Latest KFF Health News Stories
Senate Gives Final OK To 10-Year, Cost-Cutting Budget Blueprint
The GOP-backed budget resolution, which includes procedural tools Republican leaders hope will aid their efforts to repeal parts of the health law, is the first joint congressional budget plan in six years.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A Matter Of Faith And Trust: Why African-Americans Don’t Use Hospice
Even as end-of-life planning gains favor with more Americans, African-Americans, research shows, remain very skeptical of options like hospice and advance directives. The result can mean more aggressive, painful care at the end of life that prolongs suffering.
Viewpoints: Soaring Cost Of Drugs; Baltimore’s Health Legacy; ‘Quackery’ Act; Issues For ACOs
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets examine health care issues in Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Bill To Extend Health Coverage To People In Calif. Illegally Could Cost The State $740 Million
A fiscal analysis is the first price estimate for the proposal introduced in the California legislature last December.
Panera Bread To Stop Using Ingredients On Its New ‘No-No List’
The food company joins a growing list of chains to announce moves to decrease or eliminate artificial sweeteners, preservatives and flavor enhancers from their menus. Yet, while eating salt has long been a dietary target, scientists are examining some of sodium’s benefits.
Virginia AG Says Abortion Clinics Aren’t Bound By Stricter Building Standards
Mark Herring’s opinion reverses that of the state’s previous Republican attorney general and will likely put the abortion debate back on the front burner in Virginia. Meanwhile, the case of an Indiana woman convicted of feticide after self-aborting is raising questions about women’s reproductive rights and abortion.
Marketing Wars Intensify Over Personalized Medicine
Hospitals seek to increase their visibility in this growing field. Meanwhile, an Ohio health system loses its final appeal in an antitrust case and several hospital and insurance companies report their latest earnings.
Worldwide Spending For Cancer Drugs Reaches $100 Billion: Study
IMS Health reports that U.S. patients accounted for more than 42 percent of that total. Also, the Connecticut Mirror examines efforts by the governor and other top elected officials to protect state pharmaceutical companies from competitors through a trade pact.
Paramedics Face Roadblocks In Efforts To Play Larger Health Care Role
In a small number of communities, paramedics are providing in-home care, coordinating patient services and saving millions. Despite these successes, Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurers won’t reimburse for such work and states must address the regulatory hurdles in place. Meanwhile, a new app applies the Uber-model to facilitate doctor housecalls.
MNsure Chief Leaving For Think Tank Job
The departure of Scott Leitz was described as a “normal, healthy transition” by the chairman of the state exchange board. Meanwhile, nearly 5,000 Maryland consumers signed up for Obamacare plans during the special enrollment period extended to those who discovered they owed tax penalties as a result of being uninsured.
GOP Senators Slam Oversight Of State Exchange Spending
Meanwhile, Politico reports that the health law’s SHOP exchanges for small businesses are struggling to attract participants despite offering lower premiums, while addiction treatment programs have not fulfilled the health law’s promise due to infrastructure problems.
Kansas To Join Fla. Governor’s Suit Over Hospital Financing And Medicaid Expansion
The governors of Florida, Kansas and Texas say the Obama administration is trying to coerce their states into expanding the health care program for low-income residents by threatening to cut other Medicaid funds that have helped hospitals treat many uninsured patients.
Health Law Pilot Program Saves Nearly $400M In Two Years
The Pioneer accountable care model rewards participating hospitals that deliver high-quality care at lower-than-expected costs — and punishes high spenders. Despite the program’s savings, 13 of the original 32 participating hospital systems dropped out or switched to other models after failing to meet performance targets.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Patients Not Hurt When Their Hospitals Close, Study Finds
Despite frequent fears in communities when losing their hospitals, mortality rates do not rise, say Harvard researchers who examined 194 closures.
Viewpoints: Medical Bills’ Gibberish; Meeting Patients’ Needs; Cutting Back On Antibiotics
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets cover health care issues in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Texas, South Dakota, Washington, Florida and Iowa.
Vets Waiting For Care In Ohio Can Be Treated At Air Force Medical Center Under VA Deal
The five-year deal between Wright-Patterson Air Force Medical Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs could be a model for other regions plagued by long wait times for patients. And a VA system in Maryland is pairing mental health treatment with job services to aid struggling veterans.