Latest KFF Health News Stories
Sen. Grassley Questions UVA Health On Findings From KHN Investigation
A letter from the Senate Finance Committee chairman questions the University of Virginia Health System about its financial assistance policies, billing practices and prices.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Democrats Do Drugs (Prices)
House Democrats start legislative work on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s prescription drug pricing bill; health is again a featured player in the Democratic presidential candidate debate; and courts around the country hold up President Donald Trump’s health agenda. This week, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care cost issues and other health topics, as well.
Research Roundup: Options For Coverage Reform; Housing Codes; Medicare Payments; And More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Mississippi, Florida, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, New Hampshire, Indiana, Wisconsin and Georgia.
“If you had kids suddenly dying at these rates from a new disease or infection, there would be a huge outcry. But most people don’t even know this is happening,” said Lisa M. Horowitz, a pediatric psychologist at NIH.
Stat News talked to eight experts about which interventions would be most helpful for the brain-wasting disease that has no cure. While, the U.S. has tripled spending on the disease since 2015, there’s been little effort to manage spending or research priorities. Other public health news looks at the call for flu shots, banished unvaccinated students, autism, concussions, safe playgrounds, seniors’ falls, baby food, “brain tingles,” and arthritis, as well.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was set up to investigate the high school shooting in Parkland, also found that Florida ranks near the bottom among states in per capita spending on mental health at about $36 annually per resident.
CMS warned state Medicaid programs in 2015 that they may be violating federal law by restricting access to hepatitis C medicines, but restrictions are still in place for many states. Other Medicaid news comes out of California, Tennessee and Michigan.
“Our new contract recognizes the skill and dedication we bring to our work, and the guaranteed raises and protected benefits give us the peace of mind to focus on caring for our patients,” Jessica Rodriguez, an emergency department technician at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. In other health industry and insurance news: union negotiations in Wisconsin, benefits for families of law enforcement officers, the retiree health care landscape, and more.
Pharma companies are pumping money into research on drugs that utilize CBD oil in an effort to cash in during the ingredient’s boom in consumer popularity. Meanwhile, a look at the benefits and risks of the oil.
Some Health Experts Urge Congress To Take Action On E-Cigarettes, But Others Warn It Could Backfire
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee heard from public health experts about legislation that would try to address the vaping crisis in teens. While multiple experts spoke in favor of such efforts, others warned that it could be devastating to adults trying to quit traditional cigarettes. In other news on the issue: the death toll climbs in the lung-illness outbreak, researchers continue to search for causes, and more.
Some progressives have been unsatisfied with the House Democrats’ long-awaited proposal to address high drug costs. Despite the changes to the plan in an effort to entice the reluctant lawmakers, some Democratic representatives are still expressing doubts that it does not go far enough.
According to former VA Secretary David Shulkin’s new book, obtained by The Associated Press, President Donald Trump suggested using an executive order to “begin to close the VAs.” Shulkin responded that it was a legislative issue, and according to the book Trump then asked if they could declare a national emergency.
AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corporation, along with Johnson & Johnson and Teva, are in talks to settle before the massive nationwide opioid case goes to court on Monday. Cities and counties want more information about how the money will be distributed and whether it will be directed to relief measures or end up in general funds for state legislatures.
Former Vice President Joe Biden used Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) stance on “Medicare for All” to take a dig at her “credibility.” That criticism followed a debate where Warren, a new front-runner in the 2020 presidential race, drew rivals’ attacks over how she was going to pay for the plan. Meanwhile, an unearthed tweet shows that South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who was particularly vocal at the debate, supported Medicare for All in 2018.
Rep. Elijah Cummings Dies At 68 Due To Complications From Longstanding Health Challenges
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who has been in politics for decades, used his seat to highlight the struggles and needs of the inner-city residents he represented.
The class-action lawsuit accused Sutter Health of using its dominance in the region to corral insurers so that patients could not go elsewhere for less expensive or higher quality care. Health care costs in Northern California, where Sutter is dominant, are 20% to 30% higher than in Southern California.
First Edition: October 17, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California To Provide Financial Boost To Help Buy Health Coverage
Come Jan. 1, California will be the first state to offer financial aid to middle-class people who make too much money to qualify for federal Obamacare tax credits. And Californians will once again owe a penalty if they are uninsured.