Health
Hundreds of hospitals sue patients or threaten their credit
This article is republished from Kaiser Health News. Despite growing evidence of the harm caused by medical debt, hundreds of U.S. hospitals maintain policies to aggressively pursue patients for unpaid bills, using tactics such as lawsuits, selling patient accounts to debt buyers, and reporting patients to credit rating agencies, a KHN investigation shows. The collection […]
Teva and Allergan settle opioid lawsuit with Kentucky for $114 million
Two more pharmaceutical manufacturers, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries, Ltd., and Allergan PLC., have entered agreements with Kentucky to settle claims that they “fueled the opioid crisis by marketing, promoting, selling, and distributing opioids,” the Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office said Thursday. In a press release, the office said the agreements will bring more than $114 million […]
As fentanyl use spikes, feds urge states to ease methadone rules
This article was first published by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Ever since the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl began showing up in the illicit drug supply in 2014, the number of U.S. overdose deaths has skyrocketed — exceeding all other accidental deaths, including car crashes and gun violence. In response, the federal […]
ER doctors call private equity staffing practices iIllegal, seek to ban them
This article was first published by KHN?(Kaiser Health News). A group of emergency physicians and consumer advocates in multiple states are pushing for stiffer enforcement of decades-old statutes that prohibit the ownership of medical practices by corporations not owned by licensed doctors. Thirty-three states plus the District of Columbia have rules on their books against […]
Walmart, Kentucky reach opioid settlement for more than $53 million
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Wednesday announced an opioid settlement between Walmart and Kentucky for more than $53 million.? “This agreement with Walmart provides the Commonwealth with over $53 million to help Kentuckians who have been harmed by the opioid epidemic,” Cameron said in a news release. “The Commonwealth is among the states […]
Kentuckians urged to get vaccinated against flu which has already killed six children
Facing the worst flu outbreak in a decade, Kentucky has already recorded the deaths of six children from influenza, equaling the record for pediatric influenza flu deaths in a single season, according to a release from Gov. Andy Beshear’s office Monday afternoon. Beshear encouraged Kentuckians to get vaccinated against the flu and said that three […]
Lexington physicians offer advice on protecting against respiratory illnesses during the holidays
As respiratory viruses surge, Lexington physicians on Monday urged Kentuckians to protect themselves and others this holiday season by getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19, staying home if you feel sick and masking and social distancing when possible. During a briefing for media, ?Dr. Gena Cooper, medical director for pediatric emergency medicine at Kentucky Children’s […]
Mass shootings spur debate over whether crime scene photos prompt change or trauma
This article was first published by Kaiser Health News. McCLELLANVILLE, S.C. — John Lites was one of the first police officers to respond to a 911 call from Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C, on June 17, 2015, when a white gunman murdered nine Black people attending a Bible study. Lites […]
New poll shows many Kentuckians believe COVID-19 is over
Most Kentuckians will celebrate the holiday season regardless of COVID-19 levels, according to a new poll funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.? Many also believe the pandemic is now over.?These insights come from researchers with the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research, who interviewed 855 Kentucky adults by telephone for the Vaccines […]
OCD in Kentucky is a serious condition but remains misunderstood
This story discusses suicide and self harm. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.? The signs that Alexa Quinter had obsessive compulsive disorder even as a child were there, but she wasn’t diagnosed until well into her 20s.? After witnessing an attempted […]
Awaiting Kentucky Supreme Court’s abortion ruling with ‘anxiousness’ and uncertainty
A Kentuckian seeking an abortion now must travel to another state for it, with Illinois being the nearest where the procedure is accessible with few or no restrictions.? Virginia has some access as well, though less than Illinois.? This is true despite the defeat of the anti-abortion Amendment 2, which would have specified there’s no […]
Flu picking up in Kentucky after mild seasons during COVID-19
More cases of flu are popping up in Kentucky after masking during the pandemic kept the last few seasons relatively mild.? The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department posted on social media Wednesday that “flu is hitting hard in Lexington” with more cases in the first two months of the season than in the last three years.? […]