Latest KFF Health News Stories
California Doctors Grappling With Ethical Burden Of Aid-In-Dying Law
The legislation goes into effect June 9, but the measure is voluntary and not all doctors are willing to participate in ending a patient’s life. How it plays could set the trend for the rest of the country.
Group: The People Who Could Fix NIH Are Being Used As Scapegoats For Its Safety Problems
An advisory group of patients and officials is asking the National Institutes of Health director to rethink his decision to demote top leaders at the hospital, saying the blame for its problem has been misplaced. In other news, officials say a California hospital broke the law by not reporting an outbreak caused by dirty scopes.
Research Roundup: Conflicts Of Interest; Drug Resistant Bacteria; Medicaid For Prisoners
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Abortion Clinic Owners Challenge Location, Procedure Bans
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley last month signed into law a ban on abortion clinics within 2,000 feet of public K-8 schools. He also approved a ban of a second-trimester abortion procedure known as dilation & evacuation. Elsewhere, abortion advocates and opponents debated in front of the Louisiana governor’s mansion and a clinic in Virginia remains under suspension.
Schemes By Md., Pa. Providers Defrauded Medicaid Of Millions Of Dollars: Courts
A Maryland couple has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty by a jury of fraudulent D.C. Medicaid claims of more than $80 million. In Pennsylvania, a former hospice manager pleads guilty to false Medicare and Medicaid billing.
North Carolina Medicaid Poised To Change With Reform Plan Pitched To Feds
Ahead of anticipated negotiations over the proposal, North Carolina Health News examines the state’s Medicaid budget surplus.
Gov’t Panel Urges Medicare To Find Ways To Make Hearing Loss Treatment More Affordable
A prestigious advisory panel recommended that other government agencies take steps to make better hearing more possible for older Americans.
DOJ Won’t Contest Fired VA Official’s Challenge, But Will Fight Against Her Reinstatement
Sharon Helman argues in court papers that a key portion of a 2014 law passed in response to the wait-time scandal is unconstitutional. Lawmakers are not pleased with the Department of Justice’s “reckless” decision not to defend that part of the law. In other news, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ proposal to expand nurses’ scope of practice could draw professionals to a sector that struggles with shortages.
StemExpress Accused Of ‘Systematic Violations’ By Head Of House’s Fetal Tissue Special Panel
The panel outlines its privacy and ethics charges in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, urging the feds to investigate the company’s fetal tissue transfers. In other news from Capitol Hill, lawmakers discuss adding the mental health bill to reconciliation on opioid legislation.
Fact Checker: Trump’s Mixed Up Obamacare Calendar
The Associated Press looks at Donald Trump’s claims that the administration plans to keep consumers in the dark about premium increases for 2017 until after the election.
Solicitor General Who Won Landmark Obamacare Case Stepping Down
Donald Verrilli Jr.’s two most important wins will most likely be remembered as the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, and its decision last year declaring a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
As Baby Boomers Age, Concerns About The Strain On Family Caregivers Deepen
About 40 million U.S. family caregivers provided unpaid care, valued at $470 billion, to an adult with limitations on daily activities in 2013. And those numbers are only going to increase. In other public health news, a needle-stealing scare highlights health system vulnerabilities and young people are not being tested for STDs.
A Stigma With Life And Death Consequences: Doctors Not Looking Past Patients’ Weight
Even when obese patients turn to their provider for concerns not related to their weight, it can seem that’s all the doctor cares about. Eventually, tired of hearing the same advice, they stop going to the appointments. And that can have fatal consequences.
Dems On Zika Funding: ‘We’re Not Going To Stop Talking About It Until We Get Some Money’
They will try to force a vote in the Senate next week, Sen. Harry Reid says. In other news, researchers say it is possible for Zika to be transferred via oral sex, the surgeon general talks about the need for proper funding to curb the spread of the virus, and an American athlete considers pulling out of the Olympics.
Prince Died From Fentanyl Overdose
The music icon’s death shines a spotlight on an epidemic that’s ravaging the country.
A Silver Lining In Lower ACA Exchange Enrollment?
In other health law news, The Hill reports on a Commonwealth Fund study concluding that many insurers still see opportunities in the marketplace. News outlets also report on related developments in Florida, North Carolina and Delaware.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers Of Clues To Opioid Epidemic
Deaths from opioid overdoses are on the rise, and we know that because of data on death certificates. States determine who fills them out and what information they record. And that can vary widely.
Young People At Risk For STDs Often Don’t Get Tested: Study
A CDC survey of teens and young adults finds that nearly half who have had sex but not been tested for disease believe they are not at risk. Yet young people account for half of all new sexually transmitted infections.
Prince Died Of Accidental Fentanyl Overdose, Medical Examiner Says
The day before his death, Prince was treated by a local doctor for withdrawal symptoms from opioid addiction.