After Tuition, Books, and Room and Board, Colleges’ Rising Health Fees Hit a Nerve
By Phil Galewitz
December 19, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Many colleges require students to have health insurance coverage, and the college option can be costly. In addition, some schools mandate that students pay a fee to cover health services on campus.
Para combatir la violencia con armas de fuego, artista convierte las balas en arte
By Cara Anthony
December 16, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Según datos de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, a nivel nacional, más de 47,000 personas murieron por heridas de bala en 2021: la cifra más alta desde principios de la década de 1990.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, CRISPR, breast cancer, holiday stress, and more.
Bill That Decriminalizes Fentanyl Test Strips Heads To Ohio Governor’s Desk
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
The measure is part of a sweeping criminal justice bill passed by the state legislature Thursday. In other news, Iowa has reached a $44 million settlement with Centene, one of its Medicaid service providers, over its billing practices.
A Tattoo Parlor Is Linked To Spreading Mpox To 21 People
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
CIDRAP reports that piercing or tattooing appears to be linked to mpox infections in 21 people in Spain in July, from 58 total people who were customers of the same tattoo parlor over the same period. Combatting gun violence, and disability rights are also in the news.
Trinity Health Will Offer To Pay Employees On Daily Basis
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
Grand Rapids Business Journal reports on efforts by Michigan’s Trinity Health to attract and retain employees during the current staffing crisis by offering to pay them day to day. Also: a picket outside a Las Vegas hospital, some evidence on staffing woes easing in non-profit hospitals, and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, December 16, 2022
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
Friday’s roundup covers misdiagnoses, covid intel, flu, vaccines, IVF, maternal mortality, drug prices, and more. Plus, your weekend reads.
Flu Season May Be Peaking: CDC Data
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
New case numbers on the “historically bad” U.S. influenza season indicates it may be reaching a peak. The Washington Post notes that the current “viral siege” has left some people sick for weeks on end. Other outlets cover more news on RSV, flu, and covid matters.
Data Show That Net Drug Prices Fell, Surprisingly Thanks To Inflation
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
Stat reports on an analysis that shows even though drugmakers bumped wholesale prices 4.8% in the third quarter — more than in the same period last year — background inflation meant in net those prices fell by 3.1%. Also: AbbVie’s lobbying, pulse oximeter fixes, another Alzheimer’s treatment, and more.
Democratic Senators Push To Protect IVF After Dobbs Decision
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on efforts by Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Patty Murray, plus Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, to push legislation protecting access to reproductive technology. Separately, Texas has released a long-awaited maternal mortality report, which shows most of the deaths in 2019 were preventable.
Scientists Say Covid Can Be Spread From Dead Bodies
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
A worrying report in the New York Times says there is evidence of covid spreading from infected bodies for many days after death, putting medical and funeral staff at risk. Separately, CIDRAP reports that covid autopsies have found the virus in the brain and throughout the body, and it could be detected months later.
Philly Schoolkids Told To Wear Masks; Va. Students With Disabilities Win Case
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
In the Virginia case, the state government has agreed to require classmates and teachers to wear masks around immunocompromised students if parents request it. The settlement stands in contrast to state law, which forbids school districts from requiring mask-wearing as a covid mitigation measure, The Washington Post reported.
Intel Agencies, Trump ‘Took Too Long’ To Track Early Covid Spread: House Report
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
A House Intelligence Committee report says that an unprepared U.S. intelligence community did not start gathering information quickly enough in the early days of covid infections. And once they did, then-President Donald Trump downplayed the “increasingly stark warnings” about the emerging danger. Those delays likely led to missed opportunities to investigate the virus’ origins.
Defense Bill That Scraps Military Covid Vaccine Mandate Heads To Biden
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
The Senate passed the $858 billion defense authorization bill Thursday by a 83-11 vote. The package now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden, who has objected to its removal of the covid vaccination requirement for the U.S. military.
How Common Are Misdiagnoses? Study Finds 7.4 Million A Year In US ERs
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
While rare in the 130 million annual visits to the U.S. emergency departments, the study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that diagnostic errors end in death for as many as 250,000 patients, while another 370,000 suffer serious harm.
First Edition: Dec. 16, 2022
December 16, 2022
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Is Legislation to Safeguard Americans Against Superbugs a Boondoggle or Breakthrough?
By Liz Szabo and Arthur Allen
December 16, 2022
KFF Health News Original
While supporters cheer the PASTEUR Act as an essential strategy to stem the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, critics call it a multibillion-dollar giveaway to Big Pharma.
Readers and Tweeters Chime In on Disability Rights and Drug Discounts
December 16, 2022
KFF Health News Original
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Why Medicaid Expansion Ballots May Hit a Dead End After a Fleeting Victory in South Dakota
By Rachana Pradhan and Daniel Chang
December 16, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Since 2017, Medicaid expansion has been adopted in seven states where a question was placed directly on the ballot. But campaign leaders say that strategy may not work in Florida and Wyoming, where Republican opposition remains strong.