Latest KFF Health News Stories
Delay Of New Health Law Forms May Confuse Some Taxpayers
Employers, insurers and government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are required to send taxpayers a form showing whether they provided health care but the government has pushed back the deadline for the forms.
Map: In Poor Baltimore Neighborhoods, Life Expectancy Similar to Developing Countries
In Sandtown, where Freddie Gray lived and the median household income is less than a quarter of Roland Park’s, the life expectancy is 70 years. That matches the average life expectancy in North Korea, an impoverished dictatorship where millions suffer from chronic undernourishment, according to the United Nations.
Viewpoints: For Sanders And Clinton, More Sparring Over Health Care; Autism As A Campaign Issue
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Vaccines For Children Program; Employer Health Plan Differences
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
News outlets report on health issues Wisconsin, Kansas, Kentucky, California, Ohio, Nebraska, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Montana.
Baptist Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Announce Miami Cancer Center Partnership
In more state hospital news, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis will test patient care in its new, 21-bed neurological wing; and the recently installed New Carolinas CEO Eugene “Gene” Woods offers his thoughts on the future of health care.
Iowa Senate Approves Bill That Would Stop The Transfer Of Medicaid To Managed Care Plans
The measure, however, is not expected to get any traction in the Iowa House.
VA Stands By Limited Agent Orange Benefits Policy
Compensation has been turned down again for Navy veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam, who advocates say were exposed because their ships sucked in potentially contaminated water.
Why Eliminating Zika Mosquito Species Is ‘Guerrilla Warfare’
Because of its habits — such as hiding at night — the species of mosquito that carries Zika and other viruses is particularly hard to kill. Meanwhile, a research hospital in Texas has signed an agreement with Brazil to develop a vaccine, NIH officials say a vaccine might be ready to test by summer, and the CDC reports that two women who were infected while traveling have had miscarriages.
Opioid Treatment Demand Puts Strain On Limited Resources
As the nation fights an epidemic, a shortage of doctors and medication hamper the efforts. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill are calling for more funding, but are running up against Republican resistance.
Debate Over Arming Guards At Hospitals Grows With Increasing Number Of Deadly Encounters
Health care professionals are divided over the issue as they weigh the safety of their institution and the possible harm that could befall patients. But for one man who was seeking treatment and ended up with a bullet in his chest, the answer is clear.
Medicare Providers Liable For Six Years Of Overpayments, CMS Final Rule States
The proposed rule would have required providers to report overpayments going back 10 years.
In The UK, GlaxoSmithKline Faces $53 Million Fine Over Generic Drug Delay
The pharmaceutical company was fined by the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority for deals to delay the launch of cheap generic copies of its blockbuster antidepressant Seroxat. The regulator considered the deals to be market abuse, and the action follows steps taken by U.S. and European antitrust regulators.
Patient First Stops Accepting Some Anthem Plans In Mid-Atlantic Care Centers
In other insurance marketplace news, Centene, a Medicaid coverage provider, stops its search for six missing hard drives that contained personal information for an estimated 950,000 customers. Meanwhile, a new analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examines hospital participation in marketplace-plan networks.
Despite Boards Stocked With D.C. Luminaries, Theranos Still Faces Consequences From Regulators
The blood testing startup’s advisory board includes, among others, former Cabinet secretaries George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and William Perry, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and legal star David Boies. Analysts worry its failure, even with such big names advising it, could cripple investors’ enthusiasm for innovative health care companies.
Number Of Uninsured Kids Drops Sharply In 23 States Since Health Law’s Start
No state saw an increase in uninsured children. Nearly 5 million Americans younger than 19 still lack health insurance though, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report.
Idaho Alternative To Medicaid Expansion Approved By Legislative Committee
The measure would provide some basic health services to those who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but aren’t eligible for premium subsidies under the federal health law. But it wouldn’t cover prescription drugs, hospitalization or expensive treatments. Other outlets report on Medicaid expansion efforts in Utah and Virginia.
Former Ky. Governor Launches Drive To Stop GOP’s Rollback Of Health Care Initiatives
Former Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat who helped implement the Affordable Care’s Medicaid expansion in the state and set up a highly successful insurance marketplace, is trying to galvanize opposition to his successor’s plans to dissolve those programs.
At Debate, Clinton Knocks Sanders’ Medicare-For-All Plan: ‘The Numbers Don’t Add Up’
The Democratic candidates sparred over universal health care at their latest debate on Thursday, with Hillary Clinton painting Bernie Sanders’ proposal as unrealistic. But Sanders defended his vision, saying “health care is a right of all people.”
First Edition: February 12, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.