Latest KFF Health News Stories
A new study found that in Canada, a country with a single-payer system, the cost of administrative work is $551 per person, a year. In America, it’s $2,497. Other news on costs looks at what states are –and aren’t– doing to keep health care affordable and more on surprise medical bills.
Group Aligned With GOP House Leadership To Pump $4M Into Fighting Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Bill
The American Action Network, which received $2.5 million from PhRMA in 2018, derided House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing plan as socialism. The group is trying to build support for the House Republicans’ plan, which would not allow price negotiation but does cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors on Medicare.
First Edition: January 8, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: At The Dawn Of A Golden Age Of Medicine, Pharma Promises To Put Patients First
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
The Brutal, Decade-Long Fight To Get This Small, Straightforward Drug Pricing Bill Passed
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Democrats Press High Court To Make Call On ACA. How It Could Play Out At Polls.
Democrats have asked the Supreme Court to take up an appeals court ruling that could invalidate some or all of the federal health law. It’s not clear the court will take the case, but the efforts will carry consequences for both Democrats and Republicans.
5 Things To Know As California Starts Screening Children For Toxic Stress
California now will pay pediatricians to screen Medi-Cal patients for traumatic events known as adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. The program is based on research showing that children who endure chronic stress have an increased risk of developing serious health problems. Here are five things to know about the new program.
California: 5 cosas que hay que saber sobre la evaluación a niños por estrés tóxico
A partir de este año, las visitas pediátricas de rutina para millones de niños de California podrían incluir preguntas sobre temas familiares delicados, como el divorcio, el alcohol y la violencia.
Bacteria fecal en vías fluviales de California aumenta con la crisis de las personas sin hogar
Funcionarios de calidad del agua dicen que la creciente población de personas sin hogar de California, las cuales no tienen acceso a baños, aumenta el problema.
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio, Connecticut, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Washington, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.
Maryland Awarded $3.6M In Federal Funding To Address Opioid Use Among Pregnant People, New Mothers
According to CMS, which awarded the grant, the “Maternal Opioid Model” is a national initiative that looks to support “the coordination of clinical care and the integration of other services critical for health, wellbeing, and recovery.”
Advocates say the number of substance abuse programs serving teens afflicted by problems brought on by marijuana is insufficient to deal with the growing problem. Other public health news reports on the benefits of complaining, research on female athletes and dementia, a mysterious pneumonia in Asia, alcohol’s effect on AFib, the best milk for children, aging well, detecting cancer early, HIV outreach at church, new calorie labeling, and brain trauma studies.
California Lawmakers Introduce Vaping Bill That Would Go Far Beyond Trump Administration’s Efforts
The proposed California ban would prohibit flavored products not covered by the federal ban, including menthol-flavored cartridges and refillable, tank-based vaping systems that can be filled with flavored chemicals.
AI Helps Brain Surgeons Quickly Assess Tissue Samples While Patient Is Still On The Table
It’s standard practice to analyze the samples while the patient is still under, but new artificial intelligence helps brain surgeons do so in two to three minutes rather than the half-hour it used to take. In addition to speeding up the process, the new technique can also detect some details that traditional methods may miss.
Screening women when they present to the hospital for conditions that make them vulnerable to complications such as substance abuse disorder or obesity could avoid issues during labor, experts say. Hospital news comes out of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Missouri, Georgia, and Michigan.
The VA model involves a combination of regulation, negotiation, and a national formulary. The combined effect makes it possible for veterans to obtain medicines with either a low or, in some cases, no copayment. In other pharmaceutical news: “guided-missile” cancer treatments, psychedelic mushrooms, and distribution permits.
Bundled Payments Fall Short Of Expectations In Cutting Spending, Improving Quality
The federal government, hospitals and physicians have been gravitating toward bundled payments, but new studies challenge the belief that they help achieve cost savings. Meanwhile, CMS is proposing changes to Medicare Advantage payments for 2021, including an increase in the percentage of patient “encounter data” used to calculate payments.
The regulations would address a pollutant that’s linked to heart and lung disease. Health and environment groups are skeptical of the new rules, worrying that they could stymie even tighter restrictions that are expected out of California.
Government To Start Collecting DNA From Detained Immigrants As Part Of Controversial Pilot Program
The information would go into a massive criminal database run by the FBI, where it would be held indefinitely. The administration’s efforts have elicited withering criticism from advocates who believe the government shouldn’t obtain such sensitive information from people who aren’t linked to serious crimes.