Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Look At How Zika Babies Are Faring As They Grow Up Is Sobering In Breadth Of Health Problems
About one out of every seven babies who were exposed to Zika in the womb have health complications, with some of the problems emerging well after birth. “We are still early in the Zika story, and we still have lot to learn about how these children will grow and develop,” said Margaret Honein, director of the CDC’s Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders.
Carl Icahn is urging fellow shareholders to vote against the deal between the health insurer and the pharmacy-benefits firm.
Confusion, Worry Plague States As They Try To Navigate Federal Rule On Association Health Plans
State insurance regulators are also concerned that the Labor Department won’t provide guidance on how much regulatory authority the states have. In other health law news: a lawmaker wants details about information on Medicare that was removed from a website; proposed rates continue to come out of states; and the Connecticut insurance commissioners is asked to ban short-term health coverage.
The rule, as drafted, would authorize federal officials to revoke legal-resident status from legal immigrants who accept government assistance currently available to them. Polling shows that Americans think immigrants are responsible for high health care costs, but research shows otherwise. Medicaid news comes out of Arkansas, Iowa and Ohio.
Administration To ‘Unleash’ Medicare Advantage Plans’ Bargaining Power On Some Drug Prices
As a negotiation tool, Medicare Advantage plans will now be able to require patients getting drugs in a doctor’s office or the hospital to try lower-cost medicines before moving up to more expensive ones in a process called step therapy. Insurers already had this option in Part D drug plans — which cover prescriptions such as those purchased by beneficiaries at pharmacies. But the option is now being expanded.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
As Opioid Crisis Rages, Some Trade ‘Tough Love’ For Empathy
An approach known as Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or CRAFT, coaches families to deal with a loved one’s substance abuse with compassion.
Médicos jóvenes comienzan a apoyar un sistema de salud universal
Los médicos veteranos lo consideraban un sistema “socialista”. Pero ahora, han aceptado revisar su postura ante el impulso jóven de avanzar con un sistema de pagador único en el país.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health care issues.
Media outlets report on news from Arizona, Connecticut, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, Oregon, California, Oklahoma, Kansas and Florida.
Gamble Pays Off For Patients Who Accepted Organs Infected With Hep C
Powerful new drugs can cure the virus, so scientists wanted to test out if the transplants would be successful despite the donor being infected. “When there’s such a bad organ shortage, we can’t just do business as usual,” said Dr. Peter Reese, a kidney specialist who led the study. “We need to shake off that these organs aren’t valuable and that people will not want them.” In other public health news: ticks, microbiome testing, gene-muting drugs, cancer, postpartum struggles, and more.
Women More Likely To Survive Heart Attacks When Their Doctor Is A Woman
A new study also finds that male physicians who have treated more women or have more female colleagues are more successful in treating women who have had heart attacks.
Vermont’s Health System Ranks First In Study Assessing Costs, Accessibility And Medical Outcomes
Louisiana came in last in the WalletHub study that compared the states and D.C. The measures were broken down further, such as lowest average monthly insurance premium and hospital beds per capita.
The GM deal is a different approach to the traditional model in which companies hire insurers for access to a broader network of health-care providers. More and more, companies are looking for innovative ways to try to curb rising costs.
App Warns Those Recovering From Addiction When They’re In A Location That Could Trigger Relapse
It can also send a notification when the person is around an acquaintance that could make them vulnerable to using again. The app — Hey, Charlie — is part of a new trend of technology focusing on the social-network of a person in recovery. In other news from the opioid crisis: lawmakers are seeking documents from painkiller-makers as part of an ongoing investigation; a letter-writing campaign finds success in getting doctors to cut back on overprescribing; and more.
FDA Takes Steps To Encourage Development Of Medication That Can Be Used To Aid Addiction Treatment
Currently, just three drugs exist to treat opioid use disorder: buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. Adherence to the drugs is typically low, and addiction treatment experts have long said medication assisted treatment is vastly underutilized.
The Washington Post fact checks some Democrats’ talking point that a recent working paper supports the idea that the proposal by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) would save $2 trillion in health care spending. To get to that number, one would need to make unrealistic assumptions, the report’s author says.
Republicans Could Pay Political Price For Cementing Conservative Supreme Court, History Shows
There’s a track record in the nation’s history of political backlash reflected in elected positions any time the court goes too far to one ideological side. Meanwhile, Democrats are digging in to possible ties between Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a judge forced into retirement last year over sexual harassment allegations.
The regulators were particularly concerned about aggressive and possibly misleading marketing strategies to sell the plans that are being touted by the Trump administration following a rule extending the duration that the coverage can be sold.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.