Latest KFF Health News Stories
Trump Signs Order Creating Task Force To Comb Chronic Violence Against Native American Women
On some reservations, federal studies show women are killed at a rate over 10 times the national average. “We will leverage every resource we have to bring safety to our tribal communities, and we will not waver in this mission,” President Donald Trump said. “We’re taking this very seriously.” The new task force will be overseen by Attorney General William Barr and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.
A look at news across the country that focuses on the vaping epidemic and the mysterious illness linked to e-cigarettes.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon said there was no national security or foreign relations justification for the sweeping change in immigration law, and thus the policy violated the Constitution’s separation of powers.
Arguments will be heard March 4. The Louisiana case deals with abortion providers having admitting privileges in hospitals, but it stands as a larger bellwether to how restrictive the Supreme Court — which has two new conservatives — will lean in this era of fierce battles of abortion rights. A similar case was ruled as unconstitutional before the new justices on the bench.
Politico reports on the escalating feud between HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CMS Administrator Seema Verma and the disruptions people close to the situation say it has caused. Privately, Azar’s and Verma’s camps are pointing the finger at one another, and disclosures about Verma’s use of highly paid consultants to raise her personal profile exacerbated the tensions.
First Edition: November 27, 2019
NOTE TO READERS: KHN’s First Edition will not be published Nov. 28-29. Look for it again in your inbox Dec. 2. Happy Holidays!
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: A La ‘Hamilton,’ Revue Takes On History Of Health Insurance
Kvetching about the cost of health care is kind of what we do on the podcast “An Arm and a Leg.” This week’s episode features like-minded storytellers — from the musical troupe Heck No Techo — who have turned their frustrations into art and laughter.
Coping With (Power) Loss: California’s Hospitals, Clinics, Patients Face New Reality
How are critical medical services interrupted by the loss of power and what can hospitals and clinics do to minimize the impact? This Q&A will give you some answers.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: How’s That Open Enrollment Going?
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace plans is halfway over and, so far, the number of people signing up is down, but not dramatically. Meanwhile, Congress and President Donald Trump can’t seem to agree on what to do about teen vaping, drug prices or “surprise” medical bills. And Democrats lurch to the left on abortion. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more health news.
Did Joe Biden Overstate Democratic Voters’ Opposition To ‘Medicare For All’?
The term “vast” sets a high bar.
Nothing To Sneeze At: The $2,659 Bill To Pluck Doll’s Shoe From Child’s Nostril
A 3-year-old girl put matching doll shoes up her nose. One came out easily. The second required an emergency department visit ― and generated a bill that is not child’s play.
Joven indocumentado, en más riesgo de deportación por su trastorno mental
Defensores de la salud mental dicen que la situación es particularmente difícil para los indocumentados, tanto para el acceso al tratamiento como con las autoridades de inmigración.
Editorial pages focus on these health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Hampshire, California, Georgia, and Massachusetts.
Former Outcome Health Executives Face Charges Of Allegedly Falsifying Data In $1B Fraud Scheme
The case was sparked by reports that the company—which displays pharmaceutical ads in doctors’ offices—had misled some customers with inflated data and fake reports.
Reports that Brigham Young University-Idaho wouldn’t accept Medicaid as acceptable insurance for students prompted an outcry of criticism. The university had claimed the change was due to the impracticality for the local medical community to provide for the health care needs for the students, but local providers disputed that reasoning.
CMS revamped its system to help beneficiaries navigate Medicare enrollment, but the newly redesigned tool has been causing confusion for many instead. The flawed results being shown include inaccurate premium estimates, incorrect prescription drug costs and inaccurate costs with extra help subsidies.
Lawmakers Optimistic About Breaking Stalemate On Stalled Surprise Billing Negotiations
While many in Congress are agreed that something must be done to address surprise medical bills, the lawmakers have been split over which of a handful of strategies to choose in moving forward. In other health industry and insurance news: record-high debt, gender pay gaps, state health exchanges, and more.