Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on breastfeeding, Huntington’s, teen vaping, former surgeon general Jerome Adams, and more.
US Rural Populations Are Skewing Older: 1 In 5 Is Over 65
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
A report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that over 20% of rural residents are over 65, compared to 16% in urban areas, and a corresponding fall in the working age population is also happening. Separately, Airbnb is urged to require carbon monoxide devices in rentals.
9% Of Texas Hospitals Teeter On Edge Of Closing, Especially In Rural Areas
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
A new report finds that 9% of hospitals in Texas are at financial risk of having to shutter their doors, up from 4.7% in 2020. The number is much higher in rural regions at 26%.
Addiction Treatment Funds May Make The Cut In Omnibus Spending Package
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Axios reports that a bill that aims to expand access to opioid addiction treatment could be rolled into the year-end spending package under negotiation by lawmakers. In other epidemic news, Texas’ governor reversed his position and now supports decriminalizing fentanyl test strips.
Study Finds Significant Racial Disparities In Elective Pediatric Surgery Rates
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Data analysis from 10,000 kids who underwent surgery found between 40% and 60% fewer procedures were reported for Black, Asian and Latino children than white kids. Surgeries aren’t being denied, the researchers say, but the numbers raise questions about access to care and concerns about surgical delays that can lead to more health problems.
Amgen Releases Data Showing Early-Stage Drug Can Combat Obesity
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Amgen says early trial data show that its drug can bring about significant weight loss in patients with obesity, and the drug requires less frequent dosing than current treatments. In other news, a headset device from Cognito Therapeutics to treat Alzheimer’s disease will enter human trials.
New Jersey Regulators Aim At Making Some Insurers Cover Abortion
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Bloomberg reports on some moves to require health insurers to cover abortion costs in the aftermath of the fall of Roe v. Wade. NBC News reports on what it says is the first major test of abortion politics since the midterms. And the Los Angeles Times covers TV writers’ moves to support abortion rights.
50,000 Donated Mpox Vaccines Are The First To Arrive In Africa
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
The shots were donated by South Korea and will be used for health workers and people living in the areas most impacted, AP notes. Meanwhile, Virginia has reported its first death from the illness.
Child Cold Medicines Hard To Find As RSV, Flu Surges Deplete Stock
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Over-the-counter cold and fever-reducing medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen are in short supply as respiratory viruses continue to infect high numbers of kids.
VA Says It Failed To Protect Data On Vax Status For 500,000 Staff
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
FedScoop reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs admitted to improperly disclosing covid vaccine status data for around half a million employees. Also, HHS is partnering with the U.S. men’s soccer team; more Republicans died than Democrats after vaccines were released; and more.
People With Long Covid May Be Facing $9,000 Yearly Medical Bills
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on the economic cost of long covid, with an average of $9,000 a year in medical bills for patients. The overall burden on the economy is estimated at $3.7 trillion. Meanwhile, a study in the U.K. has found that long covid is “common,” especially in overweight women.
Covid Stresses Hit Teenagers’ Brains, Aging Them Faster Than Normal
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Media outlets cover the results of a study that compared brain scans of teenagers’ brains from before and after the pandemic. It showed that teens’ brains have aged in a way comparable to kids who’ve faced chronic stress. Changes hit brain areas linked to memory, concentration, and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, December 2, 2022
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Friday’s roundup covers covid stress on teen brains, suicide hotline, medical bills, medicine shortages, Mpox, and more. Plus, weekend reads.
988 Suicide Hotline Comes Back Online After Major Outage
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
KHN has confirmed that the crisis hotline was up and running Friday morning. The national hotline was down for several hours Thursday for unknown reasons. Callers received a message saying it was “experiencing a service outage.”
First Edition: Dec. 2, 2022
December 2, 2022
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Watch: The Politics of Health Care in California
December 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
KHN senior correspondent Angela Hart discussed the most pressing health care issues in California with the nonpartisan group Democracy Winters in mid-November, touching on a variety of issues, from the state’s effort to transform its Medicaid program to its plan to produce generic insulin.
The Business of Clinical Trials Is Booming. Private Equity Has Taken Notice.
By Rachana Pradhan
December 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Private equity-backed Headlands Research heralded its covid-19 vaccine trials as a chance to boost participation among diverse populations, then it shuttered multiple sites that conducted them.
The Disability Tax: Medical Bills Remain Inaccessible for Many Blind Americans
By Lauren Weber and Hannah Recht
December 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Health insurers and health care systems across the country are violating disability rights laws by sending medical bills that blind and visually impaired people cannot read, a KHN investigation has found. By hindering the ability of blind Americans to know what they owe, some bills get sent to debt collections.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Medicaid Machinations
December 1, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The lame-duck Congress has returned to Washington with a long health care to-do list and only a little time. Meanwhile, some of the states that have not yet expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act are rethinking those decisions. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Fred Clasen-Kelly, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a mysterious mishap during minor surgery.
Viewpoints: Covid Has Negatively Affected Measles Vaccinations and HIV/AIDS Elimination
December 1, 2022
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss these various public health topics.