Latest KFF Health News Stories
“I’ve never seen an administration official, Republican or Democrat, that has worked with the Hill so well on a bipartisan basis,” a senior congressional aide told Stat of departing FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. With his resignation, the Trump administration loses a crucial asset for pushing its health policy. Meanwhile, there have been worries that Gottlieb’s resignation will disrupt the strides he’s made against public health threats such as teenage vaping. Gottlieb, however, said he’s confident that won’t be the case. And Stat offers a look at who might be his replacement.
Secretive Health Initiative Founded By Billionaires Finally Gets A Name: Haven
The tight-lipped venture, founded by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase, has been nameless for more than a year. The name Haven “reflects our goal to be a partner to individuals and families and help them get the care they need, while working with clinicians and others to make the overall system better for all,” according to the initiative’s new website. The industry has been watching the secretive venture nervously, as it’s expected to disrupt the health landscape.
A provision in the health law already allows such sales through state agreements, and, in fact, six states have passed laws to set up interstate sales. But no policies currently are being sold. That’s because the complexities of trying to regulate interstate sales deter most insurance providers from even trying. And any new insurers entering a state also face daunting competition from companies that are already well-established. On the consumer side, experts say it would do little to lower premiums.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Hidden FDA Reports Detail Harm Caused By Scores Of Medical Devices
The Food and Drug Administration has let medical device companies file reports of injuries and malfunctions outside a widely scrutinized public database, leaving doctors and medical sleuths in the dark.
Ciudades y condados seguirán importando medicamentos, a pesar de alertas de la FDA
Varios estados, entre ellos Florida y Nueva York, dijeron que continuarán usando una compañía canadiense para ofrecer a sus empleados medicamentos recetados a bajo precio.
A Mumps Quarantine In La. May Encroach On Rights Of Detained Immigrants
A recent outbreak at a Louisiana center triggered public health protections, but some immigration lawyers are crying foul.
Cuarentena por paperas en Louisiana puede violar los derechos de inmigrantes detenidos
Un brote de paperas y una cuarentena en el Centro de Procesamiento de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Pine Prairie, en Louisiana, impidió que los inmigrantes obtuvieran recursos legales, incluidos sus representantes legales.
Pacientes experimentan con drogas recetadas para luchar contra la vejez
Aún no se han realizado ensayos clínicos rigurosos a gran escala para estudiar el proceso de envejecimiento. Así y todo, pacientes experimentan con drogas para detener el paso del tiempo.
California busca liderar movimiento para descifrar los traumas infantiles
La doctora Nadine Burke Harris, flamante cirujana general de California, lidera un movimiento para comprender cómo las experiencias traumáticas infantiles generan enfermedades físicas y mentales graves.
Editorial pages focus on these health care issues and others.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Pharma CEOs Brush Off Importance Of List Prices, But Here’s Why They Actually Do Matter To Consumers
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Idaho, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Hawaii, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, California, Michigan and Iowa.
Experts offer the reasons that a man as young as Luke Perry, who was 52 when he died, could have a stroke. In other public health news: an HIV cure, salt and nutrition, Alzheimer’s, gender in science, aging, and more.
There are usually many complex reasons that those addicted to opioids struggle with recovery–including the struggles of being homeless or not having insurance. Lawmakers, who wanted to bring a fresh set of of eyes to the problem, toured Johns Hopkins looking for answers. News on the crises comes out of Ohio, as well.
The Trump administration is mulling whether it should continue approving accreditation groups that also have consulting arms. Many hospitals hire an organization called the Joint Commission, but that organization also has a subsidiary that offers consultants-for-hire that help hospitals attain accreditation. The commission has defended the practice, but others see it as a conflict of interest. In other CMS news: nursing home star ratings and Medicare penalties for hospitals.
In A National Call To Action, Trump Creates Task Force To Try To Tackle High Rate Of Veteran Suicide
Within the next year, the task force will create a road map coordinating suicide-prevention efforts, prioritizing research on the topic and prompting collaboration across public and private sectors, an administration official said. Currently, about 20 veterans die by suicide each day, about 1.5 times higher than those who haven’t served in the military.
U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero found that United Behavioral Health, the insurer’s unit that administers treatments for mental illness and addiction in private health plans, used overly restrictive guidelines to make its decision on mental health coverage. “There is an excessive emphasis on addressing acute symptoms and stabilizing crises while ignoring the effective treatment of members’ underlying conditions,” he said. He dismissed much of the testimony by UnitedHealth’s experts as “evasive — and even deceptive.” The ruling, if its upheld, could have wide-reaching ramifications for the industry.
Border agents are struggling to meet medical needs and thousands of exhausted members of migrant families crammed into a detention system that was not built to house them. Officials say the system is at its breaking point. The latest numbers are a blow to the Trump administration’s recent, aggressive actions to curb the flow of people over the border.