Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Administration Reverses Course, Reinstates Insurer Payments Just Weeks After Freezing Risk-Adjustment Program

Morning Briefing

The Trump administration halted the payments, citing a ruling out of New Mexico that the risk-adjustment program’s implementation was flawed and hadn’t been adequately justified by federal regulators. The move sparked widespread concern that the decision could cause further upheaval in the health law marketplaces.

How To Save A Choking Senator: Heimlich Heirs, Red Cross Disagree On Technique

KFF Health News Original

The Red Cross and some other organizations suggest that first aid for choking begin with five slaps on the back. The family of Dr. Henry Heimlich, who developed the abdominal thrusts to dislodge objects that prevent breathing, is launching a campaign to demand proof of why back slaps should come first.

Time For That Colonoscopy? Probe Your Doc First On How The Scopes Are Cleaned

KFF Health News Original

Millions of Americans undergo procedures each year requiring medical scopes, but there’s growing concern about the risk of infection from dirty devices. Be prepared to ask questions — and bail if you’re not satisfied with the answers.

Mass. Governor Speaks Out Against Family Planning Rule, Citing ‘Unnecessary Barriers To A Woman’s Right To Choose’

Morning Briefing

The Baker administration’s proposed rule would end the requirement that pregnant women be offered the opportunity to get information about abortion when they get family planning advice from an organization that gets federal Title X family planning grants. Meanwhile in Baltimore, lawmakers said the change to the family planning program would hurt access to all health services because the clinics also provide care such as HIV testing and screenings for cancer and mental health.

Millions Of Americans Have Alzheimer’s. So Why Is It So Tricky To Find Participants For Research Trials?

Morning Briefing

Finding the right patients, in the right age group, with just the right amount of memory loss is an overwhelming task for pharmaceutical companies running drug trials. In other news, a study suggests that hormones might play a role in the disease, which could offer insight into why so many more women than men are afflicted.

Health Care Industry Is Warming To Concept Of Keeping Patients Healthy Instead Of Just Treating Them While Sick

Morning Briefing

From insurers to hospitals, big players in the health industry are seeing the cost benefits of nabbing problems before they start. Meanwhile, data brokers are scouring consumers’ behavior online — and it’s being used by health companies to paint pictures of what kind of person to whom they’re selling.

Most People Haven’t Heard Of Trump’s Drug Plan, But The Ones Who Have Aren’t Optimistic It Will Lower Prices

Morning Briefing

Only about one in four adults say they have heard or read about President Donald Trump’s plans to lower drug prices, according to a Politico-Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health poll. Of that, just 37 percent believe the proposed changes would lower the prices Medicare pays for prescription drugs. That number ticks up slightly to 42 percent when not limiting it to Medicare.

Deadline Ticks Closer For Court-Ordered Reunification, And Hundreds Of Children Still Remain Separated

Morning Briefing

But nearly 1,200 children have been placed back with their families, according to the Justice Department, which has been ordered to keep the court updated with its progress. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Alex Azar has become a target of a negative ad campaign for his role in the immigration crisis.