Latest KFF Health News Stories
Perspectives: Novartis Fell Victim To Human Nature When Putting A $2.1M Price Tag On New Treatment
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Dropped From Health Insurance Without Warning: Was It Legal?
People who buy insurance on their own may have little notice when something goes amiss. It’s a quirk in health policy at the heart of the next episode of ‘An Arm and a Leg’ podcast.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Expecting A Baby And Unexpectedly Dropped By Insurer
Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But you’re not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. “An Arm and a Leg” is a podcast about these issues, and its second season is co-produced by KHN.
Por qué Amazon Alexa puede ser mala para la atención de salud
Las firmas de capital privado y de riesgo están enamoradas de una legión de nuevas empresas que promocionan los beneficios de las visitas médicas virtuales… ¿son buenas?
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others health issues.
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded there was no significant risk from acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic chemical created during roasting.
Media outlets report on news from Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine, California, North Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arizona, Louisiana, Ohio and Minnesota.
Health officials say a loss in the prized status gained in 2000 could mean larger outbreaks in the future that could overwhelm health departments. Other news on the measles epidemic is on new cases and religious exemptions.
While no one is keeping an exact count on how often the mix up takes place, more people are reporting their donor had a medical history they never would have chosen. Health officials question if better regulation of an industry that supports thousands of artificial inseminations a year is necessary. Public health news focuses on sleep’s healing powers, parents’ social media photos, online monitoring, antibiotic prescriptions, new NAS code of conduct, mothers’ health, animal studies and nurses’ PTSD.
The mutation protects people from HIV infections but leaves them susceptible to other negative health effects. “This is a lesson in humility,” says George Daley, the dean of the Harvard Medical School.
Supreme Court Rules That Obama-Era Rule On Medicare Payments For Hospitals Should Be Removed
The justices wrote that HHS did not provide enough warning to the public about the cuts. The case was highly technical, and hinged on dueling interpretations of agency activity on what constitutes a “substantive legal standard” in a payment policy change to Medicare.
After Months Of Back-And-Forth, Congress Sends $19.1 Billion Disaster Aid Legislation To President
The bill provides funds for relief efforts in areas across the country hit by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. The Senate voted on it last month, but it got held up in the House, which passed the legislation 354-58 yesterday.
Are The Days Of Eye-Popping Rate Hikes Over? Health Law Premium Increases Fairly Moderate For 2020
The first batch of proposed 2020 rate filings are in from insurers. The sampling indicates to experts that the marketplace is stabilizing. One big reason why: Insurers are now making lots of money on their Obamacare customers — the vast majority of which are heavily subsidized — after jacking up rates to account for higher-than-expected medical costs in the early years. Other health law related news comes out of California, Minnesota, Georgia and Wisconsin.
California, Hawaii, Maine and the District of Columbia join a slew of other states, cities and counties suing the maker of OxyContin. “Purdue and the Sacklers traded the health and well-being of Californians for profit and created an unprecedented national public health crisis in the process,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said at a news conference announcing the legal action by his state.
11.9 Million Patients’ Personal, Medical Data May Have Been Exposed In Quest Breach
The breach came as a result of a cybersecurity incident at American Medical Collection Agency, a billing collections vendor. “Quest [Diagnostics] is taking this matter very seriously and is committed to the privacy and security of our patients’ personal information,” the medical testing company said. It indicated that plans are in the works to begin notifying individual patients but did not give a timeline.
Humana had long been seen as a potential acquirer of Centene, the biggest player in Medicaid managed care. Medicare-focused Humana has said it wants to grow in the Medicaid business. Yet Humana was also seen by analysts as unlikely to mount a hostile bid, an unusual move in the managed-care industry.
The FDA’s expanded access program is designed to help patients with immediate life-threatening or serious illnesses who don’t qualify for clinical trials and have no other treatment options. Officials say they want to make it easier for doctors to utilize.
Virginia’s Democratic Leadership To Push For Action On Gun Control Following Mass Shooting
Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark R. Herring, all Democrats, want lawmakers to tighten the state’s gun laws, which are among the most permissive in the nation. Over the weekend, several other Virginia Democrats took to social media to say that Friday’s shooting demonstrated the need to take control of the legislature this fall and pass restrictions on guns, as well, and a top Republican lawmaker said he is open to discussions.
Hearing To Determine Future Of Missouri’s Last Remaining Abortion Clinic Starts Today
St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Michael Stelzer intervened in a standoff between the Planned Parenthood clinic and Missouri’s health department on Friday when the facility’s license was set to expire. He will now hear arguments for the case. In other news: the struggle to get abortion bans in front of voters, Stacey Abrams’ trip to Hollywood, a hearing over Indiana’s second-trimester ban, and more.