Recent Articles
Medicaid caps pitched by GOP could shrink seniors’ benefits
By Stephanie O’Neill Kaiser Health News Before nursing home patient Carmencita Misa became bedridden, she was a veritable “dancing queen,” says her daughter, Charlotte Altieri. “Even though she would work about 60 hours a week, she would make sure to go out dancing once a week — no matter what,” Altieri, 39, said. “She was […]
Two Hantavirus cases reported in King County, one death
Two cases of hantavirus reported in King County since December, 2016: Be aware of health risks associated with deer mouse infestations By Public Health Insider Public Health – Seattle & King County Hantavirus can cause a rare but deadly disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). In Washington State hantavirus is carried primarily by deer mice. Over […]
Two measles cases in King County, possible exposures in Seattle
By Meredith Li-Vollmer Kaiser Health News Public Health – Seattle & King County has confirmed measles infection in a 6-month-old infant and the infant’s father, both King County residents who had recently traveled to Asia. The infant and the adult were both unimmunized. Before they were diagnosed, they may have exposed others to the measles at a […]
GOP scraps individual mandate but sets up new penalty for those skipping coverage
By Anna Gorman and Jordan Rau Kaiser Health News The Affordable Care Act’s tax penalty for people who opt out of health insurance is one of the most loathed parts of the law, so it is no surprise that Republicans are keen to abolish it. But the penalty, called the individual mandate, plays a vital […]
Childbirth for women in their 30s at a 50-year high
By Tim Henderson Stateline Women in their 30s are having babies at the highest rate since the 1960s, providing a rare bright spot in what’s an otherwise stagnating U.S. population. For women in their early 30s, the birthrate in 2015 was the highest it’s been since 1964, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report this […]
On Medicaid money, GOP has a win-or-lose proposition for states
By Phil Galewitz Kaiser Health News New England’s bucolic countryside looks much the same on either side of the Connecticut River separating Vermont from New Hampshire. But Medicaid beneficiaries are far better off in Vermont. Vermont generously funds its Medicaid program. It provides better benefits, such as dental care, and pays doctors more than New Hampshire’s […]
Prescription drug costs are on the rise; so are the TV ads promoting them.
By Bruce Horovitz and Julie Appleby Kaiser Health News Laura Ries was moved to action when she saw a TV commercial that portrayed a woman enjoying time with her grandchildren after taking Lyrica, a prescription medication for diabetic nerve pain. Ries’ elderly mother suffered from just that problem. “The ad showed someone who was enjoying […]
Report: Fired US attorney was probing Tom Price’s stock trades
Fired U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Said to Have Been Investigating HHS Secretary Tom Price By Robert Faturechi ProPublica Kaiser Health News Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was removed from his post by the Trump administration last week, was overseeing an investigation into stock trades made by the president’s health secretary, according to a person […]
Cholesterol drug prevents heart attacks — but doesn’t come cheap
By Liz Szabo Kaiser Health News WASHINGTON — For the first time, research shows that a pricey new medication called Repatha not only dramatically lowers LDL cholesterol, the “bad cholesterol,” it also reduces patients’ risk of dying or being hospitalized. Repatha, a man-made antibody also known as evolocumab, cut the combined risk of heart attack, […]
Researchers call Trump’s proposed NIH cuts ‘shocking’
By Elaine Korry Kaiser Health News An estimated $5.8 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health in President Donald Trump’s proposed budget has California’s top universities and medical institutions sounding the alarm. Trump’s spending plan — running into opposition from Republicans and Democrats alike — would cut about 20 percent of the roughly […]
