Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Scientists Go Full-Speed Ahead Testing Antiviral Drug That Offers Hope As Coronavirus Treatment
Right now there are no approved treatments for the virus that has infected more than 31,000 people worldwide. And officials warn that coronavirus still hasn’t hit its peak. Meanwhile, WHO and other health agencies try to fight the spread of misinformation online — such as that drinking bleach will protect against the illness. Chinese researchers also said they found evidence linking the spread of coronavirus to the pangolin, a mammal illegally trafficked in huge numbers.
There has not been confirmation yet that the five Americans evacuated from China have coronavirus as many other illnesses present with similar symptoms. But doctors in California, where the evacuees landed, say they’ll treat the patients under special protocols laid out by the CDC. Meanwhile, local and state health departments will be able to do their own testing for the virus rather than sending it to the CDC. “Our goal is early detection of new cases and to prevent further spread of the coronavirus,” said CDC Director Robert Redfield.
China is now quarantining infected patients in enormous centers in a desperate attempt to make progress in the war against the fast-spreading virus. There’s a growing sense within the city that its residents are being sacrificed for the greater good of China. “There must be no deserters, or they will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame forever,” said Vice Premier Sun Chunlan. There are now at least 636 deaths from the illness and 31,161 cases.
When Dr. Li Wenliang first told his online chat group about a possible pneumonia-like illness that looked like SARS he was brought in by the Chinese government and forced to renounce his warning as a rumor. His death is sparking an outpouring of anger and grief by a nation that is frustrated with how their government has handled the virus outbreak.
First Edition: February 7, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Women Shouldn’t Get A Bill For An IUD … But Sometimes They Do
The Affordable Care Act requires that insurers cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs, but the enforcement mechanism is weak and a pending court case could add further complications.
Feds Slow Down But Don’t Stop Georgia’s Contentious Effort To Ditch ACA Marketplace
The state proposes to jettison the federal insurance exchange and instead send people buying individual coverage to private companies to choose coverage. It would also cap how much money is spent on premium subsidies, which could mean some consumers would be put on a wait list if they needed financial help buying a plan.
Patients Stuck With Bills After Insurers Don’t Pay As Promised
Insurance companies often require patients to have medical procedures, devices, tests and even some medicines preapproved to ensure the insurers are willing to cover the costs. But that doesn’t guarantee they’ll end up paying. Some patients are getting stuck with unexpected bills after the medical service has been provided.