Latest KFF Health News Stories
Traditional spraying — from trucks and planes — is mostly useless against this mosquito. Instead, beating it back will require a lot of mosquito workers dumping over a lot of water containers in a lot of backyards. However, the prospect of beefing up control is daunting to states and counties most likely to be affected because of their limited budgets and tight resources.
Consultants Help Steer Families Through Labyrinth Of Expensive Addiction Treatment
Finding the right treatment for an addicted loved one is tricky for families. That’s where a small group of advisers is stepping in. In other news, an effort to curb painkiller abuse turns into a cautionary tale after it sparked an HIV outbreak, and the roadblocks that could stymie President Barack Obama in his effort to tackle the opioid epidemic.
Tennessee’s Fetal Assault Law Sunsets
Physicians celebrate the end of a law that punished women who were addicted to drugs while pregnant and a 20-week abortion ban leads to a nightmarish scenario for two Texas parents,
Medicare Overpaying For Hospice Services, Report Finds
An investigation by the inspector general’s office says the extra cost runs $260 million a year. Meanwhile, a new Medicare program to cut durable medical goods expenses is causing some problems in Montana.
Arkansas Lawmakers To Consider Medicaid Proposals
Two measures are pending in the state’s general assembly. One has to do with Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s private option program, the other deals with setting up a managed care system for the programs for enrollees who are developmentally disabled or mentally ill.
Valeant’s $58M Accounting Error Prompts The Question: What Other Flaws Will Emerge?
The company made a mistake in booking sales to a specialty pharmacy. Improperly booking revenue, as Valeant did with Philidor, is a tactic called “stuffing the channel” that sophisticated investors stay alert for. Elsewhere, new clinical data give hope that Regeneron’s new drug could help reverse the company’s 2016 stock slump.
Cholesterol Drug Touted As ‘Great Hope’ Stuns Specialists With Lack Of Benefits
Although patients taking the drug saw their LDL cholesterol fall and their HDL levels rise as hoped, researchers find that it didn’t have an impact on whether they had heart attacks and strokes, or died from cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, one study confirms statin intolerance while another shows that statins have positive benefits in a globally diverse group of people. And getting a bypass gives patients a better chance at surviving than taking drugs alone.
New FDA Head Tops Ranking Of Influential Physician Executives And Leaders
Modern Healthcare has released its annual list of the most influential physician leaders in health care, and Dr. Robert Califf comes in at the top of the rankings because the decisions he makes will define how drugs, medical devices and more are regulated in this century.
Trump’s About-Face On Abortion: ‘The Laws Are Set’
The Republican front-runner’s positions on abortion have been in the spotlight since he said if it were banned, women seeking out the procedure should be punished. In a “Face the Nation” interview Sunday, he said, “The laws are set. And I think we have to leave it that way.” A spokeswoman later clarified that he meant abortion laws won’t change until he’s president.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Medi-Cal Expands To Immigrant Children. Here’s How It Works.
New law applies state’s low-income health care program to children in the U.S. illegally.
UnitedHealth Tries Boutique-Style Health Plan
Harken Health, a new UnitedHealthcare subsidiary, offers members free unlimited doctor visits and health coaches at 10 clinics in Chicago and Atlanta.
Viewpoints: Taking Stock Of Obamacare; The High Court’s Contraception Case Consideration Gets Messy
A selection of opinions from around the country.
Views, Opinions On Trump’s Abortion Policy
Editorial writers and columnists examine GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s recent statements about abortion.
Research Roundup: Opioid Abuse; Profiling The Uninsured; Surprise Medical Bills
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
News outlets report on health issues in Connecticut, Tennessee, Missouri, Michigan and New Mexico.
Okla. Proposal Would ‘Rebalance’ Medicaid To Give Coverage To 175,000 Uninsured
The plan would move 175,000 children and pregnant women from Medicaid to private insurance, where they could qualify for federal premium subsidies, and expand the state’s Insure Oklahoma program to another 175,000 people who are currently uninsured.
Iowa Switches To Controversial Medicaid Managed Care Program Today
Democrats and some consumer advocates sharply fought Gov. Terry Branstad’s plan, but after a short delay the new system goes into effect.
In Hardest-Hit Latin American Countries, Zika Cases Beginning To Decline
Experts warn that the trend is limited to certain countries and does not mean the epidemic is starting to subside everywhere it has struck. In other news, the World Health Organization officially links the virus and microcephaly, and health officials are meeting at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters to map out a strategy to deal with Zika’s spread in Puerto Rico.
The Source Of Flint’s Next Lead Problem: The Soil
Even as Flint, Michigan’s water is becoming safe to drink again, children’s blood tests will show elevated results, because summer is a peak time for lead levels in the soil, which can be inhaled. Meanwhile The Detroit Free Press examines the role race and class played in the water crisis.