Latest KFF Health News Stories
Planned Parenthood Vows To Leave Federal Family Planning Program Monday If Rules Don’t Change
The group is seeking a court ruling that would halt the Trump administration’s new rules that prohibit clinics from referring patients for abortions.
“We are better than this,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in joining the lawsuit against the Department Of Homeland Security. The new rule goes into effect Oct. 15 and would reduce visas to poor immigrants if they were to rely on public assistance such as welfare, food stamps, public housing or Medicaid and become ”public charges.”
‘Apparent Coordinated Obstruction:’ Lawmakers Renew Investigation Of Generic Drugmakers’ Pricing
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) revive a 2014 probe into drug price-fixing allegations by generic drugmakers Mylan, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Heritage Pharmaceuticals. The lawmakers are asking for documents — that the company has previously failed to provide Congress — related to allegations that the three companies coordinated to set prices for a range of prescription drug treatments.
Rallies Planned Around The Country To Pressure Congress To Pass Gun Control Bills
Supporters say they will have gatherings this weekend in all 50 states. Meanwhile, news on reactions from the recent mass shootings show that some conservatives are worried that President Donald Trump’s willingness to accept some new limits on guns could have serious repercussions for Republicans, while Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is hoping to keep the president focused on solving the problem.
First Edition: August 15, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Watch: Defining The Debate On Health Care Coverage Options
Politicians are throwing around a lot of terms when they talk about their health care plans: universal care, “Medicare for All,” “Medicare Buy-In.” KHN helps explain what they are talking about.
Going Down Fighting: Dying Activist Champions ‘Medicare For All’
Presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren tried to tell the story of Ady Barkan in the latest Democratic debate. He’s one of the most prominent advocates for “Medicare for All” and is spending his remaining time alive doing everything he can to make the case that all Americans need affordable health coverage.
Doctors Can Change Opioid Prescribing Habits, But Progress Comes In Small Doses
Research out Wednesday indicates that guidelines are making strides in cutting back the number of pain pills doctors offer after specific types of surgeries.
Editorial pages focus on these health care topics and others.
Media outlets report on news about health issues around the country, including in New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Connecticut and California.
Opinion writers weigh in on health care issues for immigrants.
Kansas Rejects Aetna’s Plan To Correct Problems With Its Private Medicaid Services
Aetna’s $1 billion-a-year business with Kansas is in jeopardy after the state rejects the contractor’s plan to fix problems with its services to KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program. A letter from Kansas regulators says Aetna does not “present a clear path to compliance” and gives the company another shot to submit a corrective proposal. And other Medicaid news comes out of Louisiana and New Hampshire.
Abortion Foes And Supporters Warn Tenn. Lawmakers Against Bill That Would Ban The Procedure
The proposed legislation would prohibit abortions anytime after a pregnancy is detected, and its supporters suggest this may be a good option to take before the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. In other states, lawmakers are looking at problems in the Minnesota Department of Human Services and protections for the supplement kratom in Ohio.
Air Pollution In Cities As Dangerous For Lungs As Smoking 20 Cigarettes A Day, Study Finds
The study, published in JAMA, looked at the health effects of breathing in various pollutants, including ground-level ozone, the main component of smog. It involved nearly 7,000 adults living in Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, St. Paul, Minn., New York City and Winston-Salem, N.C. Environmental news comes from Louisiana, Missouri, Arizona and New Jersey, as well.
D.C. Appeals Court Upholds Government’s Plan To Change Payments To Safety Net Hospitals
But the court decision is far from final. Lawsuits by hospitals in several jurisdictions are challenging the rule and appeals are also pending before other federal courts. Elsewhere, a Tennessee judge granted class action status to a lawsuit against Community Health Systems and other hospital news from California, Kentucky and Maryland.
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.