Latest KFF Health News Stories
U.S. Forms Trans-Atlantic Partnership In Effort To Stem Tide Of Superbugs
The Department of Health and Human Services will invest $250 million into CARB-X, the initiative to foster development of drugs that will target antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Two Fla. Counties Asked To Stop Collecting Blood Due To Possible ‘Home-Grown’ Zika Cases
The Food and Drug Administration has asked blood centers in Miami and Fort Lauderdale to suspend blood donations during the investigation into the four cases that may not be linked to travel outside the country.
Despite Democrats’ Previous Pharma Criticism, Convention Is A Schoomze Extravaganza For Industry
Curbing high drug prices is a popular topic on the campaign trail, but industry lobbyists weren’t feeling the heat at the Democratic National Convention this week. Meanwhile, now that the general election is officially on, The Hill looks at what to expect out of the candidates’ health care policies.
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Court Decision Leaves Undocumented Immigrants’ Health Care Options In Limbo
Deportation-relief programs would have meant access to subsidized health care.
Study: 30 Percent Of Children’s Readmissions To Hospitals May Be Preventable
In more than three-quarters of the cases that researchers said might have been preventable, factors at the hospital contributed to the child’s return, according to the researchers.
Seniors Who Live Alone Likeliest To Rate Their Health Highly, Study Says
Researchers say their study suggests solitary households may be markers for older adults in better health and with more functional independence.
Viewpoints: Despite Good News, Anthem May Have Worries; Health Care And Partisanship
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Treating Addiction; An Ex-Con’s Biotech Venture; And Oscar Takes On Patient Choice
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Outlets report on health news from Massachusetts, Louisiana, Tennessee, Michigan and Maryland.
UPMC Pays $2.5M To Settle Overbilling Charges In Federal Whistleblower Lawsuit
In other news, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center moves forward in its plan to develop closer ties with two other hospitals, Pennsylvania’s Riddle Hospital receives a $16 million gift and a Florida malpractice case raises questions about the business of medicine.
Alabama Governor Proposes Lottery To Help Fund Medicaid, Other State Services
Gov. Robert Bentley will call the legislature into a special session to consider the plan. Also, a report finds that profits rose for Michigan’s Medicaid managed care plans.
As Superbug Threat Looms, Scientists Discover New Antibiotic In Human Nose
The new antibiotic can kill MRSA, the poster child for drug resistance and the culprit behind the most pernicious hospital-acquired staph infections.
Two More Possible ‘Home-Grown’ Zika Cases Spark Concerns Virus Is Spreading
Officials still do not expect a widespread outbreak in the continental U.S., but Florida is particularly vulnerable to the virus because of its climate.
Hour Of Exercise Can Make Up For Health Hazards Of Sitting All Day
A new study calculates a formula — 30 minutes of exercise for every 4 hours of inactivity — that can lower the risk of an early death from a sedentary lifestyle. In other public health news, the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ actually helped those with ALS, doctors tackle the question of what happens to the brain while a patient is under hypnosis and more stories.
In Midst Of Opioid Crisis, Quietly Passed Law Relaxes Rules For Drug Companies
Critics of the legislation say it takes pressure off companies to detect and report drugs flowing to the black market. In other news, after fatal overdoses, advocates say dealers should face punishment, the use of an elephant sedative that’s 100 times as potent as fentanyl is spreading and Ohio’s attorney general says law enforcement officers should be protected from field testing street drugs.
Vertex’s Cystic Fibrosis Drug On Track To Become ‘Blockbuster’ In Its First Year
The sales from Orkambi helped the company narrow its second-quarter losses. In other pharmaceutical news, Brexit is a mixed bag for GlaxoSmithKline and Teva wins approval to purchase Allergan’s generics business.
Highly Anticipated Alzheimer’s Drug Fails Final Trial Stage, But Glimmer Of Hope Remains
The drug, called LMTX, was no more effective for most people than a sugar pill, but did work for a small subset of patients.
‘Affordability, Affordability, Affordability’: Clinton Allies Eye Health Costs As Top Priority
At the Democratic National Convention, some of Hillary Clinton’s top supporters are talking about spiking health care costs as the next step in reform. Meanwhile, as abortion remains at the forefront of convention conversation, the Los Angeles Times looks at the states where the biggest battles are being fought.
Insurers In Maryland, Pennsylvania Seek Rate Increases
In Maryland, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield tells state regulators that it misjudged in its earlier 12-percent increase request and now wants to increase rates by at least 27 percent. In Pennsylvania, insurers say double-digit increases are needed because costs are going up.