Latest KFF Health News Stories
On Hot-Button Issues, Doctors Don’t Keep Politics Out Of Exam Room
A new study finds that on certain topics — like abortion, marijuana use and gun control — physicians’ political views influence how they treat their patients.
800 Disabled Children In Texas Likely To Lose Therapy Services As Medicaid Cuts Begin
State lawmakers cut $350 million from the Medicaid budget for children’s therapy services, and state officials are having trouble finding care providers who will accept the lower reimbursement rates. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in Kansas, Louisiana and Arizona.
Tenet Hospitals To Pay $514M Over Kickback Scheme Involving Pregnant Women
The agreement settles an investigation into four Tenet hospitals over alleged payments to a prenatal clinic operator for obstetric referrals of low-income patients in Georgia and South Carolina. The Tenet hospitals were charged with defrauding Medicaid for the deliveries.
Sending Zika Money To The States Could Still Take Months
Health officials unveil the plan for distributing the $1.1 billion Congress approved last week after months of political stalemate. The delay hurt efforts to combat the virus, an Obama administration official says.
House Panel Demands More Information From Mylan In Light Of Tax Omissions
Committee leaders have asked for documents including all of those related to EpiPen sales, profits, costs, manufacturing and distribution of the product; to the CEO’s preparation for the committee hearing; documents about Mylan’s tax rates since 2007; and more.
Millennials Seen As Antidote To Health Law Woes, But They’re Not Interested In Being Its Saviors
The Obama administration is actively targeting young adults who have not enrolled in the exchanges in the numbers needed to balance out the costlier older population. Meanwhile, the president talks about his signature law’s “real problems,” but says they’re fixable with help from Congress.
If Clinton Wins, Insurers Will Come Out ‘Guns-A-Blazin’ Against Public Option
Insurers hate the public option that Hillary Clinton has been touting on the campaign trail.
Advocates: Trump’s Comments About Strength Of Vets With PTSD ‘Dangerous’
“The biggest barrier we have to people getting help is the stigma of getting help,” says Zach Iscol, a Marine veteran and executive director of the nonprofit Headstrong Project. “It just shows a complete misunderstanding of what post-traumatic stress disorder is.”
First Edition: October 4, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
When The Blues Won’t Let You Be
Treatment-resistant depression, particularly common among seniors, can raise the risk of suicide and lead to a loss of independence.
Health Law Targets Women’s Preventive Services, But It Offers Help To Men, Too
A number of preventive services used by both men and women are now available at no cost to consumers.
When Pretend Play Is Real For Alzheimer’s Patients
Playing with dolls is good therapy for some elderly people with dementia. They may think the dolls are real babies, but does it matter?
Viewpoints: Health Costs At Home And Abroad; Candidates’ Health Policy Details; VA And Suicides
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
State Ballot Initiatives, Policy Issues Draw Editorial Page Attention
News outlets offer perspectives on pending ballot questions.
Positive And Negative Takes On Obamacare’s Future
Opinion writers express varying thoughts on the health law’s implementation.
Outlets report on health news from California, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Kansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa and Michigan.
Pilot Program Uses Telemedicine To Treat Appalachia’s Painkiller Addiction Crisis
In other health IT news, a California medical center is using a federal grant to implement a telehealth program to manage patient care. And the medical data of about 5,000 patients in California may have been lost due to a technical glitch.
Outbreak In California Highlights Dangers Of Water Used In Dental Procedures
Officials say 25 cases of bacterial infection have been linked to a dental clinic in Orange County, Calif., after the children received baby root canals.
Games’ Promises Of A Better Brain Lack Scientific Backing, Exhaustive Analysis Finds
Brain games do help users get better at a certain task, but they show no real benefit in overall cognitive improvement. In other public health news, millions of Americans are struggling with treatment-resistant depression and a MacArthur genius’s work with microbes could lead to a better understanding of diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
An Artificial Pancreas: The $1M Challenge That Just Came To Fruition
In 2004, a millionaire investor challenged the JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, to develop an artificial pancreas. The organization jumped on it.