Latest KFF Health News Stories
Poll: Cancer ‘Moonshot’ Garners Sweeping, Bipartisan Support From Public
The STAT-Harvard poll found that 90 percent of Democrats and 79 percent of Republicans support at least a 20 percent boost in cancer research spending. In other public health news, older Americans’ vitamins could be interacting with their medications with dangerous results, new evidence emerges that could help suss out where else in the world Zika is hiding and scientists create a cell with the smallest number of genomes possible.
Indiana Governor Signs Law Banning Abortions Motivated By Fetal Defects
The legislation also dictates how to dispose of an aborted fetus, and requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital or to have an agreement with a doctor who does.
Jury Awards Merck $200M In Hep C Patent Dispute
There will be a separate hearing to to determine what Gilead Sciences owes the company in royalties. In other pharmaceutical news, lawmakers ask Valeant investor William Ackman to provide information on drug prices.
Medicare Backs Away From Plan To Penalize Doctors Ordering Some Prostate Cancer Tests
The proposal sparked a wave of criticism. Also, federal officials say they will test whether paying more to skilled-nursing facilities can help reduce hospital admissions.
FDA Encourages Generic Drugmakers To Develop Harder-To-Abuse Painkillers
The agency has approved five brand-name drugs that are designed to deter abuse — such as being hard to crush — but those represent a small fraction of the field that is dominated by less expensive generics.
Ark. Governor Finds Himself In Unlikely Role Of Trying To Rescue Medicaid Expansion
Asa Hutchinson was an ardent foe of the federal health law, but as governor he is working to convince other Republicans in the legislature to keep the program started by his Democratic predecessor. Also, lawmakers in Idaho are dealing with the issue of expansion as the session winds down.
CBO: Health Law Costs Rising, In Part Due To Medicaid Enrollment Numbers
The Congressional Budget Office noted that other provisions in the Affordable Care Act will keep it from adding to the long-term debt of the country, and it says the total cost is 25 percent less than expected when the legislation was signed six years ago.
Unlike Federal Policy, County Programs Often Use Tax Dollars To Treat Illegal Immigrants
The federal health law prohibits selling health insurance on the marketplaces to people in the country illegally. But counties that offer programs that pay for doctor visits, shots, prescription drugs and lab tests for these immigrants say it’s cheaper, easier and safer to offer the services rather than treat them in emergency departments.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Device Maker Olympus Hiked Prices For Scopes As Superbug Infections Spread
The device manufacturer had a close relationship with Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles — until its scopes were linked to infections and the company raised the price for new ones by 28 percent.
Study: Primary Care Doctors Often Don’t Help Patients Manage Depression
Physicians were less likely to use “care management processes” with patients who have depression than with those who had other chronic conditions, the researchers found.
Viewpoints: Patent Laws And High Drug Prices; Medicare’s Move To Step Up Diabetes Prevention
A selection of opinions from around the country.
Health Law Views: Marking An Anniversary; Challenging The ACA’s Contraception Mandate
News outlets around the country offer editorials and perspectives on the Affordable Care Act’s sixth anniversary, which occurred just as the Supreme Court heard arguments in the latest challenge to the law.
Longer Looks: Elizabethkingia; HIV In Cuba; Danger In The Pysch Ward
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
News outlets report on health issues in Michigan, Connecticut, North Carolina, Kansas, Rhode Island, Alabama, Oregon, Georgia and Indiana.
R.I. Seeks To Recoup Millions That Was Overpaid To Insurers For Medicaid
State officials say they expect to collect most of the money, but critics question whether the state acted quickly enough on the problem. Meanwhile, in Alabama, the legislature approves a budget that the governor has vowed to veto because of low Medicaid funding.
Philanthropist Aims To Shed Light On ‘Dark Matter Of Bioscience’ With $100M Commitment
Billionaire philanthropist Paul Allen’s goal is to give money to scientists who have out-of-the-box ideas and unconventional approaches to projects in tissue regeneration, antibiotic resistance, gene editing and the development of brain circuitry.
Congress Goes On Recess Without Zika Funding Vote And Officials Scramble To Buy Time
Health officials say they’re so strapped for resources that they’re moving money away from other critical health programs. In other public health news, parents may inaccurately project their own sleep problems on to their children, animal therapy relieves stress for health care providers, and scientists wonder if the trend of poor mental health in transgender individuals is a result from external or internal factors.
Tenn. Law Criminalizing Women Who Give Birth To Drug-Dependent Babies Set To End
The legislation will sunset on July 1, after a tied extension vote. Critics say the bill discouraged women from seeking treatment when they needed it.
Fentanyl’s Lethal Role In Sweeping Drug Epidemic
The powerful synthetic drug is causing scores of overdoses throughout the states, and its use with heroin is only spreading. Heroin is highly addictive, Bridget Brennan, New York’s special narcotics prosecutor says. “You put fentanyl in there, and all bets are off.”