Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: October 17, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
On Back Roads Of Appalachia’s Coal Country, Mental Health Services Are As Rare As Jobs
Long commutes and scarcity of providers make it hard for patients who need counseling or psychiatric care.
Want An IUD? Take Note Of Trump’s New Birth Control Policy.
Some employers may opt to claim a religious or moral exemption and women could have to pick up some of the cost of this expensive contraception option.
A Few Pointers To Help Save Money And Avoid The Strain Of Medicare Enrollment
Most beneficiaries have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to decide on drug coverage and whether to switch from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
Cascade of Costs Could Push New Gene Therapy Above $1 Million Per Patient
The costs of using a new class of cancer treatments include far more than the drug’s sticker price.
La tormenta pasó, pero la salud de Puerto Rico enfrenta una larga recuperación
La isla enfrenta el riesgo de brotes de enfermedades, y desafíos en la atención médica luego del devastador paso del huracán María.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Birth Control Backlash: Trump Should ‘Rethink’ Policy On Contraception Coverage
Editorial pages also take a tough stance on President Donald Trump’s move last week to roll back Affordable Care Act provisions regarding birth control coverage.
Some opinion writers defend the White House’s actions last week regarding the Affordable Care Act — both in terms of the executive order and the announcement that federal payments for cost-sharing subsidies under the ACA will be halted.
Tough Talk: Trump’s Open Warfare Against Obamacare; Ideas That Deepen Health Care ‘Inequality’
Across the country, editorial and opinion writers offer tough talk about the Trump administration’s actions last week to loosen some health insurance restrictions and to stop federal payments for cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act.
Outlets report on news from New York, California, Texas, Puerto Rico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Wisconsin and Kansas.
Childhood trauma plays a large role in the path someone might take in life. Experts think it might be time to start taking that into account when looking at criminals. In other public health news: tuberculosis, fertility, diabetes, cancer and anxiety, breastfeeding, stem cells and more.
How Industry-Friendly Lawmakers Undermined DEA’s Power At Height Of Opioid Crisis
Members of Congress pushed through a law to weaken aggressive Drug Enforcement Administration efforts against drug distribution companies that were supplying corrupt doctors and pharmacists who peddled narcotics to the black market. The Washington Post and “60 Minutes” investigate.
When Maine Voters Decide Whether To Expand Medicaid, Other States Will Be Watching
Health law advocates in Utah are also proposing a referendum on the issue, and the outcome in Maine could influence other states that have put the decision on hold. Meanwhile, in Louisiana, critics of the expansion program point to signs the state budget is in trouble, and a commission in New Hampshire looking at the insurance marketplace there is considering whether the state should move more people with serious medical issues into Medicaid to make the health law’s marketplace plans more stable.
Investigation Finding VA Conceals Shoddy Care, Staff Mistakes Prompts Action At The Agency
A USA Today investigation found that Veterans Affairs managers do not report troubled practitioners to the National Practitioner Data Bank, and that the agency failed to ensure that VA hospitals report disciplined providers to state licensing boards.
VA Secretary Shulkin Has White House Interview To Head HHS
David Shulkin, a physician and a holdover from the Obama administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is believed to be one of several candidates to replace former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
Will My Insurance Now Be More Expensive?: Questions Abound After Busy End Of The Week
There’s lots of confusion for consumers about exactly what all this news about the health law means. A handful of different media outlets try to break it down for people.
‘We Anticipated This’: Insurers Not Exactly Floored By Trump’s Decision
It could be hard for insurers to pull their plans off the market for next year, but most companies say they were prepared for the money to evaporate anyway and had baked the contingency into their 2018 premium increases. However, the industry is calling on Congress to fund the payments.
Trump Touts Own Executive Order As Health Stocks Plunge On News
President Donald Trump also says he wants Democrats to “get smart” and “deal.”
Nearly 70% Of People Benefiting From Insurer Subsidies Live In States Trump Won
Media outlets report on the decision’s effects out of California, Oregon, Washington, Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, Nevada and Georgia.