Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: October 18, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Are Blues’ Plans Benefiting Unfairly From Program To Offset Cost Of Sicker Patients?
Other insurers complain that Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have bloated overhead costs and reap too much from the Obamacare risk-adjustment fund, paid for by insurers. The companies deny it.
7 Insurers Alleged To Use Skimpy Drug Coverage To Discourage HIV Patients
The plans sought to discourage costly HIV patients by not including their drug needs in formularies or requiring high cost sharing, a Harvard Law School group says in a complaint filed with HHS.
Staying Out Of The Closet In Old Age
Many aging gays and lesbians who have lived openly for decades are finding that the world of assisted living and nursing homes can be decidedly less accommodating.
Scarcity Of Mental Health Care Means Patients — Especially Kids — Land In ER
Research released by the American College of Emergency Physicians highlights how gaps in mental health care play out in the emergency room with longer stays and difficulties in securing follow-up care.
Viewpoints: Evidence In Support Of Medicaid Expansion; Too Much Reporting On Quality?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news from Colorado, Tennessee, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio and Florida.
News outlets report on the latest developments related to hospitals in Maryland, California, New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio and Indiana.
12 People Charged In $100M Health Fraud Involving Pharmacies And Military Health System
Federal prosecutors in Texas say the defendants allegedly sold soldiers expensive compounded products like pain and scar creams that were not needed.
In 2006, Christine Grounds gave birth to her son Nicholas, who was diagnosed with microcephaly. The costs and difficulties of raising a child with the disease changed the course of their family’s life.
All Eyes Are On California To See If Raising Smoking Age Lives Up To ‘Life-Saving’ Promises
It’s too early to tell if the measure to raise the smoking age to 21 will have lasting health benefits.
New Generation Of Sperm Tests Aim To Feed ‘Big Hunger’ For Information On Male Infertility
The traditional sperm tests don’t actually reveal much, especially when it comes to men who have normal sperm counts yet can’t conceive. In other public health news, the election is causing stress for many Americans, a look at if hydration therapy actually works, research finds wearables become less accurate with more vigorous exercise and more.
Marking 100 Years: Planned Parenthood Says Its Resolve Has Only Strengthened
Opponents decry the celebration as a “tragic milestone.”
Health System Scrambles To Meet Transgender Patients’ Needs
Hospitals and professional schools have begun training employees and students on transgender medicine, but struggles still remain.
Potential Fallout From Calif. Ballot Initiative Has Pharma Sweating The Elections
A measure to curb drug prices, from such an influential state, could create a ripple effect for the industry that threatens its current status quo. Meanwhile, Valeant announces more price increases.
With New Drug To Help Addicts, Pharma Companies Chase Profits From Opioid Epidemic
The pharmaceutical industry has taken to treating secondary symptoms of opioid abuse with more pills. Meanwhile, even as the U.S. tries to regulate the trade of chemicals used to make fentanyl, a new, extremely potent drug is hitting the streets.
Concerns About Health Plans’ Choices And Costs Grow As Enrollment Season Nears
The health law’s marketplaces will open Nov. 1 for customers to buy 2017 coverage, and many people are worried about steep increases in premiums and deductibles and the prospects of having to change plans. Also, a look at the varied experiences of insurers serving those marketplaces.
Biden To Push Lame-Duck Congress For Cancer ‘Moonshot’ Funding
The vice president will deliver his final report, outlining the challenges that face cancer researchers in its goal to make a decade’s worth of progress against the disease in just five years.
Administration Finalizes Medicare Rules Tying Bonuses, Penalties To Doctors’ Performance
An early draft of the rule sparked an outcry from physician groups that feared doctors in small medical practices would suffer under the new formula, but Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services officials sought to allay those concerns by making it easy to avoid penalties in the first year.
Frustration Runs Deep For Customers Forced To Change Marketplace Plans Routinely
Doctor and hospital switching is a recurring scramble for these consumers who face rising premiums and plan exits.