The Japan Times - KFF Health News Minute Tracks Weekly US Healthcare Developments

The KFF Health News Minute, distributed each Thursday by direct download and RSS, has summarized a broad range of US health developments since late May. The service said it would pause from Aug. 31 through Sept. 7 and return with its next installment on Sept. 10.

In the Aug. 28 edition, Zach Dyer reported on violence against hospital workers and calls for mandatory staffing rules, along with guidance on finding a clinical trial. On Aug. 27, Katheryn Houghton covered a wristband marked “I Gave Birth” that could help protect new mothers and the work requirements many homeless Medicaid recipients will need to meet.

Arielle Zionts reported on Aug. 20 about pediatricians trying to persuade more parents to vaccinate children amid measles outbreaks and about higher patient and insurer costs associated with hospital monopolies. Rachel Spears’ Aug. 13 edition examined fears that a Justice Department legal opinion could weaken access to in-home care for people with disabilities and the use of mobile crisis teams instead of police for some 911 mental-health calls.

Houghton’s Aug. 6 report described older adults seeking roommates to remain in their homes and doctors’ objections to deciding whether patients are too ill to satisfy new Medicaid work rules. Dyer reported on July 30 that promised improvements in insurer approval of physician-ordered care had not eliminated delays and that a common operation may not be the best response to knee pain.

Jackie Fortiér’s July 23 edition addressed potentially fatal disruptions when patients change health plans and efforts by states to identify employers whose low-paid workers depend on public programs for medical coverage. On July 16, Sam Whitehead reported that some health plans retain drug discounts intended for enrollees and that many Affordable Care Act insurers were seeking double-digit rate increases for the following year.

Spears reported on July 9 about limited oversight when infants allegedly become ill or die after receiving formula and about continued growth in abortions four years after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Fortiér’s July 2 edition covered the record number of US cancer survivors, their continuing mental-health needs and steps patients can take when seeking insurance coverage for a GLP-1 medicine.

Dyer’s June 25 report noted the arrival of the first new US sunscreen ingredient in decades and the limitations of home cancer tests. Houghton reported on June 18 that new Medicaid work rules affecting millions were stricter than expected and explained a limitation in the job protections provided by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

Whitehead’s June 11 edition covered wider access to physician-assisted suicide as more states legalize the practice and allegations of medical neglect in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers. Zionts reported on June 4 that some preventive screening risks may outweigh benefits for older adults and that higher Affordable Care Act premiums were pushing consumers toward cheaper but less comprehensive plans.

The May 28 edition, read by Fortiér, examined arguments that improving financial well-being could help prevent suicide. It also covered a Trump administration proposal to relax artificial-intelligence safeguards in healthcare in an effort to accelerate innovation.

K.Yoshida--JT