Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Overdosing At A Red Robin: Opioid Abuse No Longer Just On Fringes Of Society
“What does that tell you, the death in the mall?” says Luke Nasta, the director of an addiction treatment center, of a recent overdose on Staten Island. “It’s part of mainstream society.” In other news, the White House’s drug czar, who has had his own troubles in the past, speaks with Politico about combating substance abuse in the country.
Japanese Scientist Awarded Nobel Prize In Medicine For Work With Cells
Yoshinori Ohsumi’s work has led to key understandings about how cells adapt in response to stresses such as starvation and infection, which could help with the treatment of such diseases as cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Feds Approve Arizona Plan To Revamp Medicaid, But Reject Several Key Provisions
The changes proposed by Gov. Doug Ducey include establishing a requirement that the low-income residents on the Medicaid program contribute to an account to help pay for services such as dental and vision care. The federal government, however, rejected the governor’s request to institute a requirement that Medicaid enrollees look for work and that they be limited to five years of coverage.
House Republicans Call For Medicare To Halt Bundled Payment Reforms
At the crux of the GOP complaints is the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, an agency established by the health law to find ways to save Medicare money. The letter specifically mentioned two bundled payment programs, one for knee and hip replacement surgeries and the other for cardiac bypass surgeries and heart attacks. It also criticizes the agency’s proposal to change reimbursements for drugs administered in doctors’ offices.
Pence Key To Wooing Once-Skittish Anti-Abortion Leaders Back To Trump
“[Mike Pence is] just rock-solid on the issue of life, and no one will ever doubt his integrity on the issue or his willingness to lead on the issue,” says Penny Nance, chief executive of Concerned Women for America.
Drugmakers, Under Scrutiny, Find Scapegoat For Prices In Form Of Pharmacy-Benefit Managers
Pharmaceutical execs say high prices aren’t their fault; instead it’s the system that allows PBMs to benefit from the rebates they negotiate. Meanwhile, The Associated Press talks to the chief medical officer of Express Scripts, the largest pharmacy benefit management organization in the United States.
Desperate Local Officials Hungry For Newly Approved Zika Funds
During Congress’ months-long battle, local health departments had to beg and borrow money to cover their Zika response efforts. Now they might finally be able to get some help. In other news, the CDC warns that men exposed to Zika should wait at least six months before trying to have a child, a study finds that complications for children who contract the virus after birth are rare, and more stories.
Avoiding Medical Bill Mistakes
The Associated Press offers strategies to avoid paying health care bills that include errors. Also in the news, how getting a flu shot can help one’s pocketbook.
Insurance Industry’s Courting Of State Officials Raises Concerns
A Center for Public Integrity investigation finds strong ties between some state insurance commissioners and the industry they regulate. Other outlets report on insurance industry news, including updates on the proposed merger between Anthem and Cigna, a New Jersey case about Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield, high-deductible plans and military coverage for transgender services.
Health Law’s Future Post-Obama Depends On Ability To Evolve
Even supporters say it has structural and technical problems. And both presidential candidates have made clear they would seek to change at least some aspects of the law. In other news, the administration gives up the fight over bare-bones plans, and Minnesota’s insurance regulator sounds the alarm on the state’s marketplace.
First Edition: October 3, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.