Latest KFF Health News Stories
Troops Who Have Been Wounded Are Being Discharged For Misconduct At Increasingly High Rate
A Government Accountability Office report finds that the Army often failed to conduct required screenings for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries before discharging soldiers.
Montana’s Special Election May Be Early Litmus Test For Potential Fallout From Health Care Turmoil
President Donald Trump won the state by 20 points, but will all the shake-up over Republicans’ attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act sway voters?
6.3M People With Preexisting Conditions Could Face Higher Premiums Under GOP Health Plan
Republicans say the provision would not affect many people because insurers could only charge patients more if their coverage lapsed for 63 consecutive days. It turns out that’s not as rare as it may seem. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) refuses to promise he’ll keep the House’s tax cuts in the upper chamber’s bill, the idea of more generous subsidies is in play, and a look at why Maine’s high-risk pool was actually successful while others have failed.
A Look At The Senator Leading The Shadow Group Of Moderates Working On Their Own Plan
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has extensive background in public health,and he — along with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) — also has a plan for a bipartisan measure that looks nothing like the bill that made it through the House.
Who’s To Blame For Premium Spikes This Year? Well, There’s Enough To Go Around
Insurers are still trying to overcome financial difficulties they’ve had under the Affordable Care Act, but uncertainty on the future of the marketplace due to turmoil in Washington, D.C., hasn’t helped either. Meanwhile, even if President Donald Trump follows through on his threats to stop the “insurer bailouts,” it could actually make plans more affordable.
Do Best-Selling Drugs That Calm Stomachs Damage Kidneys? The Answer’s Unclear.
With flawed systems for tracking the side effects of prescription drugs, a link between proton pump inhibitors and kidney disease suggested by research cannot be proven. Patients who swear by the drugs hope it won’t be.
Note To Readers: First Edition will not be published tomorrow while we conduct staff activity to allow us to improve KHN for our readers. We’ll be back in your inbox on May 19.
Secret Sauce In Maine’s Successful High-Risk Pool: Enough Money
Before the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges began, Maine had an “invisible high-risk pool” in place. Republican lawmakers are pointing to it as a success — but it was better funded by a vast margin than the high-risk pools in the House replacement bill.
Report: Congressional Ethics Office Probing Rep. Chris Collins’ Aussie Investment
The Buffalo News reports the Buffalo, N.Y.-area Republican has drawn inquiries from the Office of Congressional Ethics related to his investment in Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics.
Quiz: Help Us Take The Pulse Of Our Readers
Even the most exalted among us realize health care policy is complicated. Here’s a pop quiz to see what you have learned as a regular reader of Kaiser Health News.
Viewpoints: ‘Biomedical Ecosystem’ Requires Care; How Smart Phones Could Revolutionize Medical Care
A selection of public health opinions from around the country.
Opinion writers and stake holders offer their takes on the current health policy debate.
Media outlets report on news from Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, Wisconsin, Texas, Kansas, California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ohio and Florida.
Up To 59 Percent Of Nursing Home Residents Could Be ‘Colonized’ With Superbugs
The group is particularly susceptible to the dangerous germs. In other public health news: pesticides, sunscreen, teeth, c-sections, genetic testing and more.
With Opioid Crisis Continuing To Escalate Cherokee Nation Takes Drug Distributors To Court
This first-of-its-kind lawsuit takes on companies such as CVS Health, Walgreens and Wal-Mart and alleges that they did not properly monitor prescription drugs. Meanwhile, New York health officials have issued new warnings for the western part of the state regarding a weekend spike in overdose deaths associated with various drug combinations of fentanyl.
Experts Race To Patch Vulnerable Health Networks Following Massive International Cyberattack
Some medical devices were infected, but primarily the latest attack reinforced the need to correct any weaknesses in medical cybersecurity systems.
Texas May Become Litmus Test For Banning Medicaid Funds For Planned Parenthood
After refusing federal Medicaid money so that it could ban Planned Parenthood from its family planning program, Texas is asking for the money back. If it’s granted, it could be a green light for other states to do the same.
Drugmakers Would Be Required To Notify HHS, Justify Price Hikes Under New Bill
The companies would have to provide manufacturing, R&D, marketing costs, as well as net profits associated with the drugs. In other pharmaceutical news, consolidation and how it’s led to higher drug prices; direct-to-consumer ads and their role in pushing drugs; and what happens when a patient’s body turns against the drugs trying to save them.
For Medicaid Enrollees In Maine, Concerns Grow About Possible Cuts In Funding
Families that depend on the federal-state health care program for low-income residents fear that changes championed by congressional Republicans could undermine coverage, especially for people with disabilities and seniors who need long-term care. Also, Illinois officials are preparing to shake up which companies provide managed care services for the state’s Medicaid program.
Former Insurance Executive Details How Companies ‘Rigged’ Medicare Payments
In an interview with The New York Times, former UnitedHealthcare official Benjamin Poehling talks about his allegations that Medicare Advantage plans would list patients as very sick to get better federal payments. In other Medicare news, some groups representing health care providers are asking federal officials to give more consideration to the process of removing Social Security numbers from Medicare ID cards and John Oliver uses his show to skewer a dialysis provider.