Latest KFF Health News Stories
California Hospitals Give Millions In Support Of Tax Measure
The Associated Press reports that the tax proposal would raise between $5 billion and $11 billion a year. Much of the money would be earmarked for education and health care. News outlets also report on hospital deals and mergers in Michigan and Illinois, as well as other hospital-related news from Massachusetts, Maryland and Minnesota.
Lead Concerns Raised In Communities In Nevada And Michigan
Meanwhile, NPR reports on the history of how lead usage became so common.
HPV Vaccination Rates ‘Dismally Low And Very Alarming’
Despite states’ efforts, parents and doctors aren’t embracing the life-saving vaccine.
As Opioid Epidemic Escalates, Focus Turns To Once-Obscure ‘Sober Homes’
The homes provide a substance-free, supervised setting for recovering addicts. However, some worry there is little regulation over them. “The ones that are good are fantastic,” says Pam Rodriguez, CEO of Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities. But she also cautions that there are “people exploiting the vulnerability of the population and their desperation to find a safe place to live.”
Billionaire Investor Donating $275M To Create Free Mental Health Clinics For Veterans
Steven A. Cohen is seeking to open 25 clinics by 2020 serving a total of more than 25,000 patients a year. In other news, a report finds manipulated wait times at VA hospitals in New Hampshire and Vermont, and veterans in Michigan will be able to use the Veterans Choice Program to get care at Ascension Michigan locations in the state.
Backlash Swells Over Indiana Abortion Ban
The legislation, signed by Gov. Mike Pence last month, bans abortions sought because of genetic abnormalities, race or gender. Activists have been flooding his office with calls and plan a more formal rally for this weekend. Elsewhere, media outlets report on abortion news from Louisiana, Florida and Oregon.
MedStar Health Denies Report That Flagged Security Flaw Contributed To Hack
The Associated Press reported that the company was warned as early as 2007 about a system weakness. But MedStar says that was not the cause of the recent cyberattack on its system. In other health IT news, hospital software that is supposed to help identify dangerous drug interactions isn’t working as well as it should, a report finds.
Johnson & Johnson Invests $50M In Tesaro, Licenses Prostate Cancer Treatment
In other pharmaceutical news, researchers have found that a drug for a rare genetic disease may be able to help treat heart disease.
Cost Of Insulin Triples, Driven By More Expensive Synthetic Product
Analog insulin, a man-made version, is faster-acting than human insulin, and considered more convenient to use, but it is also putting a higher price tag on care for diabetics.
Venerated Medical Journal’s Luster Diminished After Series Of Feuds
Critics are wondering if The New England Journal of Medicine is slipping in both reputation and relevancy.
Venture Capital Firms, Former UnitedHealthcare CEO Set Up New Insurance Company
The startup is planning to compete in the health law’s insurance marketplaces and eventually Medicare Advantage. Also, officials have announced increases in premiums for federal workers’ long-term care insurance.
Inept And Abusive Nurses Licensed To Practice In N.Y. Due To Weak Vetting
ProPublica reviews disciplinary records, arrest reports and court filings to find disturbing examples. In other medical personnel news, low pay is driving Texas nurses away, advocates say. In Nebraska, the governor signs new whistleblower protections for nurses. And health workers’ ability to unionize is under review in a D.C. circuit court.
In Shouting Tirade, Woman Lambastes Fla. Governor Over Failure To Expand Medicaid
The encounter occurred at a Starbucks in Gainesville and was captured by a local television station.
Kasich’s Plan For Revamping Medicaid Could Force Tens Of Thousands Of People To Drop Coverage
The proposal, which must get federal approval, would require working-age, nondisabled adults on Medicaid to make monthly payments into a health-savings account. News outlets also report on Medicaid expansion developments in Louisiana, South Dakota and Arkansas.
Allergan CEO: New Inversion Rules ‘Capricious,’ ‘Un-American’
The Obama administration announced the new regulations aimed at companies shedding their U.S. corporate citizenship for lower taxes on Monday, derailing a proposed $152 billion deal between Pfizer and Allergan.
White House Warns More Money Needed On Zika: ‘We Should Not Play With Fire Here’
The Obama administration ended a stalemate with Congress by transferring about $510 million in leftover Ebola funds and $79 million from other accounts to Zika efforts. But officials say it won’t be enough.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Major Employers Decry Sutter Health’s Tactics In Dispute Over Prices
Sutter Health, with dominant market share in Northern California, is insisting that employers sign arbitration agreements or face sharply higher out-of-network rates.
Hospital Software Often Doesn’t Flag Unsafe Drug Prescriptions, Report Finds
A survey conducted by the Leapfrog Group finds that though many hospitals have computer-based medication systems in place to protect against errors, many still fall short in highlighting possible problems.
Viewpoints: Treating Politics Like Medicine; Parsing Donald Trump’s Drug-Import Policy
A selection of opinions from around the country.