Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
The emergence of suicide survivor-driven advocacy has changed the prevention landscape, where too often talking about past attempts changed how survivors thought they were perceived. “Survivors were seen as people to be studied, rather than partnered with,” said Ursula Whiteside, a researcher with the University of Washington. Now, the lived experience survivors bring to the table is being recognized as beneficial to the movement.
Mayo Clinic In Minnesota Nabs Top Spot In U.S. News & World Report Annual Ranking For Best Hospitals
At least five hospitals, one of which was No. 2 spot on the Top Public School list, were kicked out of the annual ratings because they misreported statistics, U.S. News & World Report said. Media outlets from around the country offer coverage on how their local hospitals ranked in the popular report.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg said “we have all seen this movie before” and criticized HHS Secretary Alex Azar for acknowledging the potential impact of the Medicaid work requirements without analyzing it. “Are the coverage losses in Arkansas likely to be replicated in New Hampshire? We have no idea, since the approval letter offers no hints,” Boasberg said. Medicaid news comes out of Utah, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma and Minnesota, as well.
The rule is part of a broader push by the administration to increase transparency in health care, but economists argue that posting negotiated prices is meaningless because it does not tell patients their actual out-of-pocket costs. The rule is also certain to provoke swift legal challenges from the industry.
During the signing, President Donald Trump touted his own presence at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks. “I was down there also — but I’m not considering myself a first responder. But I was down there. I spent a lot of time down there with you,” he said. The issue grabbed national attention lately after an emotional congressional hearing featuring comedian Jon Stewart and 9/11 first responders.
Kamala Harris’ Health Plan That Both Keeps Insurers And Expands Medicare Draws Fire From All Sides
Moderates say Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is trying to have it all, while Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign slammed the plan as “enriching insurance executives and introducing more corporate greed and profiteering into the Medicare system.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post fact checks what Harris deemed as “Medicare for All’s” middle-class tax hike.
In cities, “a public option could come in and soak up all of the demand of the ACA. market,” said Craig Garthwaite, a health economist at Northwestern University. And in rural markets, insurers that are now profitable because they are often the only choices may find it difficult to make money if they faced competition from the federal government. Meanwhile, a new poll finds support is slipping for “Medicare for All.”
As one of the sharper dividing lines between the 20 candidates that will face off over two nights this week, health care is all but guaranteed to crop up in the debate. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is reportedly being advised to draw a contrast with former Vice President Joe Biden, and health care has been a sore subject between the candidates in recent weeks.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In The Battle Of The Fitness Trackers, The Most Steps Might Not Win
Fitness trackers took off about a decade ago, and it’s not unusual for devoted walkers to log several miles a day. But is such a feat necessary?
‘If You Like Your Plan, You Can Keep It.’ Biden’s Invokes Obama’s Troubled Claim.
The health policy landscape is very different than it was when Barack Obama made this pledge as part of his pitch for the Affordable Care Act. But the words still might be risky for Democratic presidential primary hopeful Joe Biden.
Inspector Paints A Rosy Picture Of Migrant Detention Centers — In Contrast To Audits
A KHN review of dozens of inspection reports filed over the past year by the Nakamoto Group reveals disturbing patterns about the company’s audits, including a general willingness to accept accounts of the facilities that the company is paid to scrutinize, and to discount detainees’ complaints.
Democrats Favor Building On ACA Over ‘Medicare For All’
Asked to choose between building on the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with a national Medicare for All plan, 55% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they would expand the existing law, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Tuesday.
Ahora te verá la Dra. Alexa: ¿Está Amazon preparado para venir al rescate?
Amazon se ha asociado con numerosas compañías de atención médica, incluyendo varias en California, para permitir que los clientes y empleados usen Alexa para ayudarlos con la atención médica.
Editorial pages weigh in on these health care topics and others.