven sheriff’s deputies were arrested and charged earlier this week. Irvo Otieno, 28, died March 6 while being admitted to the hospital. Otieno’s mother, who was shown video of the incident, said, “My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog.”
Financial Woes Leave 600 Rural Hospitals At Risk Of Closure
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
Hundreds of rural hospitals are at either immediate or high risk of closure because of consistent financial difficulties. An organizational restructure at Crozer Health, high demand for pediatric hospital beds, financial pressures at Bright Health, and more are also in the news.
Focus On Paxlovid’s Effectiveness Against Covid With FDA Endorsement
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
News outlets cover developments about covid treatment Paxlovid, as a study shows it’s 80% effective against severe covid if taken inside the first five days. A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration also endorsed the drug as an option for adults at high risk for severe covid.
North Dakota Supreme Court Upholds Injunction On Abortion Ban; 6-Week Ban Advances In Florida
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
Efforts to restrict or protect abortion access are reported from North Dakota, Florida, Nevada, California, New Mexico and elsewhere in the U.S.
Sanofi Joins Competitors In Capping Out-Of-Pocket Insulin Costs
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
Sanofi announced Thursday that it will cap out-of-pockets insulin costs at $35 a month for consumers with private insurance, following in the footsteps of the other two biggest insulin makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Sanofi will also lower list prices of its most prescribed insulin, Lantus, and its fast-acting insulin, Apidra.
Genetic Samples From 2020 May Link Covid Start To Wuhan Market Animals
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
Swabs taken from the Chinese market in January 2020 provide the strongest evidence to date that the pandemic originated in animals, according to the genetic data analysis done by an international team of virus experts, first reported in The Atlantic.
First Edition: March 17, 2023
March 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.