It’s Called an Urgent Care Emergency Center — But Which Is It?
By Renuka Rayasam
June 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Suffering stomach pain, a Dallas man visited his local urgent care clinic — or so he thought, until he got a bill 10 times what he’d expected.
Medicaid for Millions in America Hinges on Deloitte-Run Systems Plagued by Errors
By Rachana Pradhan Samantha Liss
June 24, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The technology has generated notices with errors, sent Medicaid paperwork to the wrong addresses, and been frozen for hours at a time, according to state audits, court documents, and interviews. While it can take months to fix problems, America’s poorest residents pay the price.
Journalists Discuss Bird Flu, Tick-Borne Illnesses, and Lessons From Covid Response
June 22, 2024
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Live From Aspen: Health and the 2024 Elections
June 21, 2024
Podcast
Health policy may not be the top issue in this year’s presidential and congressional elections, but it’s likely to play a key role. President Joe Biden and Democrats intend to hold Republicans responsible for the Supreme Court’s unpopular ruling overturning the right to abortion, and former President Donald Trump aims to take credit for government efforts to lower prescription drug prices — even in cases in which he played no role. Meanwhile, some critical health care issues, such as those involving Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, are unlikely to get discussed much, even though the party in power after the elections would control the future of those programs. This week, in an episode taped before a live audience at the Aspen Ideas: Health festival in Aspen, Colorado, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Despite Staff Opposition, FDA Official OKs Sarepta’s Duchenne Gene Therapy
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Elevidys, which failed a large phase 3 trial last year, is now approved to cover nearly all patients, regardless of age or wheelchair status. Also in the news: biosimilars, covid vaccine recommendations, antibiotics, and more.
WHO and Eli Lilly Issue Global Warning About Phony Weight Loss Drugs
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Eli Lilly says it is “deeply concerned” over the spread of fake or compounded versions of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound. As AP reported, Eli Lilly is the only lawful supplier of those drugs, and it does not provide tirzepatide to compounding pharmacies or online retailers.
Feds Blast State Of Missouri For Putting Mentally Ill Patients in Nursing Homes
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
It’s a violation of federal disability law, the Department of Justice has now said. Also in the news: a nursing home Medicaid fraud suit in New York, California aims to protect workers from indoor heat, and more.
UnitedHealth Ponies Up $1 Million After Denying Access To Birth Control
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
The settlement with New York effectively ends the probe into the insurer’s violation of the state’s Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, which mandates all FDA-approved contraceptives without copays, restrictions or delays.
Democrats Eye Comstock Act Repeal In Effort To Protect Reproductive Rights
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
The fear is Republicans will revive the 150-year-old law to further curtail abortion rights, despite assurances from the Biden administration that the law won’t have an impact.
Gen Xers More Likely To Have Cancer Than Baby Boomers, Study Finds
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
The rate increases “appeared in all racial and ethnic groups except Asian or Pacific Islander men,” researchers found. Also in the news: depression, migraines, and food insecurity.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on PBMs, special education, the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, gender transition, more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, June 21, 2024
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Gun violence survivors, patient privacy, nurse visas, phony weight loss drugs, birth control access, and more. Plus, your weekend reads.
Judge Knocks Down HHS Guidance Against Hospital Web Trackers
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
A federal district court judge in Texas ruled that HHS did not have the authority to warn hospitals that website trackers are a violation of health privacy rules. The American Hospital Association challenged the guidance.
Government Pauses Processing Of International Nurse Visas
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
The pause will be in place until fiscal year 2025, which Modern Healthcare says will leave “thousands” of qualified nurses in limbo even as health system staffing gaps remain. Apprenticeships, AI warnings for patients’ deteriorating conditions, and more are also in the news.
First Edition: June 21, 2024
June 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Super Bowl Parade Shooting Survivors Await Promised Donations While Bills Pile Up
By Peggy Lowe, KCUR Bram Sable-Smith
June 21, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Families of the people hurt during the Feb. 14 mass shooting are carrying what one expert calls “victimization debt.” In the third story of our series “The Injured,” we learn about the strain of paying small and large medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs.
Sobrevivientes del tiroteo en el desfile de los Chiefs esperan las donaciones prometidas mientras acumulan cuentas médicas
By Peggy Lowe, KCUR Bram Sable-Smith
June 21, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Los costos médicos para los sobrevivientes del tiroteo son muy altos y no terminarán pronto. Según un estudio de la Escuela de Medicina de Harvard, el gasto médico promedio para alguien que recibió un disparo se eleva a casi $30,000 el primer año.
California Leaders Tussle With Health Industry Over Billions of New Dollars for Medi-Cal
By Bernard J. Wolfson
June 20, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to pull funds earmarked for new investment in Medi-Cal to help plug California’s $45 billion deficit. A state budget passed June 13 by the legislature largely endorsed Newsom’s plan. Voters could settle the matter in an industry-backed initiative that has qualified for the November ballot.
How Two States Reveal a Deeper Divide on Insuring Kids’ Health
June 20, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Arizona and Florida lawmakers saw trouble ahead for children in 2023, with states slated — as the covid-19 pandemic waned — to resume disenrolling ineligible people from Medicaid. So, legislators in both states voted to expand a safety net known as the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which covers those 18 and younger in […]
