ACA Enrollment Platforms Suspended Over Alleged Foreign Access to Consumer Data
By Julie Appleby
Federal regulators provided more specifics about why they suspended two private sector Affordable Care Act enrollment sites, including concerns about potential overseas accessing of consumer data and suspicions of involvement in Obamacare enrollment and switching schemes. The companies reject the assertions.
Silence in Sikeston: Racism Can Make You Sick
By Cara Anthony
The “Silence in Sikeston” podcast explores what it means to live with racism and violence, then charts the toll on health — from hives and high blood pressure to struggles with mental health. The deaths of two Black men killed nearly 80 years apart in the same Missouri community anchor a conversation about the public health consequences of systemic bias.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Live from Austin, Examining Health Equity
The term “health equity” means different things to different people. Beyond guaranteeing all Americans access to adequate, affordable medical care, the pursuit of equity can include addressing social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and environment. Systemic and historical racism — manifested in over-policing or contaminated drinking water, for instance — can negatively affect health. In a live taping at the Texas Tribune Festival, special guests Carol Alvarado, the Texas state Senate’s Democratic leader, and Ann Barnes, president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, along with KFF Health News’ Sabriya Rice and Cara Anthony, join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss addressing health inequities.
Daily Edition for Monday, September 9, 2024
‘California’s Dr. Fauci’ Is Stepping Down: Mark Ghaly, who had a leading role in California’s handling of covid-19, is stepping down as the state’s health and human services secretary. He will be replaced by Kim Johnson, the director of the California Department of Social Services. Read more from Politico, The Sacramento Bee, and CalMatters.
Longtime Head of L.A. Care To Retire After Navigating Major Medi-Cal Changes
By Bernard J. Wolfson
John Baackes, who steered Medi-Cal’s largest health plan following the Affordable Care Act expansion, and later prepared it for a state overhaul of Medi-Cal, will retire after this year. Baackes believes low payments to doctors and other providers, along with an acute labor shortage, hamper Medi-Cal’s success.
With TV Drug Ads, What You See Is Not Necessarily What You Get
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
The pharmaceutical industry has invented a new art form: finding ways to make their wares seem like joyous must-have treatments, while often minimizing lackluster efficacy and risks.
En los comerciales de medicamentos en TV, lo que ves no siempre es lo que es
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
Los anuncios de medicamentos han sido omnipresentes en la televisión desde finales de la década de 1990 y se han extendido a internet y las redes sociales. Pocas naciones en el mundo los permiten
Daily Edition for Friday, September 6, 2024
Intense Heat Grips California: Temperatures hovered above 100 degrees along parts of the California coast early Friday, creating unbearable conditions past midnight as officials warned that the excessive heat would last through the weekend. “We’re not seeing a ton of release at night. That’s absolutely concerning,” said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist in Oxnard. The dangerous heat and changing weekend weather patterns will also raise the risk of fires, experts warn. Read more from The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle and CalMatters.
As Record Heat Sweeps the US, Some People Must Choose Between Food and Energy Bills
By Melba Newsome
An increasing number of Americans struggle with energy poverty, the inability to adequately heat or cool one’s dwelling. Health officials and climate experts are sounding the alarm as record-breaking heat sweeps the nation.
Thanks to Reddit, a New Diagnosis Is Bubbling Up Across the Nation
By Rae Ellen Bichell
Social media has helped spread the word about a treatment that involves getting Botox in the neck. It’s for a condition that’s gaining awareness but still often dismissed: the inability to burp.
