Latest KFF Health News Stories
GOP Senators Tapped By Trump To Work On Health Law Replacement Have Little Appetite For The Task
Republican Sens. Rick Scott, Mitt Romney, John Barrasso and Bill Cassidy are President Donald Trump’s new go-to team on health care, but the lawmakers themselves are less than eager to jump into the politically fraught issue. Meanwhile, Mick Mulvaney, the president’s acting chief of staff, says there will be a plan coming “fairly shortly” from the administration.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Mourning Paradise: Collective Trauma In A Town Destroyed
The depth of psychological damage after the fire in Paradise, Calif., may depend on how much help residents are getting now.
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.
Opinion writers focus on these health topics and others.
Editorial pages focus on the health care debate.
Longer Looks: Fighting Medical Bills; Going Off Psychiatric Drugs; And Ambulance Bills
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Oregon, Georgia, Texas, New Hampshire, Florida, California, Missouri, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Massachusetts.
Accusations that former Vice President and potential 2020 candidate Joe Biden is too handsy have brought attention to the idea of personal space. Scientists and researchers have been studying the universal phenomenon for years, but questions about it, and how it works in our brains, still remain. In other public health news: cancer, violence, sexual partners and your microbiome, IVF, miscarriages, and more.
Court Upholds Kentucky Law Requiring Doctors To Show Fetal Ultrasounds Before Abortions
Federal appeals court Judge John Bush said the Kentucky law “provides truthful, non-misleading, and relevant information aimed at informing a patient about her decision to abort unborn life” and does not violate the First Amendment rights of physicians. News on abortion comes from Kansas, Ohio and Massachusetts, as well.
The pharmacy chains are taking steps to become go-to places for people with chronic illnesses, but previous attempts to remake the drugstore concept with in-store medical services have had mixed results. CVS, with the threat of Amazon looming, is also looking to expand its same-day prescription deliveries.
Amazon revealed new software that allows hospitals and health insurers to use voice tools to transfer patient information that is protected by the U.S. health privacy law known as HIPAA. For now, patients on the West Coast can also benefit by gaining access to records and making appointments.
States Have Been Leading The Charge Against Surprise Medical Bills–Can Congress Catch Up?
At least 25 states now have laws protecting patients from surprise out-of-network bills. Now, there’s starting to be more movement in Congress over the issue, which both Republicans and Democrats have spoken out against. In other news: outpatient prices outpace in-office costs for same treatments, and why cash rewards are powerful enough to change consumers’ behavior.
John Kapoor, the founder of Insys Therapeutics Inc., has been the subject of several high-profile cases centering on drugmakers’ roles in the national opioid crisis. Prosecutors accuse Kapoor of bribing doctors to prescribe patients the powerful fentanyl product, putting money ahead of safety. Meanwhile, Oklahoma lawyers drop some of the charges against opioid-makers in an effort to narrow the focus of their lawsuits.
MedPAC Suggests Streamlining Emergency Department Coding So That There Would Be National Guidelines
The suggestion from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission comes as scrutiny of emergency department visits and spending has increased as the healthcare industry shifts towards more value-based care. MedPAC also weighed in on Medicare Advantage payments.
A block grant would transform Medicaid from an open-ended entitlement program into one with capped benefits. The concept, however, is a controversial one that most certainly would create legal battles for the state. Medicaid news comes out of Tennessee, as well.
The review, conducted by the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, came after investigations turned a spotlight on the financial conflicts of interest of top officials at the prominent cancer center. The cancer center announced on Thursday an extensive overhaul of policies governing employees’ relationships with outside companies and financial arrangements.
New York Attorney General Letitia James’s lawsuit follows a larger crack down from the FDA on stem cell clinics, which are largely unregulated and offer procedures that are both pricey and risky.
Departing FDA Chief Gottlieb Heading Back To Conservative Think Tank To Focus On High Drug Prices
Scott Gottlieb, who steps down as FDA commissioner today, plans to return part-time to the American Enterprise Institute, where he wants to delve into the “market failures” driving drug prices through the roof.
It’s unclear which bills will ultimately make it through the ringer, but lawmakers are moving forward on the issue — viewed as one of the few bipartisan topics that might get addressed by a divided Congress. Meanwhile, three pharmaceutical companies agree to pay $122.6 million to resolve kickback allegations.