- KFF 国产精品视频 News Original Stories 4
- FTC Chief Gears Up for a Showdown With Private Equity
- Medicare Advantage Increasingly Popular With Seniors 鈥 But Not Hospitals and Doctors
- Uncle Sam Wants You ... to Help Stop Insurers鈥 Bogus Medicare Advantage Sales Tactics
- 'An Arm and a Leg' Podcast: To Get 国产精品视频 Insurance, This Couple Made a Movie
- Political Cartoon: '1-10 on the Tail Wag Meter?'
From KFF 国产精品视频 News - Latest Stories:
KFF 国产精品视频 News Original Stories
FTC Chief Gears Up for a Showdown With Private Equity
Lina Khan, chair of the FTC, says a recent lawsuit is meant to chill the consolidation of medical groups that results in higher prices for consumers. But it may be too late to curb price hikes. (Harris Meyer, )
Medicare Advantage Increasingly Popular With Seniors 鈥 But Not Hospitals and Doctors
Some hospitals and physician groups are rejecting Medicare Advantage plans over payment rates and coverage restrictions, causing turmoil for patients. (Julie Appleby, )
Uncle Sam Wants You ... to Help Stop Insurers鈥 Bogus Medicare Advantage Sales Tactics
The Biden administration wants to crack down on deceptive or misleading Medicare Advantage and drug plan sales tactics. It鈥檚 counting on beneficiaries to help catch offenders. (Susan Jaffe, )
An Arm and a Leg: 'An Arm and a Leg' Podcast: To Get 国产精品视频 Insurance, This Couple Made a Movie
On this episode of 鈥淎n Arm and a Leg,鈥 hear how a couple wrote and directed a short film, starring one of them 鈥 just to maintain health insurance through the actors union. (Dan Weissmann, )
Political Cartoon: '1-10 on the Tail Wag Meter?'
KFF 国产精品视频 News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: '1-10 on the Tail Wag Meter?'" by Dave Coverly.
Summaries Of The News:
Cigna, Humana In Talks For Mega Merger That Could Shake Up Market
Insurance giants Cigna and Human are in discussions to merge, sources told The Wall Street Journal. If a deal proceeds, it would likely be reviewed by the federal government, which has previously blocked proposed insurance mergers. If approved, though, the move would create a new insurance giant in the marketplace.
Cigna and Humana are in talks for a combination that would create a new powerhouse in the health-insurance industry.聽The companies are discussing聽a stock-and-cash deal聽that could be finalized by the end of the year, assuming the talks don鈥檛 fall apart, according to people familiar with the matter. While the structure and terms under discussion couldn鈥檛 be learned, a merger of the managed-care providers would be huge, and give rise to a company worth some $140 billion given Cigna鈥檚 market value Wednesday morning of about $83 billion and Humana鈥檚 of roughly $62 billion.聽 (Thomas, Mathews and Cooper, 11/29)
A proposed transaction would almost certainly prompt a close review from antitrust enforcers at the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. A merged Cigna-Humana would further consolidate the market for pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs are companies that serve as the controversial middlemen of drug pricing negotiations, and of the four largest, two are owned by Cigna and Humana. (Herman, Bannow and Trang, 11/29)
Reports that Cigna is eyeing a major Medicare Advantage move have provoked speculation about the health insurance company's plans for the lucrative market. Citing sources in the banking sector, Reuters reported this month that Cigna was seeking a buyer for its Medicare Advantage business. Subsequently, an analyst at the investment bank Stephens wrote that such a deal may be a precursor to a bold action: acquiring Humana, the second-largest Medicare Advantage carrier by membership. Medicare makes up a meager portion of Cigna's business. The insurer has about 600,000 Medicare Advantage enrollees this year, which amounts to 2% of the market, according to federal data compiled by KFF. Humana's 5.5 million members and 18% share are the most behind United国产精品视频 Group subsidiary United国产精品视频care's 8.9 million and 29%. (Berryman, 11/29)
In other health insurance developments 鈥
Republican lawmakers may not be thrilled with former President Trump's renewed push to repeal and replace Obamacare 鈥 but few are firmly ruling it out. The Affordable Care Act has become more popular and even more entrenched in the health care system since the GOP's failed repeal attempt in 2017 contributed to Democrats' big electoral gains the following year. (Sullivan, 11/30)
The Biden administration is appealing a court ruling against a Trump-era regulation that aimed to protect the way health insurance companies handle some prescription drug costs 鈥 a rare moment of harmony between the two administration鈥檚 approaches to drug pricing reform. (Wilkerson, 11/29)
United国产精品视频 Group has about 90,000 employed or affiliated doctors, approximately 10% of all physicians in the U.S. The number 鈥 disclosed Wednesday at the company鈥檚 investor day by Amar Desai, the CEO of United国产精品视频鈥檚 Optum 国产精品视频 division 鈥 means the company acquired or hired 20,000 doctors in the past year alone. (Herman, 11/29)
KFF 国产精品视频 News:
Medicare Advantage Increasingly Popular With Seniors 鈥 But Not Hospitals And Doctors
A hospital system in Georgia. Two medical groups in San Diego. Another in Louisville, Kentucky, and nearly one-third of Nebraska hospitals. Across the country, health care providers are refusing to accept some Medicare Advantage plans 鈥 even as the coverage offered by commercial insurers increasingly displaces the traditional government program for seniors and people with disabilities. As of this year, commercial insurers have enticed just over half of all Medicare beneficiaries 鈥 or nearly 31 million people 鈥 to sign up for their plans instead of traditional Medicare. The plans typically include drug coverage as well as extras like vision and dental benefits, many at low or even zero additional monthly premiums compared with traditional Medicare. (Appleby, 11/29)
KFF 国产精品视频 News:
Uncle Sam Wants You ... To Help Stop Insurers鈥 Bogus Medicare Advantage Sales Tactics
After an unprecedented crackdown on misleading advertising claims by insurers selling private Medicare Advantage and drug plans, the Biden administration hopes to unleash a special weapon to make sure companies follow the new rules: you. Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are encouraging seniors and other members of the public to become fraud detectives by reporting misleading or deceptive sales tactics to 800-MEDICARE, the agency鈥檚 24-hour information hotline. Suspects include postcards designed to look like they鈥檙e from the government and TV ads with celebrities promising benefits and low fees that are available only to some people in certain counties. (Jaffe, 11/30)
KFF 国产精品视频 News:
KFF 国产精品视频 News' 'An Arm and a Leg': To Get 国产精品视频 Insurance, This Couple Made A Movie聽
Last fall, Ellen Haun and Dru Johnston were hustling to get their health insurance sorted out for 2023. The Hollywood couple are members of SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and writers. Members have to earn about $26,000 a year on union projects to be eligible for union insurance. And Haun was about $800 short. (11/30)
Next FDA Deputy Commissioner: Namandj茅 Bumpus To Replace Janet Woodcock
The FDA's chief scientist, Namandj茅 Bumpus, will succeed Janet Woodcock as the agency's principal deputy commissioner. Bumpus, who will be the first Black woman in the job, will prioritize reorganizing the agency鈥檚 Human Foods Program and improving inspections of facilities that make drugs and medical devices, and process food products.
The Food and Drug Administration鈥檚 chief scientist will replace retiring Janet Woodcock as principal deputy commissioner of the agency next year, the FDA commissioner announced Wednesday. Namandj茅 N. Bumpus was named chief scientist in June of last year. The chief scientist works closely with the FDA鈥檚 product centers, and Bumpus played a big role in the expansion of the agency鈥檚 regulation of cosmetics. (Wilkerson, 11/29)
Among the key decisions she was involved in was the withdrawal of Makena, Covis Pharma鈥檚 controversial drug meant to reduce the risk of preterm birth. (Gardner, 11/29)
More news from the Biden administration 鈥
The Biden administration is proposing new restrictions that would require the removal of virtually all lead water pipes across the country in an effort to prevent another public health catastrophe like the one that came to define Flint, Mich. The proposal on Thursday from the Environmental Protection Agency would impose the strictest limits on lead in drinking water since federal standards were first set 30 years ago. It would affect about nine million pipes that snake throughout communities across the country. (Davenport, 11/30)
A little-known group of Black law enforcement officers is getting significant access to the White House to talk about the FDA鈥檚 proposal to ban menthol cigarettes 鈥 and it鈥檚 bringing the tobacco industry along. (Florko, 11/29)
KFF 国产精品视频 News:
FTC Chief Gears Up For A Showdown With Private Equity
A recent Federal Trade Commission civil lawsuit accusing one of the nation鈥檚 largest anesthesiology groups of monopolistic practices that sharply drove up prices is a warning to private equity investors that could temper their big push to snap up physician groups. Over the past three years, FTC and Department of Justice officials have signaled they would apply more scrutiny to private equity acquisitions in health care, including roll-up deals in which larger provider groups buy smaller groups in a local market. (Meyer, 11/30)
In updates from Capitol Hill 鈥
Lawmakers expressed concern about the implications of artificial intelligence for the healthcare system鈥攁nd made clear that they aren't sure what to do about them鈥攄uring a congressional hearing Wednesday. A House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee heard testimony from business, healthcare and academic experts at the session, which focused on issues such as safety, insurance coverage, legal matters, racial and ethic biases, and privacy. The hearing took place amid growing calls for federal regulation from organizations such as the American Medical Association and controversy about how insurers such as Cigna and United国产精品视频 Group use AI. (McAuliff and Turner, 11/29)
It's passed medical licensing exams. It's advanced how researchers develop new medicines and cut down on doctors' hefty paperwork. And it's nudged health care closer to a world where AI can offer diagnoses. One year after OpenAI's ChatGPT exploded onto the scene, the generative AI model is already upending health care 鈥 an industry not exactly known for its speedy adoption of tech 鈥 while accelerating questions about AI's promises and limitations. (Reed, 11/29)
CDC Launches New Covid Wastewater Tracking Dashboard
CIDRAP reminds us that tracking covid infections via wastewater analysis is one of the early indicators of rising covid activity in an area. Meanwhile, a new round of covid infections and deaths at a New Jersey nursing facility has halted admissions and illustrates covid's ongoing threat.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently unveiled new wastewater data tracking dashboard to make it easier to track local and national trends, even by variant. Wastewater tracking is one of the early indicators health officials use to gauge the activity of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. Called the National Wastewater Surveillance Program, the main page says that, nationally, wastewater viral activity of COVID is high. (Schnirring, 11/29)
Admissions have been halted at a skilled nursing facility that was part of one of the nation鈥檚 worst COVID-19 outbreaks as state officials raise major concerns about a new round of infection and deaths there. The situation at Limecrest Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, a 159-bed facility in Northern New Jersey, demonstrates just how dangerous COVID still is for vulnerable seniors and other patients who call skilled nursing facilities home. Since September, 66 staff members and residents have been sickened by the virus, with seven residents dying, New Jersey health officials said last week. (Marselas, 11/28)
Pirola quickly spread across the U.S., with cases almost tripling in number from the previous two-week period. Some experts aren鈥檛 so sure Pirola and its offsprings鈥攎ost notably JN.1鈥攚ill be very protected under the new vaccines. The authors of a bioRxiv study wrote in a pre-publication comment, which hasn鈥檛 yet been peer reviewed, that the newer vaccines could spur the spread of the more recent Pirola viruses. (Johnson, 11/28)
On covid in schools 鈥
The Biden administration for the first time will allow all schools to order free COVID-19 tests from the federal government ahead of the holidays, officials told Axios first. Uptake of updated COVID vaccines has been sluggish, making other precautions like timely testing all the more critical as respiratory virus season heats up. (Reed, 11/29)
When Raynesha Cummings enrolled her three teenagers in a private school, she hoped to keep them safe from COVID-19. It was small, with no frills 鈥 there was just one teacher and the school didn鈥檛 serve lunch 鈥 but it worked for her family, at least initially. Her son graduated in May at the top of his class, with hopes of attending a trade school. But when he started applying, schools said they would not recognize his diploma. Then, a couple weeks later, Cummings says she discovered the teacher had been texting her 16-year-old daughter to offer money for sexually explicit photos. The teacher was arrested, and Cummings learned he previously had been accused of raping a child. (Lurye and Lussier, 11/29)
On mental health and covid 鈥
Indeed Inc., the online job-search company, is canceling the monthly mental health days it introduced during the pandemic, joining a growing group of firms paring back benefits they rushed to provide during the Covid-19 crisis. Indeed initiated 鈥淵OU Days鈥 in June 2020, giving all employees the same day off each month at a time when exhausted staff were taking fewer vacation days because of travel restrictions. Three years later, employees are once again booking time off at a similar rate to before the pandemic. 鈥淎s a result, we have agreed that the global need for YOU Days has passed,鈥 a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement. (Butler and Constantz, 11/29)
Controversial 'Abortion Reversal' Laws On Books In 15 States
Bills supporting unproven treatments to counteract a medication abortion are being advocated for by anti-abortion groups and have passed in 15 states. Colorado is the only one that's gone the other way, effectively banning the treatment.
Anti-abortion organizations are pushing state lawmakers to promote a controversial and unproven 鈥渁bortion reversal鈥 treatment 鈥 flouting the objections of medical professionals who point out it is not supported by science. In the past several years, Republican lawmakers in at least 14 states have passed laws requiring health care providers to give patients information about abortion reversal. Kansas became the 15th state this year. Meanwhile, Democratic-controlled Colorado this year moved in the opposite direction, becoming the first state to effectively ban abortion reversal treatment, designating it as medical misconduct. (Claire Vollers, 11/30)
The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday heard a case that could end up deciding whether abortion in the state should be protected under its constitution when it鈥檚 provided for medical reasons. Also at stake is the issue of how much agency doctors have to exercise their medical judgment in the treatment of the most complicated pregnancies 鈥 a power that the case鈥檚 plaintiffs claim has been lost under Texas鈥 current abortion laws. (Merelli, 11/29)
Tommy Tuberville said in an interview on Wednesday he鈥檚 considering dropping his months-long holds on military promotions over the Pentagon's abortion policy 鈥渟oon, but not today.鈥 The Alabama GOP senator said he and other Armed Services Committee members are 鈥済etting close鈥 to a resolution and will be holding more meetings on the subject later Wednesday with Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and other members of the panel. (Everett, 11/29)
In other reproductive health news 鈥
For the fifth time in three years, the four Republicans on the Executive Council voted Wednesday to reject contracts with three organizations that had provided the majority of the state鈥檚 low-cost basic reproductive health care, such as cancer screenings, STD treatment, and contraception. (Timmins, 11/29)
Over 40% of Missouri鈥檚 114 counties are considered maternity care deserts, according to a recent March of Dimes report. Most of those 48 counties are rural and do not have access to obstetrics care or birthing hospitals. Jamaa Birth Village is piloting a midwifery satellite program that will offer prenatal and postpartum care next year to pregnant people near Springfield, Columbia and the Bootheel area to help reduce the health disparities among Black women living in rural areas. The midwifery clinic will also pilot the satellite program in St. Louis. (Henderson, 11/30)
FDA Clears First-Ever Oral Device To Battle Sleep Apnea
The device is made by Vivos Therapeutics and is designed to help with severe obstructive sleep apnea, and is an alternative to devices made by companies like Philips. Also in the news: Pharmavite LLC; Generation Bio; obesity drugs and BMI; and more.
Vivos Therapeutics said on Wednesday the U.S. health regulator has cleared its oral device for severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), leading a massive rally in the company's shares before the bell. The clearance is the first ever for an oral appliance. ... According to Vivos, its treatment is an alternative to therapy devices made by companies such as Philips and ResMed that send pressurized air into a patient's nose and mouth during sleep as well as to surgically placed implants that send electrical signals to the brain. (11/29)
Pharmavite LLC, the maker of Nature Made vitamins, has agreed to acquire women鈥檚 health company Bonafide 国产精品视频 LLC for $425 million. The company, whose ultimate parent is Otsuka Holdings Co., isn鈥檛 disclosing further financial details of its all-cash deal for Bonafide 国产精品视频. Bonafide 国产精品视频 will continue to operate out of its current headquarters in Harrison, New York, after the purchase and there are no workforce implications to the acquisition. (Sanchez and Tse, 11/30)
Generation Bio, a Cambridge genetic medicines startup, became the latest Massachusetts biotech to slash its payroll, eliminating nearly 70 jobs as part of a move to conserve its cash into 2027. The company, launched by Atlas Venture in 2016 to develop new ways to deliver gene therapies, said Thursday that a 鈥渟trategic reorganization鈥 would reduce its workforce by 40 percent, or 68 jobs. Its shares edged up 3.4 percent to $1.16 on the Nasdaq after its announcement. (Weisman, 11/29)
So much depends on the simple calculation of dividing one鈥檚 weight by the square of their height. According to the FDA, people qualify for prescriptions of Wegovy and Zepbound鈥攖he obesity-drug versions of the diabetes medications Ozempic and Mounjaro鈥攐nly if their BMI is 3o or higher, or 27 or higher with a weight-related health issue such as hypertension. (Tayag, 11/29)
In news about biobanks 鈥
Any changes in your medications or allergies? Check. New health issues since your last visit? Check. And would you like to contribute a blood and DNA sample for a massive research project? That last question is now part of the electronic check-in process for patients at Penn Medicine clinics and hospitals, and it already is yielding promising clues in the study of disease. (Avril, 11/29)
Data from half a million people鈥檚 whole genome sequences are now available to researchers worldwide, as the U.K. Biobank on Thursday debuted the latest addition to what it aims to be the world鈥檚 most comprehensive health data resource. (Joseph, 11/29)
BJC 国产精品视频care And Saint Luke's 国产精品视频 System Reach Merger Agreement
St. Louis-based BJC 国产精品视频care and Kansas City, Mo.-based Saint Luke's 国产精品视频 System have reached a definitive agreement to merge their 28 hospitals. Meanwhile, critics argue that HCA's efforts to cut costs endangered Appalachian patients.
St. Louis-based BJC 国产精品视频care and Kansas City, Mo.-based Saint Luke's 国产精品视频 System 鈥 which signed a letter of intent to combine in May 鈥 have satisfied all regulatory reviews and reached a definitive agreement to merge.聽The transaction is expected to close Jan. 1, 2024, according to a Nov. 29 news release shared with Becker's. An integrated academic health system will be formed, though the systems will maintain their distinct brands and operate from dual headquarters: BJC in St. Louis, and Saint Luke's in Kansas City.聽(Kayser, 11/29)
There was the beeping of monitors, the stiff sheets, the sterile smell of the hospital room. Mostly, there was pain. Sharp, relentless pain. Mike Messino was recovering from a successful surgery, but the nerve blocks had worn off. He spent two full hours waiting for a nurse to inject pain medication. When he鈥檇 worked in this hospital, he鈥檇 made sure patients didn鈥檛 wait longer than 15 minutes for that kind of care. (Bannow, 11/30)
Cooper University 国产精品视频 Care announced Thursday that it has opened the first phase of its $150 million outpatient center in a former Sears building at Moorestown Mall. The 166,000-square-foot, three-story facility has nearly 100 exam rooms and will offer 26 medical specialties, including bariatric surgery, gastroenterology, maternal-fetal medicine, rheumatology, and urogynecology. Specialists from MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper will be among the physicians seeing patients at the location. (Brubaker, 11/29)
Accountable care organizations do not positively influence treatment and outcomes for chronic mental health conditions for Medicare patients, according to a study in 国产精品视频 Affairs. For patients newly enrolled in ACOs, they saw no improvements in their depression and anxiety symptoms after one year. These patients were also 24% less likely to have their depression or anxiety treated than patients unenrolled in ACOs, and 9.8% less likely to have an evaluation and management visit for depression or anxiety with a primary care clinician. (Tong, 11/29)
Annie Wolf's open-heart surgery was just two days away when the Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, called, informing her that her procedure had been postponed after a major ransomware attack. "I've got a hole in my mitral valve, and basically walking around, I can't breathe," Wolf told CBS News. "And I get very fatigued, very tired, very quickly. If I go to the store, I've got to ride the scooter." (Sganga, 11/29)
On health care personnel 鈥
A few medical employees at Denver 国产精品视频聽made history Monday as some of the first people to receive the live Ebola vaccine for preventative measures, the hospital said.聽Ebola is a rare but deadly disease. In 2014, a major outbreak in West Africa led to some cases in the United States. While there are no known outbreaks in the world right now, members of Denver 国产精品视频's High Risk Infection Team said they are some of the first to receive the live vaccine as a way to be prepared in the event of a future outbreak.聽 (Irizarry, 11/28)
Kentucky hospitals reported a slight drop in nurse vacancy rates this year, though nurse staffing still remains a core challenge, according to the Kentucky Hospital Association's 2023 Workforce Survey Report.聽聽Among the 89 hospitals that responded to the association's survey, the nurse vacancy rate was 19.7%. This figure is down from 21.9% last year, according to KHA's 2022 workforce report.聽 (Bean, 11/29)
Visiting nurses in Connecticut are calling for increased state and federal protections for home healthcare workers following the homicide of Joyce Grayson, 63, of Willimantic, Conn., NBC Connecticut reported Nov. 28. Ms. Grayson was a home care nurse for Elara Caring, a Dallas-based home health service agency. She disappeared after visiting one of her patients in late October. Her body was later discovered in the basement of the residence where the patient-turned-suspect lived 鈥 a halfway house for convicted sex offenders. (Hollowell, 11/29)
Nurses at a South Jersey hospital where a a patient killed himself earlier this year say they're pleased with efforts to improve security procedures. 国产精品视频 Professionals & Allied Employees, AFL-CIO filed a grievance against Inspira 国产精品视频 Network shortly after the suicide on Sept. 9.An initial report of a possible 鈥渁ctive shooter鈥 sent city police racing to the facility on West Sherman Avenue as follow-up calls eventually established a suicide had occurred with no other victims. (Smith, 11/28)
Updates include customized job search filters to help nursing professionals fine-tune the results to better match their qualifications and preferences. Nurses can filter jobs by specialty, shift, schedule and license. Job seekers also can set their聽job preferences for each of these when turning on Open to Work on their Profile, signaling to recruiters what they're looking for in their next role. (Landi, 11/28)
Medicaid Expansion Arrives In North Carolina For Hundreds Of Thousands
Also in the news: California Gov. Gavin Newsom promises to crack down on the deadly street drug called "tranq"; Missouri lawmakers are set to push for new charges for fentanyl dealers; overdose deaths in New Hampshire overwhelm MEs; and more.
A decade after the federal government began offering expanded Medicaid coverage in states that opted to accept it, hundreds of thousands of adults in North Carolina are set to receive benefits, a development that boosters say will aid hospitals and local economies in addition to the long-term uninsured. North Carolina elected officials agreed this year to expand Medicaid, which will provide the government-funded health insurance to adults ages 19 to 64 who make too much money to receive traditional Medicaid but generally not enough to benefit from public subsidies available for private health insurance. The federal government will pay 90% of the cost, as stipulated under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. (Robertson and Schoenbaum, 11/30)
In news about the opioid crisis 鈥
Amid a growing drug overdose crisis and debate over how the state should respond, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced he will sponsor legislation to increase penalties for the trafficking of xylazine, the deadly and flesh-rotting animal tranquilizer drug known as 鈥渢ranq.鈥 Newsom administration officials provided few details on what the bill might include other than it would classify xylazine as a controlled substance and increase criminal penalties for illegal trafficking of the drug. Veterinary use would still be allowed. (Sosa, 11/29)
In the days after she lost her daughter to fentanyl in June 2021, Jamie Fisher began calling Independence police to find out what the department was doing to investigate her death. When she died, Samantha 鈥淪ami鈥 Fisher, 23, had one photo on her new cellphone 鈥 which she had taken that day 鈥 of three pills that her family said she believed were Percocets. 鈥淢y three little Percs,鈥 she had written about the pills. In reality, they were fentanyl. (Bayless and Bauer, 11/29)
Less than half of the people who died of suspected drug-related deaths in New Hampshire this year received autopsies. The National Association of Medical Examiners recommends that an autopsy be performed whenever a drug-related death is suspected. The most recent data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shows that there were 327 confirmed and 61 suspected drug overdose deaths in 2023 so far. 157 of the confirmed deaths and 30 of the suspected overdose deaths had autopsy examinations. (Harris and Ganley, 11/29)
In other health news from across the U.S. 鈥
Two Colorado paramedics went on trial on Wednesday for their alleged role in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who died after police roughly detained him and medics injected him with a powerful sedative. The trial is the last of three involving the death of McClain, 23, who a bystander reported as looking suspicious, but who was not alleged to have committed any crime. The first trial ended with one police officer found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and another acquitted. The second ended with a third officer acquitted. (Brooks, 11/29)
An investigation published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. found discrepancies between emergencies at California immigrant detention facilities that were reported to local authorities and those reported publicly by the federal government. (Castillo, 11/29)
Exactly one year ago, Children鈥檚 Minnesota opened it鈥檚 first inpatient mental health unit. It serves children as young as six and is one of the few in the state to admit kids with more complex medical conditions 鈥 and also one of the few in the country to allow parents or guardians to say overnight with their child. (Wurzer and Kuznetsov, 11/29)
The 鈥淏iggest Little City in the World鈥 is earning a new distinction: one of the few cities in the West to get large numbers of homeless off its streets. The city teamed with Sparks, a neighboring city, and surrounding Washoe County to build a Nevada Cares Campus in 2021 that could accommodate more than 600 people in a giant tent and satellite sleeping pods. Since that year, the number of homeless living on the street has plummeted to 329 this year from 780, according to annual point-in-time counts. (Carlton, 11/29)
Soldiers At Fort Carson Blocked From Seeking 国产精品视频 Care Before 9 AM
The restriction, put in place to cement a time frame for physical training, applies to "medical, dental, behavioral health, and other types of appointments." Once officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "This is just going to create problems, not solve them."
An armor officer at Fort Carson, Colorado, this week issued a new set of policies to his formation effectively banning soldiers from seeking mental health care, dental treatment and legal counsel in the early morning hours to cement time for exercising, according to a copy of the memo reviewed by Military.com. "Soldiers are not authorized to schedule appointments before 0900," Lt. Col. Andrew Boyd, commander of 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, said in a memo Tuesday. "This restriction applies to medical, dental, behavioral health, and other types of appointments." (Beynon, 11/29)
A grieving father who lost his son -- an airman at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico -- to suicide this month has written an open letter to the service's leadership, as well as the Joint Chiefs chairman and defense secretary, pleading for the military to confront alarming numbers of suicides within the ranks. (Novelly, 11/28)
Veterans and first responders with brain injuries have a new facility for treatment in Willow Grove. The MossRehab Institute for Brain 国产精品视频 is now in its new stand-alone facility. Patients said having everything under one roof is more than just convenient. Eric Seibert, a veteran, is now in art therapy at the MossRehab Institute for Brain 国产精品视频. "Thoughts and expressions come a lot easier," Seibert said. Seibert, who was in the Army, has brain injuries from bomb explosions in Iraq. (Stahl, 11/29)
Report Highlights 国产精品视频, Safety Risks Faced By Gen Z, Millennial Women
A new analysis from the Population Reference Bureau compared how women in their 20s and 30s fared across generations, and ABC News notes that results show younger generations face heightened risks for physical well-being and safety for a variety of reasons.
Progress in women's health since the 1960s is backsliding, with millennial and Gen Z women facing heightened risks to their physical well-being and safety compared to their moms or grandmothers, according to a report released on Thursday by the Population Reference Bureau. The analysis, which looked at how women in their 20s and early 30s fared across generations, found that women born after 1981 are more likely to be at risk of suicide, death in childbirth and being murdered than young women in previous generations. (Flaherty, 11/30)
Many commonly suggested ways to addressing climate change present few ethical challenges: Cut fossil fuels. Eat less meat. Don鈥檛 buy fast fashion. But what happens when products that contribute to climate change also save lives 鈥 millions of them? A new report, published on Nov. 28 by the global health initiative Unitaid, looks into this issue, quantifying the environmental impact of 10 essential public health items. (Merelli, 11/30)
On average, more than one in three people in the United States will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. And many of those cases, they say, can potentially be prevented, including by making changes to your diet. Scientists have a good idea of what you should avoid to reduce your risk of cancer, such as red and processed meats, 鈥渇ast鈥 or processed foods, alcohol and sugary drinks. But knowing what to eat isn鈥檛 always straightforward, said Johanna Lampe, a cancer prevention researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. (Campo, 11/27)
The change in Zack Rogers was sudden. In the middle of his 12th birthday party, his stomach started hurting. He went to bed early that night, missing much of his own slumber party, and then stayed home from school the whole next week. The stomach pain was excruciating, and he couldn鈥檛 keep any food down. He lost 40 pounds in just a few weeks. Zack spent the next three years in and out of hospitals and trying medicines that didn鈥檛 seem to work. ... The new doctor suggested that Zack try one last treatment before surgery: hypnotherapy. (Wheeling, 11/29)
Research Roundup: Strep; Pneumonia; Education; Covid
Each week, KFF 国产精品视频 News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
A new study based on British birth outcomes shows placental presence of Streptococcus agalactiae (known as group B Streptococcus, or GBS) is linked to double or triple the risk of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, roughly 10 times greater than previous estimates. (Soucheray, 11/29)
Denmark's Statens Serum Institute (SSI) today said Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections have reached the epidemic level, with an increase that began in the summer but has risen significantly over the past 5 weeks, according to a statement translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary, an infectious disease news blog. ... The notices of rising pneumonia activity in some European countries come against the backdrop of reports of overwhelmed pediatric hospitals and clinics in China due to a mix of respiratory viruses, including Mycoplasma pneumonia, commonly known as "walking pneumonia." The surge in respiratory infections in China raised fears that a novel pathogen was behind the rise. (Schnirring, 11/29)
UK children who spent more time in childcare in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic鈥攊ncluding those from disadvantaged backgrounds鈥攎aintained more advanced vocabularies throughout the following months, suggest parent-reported data published yesterday in the Journal of Early Childhood Research. (Van Beusekom, 11/29)
Two new analyses from Sweden and Pakistan published in BMJ highlight the benefits of partial or full COVID-19 vaccination in preventing persistent symptoms. (Van Beusekom, 11/28)
Editorial writers tackle reproductive rights, community hospitals, pregnancy discrimination and more.
When I walked into Planned Parenthood North Central States as its new president and CEO a year ago, I wasn鈥檛 known for taking easy jobs or the paths of least resistance. As each state across our five-state affiliate faces unique challenges that have only intensified after the fall of Roe v. Wade, I knew this role would be no different. (Ruth Richardson, 11/30)
Nonprofit hospitals have been caught doing some surprising things, given how they are supposed to serve the public good in exchange for being exempt from federal, state and local taxes 鈥 exemptions that added up to $28 billion in 2020. (Amol S. Navathe, 11/30)
In June 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect. The federal law requires employers to give pregnant employees reasonable accommodations, such as getting appropriately sized uniforms or having closer parking. Another federal law, included in the December 2022 consolidated appropriations bill, now requires employers to provide break times for parents who need to pump breast milk during work hours. It is hard to believe that such basic yet vital protections were only codified in the 2020s. Yet, the reality is that navigating pregnancy and employment remains a significant challenge in today鈥檚 society. (Anya E.R. Prince, 11/30)
Scientists have made incredible progress over the past decade-plus鈥攁nd patients across the world have benefitted. We've conquered hepatitis C. We've turned HIV into a manageable disease for those who have it, and a preventable one for those who don't. We've unleashed ways for the body's own immune system to fight cancer. We've developed a host of new vaccines. (Howard Dean, 11/29)
We like winning. The three of us have won in athletics, business and civic life. Together, we guide the Kansas 国产精品视频 Foundation. We are all about winning here, too. We want Kansas to be ranked number one in health. Right now, Kansas is 31st and has been declining since the 1990s, when we were among the top 10. To lead the nation in health, or even just to stop our slide, our state and communities must solve problems faster and more effectively. (Junetta Everett, Patrick Woods and Ed O'Malley, 11/30)
Worried about your health? You can now avail yourself of noninvasive diagnostics that claim to screen for rare birth defects, cancer-associated mutations, and even Alzheimer鈥檚. Even before the Covid pandemic, a 2018 paper reported that new genetic tests, many of them for increasingly rare conditions, were being released at the rate of 10 a day. These tests can be both sold direct to consumer and ordered by your physician. (Manil Suri and Daniel Morgan, 11/30)