Latest KFF Health News Stories
Recent Shootings May Push States To Share Mental Health Records With FBI
Six states currently do not share such information, but three of them recently passed related legislation. Meanwhile, the Treatment Advocacy Center released a report Thursday that Americans with severe mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by police than other civilians.
Although Often Overlooked, Small Breaches Of Medical Privacy Harm Many Patients
Major data hacks get more publicity, but the leak of an individual’s records can have serious consequences for the patient. Also in news about health technology, some researchers are using Google searches to help fight disease.
Rubio, Who Touts Efforts Against Obamacare, Uses Law’s Congressional Option For Insurance
Members of Congress and their staffs get a subsidy to purchase insurance through the health law’s marketplace because Republicans pressured Congress to pass a law requiring members to be insured under the law. That effort eliminated the employer contribution for a plan that they received before. In other news, Sen. Marco Rubio’s provision to kill risk corridors prompts debate.
Gilead Documents Provide Rare Glimpse Into Drug Pricing Decision Making
In other pharmaceutical news, Bayer may have five new cancer drugs on the market by 2020 and AstraZeneca targets the so-called secretome — proteins secreted by cells — in the hunt for next-generation biotech medicines. Meanwhile, the FDA is starting to scrutinize the largely unregulated lab-developed test industry.
In Turnaround, Maine’s Health Insurance Co-Op Goes From Profits To Losing Millions
Also, news outlets report on other health exchange developments from Connecticut, Ohio and Illinois.
Poll: Kentuckians Overwhelmingly Support State’s Medicaid Expansion
And Pennsylvania hits the half-million mark with Medicaid sign-ups after Gov. Tom Wolf abandoned his predecessor’s hybrid model and expanded the program when he took office. In Florida, lawmakers have little hope for the expansion.
More Hospitals Dinged By Medicare For Safety Issues Than Last Year
Of the 758 facilities penalized, more than half were also punished last year. The fines are based on the government’s assessment of the frequency of several kinds of infections, sepsis, hip fractures and other complications. In other hospital news, Kaiser Health News reports on emergency room overcrowding.
U.S. Budget Deficit Widens In November
The deficit growth was, in part, driven by an uptick in spending on Medicare and Social Security, due to the burgeoning baby boomer population, and Medicaid, as a result of the health law’s expansion of the low-income health care program.
As Pressure Mounts, Lawmakers Still Scrambling Over 9/11 Responders Bill Cost
The New York Police Department commissioner joins a chorus of lawmakers, advocates and public figures demanding Congress to continue to fully fund health care benefits for 9/11 first responders. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised to make it happen, but one problem remains: the price tag.
Congress Moves To OK Short-Term Spending Bill To Avert Government Shutdown
The Senate agreed to extend the deadline for action on an omnibus spending bill until Wednesday, Dec. 16. Meanwhile, as these negotiations continue, a proposal to delay the health law’s so-called Cadillac tax, which is scheduled to take effect in 2018, is among the policy provisions still very much in play.
Johnson & Johnson And Google Team Up To Build Better Surgical Robots
Verb Surgical Inc — an independent company formed by J&J and Verily Life Sciences (formerly known as Google Life Sciences) — aims to produce “disruptive” alternatives to existing robotic technology used in operating rooms.
Many Hospitals Neglect Practices To Combat ER Overcrowding, Study Finds
Overcrowding in the emergency department can lead to worse outcomes for patients but too few hospitals implement successful programs.
Medicare Penalizes 758 Hospitals For Safety Incidents
More than half of these hospitals were also punished last year as the government tries to leverage taxpayer money to improve the quality of care.
758 Hospitals Penalized For Patient Safety In 2016: Data Table
Medicare is lowering its 2016 payments by 1 percent for 758 hospitals with high rates of potentially avoidable infections and complications such as blood clots, bed sores and falls. This is the second year of the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Reduction Program, which was mandated by the federal health law to reduce patient injuries. Below are the […]
Where Are STDs Rampant? Google Wants To Help Researchers Find Out
Google is sharing search data with academic teams and other public health researchers to try to fight the spread of infectious diseases.
Viewpoints: Rubio’s Effort On Insurance ‘Bailout’ Undermines Market; Pharma’s ‘Gimmicks’
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Curing Cancer; NIH Funding; The Return of Syphilis
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
News outlets report on health care developments in Maryland, Alaska, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin and California.
As Iowa Transitions To Medicaid Managed Care, Focus Shifts To Signing Up Providers
State officials say United Healthcare, one of four companies hired to run the Medicaid program, has signed up the highest percentage of doctors and hospitals to be part of its network.
Health Rankings Find Positive Trend Even As Sicker States Slip
Many of the sickest states have remained low on America’s Health Rankings, a scorecard which looks at access to medical care, prevention and treatment of disease, avoidable hospital use and cost, healthy lives and health equity. But some states have shown dramatic improvement.