Latest KFF Health News Stories
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Could The ACA Really Go Away?
Is the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional? That was the question before a federal appeals court in New Orleans this week. Two of the three judges on the panel seemed inclined to agree with a lower court that the elimination of the tax penalty for failure to maintain coverage could mean the entire health law should fall. Also this week, President Donald Trump wants to improve care for people with kidney disease. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus courts blocking efforts to require drug prices in TV ads and to kick Planned Parenthood out of the federal family planning program. Plus, Rovner interviews University of Michigan law professor Nicholas Bagley about the latest legal threat to the ACA.
Hospitals Block ‘Surprise Billing’ Measure In California
California lawmakers on Wednesday pulled legislation that would have protected some patients from surprise medical bills for emergency care, citing opposition from hospitals. They vowed to resurrect the bill next year.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health issues and others.
Opinion writers weigh in on the lawsuit against the health law.
Research Roundup: Physicians’ Well-Being; HPV Vaccine; And Long-Term Care
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from New York, California, Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Illinois, Virginia, Wisconsin and Florida.
Attorney Marilyn Mosby also cited discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws that has harmed black communities and called for the government to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. News on the drug and opioid epidemics looks at: Ohio’s strategies to combat addiction; U.S. wins $1.4 billion settlement with Reckitt; seriously ill patients who genuinely need opioids; Medicare’s progress on treating addiction; Narcan training for Phoenix police force; and clean teens in New Hampshire.
The Wall Street Journal obtained documents that show PG&E knew about the dangers associated with their outdated towers. The utility company’s equipment was responsible for the deadly wildfires last year that left 85 dead.
Social scientists are on the hunt for answers, and are interviewing storm survivors trying to piece together ways to get through to people who have gotten used to ignoring emergency warnings. In other public health news: stem cell treatments, autistic travelers, internet addiction, silent heart attacks and more.
While an autopsy report is forthcoming, the most likely cause of his death was SUDEP, or sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. A severe seizure can temporarily shut down the brain, including the centers that control respiration, and if a person is sleeping and lying face down, death can occur, experts say.
Study Eases Fears That Capping Hours For Doctors In Training Has Ill-Effect On Patients
Physicians who trained before the 2003 limits on work hours typically logged about 100 hours a week. When that was capped at 80 hours a week, some worried it wouldn’t be enough to properly train the doctors. But a new study finds that there were no difference in hospital deaths, readmissions or costs from the change.
Fierce Opposition From Hospitals Leaves California Surprise Medical Bill Legislation On Life Support
“We are going after a practice that has generated billions of dollars for hospitals, so this is high-level,” said Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco). “This certainly does not mean we’re done.” Chiu said he and his team would keep working on amendments to the bill that address the concerns of hospitals while maintaining protections for patients.
Actor Victor Garber–who has type 1 diabetes–as well as a sea of children turned up at the Senate hearing to beseech lawmakers to renew funding for research on the disease.
The three-year program, dubbed the Connected Care Pilot, would support a limited number of projects, focusing on pilots that help providers “defray” the broadband costs of bringing telemedicine to low-income Americans and veterans.
Family Races Against Ticking Clock To Get Coverage Approval For $2.1M Gene Therapy
A pricey treatment offered hope to a family with a daughter with a rare defective gene that causes spinal muscular atrophy. The therapy must be administered before the age of 2, but the family is locked in a fight with its insurance company over coverage. In other pharmaceutical news: the use of PrEP in the fight against AIDS, Massachusetts’ governor’s drug plan, clinical trial data, and more.
As conservative states move to put more and more abortion restrictions in place, the national trend is moving toward supporting the procedure as it stands. Meanwhile, lawmakers and advocates start reaching out to men to help join the fight.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The new shelter in Carrizo Springs, Texas opens following a fierce outcry over the quality of the facilities where detainees were held. But for some critics, the damage is bigger than just one building. “All of this is part of a morally bankrupt system,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).
Border arrests are a metric used widely to estimate the number of illegal border crossings. Officials attribute the drop in part to Mexico’s efforts to large groups of people moving through the country. Meanwhile, nationwide raids by ICE are set to start this weekend.
Biden Calling ACA A ‘Breakthrough’ For Mental Health Parity Only Highlights Gaps
Did the Affordable Care Act create equal coverage of mental and physical health? Seems true on paper but not always in practice.