Latest KFF Health News Stories
As Walmart Scoops Up Online Retailers, Workers See Noticeable Change In Health Benefits
One example is Walmart’s recent takeover of Bonobos, where to keep biweekly premiums for workers relatively close to what they pay now, their deductibles will rise from nothing to several thousand dollars per year.
N.C. Seeks To Help Pay Doctors’ Debts If They Join Medicaid Program
The proposal is part of a plan the state has submitted to federal officials for approval. The plan would also include moving to a managed care system and adding work requirements for non-disabled adults. In Iowa, the state will move some Medicaid enrollees off the controversial managed care plan, the Republican candidates for governor in Kansas disagree on how to move forward with the Medicaid program there and federal officials are expected to set new requirements for Medicaid purchases of medical equipment.
HHS Nominee Likely To Be Grilled Over Drug Prices, Pharma Connections At Hearing
Alex Azar, President Donald Trump’s pick to take over the top spot of the Department of Health And Human Services, will face his first nomination hearing Wednesday in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Insurers: Allowing States To Define Essential Benefits Would Confuse Customers, Disrupt Marketplace
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wants to give states the ability to pick the essential health benefits insurers have to cover instead of having them follow the federal guidelines set out under the Affordable Care Act. Media outlets report on news related to the health law and its marketplace out of Arizona, Iowa, Wisconsin and California.
A news outlet offers on-the-ground reports from Puerto Rico as the island continues its struggle to come back from the storm, and another looks at the struggle after Florida’s hurricane for a family with a disabled child.
After Kicking Health Issues Down The Road, Congress Faces Day Of Reckoning
Among the issues Congress has on its docket in the last few legislative days of the year: an individual mandate repeal, CHIP funding and allocating money to fight the opioid epidemic.
First Edition: November 28, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Heated And Deep-Pocketed Battle Erupts Over 340B Drug Discount Program
Drugmakers, hospitals and lawmakers are taking sides in a showdown over a discount program that covers drug purchases at some hospitals.
Parents Are Not Liable For Medical Debts Of Adult Children On Shared Insurance
Even though the federal health law allows young adults to stay on their parents’ plan, those children are generally responsible for their own debts.
Putting Money Where Its Mouthpiece Is: Calif. Outspends U.S. To Market Obamacare
The state insurance exchange is committing nearly five times more money than the federal government on ads urging people to sign up for health insurance, reflecting conflicting attitudes toward the Affordable Care Act.
Obamacare: confusión abre la puerta a planes de salud “sospechosos”
Los promocionan como una alternativa económica a los planes de ACA. Pero expertos en mercados de seguros dudan sobre el tipo de cobertura que ofrecen.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Media outlets report on news from Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Connecticut, Minnesota and Florida.
Mysterious Bacterium Could Offer New Key Insights Into Fight Against Cancer
Scientists have discovered that a type of bacterium travels with some types of cancer as it spreads through the body, and that in those cases using an antibiotic actually slows the growth of cancer cells in mice. In other public health news: HIV guidelines, do-it-yourself gene editing kits, depression, tobacco, medical care for homeless, light therapy and more.
‘Recovery-Friendly’ Job Fair Offers Those Recovering From Opioid Addiction Another Chance
In New Hampshire, where unemployment rates are at record lows, employers struggle to find workers to fill positions. But a new effort sees a solution in one of the state’s other problems: the opioid epidemic. Also in the news, telemedicine’s role in helping curb the epidemic; what insurance companies cover in terms of opioids; the responsibility of hospitals for post-surgical patients; and more.
Notre Dame’s Reversal On Contraception Rules ‘Baffles’ Critics, But Reveals Complexities Of Issue
Catholic institutions have wrestled over how closely to adhere to their religious doctrine in the face of shifting governmental policies. In other women’s health news, a federal judge rules that a Texas law banning a common second-trimester abortion procedure is unconstitutional, and a restrictive law in Maine becomes the ACLU’s next target.
CMS’ Readmissions Policy: Are Patient Deaths The ‘Unintended Consequence’ Of This Quality Measure?
News outlets report that by linking quality scores to payments, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may have caused some facilities and providers to avoid patients who could ultimately make them look bad.
Hospitals Worry As They Face Growing Chasm In Medicare Reimbursements
For hospitals in non-urban areas and those with large numbers of Medicare patients, the gap between their costs and the reduced federal payments is becoming a serious concern. Also, time is growing short for Medicare beneficiaries to sign up for 2018 coverage.
Companies Seek Strength In Odd-Couple Partnerships In An Industry Defined By Upheaval
More and more, health companies are broadening their security and their reach by moving beyond their traditional boundaries. In other health industry news: electronic health records, medical-device companies and the cost of ambulance rides.
146 Lawmakers Press HHS To Roll Back Nursing Home Rules
Last year, federal officials implemented the first stage of new rules to improve care that won praise from advocates for residents. But the industry has complained that the regulations go too far. Also, in Kansas, the high use of anti-psychotics among nursing home residents is raising concerns, and in one county in Maryland nursing homes are working to make Asians feel their care is culturally sensitive.