Latest KFF Health News Stories
Former Chairman Of Powerful Energy And Commerce Committee Rep. Walden Won’t Seek Re-Election
Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) played a key role in the Republicans’ efforts to repeal and replace the health law when they had control of the House.
First Edition: October 28, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
HHS To Shut Down Controversial Florida Facility That Used To Hold Detained Migrant Children
HHS said the decision to eliminate beds was to “ensure fiscal prudence” after officials reported the facility was costing $720,000 a day to run even when no children were left there. The decision is a victory for immigration activists, some of whom protested outside the facility for weeks at a time.
Juul Cutting About 500 Jobs As Part Of ‘Necessary Reset’ Amid Public, Congressional Scrutiny
Over the past few months, Juul has been the subject of several federal investigations, including a criminal probe by prosecutors. The company has also faced increased interest from Congress over how it markets its e-cigarette products. In other vaping news: vitamin-based products, bans, lung illness deaths, and more.
Beyond fighting the flames, Californians face a myriad of negative health impacts from the large wildfires. From smoke pollution to power and cellphone outages to mandatory evacuations, the natural disasters are hitting vulnerable residents who are barely recovered from last year’s blazes.
Any Financial Plan For ‘Medicare For All’ Is Going To Come With Trade-Offs, Budget Watchdog Warns
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonprofit organization concerned with budget deficits, provided several options that each could raise the revenue needed to pay for Medicare for All, including a payroll tax increase and mandatory premiums. The issue has become a main focus in the 2020 Democratic primaries.
Hospitals Take Shot At Opioid Makers Over Cost Of Treating Uninsured For Addiction
A few hundred hospitals have banded together to sue drugmakers in state courts, but far more are staying on the sidelines to avoid ‘unflattering attention’ about their role in the opioid crisis.
Employers Are Scaling Back Their Dependence On High-Deductible Health Plans
Firms are offering more traditional plans alongside or instead of the plans with sky-high deductibles that may have been the only option in the past. The change comes as employers are finding that workers like the predictability of a traditional plan and that providing more generous plans can help with recruiting in a tight labor market.
Moved Overseas For School, Stayed For Insulin
Katie West, an American health researcher who has lived in Germany the past three years, hasn’t mastered the language and misses her family. But not having to worry about the cost of her lifesaving medication makes it OK.
California: trabajadores agrícolas enfrentan riesgos de salud por incendios forestales
En el condado de Sonoma, la nación vitivinícola de California, trabajadores enfrentan la cosecha de la uva con el riesgo de inhalar partículas peligrosas que genera el humo.
Editorial writers focus on these health topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Missouri, Minnesota, Oregon, California, Washington, Georgia and Texas.
Opinion writers focus on finding ways to improve health care.
The company, which has been covering sex-reassignment surgery since 2012, decided to expand coverage in 2018 to include transition-related procedures that are considered cosmetic, such as breast reduction or augmentation surgery, facial feminization, voice therapy and hormonal therapy.
HHS maintains the changes would make it easier to coordinate care and less complicated to exchange information. News on substance abuse issues comes from Minnesota, California and other parts of the country, as well.
It’s more myth than reality that children might be given marijuana-laced cookies or other dangerous treats, but it doesn’t mean the little goblins are safe. The number of pedestrians getting hit by cars increases slightly on Halloween. Public health news looks at sleep deprivation, teen resiliency in a digital age, battling Monday blues, misleading health apps, a Xanax recall, unsafe drinking water, chemo during pregnancy, first responders with PTSD, help for diverticulitis, taking MRIs on the road, walking-the-dog benefits, and more.
Case Over Missouri’s Last-Remaining Abortion Clinic Gets Day In Court
The hearing over the facility is expected to last five days. If the judge’s ruling leads to the clinic’s license being revoked, Missouri would become the first state since 1974 — the year after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision — without a functioning abortion clinic. Outlets take a look at where other state abortion legislation stands, as well.
Beware The (Medi-)Gap: If You’re Going To Make Medicare Changes, Make Sure You Know The Pitfalls
Medicare’s annual open enrollment period is now underway through Dec. 7. Here are some tips to help you navigate it all if you’re enrolling or changing coverage.
Especially when it comes to hot-button issues, like gun control, some Democratic governors are turning to options like executive orders where their agendas might get snagged by the Republican legislature otherwise. They’ve had mixed results with this approach.
The Fate Of Medicaid In Louisiana Could Hinge On State’s Gubernatorial Race
Republican candidate Eddie Rispone has said he won’t roll back the expansion that’s been a key part of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ tenure, but he would “freeze” it. Medicaid news comes out of Ohio, Arkansas, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and New York.