Latest KFF Health News Stories
UCLA Freshmen Learn About Growing Old
A UCLA course on aging teaches students about the physical, emotional and financial realities of growing old. Professors hope they will consider careers that serve the elderly.
The Stethoscope: Timeless Tool Or Outdated Relic?
Why is a 200-year-old icon of the medical field still in wide use in the digital age? Some say modern tools are more informative and worth the extra cost, but the stethoscope has staunch defenders.
Medicine’s Power Couples: A Challenge In Recruiting Physicians To Rural Areas
A research letter published in JAMA suggests that physicians increasingly marry people who match them in terms of educational levels and career pursuits, making it more difficult to attract them to small-town practices.
Viewpoints: Obamacare And Risk Adjustment; Iowa’s Medicaid ‘Grudge Match’
A selection of opinions from around the country.
High Court’s Abortion Case: Assault On Access? Attempt To Make Women Safer?
Newspapers around the country provide opinions about the abortion case pending before the Supreme Court and other related issues.
State Highlights: Lawyers Claim Arizona Dragging Feet On Health Care Quality Improvements In Prisons
News outlets report on health issues in Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Texas.
As Iowa Prepares For Medicaid Shift, A View Of Kansas’ Experience Highlights Obstacles
An Iowa television station reports that advocates in Kansas say a move to managed care for the Medicaid system brought problems in oversight, confusing reimbursement requirements and cuts to care. Also in Medicaid news, a look at the Medicaid and health care issues before the Minnesota legislature and expectations about North Carolina’s plans to revamp Medicaid.
Zika Linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome In New Study
During an outbreak in French Polynesia, health officials noticed an increase in patients with Guillain-Barre symptoms — which include temporary paralysis. In other Zika news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts that 20 percent of Puerto Rico’s residents will be infected with the virus.
Republicans Not Facing Backlash From Anti-Abortion Groups
After North Carolina Rep. Renee Ellmers helped stop an abortion ban from going through, anti-abortion group leaders vowed to remember her betrayal. But they have been mostly silent during her primary. In other news, clinics in Maine are using technology to ease access to abortions, and a new poll finds that 78 percent of Latino women surveyed believe a woman should make her own decision on the procedure.
After Being Wounded In War, Veterans Face Daunting IVF Costs Not Covered By VA
The Defense Department covers the treatment while soliders are on active military status, but the Department of Veterans Affairs does not. In other news, the VA’s Office of Inspector General has released 11 reports outlining problems at hospitals and clinics in Florida.
Wasted Cancer Medicines Cost Medicare, Insurers $3 Billion Each Year: Study
Cancer researchers say that typical drug vials hold too much medication for most patients and that the rest is thrown away. In other pharmaceutical news, The Wall Street Journal reports on how supplements can interfere with prescription drugs while Bloomberg profiles a Gilead executive tackling the high cost of its hepatitis C treatment.
Another SEC Investigation Of Valeant Underway
The pharmaceutical company’s former ties to drug distributor Philidor Rx Services are being probed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Meanwhile, CEO Mike Pearson returns after a two-month medical leave to an uncertain future for the firm.
Camera Capsules Let Doctors Catch Glimpse Of Hard To Reach Small Intestine
The area is hard to navigate using just a scope. In other health IT news, hospitals are using robots to drop off food, pick up trash and other tasks that help save money.
Digital Health Record Initiative Aims To Unclog Bottleneck, But Doubts Remain
Federal health official announced that technology companies, hospital systems and doctors’ groups have agreed to take steps that will make electronic health records easier to use including improving patient access to their own files, stop blocking health information sharing and put standards for digital communication between systems in place. But some worry the deal allows companies too much wiggle room.
Following S.C. Win, Clinton Pivots To General Election Ahead Of Super Tuesday
The frontrunner for the Democratic nomination has turned her attention to the Republican field, homing in on their plan to end the health law. “They never tell you what they’ll put it in its place because you won’t like it,” Hillary Clinton says.
‘Greyhound’ Vs. ‘Trailblazer’: Meet The Lawyers On The Texas Abortion Case
The young lawyers will face off on Wednesday in front of the Supreme Court. News outlets offer further coverage of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, a case centering on a Texas law that requires abortion clinics to meet all standards for an “ambulatory surgical center” and for physicians performing the procedure to have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles.
S.D. Governor Moves His Medicaid Expansion Plan Off Agenda For This Legislative Session
Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard says there isn’t enough time left for lawmakers to adequately consider his plan, but he hints the issue could come up in a special session or in 2017. In Utah, a House committee approves a bill that would extend Medicaid coverage to the chronically homeless, mentally ill and those recently released from prison.
Administration Retreats On Rules For Insurers’ Networks, Standardized Options For 2017
Modern Healthcare reports on the final rule out Monday that backs down from earlier efforts by the administration to force insurers to have minimum quantitative standards for networks of hospitals and doctors and to offer standardized options for health plans. News outlets also look at health law issues in Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
EHRs In The ER: As Doctors Adapt, Concerns Emerge About Medical Errors
As hospitals adopt electronic health record systems, some emergency rooms are experiencing new patterns of medical errors.