Latest KFF Health News Stories
Repealing Individual Mandate Would Do Less To Chip Away At Deficit Than CBO First Projected
In its revised analysis, the Congressional Budget Office also finds that the move would mean 13 million more people would be uninsured and premiums would rise by about 10 percent most years over the next decade.
Medicaid Chief Says Federal Officials Seeking To Relieve Paperwork Burdens On States
Brian Neale, who heads the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, tells state Medicaid directors that he wants to help states get away from cumbersome chores. In other news, Montana lawmakers stop a plan to cut Medicaid reimbursement rates, and Iowa lawmakers hear that state officials knew one insurer was leaving the Medicaid managed care program a month before alerting the public.
Victory In Maine Breathes Life Into Other’s Efforts To Get Medicaid Expansion On State Ballots
Advocates in Idaho and Utah are already working on their own measures, and the impact of health issues in both the Maine and Virginia 2017 elections may provide a path for others as well.
Maine Governor Balks At Expanding Medicaid Even After Voters Had Their Say
Gov. Paul LePage (R), who has vetoed similar plans five times, says his administration will only implement expansion if it’s fully funded by the state Legislature.
First Edition: November 9, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Maine Voters Greenlight Medicaid Expansion, But Governor Says Whoa
A battle brews as Republican Gov. Paul LePage says he won’t implement the Medicaid expansion unless the Legislature funds Maine’s share. Other states, such as Idaho and Utah, are keenly watching.
Breathing Fire: Health Is A Casualty Of Climate-Fueled Blazes
As the planet warms, wildfires such as the latest disastrous blazes in Northern California have increased in frequency and scope. Beyond the environmental effects, people suffer health repercussions that can be disabling and even deadly.
Grass-Roots Network Of Doctors Delivers Supplies To Puerto Rico
Borrowing a plane is part of these doctors’ duties.
Election Night Surprise: Health Care Galvanizes Voters
In Maine and Virginia, health care issues played on voters’ minds.
Una tendencia que crece, adultos mayores que viven en comunidad
La llamada covivienda está comenzando a ser popular entre los adultos mayores, como una alternativa al aislamiento social. Son hogares que se construyen alrededor de áreas para uso colectivo.
Viewpoints: Ending Medical Expense Deduction Pinches Middle Class; The ‘Demise’ Of CHIP
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Perspectives: Despite Rhetoric, Orphan Drugs Not A Major Factor In Health Care Spending
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
What You Need To Know About Lucrative Drug Subsidies Program Administration Wants To Slash
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Missouri, Illinois, New Hampshire, California, Oregon, and Georgia.
Even Light Drinking Can Increase Risk Of Cancer, But Doctors’ Message Isn’t ‘Don’t Drink’
“The message is not, ‘Don’t drink.’ It’s, ‘If you want to reduce your cancer risk, drink less. And if you don’t drink, don’t start,’” said Dr. Noelle LoConte, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In other public health news: West Nile virus, heart attack-related deaths, genetic tests, medical research, doctors working sick and more.
Non-Addictive, Over-The-Counter Painkillers Alleviate Acute Pain As Well As Opioids
A new study finds that for patients who went to the emergency room for things such as a sports injury or a fall can be served just as well with over-the-counter pain relievers. Experts have pointed to prescription practices in those scenarios as part of the cause of the opioid crisis. In other news, medical experts are the latest target of lawsuits over the epidemic.
In One Of A Series Of Red Flags From His Past, Texas Gunman Once Escaped Psychiatric Hospital
But none of the warnings stopped Devin Kelley from being able to legally purchase a firearm.
FDA Chief Offers Alternative Plan To Letting Pentagon Approve Medical Devices, Drugs
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said it’s important to keep the responsibility under his agency.
In Course Reversal, Notre Dame To Continue Offering Employees Free Birth Control
Following the Trump administration’s decision to allow employers and universities to cite religious or moral objections to end birth control coverage, the university notified employees that contraception coverage would end Jan. 1. Now it’s walking that decision back.
Individual-Mandate Repeal Gains Traction As GOP Scrambles To Close $74B Revenue Hole
But while the move would give House tax writers an estimated $416 billion in sorely needed offsets for the deep rate cuts they want, it risks alienating GOP senators.