Latest KFF Health News Stories
It’s In The Water: The Debate Over Fluoridation Lives On
Though fluoride has been added to water for decades, grass-roots opposition still pops up in towns and cities around the country.
Election Buzz: A Look At Brain Science As 5 States Vote On Legalizing Pot
Recreational marijuana is on the ballot in five states in November. What do we know about pot’s effects on the brain?
Tobacco Tax Ballot Measure Would Fund Health Care For California’s Poor — But How?
The state tax would boost the Medi-Cal budget by millions, but it’s unclear how the money will be distributed. And that’s by design.
Viewpoints: Obama Needs To Lead On Cures Act; Pricing Drugs To Value; Preventing Alzheimer’s
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Hospital-Employed Doctors; Community Health Center Services For Kids
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Outlets report on health news from Texas, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Florida, Ohio, Connecticut, Wisconsin and Tennessee.
Colorado Sued For Restricting Medicaid Access To Hepatitis C Drugs
The state’s Medicaid program allows coverage for the medications to enrollees only with the most advanced stages of liver disease. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in Alabama and Arkansas.
Supreme Court Weighing Whether To Take Case On Faith-Based Health Firms’ Pension Plans
Under federal law, companies must fully insure and fund their pension plans, but religious organizations are exempted from the requirements. Dignity Health and some other faith-based organizations are seeking a similar exemption, but dozens of lawsuits from employee groups have been filed. Also, news about hospital mergers, initiatives and studies.
Public Health Roundup: Obesity Epidemic Hurts American Longevity; Unsafe ‘Safe’ Food
Other public health developments related to good gut bacteria, treating breast cancer in pregnant women, Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks and the Mark Zuckerberg disease initiative make headlines.
Mothers Who Are Addicted Face Gut-Wrenching Choice: ‘Lose Our Kids Or Save Our Lives’
The struggles that come with treating an addiction are amplified for women who have children. Meanwhile, discarded drug needles that litter Methadone Mile in Boston paint the picture of heroin and opioid abuse in the city, two are indicted in Ohio for dealing drugs laced with an animal tranquilizer and more news about the opioid crisis.
Doctor Speaks Out In Attempt To Atone For Lying Under Oath To Protect Colleague
“I did it because there was a cultural attitude I was immersed in: You viewed all attorneys as a threat and anything that you did was OK to thwart their efforts to sue your colleagues,” Dr. Lars Aanning says in an interview with ProPublica. Aanning broke his silence over what he’d done decades earlier partly to give an explicit example of why physician testimony can’t be trusted in court.
Investors Flock To Gene-Editing Tool, Even Though No One Knows Who Owns It Yet
Crispr-Cas9 is embroiled in a high-stakes patent dispute for control over groundbreaking technology that can cut DNA and make repairs or changes to genes. But that hasn’t stopped companies from launching development programs that would use the tool.
35 States Sue Opioid-Maker Over Its Alleged Tactics For Keeping Generic Version Off Market
The lawsuit claims that Indivior persuaded the FDA to approve a dissolvable strip version of their drug by raising concerns that the tablet posed high exposure risks to children. Even though the agency rejected the claims, by the time the generics hit the marketplace, many patients had already switched over.
For Pharma, 9.9 Percent May Be Magic Number For Price Hikes On Drugs
Sliding in just below 10 percent lets pharmaceutical companies fly under the radar of regulators watching for double-digit increases. In other industry news, companies are freeze-drying drugs for long-distance transport, Rite Aid’s sales come in below expectations and new drugs may hold the key to treating migraines.
Flint Becomes Sticking Point In Congressional Funding Battle
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled a measure that includes $1.1 billion in funding for Zika, but Democrats immediately rejected the bill because it lacks money to address the Flint water crisis.
GOP: HHS Can’t Employ ‘Sue-And-Settle Scheme’ For Insurers Seeking Compensation For Losses
Republicans became worried after a Sept. 9 memo on 2015 risk corridor payments showed that HHS was open to discussing resolution of the lawsuits from insurers. The program was designed to help insurers that suffer losses on the ACA exchanges by giving them payments from other insurers that did well on the new business.
20 Million Would Lose Coverage Under Trump’s Health Plan, Analysis Finds
The Commonwealth Fund study also found that 9 million would gain coverage under Hillary Clinton’s proposals.
First Edition: September 23, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In Arizona, Health Law’s Gains And Losses Play In Presidential Race
Clinton has offered detailed plans to preserve and expand the law, while Trump has vowed to “repeal and replace Obamacare so quickly.”
Remember The ‘Public Option’? Insurance Commissioner Wants To Try It In California
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says a publicly run health plan would bolster competition in the state. But some question whether it would lower premiums.