Latest KFF Health News Stories
Planned Parenthood, ACLU File Lawsuit Over Missouri’s 8-Week Abortion Ban
Under the Missouri law, any provider that performs an abortion at the eight-week mark or later could be charged with a felony and face up to 15 years in prison. There are no exceptions for rape or incest in the law, scheduled to go into effect Aug. 28. Meanwhile new Planned Parenthood chief Alexis McGill Johnson talks about how the organization is a health care group, first and foremost.
CMS Crafts Plan B Over 340B Hospital Reimbursement Cuts In Response To Judge’s Ruling
A federal judge earlier in the year blocked the Trump administration’s Medicare cuts to 340B hospitals, saying the new rates aren’t lawful for 2018 and 2019. However, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras did not grant hospitals the permanent injunction. Now CMS is walking a careful line with its new proposal. Other news from CMS involves hospital prices, transparency in quality information, patient data, and more.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) just unveiled a wide-ranging health plan that would move the country toward “Medicare for All” but keep private insurers in on the action. In the past few weeks, former Vice President Joe Biden has had some choice words for rivals who he see as abandoning the health law. The two will face off on the second night of the 2020 Democratic debates.
“Democrats — radical, reckless, socialist,” the narrator in the ads says. “They’re all the same.” Meanwhile, as the first debate ramped up, President Donald Trump’s campaign manager focused on how Democrats’ plans would increase taxes and long waits for health care.
Candidates Invoke Personal Experiences With Gun Violence And Blast NRA’s Lobbying Influence
Mayor Pete Buttigieg spoke about the “school shooting generations” that the country is producing, and Gov. Steve Bullock, a hunter himself, talked about ridding D.C. of powerful lobbies that hold sway over a public health policy issue. The discussion at the debate showcases just how far the political conversation around the topic of gun control has come even from the 2008 debates between then-candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The candidates on the first night of the debates scuffled over what to do about immigration and the border crisis. While Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) supported decriminalizing illegal crossings, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock accused her of “playing into Donald Trump’s hands.” Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) defended his proposal to provide health care for immigrants in the country illegally.
On the first night of the latest 2020 Democratic debates, front-runners and progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) bore the brunt of the attacks over their health care plans, which were slammed by moderates as “fairy tale” policy. Warren and Sanders both stood their ground and avoided going after each other. “I don’t understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can’t do and shouldn’t fight for,” Warren said. “I’m ready to get in this fight. I’m ready to win this fight.” Media outlets offer a broad range of coverage on the nuances of what was argued last night, including insight on middle-class taxes, private insurers, a public option, and a look at where each candidate stands on the issue.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump Administration Moves To Make Health Care Costs More Transparent
The proposed rules would require hospitals to provide far more detail about the actual prices they charge insurers for patients’ care.
Genetic-Testing Scam Targets Seniors And Rips Off Medicare
Capitalizing on the growing popularity of genetic testing — and fears of terminal illness — scammers are persuading seniors to hand over cheek swabs with their DNA, not knowing it may lead to identity theft and Medicare fraud.
This Indiana Clinic Has Patient-Care Stats Worth Bragging About
A small health center in Goshen, Ind., near the border with Michigan, puts “listening to patients’ stories” first. “The rest is housekeeping.”
In A Messy Democratic Presidential Debate, Facts About ‘Medicare For All’ Get Tossed About
Candidates used their varying views on how to achieve universal coverage — whether through Medicare for All or more incremental steps — as a means to differentiate themselves from the field.
Inspectores pintan color de rosa a los centros de detención, pero no las auditorías
Una revisión realizada por Kaiser Health News de miles de páginas de informes de inspecciones realizadas entre 2007 y 2019 revela patrones inquietantes en las auditorías de Nakamoto Group.
Opinion pages focus on these health care issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Kansas, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Texas.
Different Takes: Pros And Cons Of Kamala Harris’ New Take On ‘Medicare For All’
Editorial and opinion writers talk about Sen. Kamala Harris’ recently released health care plan.
An Algorithm Could Pinpoint Those Most At Risk Of HIV And Have Doctors Steer Them Toward PrEP
The scientists have successfully created the tool, but ethical questions remain over such a sensitive topic. A calculator that says a patient is at risk “doesn’t mitigate the fact that providers are often uncomfortable and clumsy talking about sex,” said Damon L. Jacobs, a marriage and family counselor. In other public health news: vaping, menopause and women’s sex lives, anorexia, fitness trackers, eye infections and more.
Since the school massacre, Florida has passed some of its first gun restrictions, but Attorney General Ashley Moody said the amendment language is “deficient” and misleads voters. Gun violence news also looks at: the military-style weapon used in the most recent mass shooting and how to talk to children about active shooters.
Federal Employee Health Care Plan Will Tighten Rules For Opioid Prescription Coverage
Officials said that patients who need long-term painkillers will still be able to get them, but the new guidance is geared toward cutting down bad overprescription habits. Meanwhile, CMS has also released new options for Medicaid to help mothers and their children who are affected by opioids. In other news on the crisis: divvying up the winnings from lawsuits, a surge in meth, cocaine and stimulants, and post-jail opioid use.
Drugmakers To Fork Over $70 Million To California To Settle ‘Pay For Delay’ Allegations From State
The “pay for delay” agreements involve one company paying other drugmakers to refrain from producing a generic version after the drug’s patent expires. The practices caused consumers “to pay as much as 90% more for drugs shielded from competition,” state Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office said. Four settlements were reached with drug companies Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Endo Pharmaceuticals and Teikoku Pharma. Meanwhile, Pfizer confirms its reported plans to absorb Mylan.