When Monkeypox Reaches Rural Communities, It Collides With Strained Public Health Systems
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
October 28, 2022
KFF Health News Original
In Nevada, local health officials are assessing the threat of monkeypox, but their response may be hampered by historically limited public health infrastructure worn thin by the covid-19 pandemic.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Voters Will Get Their Say on Multiple Health Issues
October 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Abortion isn’t the only health issue voters will be asked to decide in state ballot questions next month. Proposals about medical debt, Medicaid expansion, and whether health care should be a right are on ballots in various states. Meanwhile, the latest lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act has expanded to cover all preventive care. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more.
Empleadores se preocupan por la salud mental, pero no hay suficientes proveedores
By Michelle Andrews
October 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Casi la mitad de los grandes empleadores encuestados, con al menos 200 trabajadores, informaron que una proporción cada vez mayor de sus empleados utilizaba servicios de salud mental.
Judge In Capitol Riot Case Cites Md. Man’s Autism During Sentencing
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden found that a rioter with Asperger’s syndrome was susceptible to mob persuasion and therefore won’t serve jail time. Also in the news: States dropping the teen mental health survey, a North Carolina nurse charged with murder, and more.
Pressure Grows For Congress To Ban Asbestos
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
Public health advocates and two lawmakers, ProPublica reports, are pressing for a ban on the carcinogen because people are still dying due to asbestos, which has never been fully banned in the U.S. Separately, a study finds a link between seniors watching TV and dementia.
Menthol Vapes Don’t Help People Quit Smoking, FDA Says
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
The FDA said Logic Technology Development had not shown its menthol products were more likely than non-flavored ones to help people quit smoking, and also said the products risked enticing young people. An epilepsy treatment, OptumRx, and more are in the news.
Job-Based Premiums Stay Flat For 2022, But Increases Expected Ahead
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
Also in the news on health insurance: rates in Colorado and Montana, Medicaid remote patient care, uninsured kids, and more.
‘Immune Imprinting’: How It Affects Booster Shots — And Spoiled The Party
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
As Fortune explains, immune imprinting is a phenomenon in which an initial exposure to a virus — such as the original strain of covid, by infection or vaccination — limits a person’s future immune response against variants. In 2021, Australian scientists warned that repeatedly updating vaccines “might not be fully effective” because of it. Even so, health experts stress that the booster drastically reduces your risk of dying from covid.
Majority Of Hospitalized Monkeypox Patients Also Had HIV
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
A report in The New York Times says “nearly all” those hospitalized for monkeypox had weakened immune systems due to HIV. Monkeypox deaths in the U.S., meanwhile, have hit 10. Separately, RSV cases are rising across the country, straining some hospitals.
News Media Slammed For Ableist Headlines After Fetterman-Oz Debate
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
Some news outlets said the Pennsylvania Democrat “struggled” and gave a “painful” performance. Disability advocates and neurologists point out that even though Lt. Gov. John Fetterman “may not be good at delivering a speech” right now, it is not indicative of his intelligence or his ability to serve.
FDA Puts Off Decision On OTC Birth Control Pill
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
A decision on allowing prescription birth control pill Opill to be available over the counter has been pushed back, reports say. A Food and Drug Administration spokesperson told Axios the delay doesn’t reflect on any decision it may make. “Period pills” and abortion issues across the country are also in the news.
People Tend To Die Earlier In Conservative States: Study
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
The Hill and USA Today cover a new 50-state study that shed surprising light on how American political choices impact health: In states with more conservative policies, people die younger. Data also show that changing state policies to fully liberal could have saved over 171,000 lives in 2019.
First Edition: Oct. 27, 2022
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Where Will Kids Go When A Pediatric Hospital Is Full?
October 27, 2022
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers tackle this public health issue and more.
Employers Are Concerned About Covering Workers’ Mental Health Needs, Survey Finds
By Michelle Andrews
October 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Nearly half of large employers report that increasing numbers of their workers were using mental health services, according to a KFF annual employer survey. Yet almost a third of those employers said their health plan’s network didn’t have enough behavioral health care providers for employees to have timely access to the care they need.
Montana Backs Away From Innovative Hospital Payment Model. Other States Are Watching.
By Katheryn Houghton
October 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Montana has been a national model for how employers could gain control and transparency over medical bills. Upcoming changes to its model have health care price experts wondering whether the state is making improvements or losing focus.
Readers and Tweeters Take Positions on Sleep Apnea Treatment
October 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Research Roundup: Covid; Vitamin D Deficiency; Lyme; Colonoscopy
October 26, 2022
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Viewpoints: How Worried Should We Be About New Variants?; US Needs More Sports To Help With Anxiety
October 26, 2022
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss covid variants, anxiety, stroke, and more.