Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Proposal To Force Insurers, Hospitals To Disclose Secretly Negotiated Prices Stirs Such Vocal Opposition It May Get Dropped

Morning Briefing

President Donald Trump is working on an executive order intended to increase price transparency across the health care landscape. But one of the aspects to the order is provoking intense backlash. Compelling disclosure of negotiated rates “would have the ultimate anti-competitive effect,” said Tom Nickels, the American Hospital Association’s executive vice president for government relations and public policy.

He ‘Has A Sixth Sense For People Who Are Struggling’: Personal Tragedy Helps Joe Biden Connect With Voters

Morning Briefing

Former Vice President and 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden lost his son to cancer four years ago, giving him a perspective that allows him to reach grief-stricken voters. In other news, Biden released a plan on education that would boost the number of psychologists and other health providers in schools.

Following Sharp Outcry From Private Insurers, Connecticut Lawmakers Pause On Creating Public Option

Morning Briefing

“We are taking a step back and evaluating where things stand,” said state Sen. Matt Lesser, a Democrat who led the proposal. He said many of the complaints from the insurance industry revolved around displeasure with competing with the government for customers. Meanwhile, California lawmakers move ahead with plans to expand coverage for undocumented immigrants in the state.

Planned Parenthood Head Says Missouri’s Claims That State’s Last Clinic Had ‘Deficiencies’ Are Not Based In Reality

Morning Briefing

A Missouri health agency is conducting an investigation into the state’s remaining abortion clinic, and officials say they have serious concerns about patients’ safety. The clinic’s license is scheduled to expire this week, and if the stand-off is not resolved, Missouri could become the first state since Roe v. Wade not to have an operating clinic. A court hearing on the group’s lawsuit is set for Thursday morning.

Tragic Opioid Losses Continue To Mount: A Tiny Infant In The Bronx, A Best Friend In Philadelphia, A College Football Star In Oklahoma

Morning Briefing

The death rate for young people due to opioid poisoning nearly tripled from 1999 to 2016, and the crisis continues to devastate a wide range of people from different backgrounds. News on the epidemic also focuses on the former president of Purdue Pharma, a physician opposed to strict opioid regulations, a push for free fentanyl test strips and more.

Louisiana’s Democratic Governor Poised To Sign Heartbeat Bill, Diverging From Party On Issue

Morning Briefing

Lawmakers sent the heartbeat legislation — which was written by a Democratic state senator — to Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-La.), who has voiced his support for the measure. “As I prepare to sign this bill,” Edwards said in a statement after it passed, “I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone.” The bill follows a slew of other restrictive legislation that has passed in recent weeks in Republican-leaning states.

‘This Is Beyond Horrifying’: When Even Low-Risk Children Were Dying After Surgeries, Doctors Couldn’t Keep Quiet Any Longer

Morning Briefing

The New York Times obtained unfiltered recordings of conversations between doctors at the North Carolina Children’s Hospital about concerns that their patients seemed to be faring much more poorly after surgery than they should be. “I ask myself, ‘Would I have my children have surgery here?’” said Dr. Blair Robinson. “In the past, I’d always felt like the answer was ‘yes’ for something simple. … But now when I look myself in the mirror, and what’s gone on the past month, I can’t say that.” The turmoil at UNC underscores concerns about the quality and consistency of care provided by dozens of pediatric heart surgery programs across the country.

Your Wake-Up Call On Data-Collecting Smart Beds And Sleep Apps

KFF Health News Original

An array of products — from mattresses and sensors to sleep trackers and apps — are catching consumers’ attention. But privacy experts are concerned about what becomes of all the personal information these products collect.

While Nurses Point To Chronic Understaffing Levels, Poor Patient Care, Hospitals Look For Solutions As Population Ages

Morning Briefing

In California, thousands of nurses are striking and walking picket lines over having to work overtime and others issues, including recruitment and retention of qualified nurses. Meanwhile, a report from Georgia say nursing shortages are due to the retirements of many nurses and a greater need for health care as the population ages.

Can A Side Effect Of A ‘Life-Saving’ Drug Be Worse Than Possibly Facing Cancer?

Morning Briefing

Patients who are undergoing immunotherapy are developing a disease akin to type 1 diabetes. “If I knew then, when I opted for the clinical trial, what type 1 diabetes entailed, I would never have gone for the immunotherapy. Never. I would have taken the chance of the cancer coming back,” said Jaime Vidal, 79, a retired mailman from San Bruno, Calif. In other pharmaceutical news: accelerated approvals for cancer drugs, troubling manufacturing problems and the right-to-try bill.

Facebook’s Recent Moves Shred Any Myths That It’s Not Pushing Into Health Care Landscape Like Its Peers

Morning Briefing

Facebook is already a place where millions of users go for health advice, and it has a long list of projects in health and medicine. Stat takes a look at the people behind the company’s health care ambitions. In other health industry news: Centene’s WellCare deal, a call for reform of the Stark law, Allina-Aetna’s enrollment numbers, and more.