Latest KFF Health News Stories
Pharmacy benefits managers, the controversial middlemen in the drug pipeline, are a favorite target to blame for higher prescription drug costs. A Supreme Court decision on how much oversight states can place on PMBs could send shock waves through the debate over health care costs. In other pharmaceutical news: genetic testing and proprietary data, lax oversight of the 340B drug program, a startup with the possible answer to high drug costs, and more.
The Trump administration says the plan aims at addressing changing social factors, such as the fact that people are living longer in better health and fewer people are engaged in physically draining jobs like coal mining. And new technology allows those with disabilities to work in ways that weren’t available in the past. Other news on the Trump administration’s policies focuses on food stamps and Medicaid eligibility.
Research counters a popular conservative talking point that Medicaid expansion exacerbated the opioid crisis, in the latest study to show that the expanded program has improved health and saved lives.
The Air Force had determined that the two airmen could no longer perform their duties because their career fields required them to deploy frequently and because their condition prevented them from deploying to the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, where most airmen are expected to go.
In the lawsuit, the men also say their children, who were separated from them at the border, were abused by other kids while in U.S. custody. In other news, a different suit filed in 2015 over the conditions of detention facilities is getting its day in court.
Democrats had urged the Supreme Court to take up the case in the current term as it is unlikely otherwise to be decided upon before the 2020 elections. The Republicans, including the Trump administration, were given until Friday to respond. They said there’s no need to rush the case through the system.
First Edition: January 13, 2020
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Media outlets report on news from North Carolina, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Florida, and Missouri.
Opinion writers weigh in on health care reform issues and other health topics.
The Big Question Underlying CES’ Gadget Palooza: Which Actually Help Improve Health Outcomes?
There are countless high-tech gadgets that can flood users’ with information, but what of that data is actually useful? That’s one of the main questions facing health experts who are trying out all the goodies at the big annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The Quiet Crisis Of Rural Hospital Closures
Hospitals are closing their doors with startling frequency, leaving vulnerable patients with no help in sight. Already this week, the bankrupt owner of St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles said it plans to shut the facility after a failed sale attempt, and it looks like there’s only going to be more pain to come in the future.
Massive Genetic Study Reveals Link Between Genes, Anxiety
One of the most useful findings from the study was an association between anxiety and a gene named MAD1L1, which in previous studies has indicated vulnerability to several other psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. “It keeps coming up over and over again,” said Daniel Levey, a co-author on the anxiety research. In other public health news: suicides, snake bites, pelvic exams, body temperature, and more.
Second Baby Born To Woman Who Had Uterine Transplant From A Deceased Donor
The success of both births have offered hope to people who want to have children but can’t because of a condition called uterine factor infertility, which means they were either born without a uterus, had it removed or had uterine damage.
The federal government is arguing that insurers received increased subsidies when they raised premiums, which more than compensated their losses. Judges in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims have so far sided with insurers and ruled that their strategies to mitigate losses from CSR payments do not affect their eligibility for repayment. Meanwhile, states report their health law enrollment numbers.
Under federal law, legal immigrants are eligible for government-funded health care. During arguments the three-judge panel questioned why President Donald Trump was allowed to overrule that legislation with his ban.
Lawsuit Against Opioid Drugmakers Seeks Additional Settlement For Babies Exposed During Pregnancy
The brief filed in Cleveland adds to an already existing lawsuit for several thousands clients and states: “This generation of children is not yet lost, but without intervention by this Court, they will be.” News on the opioid crisis is from New Hampshire and Michigan, as well.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) wants to direct his state to sell its own brand of certain generic prescription drugs, with the theory that increased competition will drive down prices. Experts, however, say that while the strategy is a good step, generics aren’t the primary problem.
15-Year-Old In Texas Becomes Youngest Person To Die In Outbreak Of Vaping-Related Lung Disease
The teenager had an underlying chronic health problem, doctors said. There have been 2,602 reported lung injury cases that required hospitalization and 57 deaths linked to vaping. In other vaping and tobacco news; lawsuits over youth vaping, viral social media posts, nicotine use and job prospects, and a menthol ban.
After President Donald Trump seemed to take credit for the dropping rates, advocates and political rivals fired back. “The largest drop in overall cancer mortality ever recorded from 2016 to 2017, reflects prevention, early detection, and treatment advances that occurred in prior years,” said Gary M. Reedy, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society.
Gov. Laura Kelly (D-Kansas) campaigned on Medicaid expansion and has been pushing the Republican-controlled Legislature to do so since taking office. She has been wrangling with Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning on the deal, which would cover as many as 150,000 additional people.
