Latest KFF Health News Stories
“Medicare for All” plans have become something of a litmus test among progressive voters, but a look at how Medicare currently operates–and the treatments it does and does not cover–reveals the pitfalls that await if a proposal like that is ever passed. Meanwhile, candidates get tripped up by private insurers’ role in a new health system. And while many are painting the picture of a health system in crisis, the numbers provide a more nuanced reality.
Bernie Sanders Hops A Bus Bound For Canada As A Way To Highlight Sky-High Insulin Prices In The U.S.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) led a group of people buying insulin across the border into Canada where a vial of the drug costs about a tenth of what it does just an hour away in Michigan. Sanders has long hammered the point that corporate greed is driving prices sky-high.
Kamala Harris Unveils Health Plan That Would Expand Medicare But Keep Private Insurers In The Fold
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), a 2020 presidential hopeful, splits the difference between the plans from rivals Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden. Her plan would give consumers a choice of joining a government plan modeled on Medicare or choosing from insurance policies modeled on those in Medicare Advantage, and would be run by private insurers rather than the government. “If they want to play by our rules, they can be in the system. If not, they have to get out,” Harris said of the insurance companies. Her shifting position on whether they would be included in her health plan has brought her criticism in the past.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Creator Of Brain Exam That Trump Aced Demands New Training For Testers
Geriatricians are outraged over a new requirement to pay for training in order to administer the MoCA test, a widely used tool to screen for cognitive problems. The test’s creator said he was worried about accuracy and liability.
New Protocol For HIV Prevention Drug Reduces The Number Of Pills Required
Health officials and AIDS advocates in San Francisco have endorsed a new regimen for PrEP medication: to be taken only immediately before and after sex, thus reducing cost and potential side effects. The standard regimen is one pill a day for an open-ended period.
Doctor Alexa Will See You Now: Is Amazon Primed To Come To Your Rescue?
Amazon, along with a host of other technology companies, is working on ways to use its smart speaker devices to bring a range of health care services into your home.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
Tu guía para entender las cuentas médicas
Kaiser Health News te brinda este conjunto de herramientas fáciles de usar, para ayudar a los pacientes a comprender el entretejido de la facturación médica, qué hacer si se recibe una cuenta médica sorpresa y cosas que debes tener en cuenta antes de recibir atención médica.
Atracción en hospitales: pruebas gratuitas para detectar hernias, ¿funcionan?
Según los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC), en el país se diagnostican aproximadamente 1,6 millones de hernias en la ingle; y se tratan quirúrgicamente 500,000 al año.
Editorial and opinion writers delve into health topics ranging from drug prices to burnout in medicine, medical debt, suicide and more.
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from California, D.C., Wisconsin, Florida, Maryland, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.
There Are So Many Dubious Health Websites Out There That Even Medical Professionals Can Get Confused
Experts offer tips on how to tell the difference between a quality site and one full of misinformation. In other quality news, a new study finds that very few medical journals report conflicts of interest held by their editorial staffs.
“As the water is getting warmer by a few degrees the bacteria is flourishing for longer periods,” said Dr. Sally Alrabaa, an an infectious disease specialist. In other public health news: a “brain-eating” amoeba, CRISPR, the benefits of talking to strangers, cyberbullying, gender gaps in STEM fields, and more.
Judge Slashes $2B Jury Verdict In Case Over Roundup’s Possible Link To Cancer
Superior Court Judge Winifred Smith said the jury’s billion-dollar punitive damages awards were excessive and unconstitutional. Bayer faces Roundup cancer lawsuits by more than 13,400 plaintiffs across the United States.
Will The New Generation Of Slick And Savvy Health-Tech Startups Live Up To The Hype?
A handful of initial public offerings are expected to be a litmus test as more companies consider going public. In other news from the intersection of health care and technology, the VA to spend billions to maintain its current EHR system through a transition to Cerner, a medicine company plans a comeback, the questionable motives at the heart of a hospital’s offer from free screenings, and more.
Missouri’s GOP House Speaker Demands Answers From Governor Over Why 120K Were Dropped From Medicaid
Rep. Elijah Haahr says that he’d be open to an investigation–which Democrats are pushing for–if he doesn’t get satisfactory answers. Medicaid news comes out of Illinois and Florida, as well.
Court cases over the opioid epidemic are putting an embarrassing spotlight on McKinsey’s strategic advice that’s usually kept strictly behind a curtain. One lawsuit stated that McKinsey advised a pharmaceutical company to “get more patients on higher doses of opioids” and study techniques “for keeping patients on opioids longer.” In other news on the epidemic: Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) rails against companies that he says have hurt Americans through the crisis, the Massachusetts attorney general is investigating a pharmacy over improper prescriptions for opioids, and more.
Aaron Hull, who oversaw the El Paso region of the border, will be moved to Detroit. Officials with the Border Patrol’s parent agency said Hull’s transfer was part of a routine shuffle of multiple senior staff members and that Mr. Hull’s new assignment was considered temporary.