Latest KFF Health News Stories
Spat About Planned Parenthood Over, But There’s ‘Still Work To Be Done’ On Funding Bill
The new language, according to an aide, would enable a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Puerto Rico to access federal funding, as Democrats demand. However, some of the money provided for the Zika response will be offset, in return.
Rampant Use Of Powerful Antibiotics In Hospitals ‘Worrisome,’ CDC Says
The report shows that hospitals increasingly bypass weaker antibiotics that are considered the first line of defense in favor of more potent ones, even as the threat of resistance looms ever greater.
CDC Declares Victory Against Zika In Florida Neighborhood, Lifts Travel Advisory
No new cases of Zika have been reported in Wynwood since early August. The attention is now shifting to Miami Beach, where more mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus.
FDA Approves Muscular Dystrophy Drug Despite Fierce Internal Squabbling
The agency overturns its advisory committee in approving Sarepta’s drug, which is expected to cost an average of $300,000 a year. Some see the move as a dangerous precedent: “A decade from now, will we look back at this approval as a turning point when the FDA ceased to function as a public health agency?” says Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research.
La. Officials Say Several Hundred People Now Getting Life-Saving Treatment Through Medicaid
Louisiana health officials point to specific examples of treatment for breast cancer, diabetes and colon cancer screening to highlight Medicaid expansion efforts. In other news, the ACLU sues Colorado for its policy denying some Medicaid enrollees hepatitis C treatment, and insurers sue Pennsylvania over a Medicaid contract.
This Year, GOP Drops National Attacks On Health Law, Focuses Instead On Key Congressional Races
The Washington Post reports that Republicans are highlighting the withdrawal of several major insurers from health law online marketplaces and premium increases that will likely be announced just days before Election Day, especially in states with competitive Senate races. Also, a new study from the Urban Institute finds that unsubsidized policies in those online marketplaces are still cheaper than the full cost of employer-provided coverage.
First Edition: September 20, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Hitch Keeps Many High-Deductible Plans From Covering Chronic Care Up Front
IRS rules limit plans set up to link to health savings accounts from covering most care until the deductible is paid off, but proposed legislation would expand what’s allowed.
Kratom Defenders Fight Plan To Ban Herb Used By People In Recovery
The DEA plans to put the herbal supplement in the same legal category as heroin and LSD, but the agency has been surprised by the response of people who say it helps them stay off opioids.
FDA Approves First Drug To Treat Rare Form Of Muscular Dystrophy
The FDA, reacting to lobbying by patients and families, has approved a drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and lethal disease.
Viewpoints: Obamacare’s Good News; Rising Deductibles Changing Job-Based Insurance
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news from Michigan, California, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Home Health Companies Overbilled Massachusetts Medicaid, According To Audit
The companies are accused in the state audit of scores of violations in 2015, with some allegedly overcharging by millions of dollars, the Boston Globe reports. Also, West Virginia officials report on savings on inmates’ hospitalization costs through Medicaid, and Wisconsin health officials request an increase Medicaid spending.
Looming Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Prompts Unprecedented Meeting At UN
Scientists are hopeful that any resolution coming from the high-level meeting will provide advocates with ammunition: “It gives people and organizations a hammer to hit them on the head to say, ‘You agreed to this and you are not doing it,’” says Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the Washington-based Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy.
Study Linking ADD To Suicide In Young Children May Prompt New Prevention Strategy
Prevention has typically focused on depression, but for children under 12, attention deficit disorder is a bigger factor, a new study finds. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe looks at the high rate of depression and suicide among veterinarians.
Biden: Cancer ‘Moonshot’ Work Not Just A Passing Phase
The vice president talks with Stat about his lifelong commitment to improve cancer research, “cancer politics” and more.
Alternative PTSD Therapies Gain Popularity Over Traditional Treatment
Many veterans who have given up on medication or exposure therapy find solace in activities such as scuba diving and yoga. Meanwhile, Reveal has launched a series looking back on the VA scandal and what happened after it all came to light.
Feds Mull Rules To Criminalize Paying Bone-Marrow Donors Amid Exploitation Concerns
Some say technology has evolved enough to cut back on the biggest risks involved in the process, though.
Tough New Medical Research Rules Strive For Clarity In Previously ‘Opaque’ World
The new rules are designed to make it easier for researchers to understand what experiments must be included in the federal database. “This has been a very opaque world up until to now,” Food and Drug Commissioner Robert Califf said. “These are tremendous changes.”
Insurers Are Often Chastised For Poor Service But Some Are Working To Improve Reputations
Modern Healthcare looks at consumers’ frustrations with their insurance companies. Meanwhile, the rate of uninsured falls to an all-time low in Massachusetts, and Republicans on Capitol Hill gear up to fight any efforts to give insurers extra money for health law programs.