Latest KFF Health News Stories
Doing Too Much, Too Fast: The Lessons Clinton Learned From Hillarycare’s Failure
In 1993, Hillary Clinton pushed a grand sweeping plan to ensure all Americans had health insurance. She took her ideas to Capitol Hill, and what happened next was instrumental in shaping the presidential candidate’s approach to governing and politics.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Calif. Senate Nixes Bill Requiring Disclosures From Disciplined Doctors
The proposal would have required physicians and other medical clinicians to tell their patients if they were on probation for serious offenses.
Students Fill A Gap In Mental Health Care For Immigrants
Latinos who’ve recently arrived in the U.S. often have poor access to health care, mental health treatment in particular. UNC Charlotte is among several universities trying to change that.
Study Suggests Federal Standard May Be Thwarting Some Transplant Patients
Researchers report that performance standards set by federal health officials may have led to many patients being dropped from transplant lists without improving survival rates.
Despite New Access To Health Insurance, Drug-Treatment Rates For Ex-Offenders Barely Changed
More emerging prisoners are covered by Medicaid, but they still face barriers in navigating the health system, researchers said.
Factors Beyond Coverage Limit Mental Health Care Access
According to a new study, the health law’s insurance expansions have helped more people gain access to mental health services. But racial and ethnic disparities continue.
Viewpoints: The Urgency In Developing New Antibiotics; Louisiana And Its Medicaid Expansion
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news from Minnesota, Florida, California, Tennessee, Colorado, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
Outpatient Centers Claim Share Of Joint Replacement Procedures From Hospitals
In other news, plans for the development of a regional hospital in the Washington, D.C., suburbs face challenges and two new hospitals are approved by Florida regulators.
Texas Medicaid Officials Again Propose Pay Cuts For Disabled Children’s Therapists
The move comes after therapists lost an effort in court to stop the reimbursement cuts. In other news, advocates for Medicaid are questioning the move to private managed care plans in Iowa.
Muhammad Ali And Parkinson’s: ‘He Can Speak To People With His Heart’
Muhammad Ali, who died on Friday, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984, a disease that eventually took away his motor skills and his ability to speak clearly. The boxer has been instrumental in raising awareness of the condition.
Mentally Ill Have Disproportionately High Number Of Fatal Encounters With Police
People with severe untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed in a police encounter.
Deployment Of Crispr Gene Editing May Unlock Vast Potential To Target Viruses
Many viruses don’t contain DNA. Instead, their genetic information is encoded in RNA, which they use to hijack the genes of their hosts. If scientists can use gene editing to target that RNA instead, they could make advances in such areas as HIV and poliovirus. In other news, families that have a child with a rare genetic condition often struggle with isolation when coping with the diagnosis.
A Hot New Trend In Oncology: Blood Tests Over Invasive Biopsies
Researchers report that these “liquid tests” — which are less painful and risky — have proven to have results that agree with a tumor biopsy. In other news, a study shows that women who take an estrogen-suppressing drug for double the time lower their risk of their cancer returning; scientists say immunotherapy is untested in patients with autoimmune diseases; and a Minnesota cancer research center celebrates its expansion.
Less Than 1 Percent Of Blood Test Results Voided Or Corrected, Theranos Says
The company’s announcement, however, has left even more confusion in its wake.
Cancer Researchers Weigh Benefit Of Three-Drug Combinations With Resulting Higher Costs
Combination regimens hold promise for patients but could heighten tensions over the escalating expense of cancer drugs. Meanwhile, Marketplace reports on a company that is cutting deals with pharmaceutical companies to try to rein those costs.
After Turmoil, Valeant Is Under Pressure To Show Return To Normalcy With Earnings
The drugmaker will report first quarter earnings Tuesday, and analysts will be looking to see how the company plans to resume generating profit and growth without the controversial moves it used to increase prices in the past. Other drug company news comes from Pfizer’s chief executive and Martin Shkreli, the former head of Retrophin and Turing, who faces an additional charge.
Switch To Electronic Health Records Not Yielding Financial Benefits For Some Providers
Economists are divided on how the rise in technology will impact industries like health care. Meanwhile, Mazor Robotics and Medtronic strike a deal for the development of robotic-based spine systems.
Conflict Brewing In Alaska Over Whether House GOP Can Continue Medicaid Expansion Fight
Republican legislators lost their effort to derail the governor’s order to expand Medicaid in a case that went to the state Supreme Court. The House wants to appeal but hasn’t secured consent from the Senate. Meanwhile in Wyoming, a poll by researchers at the University of Wyoming finds residents support Medicaid expansion if it will help the state budget.