Latest KFF Health News Stories
White House Revising Controversial Proposal On Birth Control Coverage
The Affordable Care Act requires health plans to provide preventive care at no charge, and the Obama administration included contraception services in that category. The Trump administration says employers should be allowed to opt out if they have religious or moral objections. Other administration news includes efforts to claw back overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans and the defense of the president’s plan on drug pricing.
ACA Marketplaces Open Tomorrow, Face Pressure From Short-Term Plans
Even as the insurance marketplaces appear to have stabilized in many states after years of turbulence, the Trump administration is pushing the new plans that may draw customers from the health law’s exchanges. “The affordability issue trumps everything,” said Idaha Lt. Gov. Brad Little, a Republican who is the front-runner in next Tuesday’s gubernatorial election.
Preexisting Conditions, Other Health Policy Statements Also Come To Fore In Gubernatorial Elections
News outlets examine the specifics of the candidates vying for the state top spot in Florida, Connecticut and Ohio.
Prospects For More States To Expand Medicaid Grow As Democrats Run Even In Some Governors Races
Competitive races in Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, Oklahoma and South Dakota could help expansion advocates flip those holdout states, although conservative legislators may still fight to stop any changes.
Repeal-And-Replace Votes Haunt Republican Congressional Candidates In Swing Districts
In some midterm contests, support for the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people who have preexisting conditions could become an important issue.
First Edition: October 31, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump Rollback Of Disability Rules Can Make Doctor’s Visits Painstaking
Standards have been proposed to address what are often viewed as disparities in treatment, but the Trump administration has declined to enforce them.
In Swing Districts, Republicans May Pay For Having Tried To Reverse The Health Law
Though Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) counts himself a moderate, many of his voters heading to the polls are furious about how he aided his party’s efforts to dismantle Obamacare.
Impulso republicano por restringir la migración olvida la necesidad de médicos
Según la Asociación Médica Americana, el 18% de los médicos practicantes y los residentes en el país son nacidos en el extranjero.
Viewpoints: FDA Needs To Impose Limits On E-Cigarettes; Time To Defang The NRA, Address Gun Safety
Editorial pages look at these public health topics and others.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Utah, New Jersey, Oregon, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri and Texas.
Smaller Hospitals Form Groups To Expand Participation In Profitable Drug Trials
By working as a single unit, these hospitals hope to improve chances of competing with urban medical centers for clinical trials. Drugmakers are constantly searching for patients for clinical trials and pay hospitals as much as $10,000 per patient. Hospital news also comes out of Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida and Missouri.
In California, The Heat Was On Last Summer — And It Took A Public Health Toll
An investigation by KQED found that last year’s two heat waves were responsible for 14 deaths in the Bay Area.
Trying To Change Laws To Prevent SNAP Participants From Buying Soda Is Daunting, Researchers Say
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households spend about 10 percent of food dollars on sugary drinks, which is about three times more than the amount they spend on milk, and is a dietary habit that leads to obesity and other health problems. Yet trying to nudge people toward making healthier changes is complex. Public health news also focuses on health attacks in Cuba and China; older moms; allergy labels for sesame; football injuries; malaria-detecting dogs; and the popularity of cannabis derivative, also known as CBDs.
Pittsburgh Trauma Center Met Shooting Chaos With Practiced Calm
UPMC Presbyterian is one of many Level 1 trauma centers that have stepped up training for events like the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. Those preparations helped keep panic away when patients began coming in Saturday morning. Also in the news, a new study looks at the number of children shot each year.
Calls For Medical Paper Retractions Prompt NIH To Pause Experimental Stem Cell Treatment Trial
Fallout from questions raised about the research and journal publications from the lab of Dr. Piero Anversa, a controversial stem cell researcher, leads a federal agency to temporarily halt a clinical trial studying a stem cell therapy for heart failure patients. And The New York Times reports more on Anversa’s troubles.
Determining The Costs Of A High Deductible Plan
These plans plans generally have lower premiums, but members can find that paying for the deductibles and other expenses is daunting. Experts say consumers need to understand those costs. In other insurance news, Walmart is offering its employees a newer type of insurance plan.
Changes To ACA Marketplaces Likely To Tamp Down Enrollment
Health experts foresee no increase in insurance enrollment in 2019 following Republicans’ decision to repeal the penalty for not having insurance and their support for cheaper, slimmed-down plans that don’t meet ObamaCare’s requirements. As the marketplaces prepare to open on Thursday, outlets in Minnesota, Texas and Tennessee offer previews.
Off To The Midterm Races … Health Care Playing Big In State-Wide And Congressional Contests
Medicaid expansion and other aspects of the Affordable Care Act are taking up a lot of oxygen on the campaign trail in Arizona, New Hampshire and a number of other states. Massachusetts voters will consider a ballot question on nurse-staffing levels.