Latest KFF Health News Stories
Novartis Issued Misleading Statements About Duration Of Relationship With Michael Cohen, Emails Show
The existence of the agreement between the drugmaker and President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen — whose consulting firm was paid $1.2 million from early 2017 through early 2018 — first became known months ago. At the time, Novartis portrayed the arrangement as a brief interaction. But emails and other documents show otherwise.
Out of 21 trips reviewed by the inspector general’s investigators, only one complied with all federal travel requirements. Former HHS Secretary Tom Price resigned last year after news of the high spending came out.
After Scolding From Judge, Government Provides Updated Plan To Reunite Families
The new HHS plan clarifies that the agency will use methods other than DNA testing to verify parentage for most older children. The government has drawn sharp words from U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw by suggesting officials couldn’t verify parentage properly within the court’s timeline.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California Clinic Screens Asylum Seekers For Honesty
As new federal policies make it harder to gain asylum in the U.S., foreign applicants try to improve their chances by having doctors evaluate their conditions — perhaps bolstering their stories of torture and violent persecution back home.
In Florida, Midterm Elections Hold Faint Hope For Medicaid Expansion
Republicans’ overwhelming majorities in the state legislature make pursuing a policy that could benefit 660,000 uninsured adults a “long shot,” political analysts say.
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.
Facebook Live: The Marketing Plan That Fueled An Addiction Epidemic
KHN senior correspondent Fred Schulte talks about a cache of files detailing Purdue Pharma’s early OxyContin marketing plan.
Esperanza y cautela por una vacuna de bajo costo contra la diabetes tipo 1
La vacuna, conocida como BCG, se utiliza en varios países para prevenir la tuberculosis y durante mucho tiempo se ha sabido que también estimula el sistema inmunitario.
Opinion writers focus on issues impacting the health law and other health topics.
Research Roundup: Individual Mandate; Food Insecurity; And Medigap Enrollment
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Vermont, Missouri, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Maryland, Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Florida.
Creating Threat Assessment Teams In High Schools Could Prevent Shootings, Secret Service Report Says
The comprehensive guide encourages schools to create an atmosphere where students can report problematic behavior without feeling like a “snitch.” In other public health news: adoption programs, testosterone, ticks, heat waves, sleep apnea, e-cigarettes, and more.
Parasitic Illness Increases To More Than 100, Possibly Traced To McDonald’s Salads In Illinois, Iowa
“Approximately one-fourth of Illinois cases reported eating salads from McDonald’s in the days before they became ill,” a statement from the Illinois Department of Health said. In other food safety news, a salmonella outbreak is linked to Honey Smacks cereal.
Medicare May Start Paying Doctors For Certain Telehealth Services
The move would be particularly important in rural areas and for elderly patients. “We’re not intending to replace office visits but rather to augment them and create new access points for patients,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said.
White House Suggests Congress Pass Federal Work Requirement Law For Medicaid Beneficiaries
The proposal comes just weeks after a federal judge struck down Kentucky’s push to impose such standards on its Medicaid enrollees.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the project, which is based on a successful model in Manatee County, Florida. The program will provide a new assistant U.S. attorney to districts in New Hampshire, California, Kentucky, Maine, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.
FDA Wants To Be Granted Expanded Authority To Intervene In Drug Shortages
While the number of drugs in shortage is down from a peak several years ago, many supply interruptions are lasting much longer — sometimes well over a year. Right now, there’s not much the agency can do, but FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says he wants to get more aggressive in protecting patients from the shortfalls.
Like clockwork, Pfizer has been raising prices every six months, flying under the radar because most pharma companies were doing the same. But then the company caught the attention of President Donald Trump, and everything changed. In other pharmaceutical news: Novartis ditches antibiotics research; a patient advocacy group highlights a New Jersey candidate’s ties to high prices; and an experimental epilepsy drug moves forward toward approval.
CMS Chief Puts Blame On The Court For Decision To Freeze Payments To Insurers
A federal court ruling in New Mexico found the Trump administration did not properly justify its formula for dispensing the funds. “We’ve been trying to figure out, is there a solution? We understand the impact to the market [but] we have to follow what the courts say,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said.