Medicaid, Medicare, Vaccines, Disease Surveillance, Drug Safety — And RFK Jr.
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
New outlets explore what’s at stake for the broad array of health programs run by the federal government should vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. take the helm at HHS.
Measles Cases Rise As Vaccinations Fall; Is It A Sign Of Things To Come?
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
Globally, measles cases surged 20% in 2023, the CDC said Thursday. The news comes just as Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has advocated against covid-19 vaccines and has repeated the debunked claim that childhood vaccines cause autism.
Trump Picks Former Rep. Doug Collins To Lead Veterans Affairs Department
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
Collins, a Republican and a previous lawyer for Donald Trump, would take charge of the VA and its massive health care programs. Collins is a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command.
FDA Rules Aim To Rein In Distracting TV Drug Ads
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
The agency’s new guidelines require drugmakers to provide viewers with a clearer picture of medications’ risks and side effects. Congress also is looking at giving the FDA authority to regulate drug promotions on social media platforms. Also in the news: Botox; CAR-T therapy; and more.
To Compete With Hims & Hers, Amazon One Medical Adds To Its Telehealth Menu
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
The expanded services help customers receive consultations and medications for erectile dysfunction, men’s hair loss, eyelash growth, motion sickness, and anti-aging skin care.
Mental Health Study Points To Loneliness As Risk Factor For Dementia
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
In other news: a dramatic increase in obesity rates; standing desks may not actually be a healthier choice; laughter is effective in combating dry eye disease; and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, November 15, 2024
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
RFK Jr. as HHS nominee, Trump’s pick for VA, measles cases up, prepaying for baby delivery, drug ads, and more. Plus, your weekend reads.
Agency Workers, Scientists ‘Aghast’ At Role RFK Jr. Could Play As HHS Head
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
Leaders in the scientific community, biopharma world, and veterans of the federal health agencies provide wide-ranging reactions to the news that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be nominated as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Unhealthy Conditions At Georgia Jail Violate Rights, Justice Department Says
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
In other health news: Meta will appeal court rulings over “addictive” social media apps; a school event in Missouri is linked to an E. coli outbreak; an abortion clinic “buffer zone” is challenged in Illinois; and more.
First Edition: Friday, Nov. 15, 2024
November 15, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Watch: Why the US Has Made Little Progress Improving Black Americans’ Health
By Fred Clasen-Kelly Renuka Rayasam
Video by Hannah Norman
November 15, 2024
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News senior correspondents Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam discuss how government decisions undermine Black health.
Pay First, Deliver Later: Some Women Are Being Asked To Prepay for Their Baby
By Renuka Rayasam
November 15, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Pregnant women are being asked to make large cash payments months before they deliver their babies. Some patient advocates worry this billing practice allows providers to hold treatment hostage.
Pagar primero, parir después: algunos servicios piden a las embarazadas que paguen fortunas antes del parto
By Renuka Rayasam
November 15, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Es difícil saber con qué frecuencia ocurre porque se considera una transacción privada entre el proveedor y el paciente. Por lo tanto, los pagos no se registran en los datos de reclamos de seguros y, por ende, los expertos no los analizan.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Readying for Republican Rule
November 14, 2024
Podcast
With Republicans now set to control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives starting in January, their health agenda remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that just about anything could be on the table, from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, to drug prices and public health. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups are preparing to fight the implementation of abortion rights ballot measures just passed by voters in seven states. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Podcast: Silence in Sikeston
November 14, 2024
Page
The Podcast “Silence in Sikeston” explores what it means to live with racism and violence, then charts the toll on people’s health — from hives, high blood pressure, inflammation and heart disease to struggles with mental health. In 1942, Cleo Wright was removed from a Sikeston, Missouri, jail and lynched by a mob. Nearly 80 […]
Scientists Fear What’s Next for Public Health if RFK Jr. Is Allowed To ‘Go Wild’
By Arthur Allen
Updated November 14, 2024
Originally Published November 14, 2024
KFF Health News Original
As federal health scientists await a potential takeover by RFK Jr. and other medical skeptics in the second Trump administration, some are preparing résumés or retirement papers.
Qué le depara a la salud pública si se confirma Robert F. Kennedy Jr. como secretario de Salud
By Arthur Allen
November 14, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Científicos de las agencias federales de salud esperan la segunda administración de Donald Trump con incertidumbre y temor, preguntándose cómo el presidente electo conciliará filosofías radicalmente diferentes entre los líderes de su equipo.
Semaglutide Appears To Aid People With Alcohol Use Disorder, Study Says
November 14, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, Hims & Hers tackles the GLP-1 shortage with a new app; Eli Lilly releases data on tirzepatide efficacy; 23andMe faces privacy concerns; and more.
Ohio Bill On Trans Student Bathroom Use Heads To Gov. Mike DeWine
November 14, 2024
Morning Briefing
The bill cleared the Ohio Senate on Wednesday. In South Carolina, an eighth grade transgender student sues his school district and the state over the bathroom rule. Other news from across the nation comes from Tennessee, Minnesota, Connecticut, and California.
Treated Wastewater Still Might Contain Dangerous Pathogens, Study Finds
November 14, 2024
Morning Briefing
Researchers found evidence that listeria, E. coli, norovirus, and adenovirus — pathogens that likely hitched a ride on plastic fragments — can still be detected in treated water. In unrelated news, meningococcal disease is on the rise in the U.S., CDC data show.
