Latest KFF Health News Stories
For Marketplace Customers Who Delay, Auto-Enrollment Could Be Nasty Wake-Up
People who have a plan from the health law’s marketplace and who don’t actively shop for a new one will be auto-enrolled on Dec. 16. But unlike past years, most people won’t be able to change those plans if they don’t like them.
Challenges Abound For 26-Year-Olds Falling Off Parental Insurance Cliff
Insurance has often been a tough-sell among these young people because they are often healthy and choosing a plan is complicated. A shorter enrollment and less outreach could dampen enthusiasm.
Empeora la salud de trabajadores agrícolas, a medida que la fuerza de trabajo envejece
Con una migración en baja, hoy en día la edad promedio del trabajador agrícola en California, 90 por ciento de ellos hispanos, es de 45 años. Enfrentan más problemas de salud.
Viewpoints: Medicare At Age 50? It’s Something To Think About; Surviving Or Enduring GOP Tax Plan
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Emergency Room Monopolies; Gun Violence; And The Senate Tax Bill
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Florida, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, Washington, Colorado and California.
One Week After State Program’s Launch, Md. Dispensaries Are Running Out Of Pot
Meanwhile, in Ohio, the state’s medical marijuana program moves forward despite missteps.
N.H.’s Exeter Hospital Endorses Suicide-Prevention Model
In other news regarding hospitals, an Ohio hospital system reports on its community investment; in Florida, a Senate panel approves legislation that would allow surgery centers to treat patients overnight; and an Arizona hospital clashes with an Irish hospital over its name.
Boston U. Biolab To Join Fight Against World’s Deadliest Microbes
On Wednesday, after more than a decade of debate, the university’s high-security lab cleared the final step necessary to begin researching infectious agents with the designation of being Biosafety Level 4 pathogens.
Groundbreaking Gene Therapy Drastically Reduces Bleeding Episodes In Hemophilia B Patients
A hemophilia expert called the results “striking” and just another example of a gene therapy renaissance that has brought patients with rare inherited diseases closer to potential cures. In other public health news: exercise and fat; skin cancer; a ketogenic diet; the flu; and more.
Surgeon General Knows The Painful Toll Opioid Addiction Takes On Families All Too Well
Dr. Jerome Adams’ brother has struggled with addiction for many years, and that has given the surgeon general a unique perspective on the best way to combat the raging opioid epidemic.
Study Upends Widely Held Assumptions About Safety Of Modern Birth Control Pill
A wide-ranging study finds that women who use birth control pills or other contraceptive devices that release hormones, despite being designed to be safer than older versions, show a small increase in breast cancer risk.
Advocates: VA’s Decision To Slash Homeless Program ‘Pulls Rug Out’ From Under Vulnerable Vets
The money will instead go to Veterans Administration hospitals that can use it more broadly as long as they show they are dealing with homelessness in some way.
Medicare Delays Enforcement Of Key Nursing Home Rules For 18 Months
The nursing home industry asked for the delay to have more time to implement changes, but consumer advocates are criticizing the decision.
Medicaid’s Challenge: Coupling Enrollees’ Interest In Health With Coordinated Care
A survey for The Associated Press finds that “Medicaid recipients are invested in their health, with 4 out of 5 saying they have a personal doctor, 3 out of 5 saying they eat healthy, and nearly half saying they exercise frequently.” In other Medicaid news, New Mexico has submitted a waiver request but officials pulled back on some of the costs they were hoping to pass along to enrollees, and Louisiana reports its program is not spending as much as anticipated.
Following on the heels of the announcement of the proposed CVS-Aetna merger, the deal is the latest to show how health care companies are adapting to an increasingly uncertain industry.
Pace Of Overall Health Spending Slows As Growth From ACA Coverage Gains Normalizes
“Costs remain reasonably under control but are still [rising] at a rate that is too rapid to be affordable for society,” said Paul Ginsburg, a health policy professor at the University of Southern California.
Calling Health Care Entitlements A Driving Force Of Debt, Ryan Vows To Rein In Medicare Next
President Donald Trump promised repeatedly on the campaign trail that he wouldn’t touch Medicare, but House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is confident he can make his case for cutting the program.
Despite Brisk Pace Of ACA Sign-Ups, Final Numbers Will Likely Lag Due To Shorter Enrollment Period
About 3.6 million people have signed up through Dec. 2, but barring an unusually strong final surge, experts say it’s unlikely that enrollment for 2018 will match the initial 12.2 million who signed up for this year’s coverage because of a shorter enrollment period.
Repeal Of Individual Mandate Will Likely Make It To Final Version Of Tax Bill, GOP Says
The Senate and House must reconcile their two versions, but it looks like the long-held Republican goal of repealing the health law’s individual mandate will make it into the final legislation. Meanwhile, a study finds that bipartisan Affordable Care Act fixes that were part of the lure to get Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to support the tax bill would cut premiums by about 18 percent in 2019.