Latest KFF Health News Stories
Tweak To VA Choice Legislation Moves It A Step Closer Toward Privatized Veterans’ Care
The change proposes that Veterans Affairs facilities will be responsible for meeting access standards set by the VA secretary. If a facility can’t, the patient can seek out a community provider —
technically opening up VA Choice eligibility to all veterans. Currently, fewer than 1 million veterans receive care through the Choice program.
In Wake Of Florida Mass Shooting, States Stepping Up To Take Gun Control Into Their Own Hands
Four East Coast states are forming a coalition to better promote and foster gun safety, while other states mull legislation allowing “red flag” gun seizures when necessary. And Oregon passes a measure to ban those with a domestic violence conviction from owning a firearm.
“Most of these shooters are angry, antisocial individuals you cannot spot in advance, and even if you could, you don’t have the right to institutionalize them.” said Dr. Michael Stone, a forensic psychiatrist at Columbia University. Meanwhile, mental health experts are disturbed by the derisive language President Donald Trump has been using. Media outlets also take a look at the gun research and laws that might come from the shooting.
First Edition: February 23, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Evaluations Of Medicaid Experiments By States, CMS Are Weak, GAO Says
States often get federal approval to test new approaches to improve Medicaid services or expand coverage. But the GAO study found that too often these efforts are not adequately evaluated or the results are not available in a timely manner.
Ten ERs In Colorado Tried To Curtail Opioids And Did Better Than Expected
The collaboration known as ALTO, Alternatives to Opioids, set out to reduce opioid doses in the emergency room by 15 percent. It managed a 36 percent reduction instead.
Matrimonio gana millones a costa de Medicaid
Norma Díaz y su esposo, Joseph García, han dedicado sus carreras a administrar una aseguradora de salud sin fines de lucro que cubre a residentes carenciados de California. Y en el proceso, han ganado millones de dólares.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ The Long Wait Ends For Short-Term Plan Rules
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News discuss the Trump administration’s proposed regulation that would allow the expansion of short-term health insurance policies that do not comply with all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The panelists also talk about federal funding (or not) of public health research around guns.
Después del tiroteo “hay que respetar cómo los jóvenes lidian con sus sentimientos”
Una psicóloga infantil, quien fue alumna de la escuela de Parkland en la que murieron 17 personas, explica cómo ayudar a los adolescentes en los días posteriores al terrible tiroteo.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Opinion writers express views on health care policies.
Longer Looks: Gun Research; Kentucky’s Medicaid; And Missouri’s Death Penalty
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, New York, Missouri, Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, California and Massachusetts.
New Cluster Of Cases Tells Story Of A Black Lung Epidemic That Is Emerging In Appalachia
The severity of the disease among miners at the Virginia clinics “knocked us back on our heels,” said David J. Blackley, an epidemiologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. In other public health news: rape kits, brain injuries, sepsis, diabetes and prosthetics.
A Glimmer Of Hope In Midst Of Epidemic: Opioid Deaths Fall For First Time In Years For 14 States
“If we’re truly at a plateau or inflection point, it would be the best news all year,” said Caleb Alexander, of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness. Meanwhile, five states and the District of Columbia saw death spikes of more than 30 percent.
Sweeping Study Settles Hot Debate Over Whether Antidepressants Even Work, Researchers Say
In general, newer antidepressants tend to be better tolerated due to fewer side effects, while the most effective drug in terms of reducing depressive symptoms was amitriptyline — a drug first discovered in the 1950s.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to drop FluMist from the list of recommended vaccines starting in the 2016-2017 flu season after studies conducted by the CDC showed that the vaccine component that targets H1N1 flu viruses was not protecting people who got the vaccine.
Could This Century-Old Law Be Used To Curb Drug Prices? Democrats Think So
The law could allow HHS to use a patented invention — in this case hep C drugs — and the drugmaker wouldn’t be able to do anything about it other than to demand “reasonable” compensation. Democrats want HHS to take this step in hopes that a lower-cost generic could be manufactured. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Alex Azar says the administration is exploring more actions on cutting high drug costs.
Medicaid Changes May Just Shift Spending From Families To Administrative Bureaucracy, Experts Warn
Implementing and monitoring the work requirements and other new regulations isn’t going to be cheap. Outlets report on Medicaid news out of Alaska, Virginia, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.
The Center for American Progress’ “Medicare Extra For All” plan would maintain a role for employers and insurers, and use Medicare’s thrifty payment system as framework to pool working-age people, low-income people now covered by Medicaid and seniors.