Latest KFF Health News Stories
Supreme Court Decision On Labor Unions Could Jeopardize Funding Pipeline To Progressive Initiatives
Unions tend to be big supporters of more liberal-leaning candidates and programs, both of which depend on the millions of dollars flowing in from the organizations. But that funding could be greatly diminished with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Collins Won’t Support A Supreme Court Nominee Who Is Hostile To Roe V. Wade
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), along with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), are being watched as crucial votes in a potential nomination battle because the moderate Republicans have a history of supporting abortion rights. Other lawmakers weigh in on the issue, as well. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump says he’s narrowed down his list of possible nominees.
Tennessee Has Been Hit Hard By Problems That Expanding Medicaid Might Help. So Why Has It Not?
Hospital closures, especially, have plagued the state. Experts discuss why Tennessee hasn’t taken advantage of federal help to expand its Medicaid program. News come out of Maine, Iowa and Missouri as well.
The case has been closely watched because many states are eager to follow in Kentucky’s footsteps and add restrictions to their Medicaid program now that the government has shown it’s receptive to requests. The decision — which accuses the Trump administration of never adequately considering “whether Kentucky HEALTH would in fact help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid” — was described as “scathing” by health policy experts.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A Baby Was Treated With A Nap And A Bottle Of Formula. The Bill Was $18,000.
An ER patient can be charged thousands of dollars in “trauma fees” — even if they weren’t treated for trauma.
Judge Blocks Kentucky Medicaid Work Requirement
The program’s rollout was scheduled to begin Sunday.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
KHN’s newsletter editor, Brianna Labuskes, wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Under Pressure, California Lawmakers Ban Soda Taxes For 12 Years
In a major coup for the beverage industry, California lawmakers agreed to ban cities and counties from adopting soda taxes for the next 12 years. In exchange, the beverage industry agreed to pull an initiative off the November ballot that, if passed, would have made it much harder for local governments to raise taxes.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health issues.
Opinion writers express views on a woman’s right to have an abortion and acquire honest health information.
Media outlets report on news from California, Colorado, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Texas, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
“The soda industry has deep pockets and used them to push the legislature into a no-win situation,” said California state Sen. Bill Monning (D). Arizona and Michigan have also capitulated to the industry, which is backing a ballot initiative in California that would make it more difficult to raise taxes.
“If this study is able to demonstrate that getting people who test for HIV enrolled in coverage when they test, it could improve their health generally no matter their HIV test result,” said Jeffrey Crowley, who served under President Barack Obama as director of the Office of National AIDS policy. In other public health news: LGBTQ youth and homelessness, the Goldwater Rule, the mysterious illness in diplomats, exercise and more.
Dirty Irrigation Canal Water Tied To Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak That Spread To 36 States
While unable to link the largest outbreak since 2006 to a single farm in the Arizona’s Yuma region, the Food and Drug Administration did find a genetic match to the bacteria in canals serving the area. The harvest season there has ended.
If You Live To 105, Your Chance Of Dying Actually Goes Down. But Getting There Is Tough.
A new study raises new questions about how long humans can live.
In other news on the pharmaceutical industry, Acceleron experimental blood disease drug hits goal, conflicts of interest of top policy expert often goes undisclosed, and pharmacies face a shortage of more effective shingles vaccine through 2018.
Justice Department Announces Hundreds Of Charges Related To Health Care Fraud, Opioid Epidemic
Not all of the cases were related to the opioid crisis, but the Justice Department emphasized the crackdown on people it says are contributing to the epidemic, including doctors running “pill mills.”
The State Department report also cautioned that the practice can cause lasting psychological harm and should only be used as a temporary, last resort.
Amazon’s $1B Purchase Of PillPack Offers Another Hint At Company’s Ambitious Health Care Plans
Amazon announced that it is buying PillPack, which sells pre-sorted packets of prescriptions drugs, delivering them to customers in their homes. The news seemed to be a confirmation of the worst fears of some in the industry — that Amazon is going to make an aggressive play for a chunk of the pharmacy business. But actually disrupting the health care industry will be a challenge.