Biden Urged To Declassify Information On Covid Origins
March 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
On a unanimous vote, the House of Representatives sent a bill to President Joe Biden’s desk seeking more information on a potential lab leak in China. Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization said discovering the origins are a “moral imperative.”
Morning Briefing for Monday, March 13, 2023
March 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
KHN is on Instagram! Follow along here as we break down health care headlines and policy.
Expanding Medicare Drug Coverage May Spell Disaster, Policy Experts Warn
March 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Adding expensive obesity drugs to the list of covered drugs could add tens of billions of dollars to the cost of Medicare and would likely lead to a rise in premiums, researchers say.
Shhh: Texas Abortion-Drug Case Hearing Scheduled For Wednesday
March 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Texas judge presiding over the case sought to keep the hearing from being publicized, fearing disruptions. Other news on Florida’s proposed abortion ban, Maryland’s effort to protect the right to an abortion, and other legal cases.
Study: Most Men Don’t Need Aggressive Treatment For Prostate Cancer
March 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The findings, published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggested that active monitoring was a safe alternative to immediate surgery or radiation. The authors pointed out that “more aggressive therapy can result in more harm than good.”
SIDS Rate For Black Infants Jumped 15% In First Year Of Pandemic
March 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
The cause remains unclear, but the study’s authors noted that the pandemic exacerbated overcrowded housing, potentially leading to less-safe sleeping practices, such as bed sharing.
First Edition: March 13, 2023
March 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Colorado Bill Would Encourage, But Not Require, CPR Training in High Schools
By Helen Santoro
March 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Colorado is one of 10 states without a law requiring CPR training for high school students, but proposed legislation that recently passed the state House would only strongly urge schools to teach this lifesaving skill.
An Arm and a Leg: Wrestling With a Giant: How to Dispute a Hospital Bill
By Dan Weissmann
March 13, 2023
Podcast
One listener tried to dispute a $1,300 “facility fee” with the treating hospital, his insurer, a bill-mediation service provided by his employer, and finally a debt collector. He didn’t win, but he learned valuable lessons about advocating for hospital discounts.
Feds Move to Rein In Prior Authorization, a System That Harms and Frustrates Patients
By Lauren Sausser
March 13, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The federal government wants to change the way health insurers use prior authorization — the requirement that patients get permission before undergoing treatment. Designed to prevent doctors from deploying expensive, ineffectual procedures, prior authorization has become a confusing maze that denies or delays care, burdens physicians with paperwork, and perpetuates racial disparities. New rules may not be enough to solve the problems.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Biden Budget Touches All the Bases
March 10, 2023
Podcast
Very little in the proposed budget released by the Biden administration is likely to become law, particularly with Republicans in charge of the U.S. House. Still, the document is an important statement of the president’s policy priorities, and it’s clear health programs are among those he feels are important. Meanwhile, five women who were denied abortions when their pregnancies threatened their lives are suing Texas. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the two latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” features. Both were about families facing unexpected bills following childbirth.
Pacientes negros visten elegante y hablan distinto para evitar prejuicios cuando van al médico
By Annie Sciacca
March 10, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Estos comportamientos se recogen en una encuesta con 3,325 participantes como parte de un estudio cuyo objetivo fue llamar la atención sobre el esfuerzo que deben realizar los pacientes negros para obtener una atención médica de calidad.
Por qué los adultos mayores con ansiedad suelen no recibir ayuda
By Judith Graham
March 10, 2023
KFF Health News Original
La ansiedad es el trastorno psicológico más común que afecta a los adultos en Estados Unidos. En las personas mayores, se asocia a una angustia considerable y a problemas de salud, disminución de la calidad de vida y elevadas tasas de discapacidad.
Medicaid Expansion Moves Forward In New Hampshire With Unanimous Vote
March 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
The state Senate gave preliminary approval to continue the expanded Medicaid program and make it permanent, AP reports. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers blocked a plan by the governor to mandate student vaccinations against meningitis and chickenpox.
Mexico’s President Contends His Nation Isn’t Behind US Fentanyl Problem
March 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
“Despite enormous evidence to the contrary,” as AP describes it, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Mexico doesn’t produce or consume fentanyl, and the opioid epidemic is a U.S. matter. He argued the U.S. doesn’t look after its young people and that family values could be a solution.
Study: Millennials Using More Health Services Than Other Generations
March 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
A new study found that Millennials are seeking more help for health matters than ever. In other startling news, Newsweek says data show murder-suicides have reached a record high in the country. Hepatitis B, Havana Syndrome, treating obesity in children, and more are among other subjects in the news.
Drugmakers Delay Resupply Of Local Anesthetics, Prolonging Shortages
March 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
Drugmakers have reportedly told the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists that they have further delayed resupply dates for key local anesthetics. Separately, worries deepen over the shortage of the respiratory drug albuterol as a lead manufacturer filed for bankruptcy.
States Struggle With More Hospital Closures
March 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
New Hampshire is losing another hospital’s labor and delivery department, while in Pennsylvania, legislators attempt to prevent the abrupt closing of hospitals.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
March 10, 2023
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on mental health, dementia, lab rats, tampons, covid, autism, and more.