Latest KFF Health News Stories
Desperate parents marched into the United States this weekend and demanded asylum hearings — a plan hatched by immigration lawyers who saw a quicker way to reunification than the bogged-down court system.
‘Tsunami Wave Of Women Veterans’ Puts Pressure On VA To Step Up With Health Care Services
About 500,000 women now use Veterans Affairs for health care, compared with 160,000 in 2001. VA officials say it is a priority to better serve those vets. Among basic issues the women face is finding doctors trained to deal with gynecological matters and ensuring that VA facilities have child-care services available when female veterans come for appointments. In other veterans’ health care news: alleged misconduct among VA physicians and nurses; a permanent director of the Veterans Health Administration; a new foundation geared toward veterans’ health; and more.
An Epidemic Of Nursing Home Closures In Rural Areas Leaves Vulnerable Residents With Few Options
More than 440 rural nursing homes have closed or merged over the last decade, and instead of being able to find new care in their homes and communities, many residents end up at different nursing homes far from their families.
At the crux of the matter: should fecal transplants be treated like a drug or like other organ transplants? The answer will determine how the FDA regulates the procedure, how much it costs and who gets to profit. In other pharmaceutical news: out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, patient advocacy groups’ ties to pharma; and kickbacks from drugmakers.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Big Pharma Gave Money To Patient Advocacy Groups Opposing Medicare Changes
A KHN database shows that $58 million flowed from drugmakers to patient groups running national ads.
Texas Lawmakers Take Aim At Surprise Medical Bills
A proposed state law with bipartisan, bicameral support is on the move in Texas. It would force hospitals and insurers to settle surprise bills — instead of relying on patients to start the mediation process. The KHN/NPR “Bill of the Month” series is a catalyst for the effort.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Watch: Big Week For Drug Pricing Debate Featured On C-SPAN
KHN correspondent Emmarie Huetteman appeared on the C-SPAN program “Washington Journal,” where she fielded viewers’ calls about high drug prices and industry criticism.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Opinion writers express views about recent decisions on abortion.
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Ohio, California, Texas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Kansas and Colorado.
News from the state legislatures comes from Massachusetts, Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and Iowa.
The study’s findings will not change anyone’s “day-to-day life or medical practice any time soon,” said Heather Snyder, the Alzheimer’s Association’s senior director of medical and scientific operations. But they do give greater insight into what causes the disease. In other public health news, sleep, Ebola, trans fats, stress, child poverty, and health technology.
At least eight states, including some that experienced measles outbreaks this year, want to remove personal exemptions for the measles vaccine. And some states would remove the exemption for all vaccines. Currently 17 states permit personal and philosophical exemptions. Meanwhile, despite the outbreaks, hundreds of activists who oppose vaccination requirement turned out during a hearing for Oregon legislation that would tighten the state’s regulations.
The rule would prohibit taxpayer-funded family-planning clinics from making abortion referrals. Critics have said that the rule is targeted at Planned Parenthood in particular. Other news on abortion comes out of Tennessee, Georgia and Argentina.
The association wants Congress to boost subsidies, install a reinsurance program and resume reimbursements to insurers of cost-sharing reduction payments. In other health industry and insurer news: it appears unlikely that Congress will delay a health insurance tax next year and CVS taps a new chief information officer.
The current model is a statistical approach that gives more emphasis to certain measures over others in the star ratings based on a number of aspects, including variation in performance among hospitals for that measure or how much measures correlate to each other. CMS is asking for public comment on the model.
Bernie Sanders Calls On FDA To Allow Pharmacists To Sell Older, Lower-Cost Version Of $375,000 Drug
Until December, patients could get the drug for free through the FDA’s compassionate use program. Catalyst, the company that now sells the drug, has since triggered a firestorm of concern when it priced the medication at $375,000. In other pharmaceutical news: Maryland regroups after legal setback on legislation aimed at curbing price hikes; large majorities from both parties want Congress to focus on high costs; and more from the states.