Latest KFF Health News Stories
Iowa’s Medicaid Privatization To Be Delayed At Least 60 Days
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees state programs, deemed Iowa “not yet ready” in a letter to the state on Dec. 17. The postponement, announced Thursday, will affect 560,000 poor or disabled Iowans who receive health care under the $4 billion program.
Montana Contracts With Blue Cross For $16M To Administer State’s Medicaid Expansion
Blue Cross will develop a provider network, a customer center and information technology services to administer the expanded low-income health program. In related insurance news, Independence Blue Cross CEO Daniel Hilferty will also take on board chairman duties for Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association of America.
GlaxoSmithKline To Buy HIV Drugs Pipeline From Bristol-Myers Squibb
In other pharmaceutical news, generic drug maker Endo Health reaches a $39-million fluoride settlement over alleged mislabeling; a report finds the cost of Medicaid-generic drugs have risen faster than inflation; and researchers’ financial ties to the industry are explored.
Kaiser Permanente: New Medical School Is ‘Natural Evolution’ For The HMO
Kaiser Permanente says it will base physician training on “strategic pillars,” including providing care beyond traditional medical settings, emphasizing collaboration and teamwork and addressing health disparities. No specific site has been selected.
Turing’s Bad-Boy Boss Martin Shkreli Faces Fraud Charges
The drug company CEO, who has drawn criticism for dramatic price increases for some life-saving drugs, was arrested Thursday. Though Shkreli has become the face of pharmaceutical company greed, his arrest is not likely to make concerns about drug costs disappear.
Why Is The ‘Cadillac Tax’ So Hated?
Congress’ spending package would delay it for two years, and opponents are hoping the move signals a permanent end to the much-reviled tax.
House Sends Tax Bill To Senate On 318-109 Vote
By locking in tax cuts now with the measure, Republicans will need to eliminate fewer tax breaks in the future to get an overhaul bill that is certified as revenue-neutral by congressional scorekeepers.
After Smooth Vote On Tax Deal, Spending Bill’s Fate In House Less Certain
The measure may be able to squeak through the House of Representatives because top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi swung forcefully behind it Thursday evening, despite her ire over its lifting of the four-decade ban on exporting U.S. crude oil.
First Edition: December 18, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Push On To Make Transparent Medical Records The National Standard Of Care
Four foundations joined forces to provide $10 million in new funding to the OpenNotes project, which will help an estimated 50 million people nationwide gain access to clinical notes, and allow researchers to evaluate how it affects health outcomes and costs.
Kaiser Permanente To Open Medical School In Southern California
Kaiser Permanente CEO Bernard Tyson says the new school is part of the HMO’s effort to transform the “health care ecosystem” in the 21st century.
Longer Looks: Missing Study Results; Antipsychotics For Kids; Giving Care In Nepal
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Buyer Agrees To Calif. A.G.’s Conditions Regarding Sale Of Daughters Of Charity Hospitals
Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, the state health policy commissioner is reviewing the growth plans of the largest hospital network affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; and, in Indiana, construction will begin early next year on the state’s flagship mental health facility.
Teaching Kids ‘Soft Skills’ To Strengthen Emotional Intelligence Can Have Long-Lasting Benefits
In mental health news, health professionals warn that holiday blues and, more seriously, Seasonal Affective Disorder, are common this time of year. And a new study links early childhood depression to physical changes in the brain.
Medicare To Work With For-Profit Company Seeking To Help Consumers Make Health Choices
The firm, called Amino, will get a “qualified entity” status, which gives it access to the full range of Medicare data for physicians and other health care providers, according to U.S. News & World Report. Other news accounts examine cancer drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries and the expected health problems of aging baby boomers.
Analysis: Consumers To See Increases In Health Law Plan Premiums, Deductibles
News outlets also report on Affordable Care Act marketplace developments in Florida and Texas. And, uninsured Latinos in Philadelphia are urged to sign up for health coverage on the exchanges.
Arkansas Task Force Endorses Governor’s Medicaid Expansion Restrictions
The panel voted to support Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s efforts to negotiate changes to the “private option,” which uses federal funds to purchase private insurance for low-income residents.
Congress Extends Health Aid to Puerto Rico, No Debt Assistance
The spending bill would increase payments to hospitals on the island and provide bonus Medicare payments to doctors and medical facilities that adopt electronic health record-keeping, but it didn’t include a provision to grant Puerto Rico agencies access to Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
Republicans Spearhead $2B Bump For NIH Funding In Spending Bill
A letter to GOP leadership, signed by more than 100 Republicans in the House of Representatives last month, advocated for an even higher increase of $3 billion. And public health groups celebrate the boost in funding to medical research programs and agencies.
Medical Device Tax Suspended For Two Years In Omnibus
The government began collecting the 2.3 percent tax on sales of such devices, like pacemakers and ventilators, in January 2013 to help pay for the health law. But a new tax deal announced Wednesday would suspend those collections until Dec. 31, 2017.