Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

In Surprising Turn, Grassley Accuses McConnell Of Sabotaging Senate’s Bipartisan Drug Pricing Bill

Morning Briefing

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has outsized power in deciding the Senate’s schedule, has not slated the Senate Finance Committee’s drug pricing bill for a vote, largely because the package does not have widespread Republican support. In other pharmaceutical news: “one-and-done” therapies, generics lawsuits, and insulin costs.

Court Decision Offers Republicans Some Political Breathing Room Heading Into Contentious 2020

Morning Briefing

It’s a widely believed that attacking the health law — and its popular provisions that protect preexisting conditions — proved to be a political vulnerability for Republicans during the 2018 elections. Because the case has been kicked back down to the lower courts, that means a final decision on the law’s fate might not come until after the 2020 election cycle.

Democrats Blast Court’s Health Law Decision As Industry Laments Continued Uncertainty In Marketplaces

Morning Briefing

“Tonight’s ruling is a chilling threat to the 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions and every other family who depends on the lifesaving protections of the Affordable Care Act,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Meanwhile, insurers and other industry groups who have been living with turmoil for years over the fate of the law were concerned the decision only drags out the uncertainty. President Donald Trump heralded the ruling, vowing to protect the law’s popular provisions without giving details on how he would do so.

Health Industry Scores Big In Spending Bill, But Consumers Were Left In The Cold

Morning Briefing

Congress’ decision to repeal three health law taxes was a huge win for the industry, but consumer protection issues — like surprise medical bills — were not included. Meanwhile, advocates hope that the data that might come from the gun violence funding included in the spending bill for the first time in decades will make a difference in swaying lawmakers in the future.

What Role Will ‘Medicare For All’ Play In Final 2019 Democratic Debate As Most Candidates Back Away From Plan?

Morning Briefing

The only full-throated supported of “Medicare for All” at Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate is expected to be Sen. Bernie Sander (I-Vt.) In recent weeks, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), whose fate got tangled up with the plan, has been re-calibrating her message to focus on the transition period to a new system.

Judges Rule Individual Mandate Is Unconstitutional, But Kick Case Back To Lower Court For Review Of Severability

Morning Briefing

In a long-awaited decision, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans agreed with Judge Reed O’Connor that the individual mandate can no longer be viewed as a tax, and thus the requirement to buy insurance is unconstitutional. But the judges dodged a hard decision on whether that meant the whole law has to fall, sending it back to the lower courts for a closer look at whether the provision can be severed.