Latest KFF Health News Stories
Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Immunotherapy Drug Opdivo Falls Short In Clinical Trials
The trial was designed to broaden the use of this promising cancer drug. Meanwhile, AbbVie and Amgen clash over Humira copy.
Without Final Rules, Mass. Long-Term Care Insurance Costs Continue To Rise
News outlets are also covering trends including the business model in which insurers hire doctors to save money and improve patients’ health outcomes while a start-up sees potential in providing a service to help consumers read the fine print on medical bills.
Judge Hands Off Anthem-Cigna Case In Order To Speed Process
Meanwhile, Cigna’s CEO says he still supports the mega-merger but also talks about his Plan B — stock buybacks or acquisitions — if the deal comes undone,
How Indiana’s Worst Public Health Crisis In Years Swayed Pence’s Needle-Exchange Stance
In 2015, HIV was burning a path through the state and experts told Gov. Mike Pence the only hope was to lift a ban on needle exchanges. He resisted, but then changed his mind.
In Conn., If Commissions End, Brokers Say They’ll Exit Obamacare Exchanges
In other news, Modern Healthcare reports that fixes to the marketplaces are increasingly inevitable as large insurers send the message that, without changes, they will leave the exchanges.
Rule Aims To Curb Huge Out-Of-Pocket Costs For Patients Kept In ‘Observation Status’
Because the patients are never fully admitted to the hospital, Medicare will refuse to pay the sometimes astronomical costs of their nursing home stays. Now patients will have to be made aware of the loophole. The notices are expected to begin in January. Also in the news, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell’s thoughts on value-based payments, stories about the program’s new drug plan, an update on the Massachusetts “boondoogle” and a breakdown of the star ratings for New Hampshire hospitals.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California Doctors And Hospitals Tussle Over Role Of Nurse-Midwives
Legislation that would allow nurse-midwives to practice independently is mired in a dispute about whether hospitals should be allowed to hire them.
Doctors Need A New Skill Set For This Opioid Abuse Treatment
Practicing surgery on a piece of pork — that’s how some doctors are learning to implant a new drug that curbs opioid cravings. It’s not a skill set typically used in addiction medicine.
Viewpoints: Zika And The Reluctant Congress; Better Ways To Pay For Hospital Care
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Limited Health Plan Networks; Analyzing Marketplace Premium Increases
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Punishment For Scientific Misdeeds Could Escalate Beyond Shame And Ostracism
Very few scientists face criminal punishment for fabricating research, as it’s often seen as a victimless crime, but public sentiment could be changing.
Studies On Kids Frequently Go Unpublished, Creating Gaping Hole In Medical Literature
One reason so many studies on children aren’t published may be that scientists didn’t get the results they were hoping for, but experts say failed results are just as important for science.
Outlets report on health news from Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Iowa, North Carolina, Minnesota, Texas, Missouri and New Jersey.
Kansas Lawmakers Press Officials, Contractor On Medicaid Application Backlog
As legislators express frustration, state officials report that the list of people waiting more than 45 days has been whittled down from nearly 11,000 to about 3,500. Outlets also report on Medicaid issues in Iowa, Alabama and Florida.
GOP Governor Labeled ‘Traitor’ After Signing Abortion, Birth Control Bills
The measures, signed by Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, extend insurance coverage for nearly all contraceptives and require physicians who won’t perform abortions to provide information on where the patient can receive one. Media outlets also offer stories on abortion out of Texas and Ohio.
Illinois Health System Agrees To $5.55 Million Settlement Over Data Breach
The settlement HHS reached with Advocate Health Care Network is the largest ever by a single company for potential violations of the federal patient privacy law.
Hospital Customer Surveys Creating Powerful Incentive To Prescribe Opioids, Some Worry
Surveys asking patients about their experience also include a question about how their doctor helped manage their pain. But in the midst of a raging opioid crisis, some think it’s creating pressure on the providers to get the best ratings possible. Meanwhile, insurance rules make it tough for patients to get a drug that helps ease cravings.
Orphan Drugs’ Transformation From Neglected Niche To Tantalizing Moneymaker
Critics are worried that a law that was originally created as an incentive for the industry to develop drugs to treat rare diseases has backfired, because it offers companies a period of market exclusivity that prevents competition.
N.C. Democrats Take Aim At Sen. Burr’s Plans To Revise Medicare, Social Security
Republican Sen. Richard Burr’s rival, former Democratic state legislator Deborah Ross, accuses the senator of writing “his own plan to privatize Medicare and give it to the insurance companies.” Burr’s spokesman says the senator has always voted to protect retirees.