Latest KFF Health News Stories
The prices negotiated between hospitals and insurers has long been held in secret, and hospitals say that the rule would hurt competition. “What they’re doing is illegal,” said Tom Nickels, executive vice president of the American Hospital Association.
Brokers often make higher commissions on the short-term “junk” plans, health policy experts say, which gives them an incentive to sell them. In other insurance news, Americans struggle to find affordable mental health care coverage.
Beyond Health Insurance: Democrats Touch On Abortion, Paid Paternal Leave, Marijuana And More
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), one of the Democratic frontrunners, was asked if there is room in the party for anti-abortion candidates, like recently-re-elected Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. “I have made clear what I think the party stands for,” Warren said. “I’m not here to try to drive anyone out of the party.”
In some of the first research into longterm effects of gun violence, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say not enough is being done to help tens of thousands of patients who can suffer for years from PTSD and other mental health problems following a shooting. Related news is also on: the effects of fatal police shootings and the lives of mass shooters.
Media outlets offer Medicaid news from across the country.
Former Baltimore Mayor Indicted On Fraud Charges Connected To Her ‘Healthy Holly’ Book Scandal
Catherine Pugh’s book — never delivered to Baltimore residents — was at the center of a scheme to defraud health care companies, Baltimore’s school system and taxpayers, prosecutors say. She received between $600,000 and $800,000 for the books before and after she became mayor in 2016, a time period coinciding with her tenure as a member of key health committees in the State Senate.
Mysterious DNA Loops Common In Cancer Cells Could Unlock Key Information About How Our Bodies Work
Scientists have known about the loops of DNA for decades. But they’re starting to realize they could play a bigger role in diseases and aging than previously thought. In other public health news: measles immunity, sleep, speech, and the flu.
“Medicare for All” has been center stage in most of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary debates, often acting as a proxy for a bigger conversation about the moderate and progressive wings of the party. But on Wednesday night, the candidates moved on from the issue quickly.
The announcement follows reporting from multiple news outlets that President Donald Trump is backing away from a strict flavor ban that he announced in September. In other news on the vaping crisis: the administration tables a proposal to set a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes, Congress faces pressure to act, the American Medical Association urges a ban on products, and more.
At a confirmation hearing, several senators pressed President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the FDA, Dr. Stephen Hahn, about whether he would push for a ban on flavored vaping products. Hahn said he was not part of discussions on the policy and hadn’t talked to Trump about it but supported “aggressive action to protect our children.”
The government alleged that various drugmakers use charities like Florida-based The Assistance Fund as a means to improperly pay the co-pay obligations of Medicare patients using their drugs. In other pharmaceutical news: a transparency push from President Donald Trump and lawmakers, and an approval for a pricey drug that treats an ultra-rare metabolic disorder.
First Edition: November 21, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: A Medical Bill Ninja Shares Her Secrets
On Season 3, Episode 2 of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” an Illinois woman harnesses a lifetime of experience — and frustration — with health care finances to help other people solve their medical bill problems.
No Safety Switch: How Lax Oversight Of Electronic Health Records Puts Patients At Risk
Special interests and congressional inaction blocked efforts to track the safety of electronic medical records, leaving patients at risk.
Efforts To Move The Needle On Flu Shot Rates Get Stuck
In the past decade, federal and state governments have removed cost and access obstacles, but immunization rates remained flat. That worries public health officials.
Medi-Cal To Expand Eligibility To Young Undocumented Adults. But Will They Enroll?
California will become the first state to allow unauthorized immigrant adults to receive full Medicaid coverage when it expands eligibility to people ages 19 to 25 in January. But health officials and immigrant rights advocates wonder whether fear of federal immigration policy combined with a youthful sense of not needing health insurance will keep those young adults from joining.
In This Democratic Debate, Health Care Issues Took A Back Seat
The latest Democratic debate did not dwell on “Medicare for All,” despite strong divisions among the presidential candidates.
Do 160 Million Americans Really Like Their Health Plans? Kind Of
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s claim during the latest Democratic presidential debate relies on a squishy number, and the context matters.
Facebook Live: Intimate Lessons From The Front Lines Of Family Caregiving
Family caregivers are the backbone of our nation’s system of long-term care for older adults. Every year, more than 34 million unpaid caregivers — mostly family members — provide essential aid to adults age 50 and older, helping with tasks such as bathing or dressing and, increasingly, performing complex medical tasks such as managing medications, dressing wounds and operating medical equipment.
Affordable Mental Health Care? It’s Getting Even Tougher to Access
More than a decade after Congress passed a law mandating equal access for mental and physical health care, Americans struggle to find affordable, in-network mental health providers.