Latest KFF Health News Stories
Heavy Use Of CT Scans Raises Concerns About Patients’ Exposure To Radiation
CT scans, which are administered more than 85 million times a year, are an important diagnostic tool, but just one can be equivalent to 200 X-rays. Some doctors warn that health providers are not considering possible consequences when ordering the tests.
Hospitals Required To Keep Caregivers In The Loop
California is one of several states to pass laws intended to involve caregivers in discussions when patients are hospitalized or discharged.
Gaps Remain Among States’ Medicaid Efforts To Help People Kick Smoking Habit
Even though Medicaid enrollees are more likely to be smokers than the general public, a study published Tuesday in Health Affairs examined state data from 2010 to 2013 and found wide differences in funding of cessation efforts.
Feds Funding Effort To Tie Medical Services To Social Needs
The goal is to improve health and potentially reduce spending.
News outlets report on health care developments in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Missouri, Ohio, Washington, Delaware and Maryland.
Calif. Group Fails To Get Ballot Referendum On Law Giving Terminally Ill Access To Lethal Drugs
The opponents of the new law say the legislation has insufficient safeguards for vulnerable populations. A California doctor is also worried about patients choosing the option over other treatments.
Missouri Lawmakers Recommend Contempt Proceedings For St. Louis Planned Parenthood Head
The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri and James Miller, owner of Brentwood-based Pathology Services, Inc., failed to appear in front of the committee after they were subpoenaed. Missouri lawmakers are also proposing a bill that would criminalize women using drugs while pregnant.
Viewpoints: Quit Fighting Health Law And Fix It; The Money Trigger That Sets Hospital Stays
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
LifePoint Health Buys Hospitals In Georgia, North Carolina
In other regional hospital news, Cleveland officials are urging hospitals against diverting ambulances to emergency rooms that are farther away. And the outgoing director of a St. Louis Veterans Affairs facility talks about changes made at the hospital.
States Put High Drug Prices On Agenda For 2016
While lawmakers take action in California, pharmaceutical companies in Ohio find problems with a ballot issue aiming to keep prescription drug prices down.
S.C. Lawmakers To Wrestle With Medicaid Costs, While Calif. Gets Waivers To Implement Reforms
The South Carolina Medicaid director says without more legislative funding, the state may have to cut services or reimbursements. In California, officials announced that the federal government has approved plans for some changes. Also, a key Kansas advocate for people with disabilities is retiring.
VA Won’t Help Pay For Service Dogs For Vets With PTSD
The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will study what effect specially trained service dogs can have on the lives of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. It takes more than two years and costs about $30,000 to train such a dog.
In 2015, First-Of-A Kind Drug Approvals On The Rise
This trend reflected an industry-wide focus on drugs for rare and hard-to-treat diseases. Meanwhile, Gilead’s hepatitis C combo drug gets a Food and Drug Administration priority review, a gene-editing drug maker files for an IPO and some testing of another drug is suspended.
Hospitals Work To Eliminate ‘Alarm Fatigue’ From Constant Monitor Alerts
Elsewhere, an autopsy reveals concussion-related brain disease in the youngest patient to date. In other public health developments, new tools to battle RSV and multiple myeloma show promise.
Illinois’ Community Healthcare System Ends Contract With Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
The Chicago Tribune reports that the relationship between the health system and the insurer ended Dec. 31 and is expected to impact the health care choices of thousand of patients. Also, Kaiser Health News notes a trend in which more employers are offering workers critical illness plans.
Arkansas Files Notice With Feds That It Will Seek Changes In Landmark Medicaid Plan
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, when taking office last year, suggested he wanted to change the hybrid program known as the “private option” that was set up under the Medicaid expansion in the health law.
Obama Addresses Mental Health In Executive Actions On Gun Control
In new regulations to address gun violence to be announced Tuesday, the administration will lay out its plan to direct $500 million toward mental health care, overhaul the background-check system and allow health care providers to disclose some information on mentally ill patients to the FBI. Republicans say the move is a misuse of power.
Rep. McDermott, Fierce Health Law Proponent, Retiring
Washington Rep. Jim McDermott, a Democrat, says he will spend the rest of the year working on a mental health reform bill. Meanwhile, the House returns Tuesday to vote on some unfinished business, including a bill repealing the health law, which CBO says would save a half-trillion dollars.
Clinton Calls For Insurers To Cover Autism Treatment
The presidential candidate also struck out at House Republicans’ attempt to roll back the Affordable Care Act. “They have no plan,” Hillary Clinton said.
Health Law Opponents Motivated By Cadillac Tax Delay
The two-year moratorium created a blueprint for those looking to chip away at the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, it gave CFOs extra time to prepare for the change.