Latest KFF Health News Stories
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says 7.5 million people ages 12 and older in the U.S. have been diagnosed with dependence or abuse of illicit drugs in the past year. The Task Force, in reversing a 2008 decision, is seeking public comments before finalizing the recommendation.
Both the Boston City Council and Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone are considering sites like one used in Toronto, where medical teams supervise drug use. Federal prosecutors sued Philadelphia to block the opening of a site there in February. News on substance abuse looks at Naloxone’s role in saving lives in Minnesota; meth makes inroads in Massachusetts and opioids go missing in a Florida hospital, as well.
Patients And Their Apple Watches Present Doctors With A Mixed Bag Of Data
Bottom line: Though some of information provided by Fitbits, watches and other wearables can be useful, much of it is not. News outlets also report on other aspects of the practice of medicine, including how frequently internal medicine physicians reported being bullied during their residencies as well as a finding that many family physicians don’t know where their patients live and why that can be a problem.
Number Of Employers That Only Offer High-Deductible Plans Projected To Drop Again Next Year
An annual survey of employer health care strategies finds that large, self-insured businesses continue to shift away from offering high-deductible health plans as the only employee insurance option. In other health coverage news: States increasingly expect to see insurers enter or re-enter marketplaces next year, in a sign that these exchanges are growing less risky for companies.
‘Medicare For All’ Plans Make Large Employers Wary
These businesses worry that the Medicare for All approach, which is a hot topic on the Democratic presidential primary campaign trail, would increase the nation’s health care costs and undermine quality, according to a new survey. This news comes as a chorus of industry voices works to tamp down on enthusiasm surrounding these plans. But there are also activists on the other side of the issue, and the question of why the U.S. doesn’t have universal health care is not going away.
First Lawsuits Against Trump Administration’s ‘Public Charge’ Rule Filed By California Counties
A day after they were announced, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties filed legal challenges to block the Trump administration’s new rules aimed at denying green cards to immigrants who use Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers or other forms of public assistance. In their filings, the two northern California counties argue that the policy would “worsen” the health of their residents and increase public health risks. More lawsuits from other localities are expected.
Meanwhile, hospitals and health systems are pushing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to set national rules for how insurers manage prior authorization and payment for pre-approved Medicare Advantage claims. Also, the administration is slow to implement a five-year-old law to curb unnecessary Medicare CT scans, MRIs and other tests. Agency news comes from the Food and Drug Administration, also.
First Edition: August 14, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump Administration Hits Brakes On Law To Curb Unneeded Medicare CT Scans, MRIs
Critics worry the delays come at a steep cost: Medicare paying for millions of unnecessary exams and patients subject to radiation for no medical benefit.
As States Strive To Stabilize Insurance Marketplaces, Insurers Return
States increasingly expect to see insurers enter or re-enter ACA marketplaces next year. That’s a critical sign that these exchanges are growing less risky for insurers despite ongoing political and legal battles over the ACA.
Dramático aumento de la hepatitis A en todo el país
A la sombra de la epidemia de opioides, el virus de la hepatitis A se está abriendo camino en la población general. Más de la mitad de los estados han tenido, o tienen brotes. Y los fondos para frenarlos son insuficientes.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Editorial pages weigh in on a range of public health topics stemming from gun violence.
A selection of stories from around the country, including news from Texas, Tennesseee, California, Georgia and Missouri.
News from state legislatures comes from Tennessee and New Hampshire.
Threat Of Kaiser Permanente Strike Grows As California Union Overwhelmingly Approves Vote
The California union is the largest in a national coalition involved in contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente, and the first to OK a future strike that could involve up to 80,000 workers. In other health care industry labor news: health care, research and technical employees at the University of California vote to ratify a new contract after two years of negotiations and work stoppages.
Hospital Deals With Drugmakers To Mine Patients’ Genetic Data Raise Privacy Concerns
Drugmakers have been buying access to patients’ genetic code data from hospitals. But those facilities don’t always disclose to patients the full ways their data could be used. In other news, Modern Healthcare reports on how policy differences complicate potential business deals between religious and secular hospitals.
As Environment Heats Up, Working, Playing Shifts To Dawn, Dusk In Phoenix When It’s Slightly Cooler
Phoenix is a good example of how cities will need to adapt as temperatures rise. Zoos are opening earlier in the day. Hikes are encouraged once the sun has started to lower. Workers have learned to work at night on outdoor projects. Other news reports offer tips on how to protect yourself from polluted air.
New Experimental Treatments For Ebola Viewed As Game Changer In Reducing Mortality
According to researchers, the first clearly effective treatments for Ebola, a deadly disease that continues its reach in central Africa, have been identified.
In Search Of New Antibiotics; Hep A Continues To March Across The Country
Other health care findings include reports about obesity drugs, diabetes treatments and a range of other topics.