Latest KFF Health News Stories
The government is investigating an anonymous complain that says Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie tried to dig up damaging information about Andrea Goldstein, a House staffer who said she was sexually assaulted at a VA medical center. Authorities closed the case in January without bringing charges.
At the Democratic presidential debate Friday night, the candidates went after Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” plan, saying that he was not playing it straight with voters about how much it would cost.
President Donald Trump is expected on Monday to propose a $4.8 trillion budget that includes billions of additional dollars for his southern border wall and cuts to safety net programs. The administration is seeking a 9% cut in HHS’ budget, an 8% cut to USDA’s and a 15% cut for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. CDC’s budget would be cut under the proposal, but would see a boost in funding levels for the center’s infectious disease activities.
First Edition: February 10, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Finding Connections And Comfort At The Local Cafe
For Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, social and emotional isolation is a threat. But hundreds of “Memory Cafes” around the country offer them a chance to be with others who understand, and to receive social and cognitive stimulation in the process.
How Lifesaving Organs For Transplant Go Missing In Transit
Scores of organs — mostly kidneys — are trashed each year and many more become critically delayed while being shipped on commercial airliners, a new investigation finds.
In Fierce Debate, Democratic Candidates Expand Health Agenda Arguments
A sampling of health policy highlights from the eighth Democratic presidential primary debate in Manchester, N.H.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Happy Friday! In news that is technically really good and exciting but is also kind of icky: yarn made from human skin could eventually be used to stitch up surgical wounds as a way to cut down on detrimental reactions from patients. As CNN reports, “The researchers say their ‘human textile,’ which they developed from […]
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, New York, Oregon, North Carolina, District of Columbia, Ohio, and New Hampshire.
The drug first started appearing in Georgia and Alabama in 2017, and then turned up in Ohio and Pennsylvania before making its way to Louisiana. Officials say it looks like concrete and are warning people not to even touch it. Opioid news comes out of California and Missouri, as well.
Big Tech’s Push Into Health Care Is So Last Year. Now It’s Big Retail That’s Making Waves.
Companies like BestBuy and Walmart are getting into the lucrative landscape. In other news from the health industry: Johnson & Johnson hit with another painful jury decision; workforce growth for those caring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities plateaus; scope-of-practice legislation sparks debate; some nonprofit hospitals aren’t earning their tax breaks; and more.
Under the expected plan, if a provider and insurer cannot agree on the remaining payment for certain medical bills, they will enter a negotiation period. Meanwhile, the House Education and Labor Committee is expected to present its own plan this month. While the issue is bipartisan, lawmakers’ different strategies and powerful interests have slowed down the legislative process.
Massachusetts Says It’s Worth It To Pay For Uber-Pricey Drugs … But Only If They Work
Massachusetts is trying an experiment where the state will pay for one of the most expensive drugs on the market, but will get its money back if it doesn’t work. Massachusetts is “blazing a trail that every other state is watching and saying, if Massachusetts can make this work, we think we can do it too,” said Matt Salo, executive director at the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
“These bills run counter to the growing consensus in the medical community that improving access to gender-affirming care is a central means of improving health outcomes for transgender people,” the letter from the doctors and other health workers states. In Tennessee, Republicans have introduced a bill that would put strict restrictions on teens seeking sex change therapy.
Georgia is requesting approval to alter the way its insurance marketplace operates. The letter from CMS asks for more information from Georgia on the tax adjustments related to subsidies, and about employer-related provisions, but says the planned “reinsurance” part of the waiver is going smoothly.
Editorial pages focus on these health care topics and others.
Whether a person can get coverage can come down to a few miles. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats have drafted a resolution to condemn the Trump administration’s encouragement that states move toward block-grant type funding. And more Medicaid news comes out of Massachusetts, Georgia, and Florida, as well.
Attempting to overturn a Kansas Supreme Court decision last year declaring access to abortion a fundamental right, many GOP legislators are suggesting that without the restrictions women could be forced back into looking for ”unsafe, back alley” procedures. News on women’s health is from Florida, as well.
Teenagers Have Already Found A Way Around FDA’s E-Cigarette Flavor Ban
Because the FDA’s crackdown narrowly targets reusable vaping devices like Juul, teenagers are seeking out disposable pods instead, which are widely available at convenience stores and gas stations.