After Congress Ended Extra Cash Aid for Families, Communities Tackle Child Poverty Alone
By Kate Wells, Michigan Public
November 14, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The child tax credit passed by Congress at the height of covid has expired, but states and localities are trying to fill the gap with their own programs and funding. In Michigan, Rx Kids already covers every family with a new baby in Flint. Now, other communities aim to follow.
As California Taps Pandemic Stockpile for Bird Flu, Officials Keep Close Eye on Spending
By Don Thompson
November 14, 2024
KFF Health News Original
California health officials began providing protective clothing to farmworkers months before the state’s first bird flu transmission to humans was announced in October. It’s a reminder of the state’s struggle to remain prepared for health threats amid multibillion-dollar deficits.
California pone gafas, guantes y máscaras a 10.000 trabajadores agrícolas para protegerlos de la gripe aviar
By Don Thompson
November 14, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Hasta el momento, se ha confirmado la presencia de gripe aviar en más de 270 granjas lecheras en el centro de California. También detectaron rastros del virus en un sitio de muestreo de aguas residuales en el condado de Los Ángeles.
Tribal Leaders Ask Feds To Declare Syphilis Outbreak a Public Health Emergency
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
November 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
For Native American communities in the Great Plains, data paints a clear picture of the devastation caused by an ongoing syphilis outbreak. According to the South Dakota Department of Health, 649 cases of syphilis have been documented this year. Of those, 546 were diagnosed among Native Americans, who make up only 9 percent of the […]
St. Paul, Minnesota, Will Erase $40M In Medical Debt For 32,000 Residents
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, Illinois will receive a large opioid settlement; North Carolina makes progress in overdose rates; health advocates seek to extend insurance subsidies for young adults in Maryland; and more.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, November 13, 2024
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Mergers, Trump administration health priorities, veterans’ health, STIs, abortion access, medical debt, flu, and more.
UnitedHealth’s Attempt To Gobble Up Amedisys Challenged By DOJ, AGs
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
An antitrust lawsuit from the Department of Justice and some Democratic state attorneys general contends UnitedHealth’s $3.3 billion purchase of the home care company would limit competition and harm patients who need home or hospice care. Also, the American Medical Association wants greater oversight of nonprofit hospitals.
RFK Jr.’s Health Targets Extend To Food Toxins, Raw Milk, Stem Cells
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
While the question of how much influence Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will have on health policy in a new Trump administration is closely watched, news outlets explore the flashpoints on which Kennedy has previously focused, including raw milk, stem cells, heavy metals, fluoride, and food safety.
Trump Picks TV Host Pete Hegseth To Run Defense Department
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, is co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.” He once led a group that sought to privatize health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Wall Street Journal reported. Plus: More health conditions are added to the burn pit list.
Abortion Opponents Intend To Whittle State Protections Backed By Voters
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
One of their key goals is to either ban or restrict access to mifepristone, which is used in more than two-thirds of abortions nationwide. Meanwhile, women in Idaho are suing to get clarity on when a pregnancy complication is dangerous enough to warrant medical intervention.
STI Infections Are Slowing; Health Experts Call For Cautious Optimism
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Gonorrhea cases fell in nearly all age groups last year, CDC data show, and a new doxyPEP protocol is being hailed amid a drop in syphilis infections. Also: A Canadian teen hospitalized with bird flu is in critical condition.
Small Change For PT, OT Practitioners May Have Big Effect On Health Systems
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
As Modern Healthcare reports, CMS has relaxed supervision requirements for physical and occupational therapist assistants from “direct” to “general.” The change could help health systems manage patient volume and reduce Medicare spending.
First Edition: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024
November 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Maryland Is Training More Health Workers To Offer Abortion Care
By Sarah Varney
November 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
After the fall of “Roe v. Wade,” thousands of out-of-state patients traveled to Maryland for abortion care. The state is trying to diversify who can offer that care. Providers in the first training class say their new skills are especially needed in rural areas.
An Arm and a Leg: Fight Health Insurance — With Help From AI
By Dan Weissmann
November 13, 2024
Podcast
Meet the tech worker on a quest to use artificial intelligence to combat denials for coverage from patients’ health plans.
California amplió el Medi-Cal a todos los residentes más allá de su estatus migratorio. Los resultados son desiguales.
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
November 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Estos inmigrantes se han ido sumando al programa poco a poco, a medida que el estado fue eliminando el requisito de residencia legal.
KFF Health News Sues To Force Disclosure of Medicare Advantage Audit Records
By Fred Schulte
November 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Freedom of Information Act case targets HHS inspector general’s reviews of billions of dollars in health plan overpayments.
Hospitals Adjust as Rates of Maternal High Blood Pressure Spike
By Katheryn Houghton
November 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Health researchers are noticing a growing problem in American pregnancies: more cases of blood pressure so high it can be deadly for the parent and baby. U.S. rates of newly developed and chronic maternal high blood pressure skyrocketed from 2007 through 2019, and researchers say they haven’t slowed down. Hospitals are working to adjust their […]
Pandemic Has Eased, But Heavy Alcohol Consumption Has Not
November 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
In other news, doctors are prescribing marijuana to alleviate dementia symptoms; menopausal women are driving an explosion in testosterone therapy; nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure and don’t know it; and more.
