Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Industry Growing Increasingly Alarmed That Tax Bill Is ‘Leaving Too Many Patients Behind’
Apart from repealing the individual mandate, the Republicans’ tax package may force tens of millions of dollars in cuts to the Medicare program and open a $1.5-trillion hole in the federal deficit that could put pressure on government health care programs such as Medicaid. Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) reiterates her confidence that GOP leadership will keep the promise to shore up the Affordable Care Act exchanges in return for her “yes” vote on the tax legislation.
The Life And Death Of The Individual Mandate: Will Scrapping ‘Toothless’ Penalty Make A Difference?
The individual mandate has become a symbol of something much greater than itself for both sides, and now the tax package wipes it out in two simple sentences. But it’s not entirely clear what the exact ramifications of getting rid of it will be, since it was always enforced with “a muffled bark and a toothless bite.” Meanwhile, some states are thinking about taking their own steps to preserve it.
First Edition: December 19, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Drug Industry Spent Millions To Squelch Talk About High Drug Prices
Last year, the pharma industry’ biggest trade group raised millions to change the conversation about drug pricing.
No Sweeteners Added To Tax Bill To Spread Use Of Health Savings Accounts
These accounts are exempt from taxes and linked to high-deductible health plans. Republicans tried last summer in their unsuccessful efforts to replace the health law to make the accounts more enticing for consumers, but they didn’t make those changes in the current tax bill.
Not-So-Happy New Year: Alabama Set To Toss Kids Off Insurance Plan Starting Jan. 1
Funding for the joint federal-state Children’s Health Insurance Program expired Oct. 1, and Congress has not yet agreed to a plan to continue the popular coverage.
Canada’s Single-Payer Health System: What Is True? What Is False?
It’s a regular part of the politically charged debate over health care. But the lines sometimes blur between rhetoric and how Canada’s system actually works.
Mirando al norte: ¿puede un sistema de seguro universal funcionar en EE.UU.?
El senador independiente por Vermont, Bernie Sanders, es un promotor de este sistema de pagador único, que ha desarrollado Canadá.
Viewpoints: The Words That Can’t Be Said At The CDC; Health Care In The Age Of Mergers
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Media outlets report on news from Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Ohio, California and Missouri.
California Errs On Side Of Caution With New Public Safety Guidelines For Cellphones
Because heavy, long-term cellphone use has been linked to cancer among other negative health consequences, the California Department of Public Health released guidelines last week on how to cut down on the risks.
There’s A Definite Link Between Parents’ Age And Autism In Kids, But Reason Is A Little Less Clear
The most prominent hypothesis is that the sperm of older men has accumulated many spontaneous mutations that the men pass along to their children. In other public health news: stress and the holidays; replacement organs on demand; antibiotics and sexually transmitted diseases; cancer patients; forgetfulness in older adults; and more.
A suit on behalf of the Cherokee Nation has been brought in tribal court against opioid-makers, but the companies are asking a federal judge to deny the tribe’s authority to even bring the case. In other news on the crisis, prosecutors are starting to treat overdoses as homicides; women in Texas who need mental health or addiction help are ending up in jail instead; senators call for more funding for the crisis; and more.
The DEA Was Poised To Take Down Huge Corporation Tied To Opioid Crisis. So What Happened?
The Washington Post examines the deal top attorneys at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Justice Department struck with McKesson Corp. The agreement took the legs out from under agents who had been in the field trying to make a case against the corporation they say failed to report suspicious orders involving millions of highly addictive painkillers.
Medicaid Pulling Some Funding For Oklahoma Teaching Hospitals
At stake is $115 million in physician training funds. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in South Carolina and Illinois.
Administration Blocking Two More Pregnant, Immigrant Girls From Getting Abortions, ACLU Says
Earlier in the year, the American Civil Liberties Union won its fight to allow an immigrant girl to obtain the procedure. The same judge set a hearing for Monday for the newest additions to the case.
As List Of Banned Words Sparks Firestorm, HHS Reiterates Support Of ‘Best Scientific Evidence’
The Trump administration informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies that they could not use certain terms such as “science-based” and “fetus” during the upcoming budget process, according to a news report. Department of Health and Human Services officials push back on the characterization of the list.
CHIP Funding Languishing As Congress Dickers Over How To Pay For It
The delay in funding has families and state officials in Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Connecticut growing nervous.
Final Tax Bill, That Includes Individual Mandate Repeal, Looks Headed For Passage
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) negotiated a promise that in exchange for her vote on the tax bill, health care legislation aimed at shoring up the Affordable Care Act marketplaces will pass. But critics think she’s being played. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry has a lot to be happy about with the tax package.
Rollback Of Health Law’s Contraception Coverage Rules Temporarily Blocked By Judge
The administration’s rules allowing employers to cite moral or religious objections to providing contraception coverage “conjured up a world where a government entity is empowered to impose its own version of morality on each one of us. That cannot be right,” Judge Wendy Beetlestone says.