Latest KFF Health News Stories
It’s Futile To Try To Stop Spread Of Zika, But Epidemic Will Burn Itself Out, Study Suggests
It has already shown signs of slowing down, and will likely grind to a halt within the next three years, researchers say.
In Effort To Fix Wait Times, VA Has Created Opportunity For Fraud, Critics Say
Critics say the current system reduces the evidence required to prove disability and prioritizes speedy processing over checking for fraudulent claims. In other news, veterans are being diagnosed with a brain injury they don’t have.
Medicare, FDA Officials Call For Medical Devices To Have ID Numbers On Billing Records
The numbers on devices such as heart defibrillators and hip and knee joints may help detect safety problems that develop with use and could provide for better value-based reimbursement based on device performance, advocates say.
Outdated Laws Allow Social Media Abuse In Nursing Homes To Run Rampant
Many state law regulating abuse against adults were updated before social media apps became the norm. Now, lawmakers are a step behind as the number of cases in which a nursing home resident is exploited online grows. Meanwhile, in Florida, the state has ordered an emergency shutdown of an assisted living facility for turning a “blind eye to the health” of its residents.
Some Democratic Senators Not Swayed By Calls For Public Option From Obama And Clinton
Senators from some conservative states say they aren’t sure that the proposal to add a government-run insurance plan is a good way to strengthen the health law. In other news, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) says he expects all the remaining insurance co-ops to fail, and outlets in Iowa and Texas look at local coverage issues.
Well This Is Awkward: Pence Draws Kudos From White House Over Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s expected pick for vice presidential running mate, expanded Medicaid in Indiana under the health law, but also pushed the program in a more conservative direction. Still, it counts as a win for the Obama administration. Also in the news, outlets look at Pence’s stances on public health and abortion and the Republicans’ more expansive health care message for the 2016 elections.
$161 Billion Health Spending Bill Approved By House Panel
The package is nearly $3 billion below the levels requested by President Barack Obama.
Congress Leaves For 7-Week Recess With Zika Funding Unresolved
Legislation to fund the battle against the virus was just one of several bills lawmakers punt to the fall.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Psychotherapists Gravitate Toward Those Who Can Pay
It goes back to the byzantine way health care — and health insurance — developed in the U.S. in the wake of World War II.
Los hispanos están menos preparados ante un desastre mayor en LA
Sólo el 38% de los hogares latinos tienen un plan ante un desastre, el porcentaje más bajo de cualquier grupo racial o étnico.
Hispanics Least Prepared For A Major Disaster In Los Angeles
Only 38 percent of Latino households have a disaster plan, the lowest of any ethnic or racial group.
Despite Opioid Concerns, Seniors Often Exit The Hospital With Prescription: Study
Researchers found that nearly 15 percent of seniors filled prescriptions for an opioid painkiller after leaving the hospital and of those, 42.5 percent had the order refilled later.
Viewpoints: Obama’s Assessment Of The Health Law; GOP And Drug Prices; Better Medicare
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Skip The Pain, Take The Epidural; What’s For Breakfast? Might As Well Be Dessert
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Outlets report on health news from California, Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, Minnesota, Texas and Florida.
Report: Health Care Has Vastly Improved Across U.S., But Progress Remains Uneven
The Commonwealth Fund has released a new scorecard on health systems across the U.S. Nationally, health care systems in Hawaii, the upper Midwest, New England and the San Francisco area generally performed better than systems in the South and West.
Public health developments related to skin cancer, superbugs, a link between kids’ sleep patterns and obesity, America’s lower birth rates and the risks of medical tourism also make the news.
AIDS Activist Brings Initiatives On Condoms, Drug Prices To Calif. Ballot
Michael Weinstein, the president of the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, is pouring millions into the campaigns to require actors in adult films to use condoms and cap the price state health programs pay for prescription drugs. In other news, New York is trying to bring innovative ideas to the effort to bring HIV under control.
Gene Linked To Alzheimer’s Affects Brain Development In Children, Study Finds
The findings, published Wednesday by the journal Neurology, suggest that it may be useful to think of Alzheimer’s as a developmental disorder. In other news, drugmakers are teaming up to more quickly develop treatments for the disease.