Latest KFF Health News Stories
The House passed the sweeping legislation on Tuesday, sending it to the Senate ahead of a Friday deadline for a government shutdown. The bill will, among other things, repeal three health law taxes in a win for insurers. Media outlets dive into the particulars of what’s included — like a tobacco age ban and money for wildfire safety — and what is not. Provisions in the latter category might act as a cautionary tale for progressive Democrats as they try to push ahead with “Medicare for All.”
First Edition: December 18, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: When It Comes To Pricey Cancer Drugs, Pharma Doesn’t Know When To Quit
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, California, Wisconsin, Georgia, and New Jersey.
The report supports findings by the media last year that revealed a far more widespread toxic impact than authorities publicly reported. Known carcinogens were among the industrial toxic substances released into surrounding neighborhoods. And recently, dozens of people in Houston were possibly exposed to a plant’s mercury spill.
The vote flew through the New Jersey Assembly and was expected to pass the Senate by a small margin. But when they realized they didn’t have enough votes, lawmakers announced it would be postponed. Cheers from anti-vaccination protesters erupted from the Senate chamber gallery. “They can cheer all they want. We’re not walking away from it,” Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney said. Other vaccination news focuses on measles and the flu.
Vaping’s Damage To Lungs Goes Beyond Acute Illness To Chronic Risk Of Respiratory Disease
Although much attention has been focused on the recent outbreak of a dangerous vaping-related lung disease, a new study drives home the message that the practice can have longterm consequences as well. In other news, New York bans nearly all flavored e-cigarette products and Texas students face felony charges over vaping.
Specialists like anesthesiologists have more power to negotiate higher in-network payments because they’re able to bill so much out-of-network. Limiting that power would have a significant effect on spending, a new study finds. Congress has been working to find a way to curb out-of-network surprise bills, but although they’ve made progress in recent weeks, nothing has passed yet.
“Our report shows that Eli Lilly has failed to deliver on its promise to put a more-affordable insulin product on the shelves,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), who teamed with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The cost of insulin has become a stand-in for a larger battle of drug costs because the life-saving medication’s price tag has skyrocketed. In other pharmaceutical news: a dwarfism drug, a bankrupt startup, a novel partnership, a Parkinson’s treatment, and more.
Warren Emphasizes Transitional Period To ‘Medicare For All’ As Voters Stress About Industry Upheaval
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has taken heat for her support of rival Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) “Medicare for All” plan. In recent weeks, she’s made a rhetorical pivot to emphasize that consumers will have a choice to opt-in to the program during the three-year transition period she’s proposed.
Congress To Fund Gun Violence Research For The First Time Since 1990s With New Spending Deal
The Dickey Amendment, which was passed in 1996 under pressure from the gun lobby, had a chilling effect on all gun-related government research. The $25 million allocated in Congress’ sweeping spending bill will be split between NIH and the CDC.
“These kinds of attacks need to be taken seriously,” said Allison Nichol, the Epilepsy Foundation’s director of legal advocacy. “There needs to be a very aggressive response, both by the foundation and by law enforcement.” More public health news reports on the mental health impact of fatal shootings, organ donations, some good (yes) and bad news about the flu, disposable one-use scopes, gender spin on research, cosmetics safety, and protections for prostitutes.
The work requirements were a central part in the 2019 race between now-Gov. Andy Beshear (D) and the then-incumbent Matt Bevin (R). Bevin’s plan, which had been blocked by the courts, would have stripped Medicaid coverage for about 100,000 Kentuckians.
How much money the Sackler family has — and where they’re keeping it — is central to discussions about how much they owe in court cases over the role Purdue Pharma played in the opioid epidemic. The family offered to contribute at least $3 billion in cash as part of a settlement to resolve the suits, but a dozen states and other advocates want them to pay more. Meanwhile, Purdue quietly split ways with PhRMA.
Supreme Court Lets Decision Stand That Decriminalizes Sleeping On Street For Homeless People
A lower court ruled that states can’t criminalize sleeping on the street if there are no other options for people. While homeless advocates cheered the news, cities braced for the decision — saying it will handcuff them when they’re trying to deal with a serious safety issue.
Lawmakers released details Monday of a bipartisan deal that would allocate $1.4 trillion in federal spending for the remainder of the fiscal year to avoid a shutdown. Among other health-related measures, it includes a provision raising the minimum purchasing age for tobacco to 21, which advocates say is a “good step” toward a “substantial reduction” in smoking among young people. Media outlets cover the ins and outs of the bills and the ways they touch on health care.
The government heeded calls from advocates, experts and lawmakers to extend the deadline for open enrollment. But some say without an effort to publicize that decision, in addition to the short time window, it won’t help many consumers. The enrollment deadline extends through Dec. 18.
First Edition: December 17, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
