Latest KFF Health News Stories
Litigation over pelvic mesh, also called transvaginal mesh, ranks as one of the largest mass tort cases in the nation’s history in terms of claims filed, number of corporate defendants and settlement dollars. Advocates have been trying to persuade the FDA for years about the dangers of the product.
UnitedHealth Group CEO David Wichmann spoke out against the measures, which are popular among progressive Democrats and some 2020 presidential candidates. The move comes as shares of hospitals and insurers lose $28 billion in market value.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Illinois, New Hampshire, Missouri, Connecticut, Texas and California.
Families are finding they are able to keep loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases at home longer with special apps, but if those devices fail then life becomes tricky once again. News on Alzheimer’s looks at early warning signs and the burden on the African-American community, as well.
Even People With Employer-Sponsored Plans Are Spending A Big Chunk Of Income On Health Insurance
“The affordability trends in the employer market are driven by healthcare costs rising a lot faster than the median income,” said Sara Collins, vice president of healthcare coverage and access at the Commonwealth Fund. The trends may be fueling some of the “Medicare for All” interest, experts say.
The changes were made to address complaints from hospitals—safety-net hospitals in particular—that they are unfairly penalized in the readmissions program because of their complex patient case mix. For rural hospitals, their average penalties are estimated to decline from $55,268 to $53,633; while average penalties for teaching hospitals will drop from $287,268 to $283,461. Other news from CMS looks at accountable care organizations and primary care accounts.
‘Born-Alive’ Measure Passes North Carolina Senate, But Faces Possible Veto From Democratic Governor
The legislation would punish doctors who fail to treat babies who are born as part of a failed abortion attempt. Critics of the measure say that it’s attempting to fix a nonexistent problem, and that there are already penalties for doctors who do not treat babies who are born alive. Abortion news comes out of North Dakota, Alabama, Ohio and Kansas, as well.
Behind The Scenes, Three Key Figures Help Shape The Democrats’ Strategy On Reducing Drug Prices
Stat offers a closer look at Richard Frank, Lauren Aronson and Gerard Anderson — three of the key figures and Democratic health-policy thought leaders working closely with Wendell Primus, a top adviser for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). In other pharmaceutical news, the Supreme Court dealt pharma a loss by rebuffing Allergan’s efforts to shield patents by transferring them to a Native American tribe.
Democrats are seizing the opportunity to blast Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for taking President Donald Trump’s side in the battle of disaster relief. But Scott is fighting back. “This is a great example of why people hate politics. Not only did @SenSchumer block a bipartisan bill, now he’s lying about it,” Scott tweeted Sunday evening. “Our bill doesn’t strip funding for P.R. It includes $600 mil in nutrition assistance funding for P.R. that I fought to get in the bill.” As the bickering in Washington continues, many in Puerto Rico are left uncertain and worried about the future.
While 20 states have reported cases, New York — in particular, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community that lives in Brooklyn — has been the epicenter of the outbreak. The infections test the boundaries between religious freedom and protection of public health. Meanwhile, the boom in cases in America is mirrored worldwide: globally there are four times as many measles cases so far this year as there were at the same time last year.
Town Hall Audience Erupts In Cheers When Asked About Support For Sanders’ ‘Medicare For All’ Plan
The slice of public opinion at the town hall for 2020 hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reflects broader polling that shows support for a system that guarantees universal coverage. However, when details about paying for the plan are revealed, that support has, in the past, dropped.
Past Trauma Still Haunts Columbine Survivors As They Now Watch Their Children Go To School
For some Columbine survivors who are now parents, the worst part of the day is dropping their kids off at school. In other public health news: the importance of studies being done in mice versus humans, Melinda Gates’ global health work, “three-parent” babies, a 3-D printed heart, dating and homicide, and hunger.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, New Mexico, Kansas and Missouri.
The Department of Justice alleges that Sutter and its affiliates submitted diagnosis codes that inflated the risk scores for certain beneficiaries in their care. “With some one-third of people in Medicare now enrolled in managed care…plans, large health care systems such as Sutter can expect a thorough investigation of claimed enrollees’ health status,” said Steven J. Ryan, special agent in charge with the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Michael Abramoff, an ophthalmologist, spent years developing a computer algorithm that could scan retina images for early signs of diabetic retinopathy. It made better calls than he did, he said, but convincing the FDA that it was safe and effective took extra work. News on technology also looks at health breaches in government databases and a new online forum for innovation.
Within five to ten years, smoking may no longer be the top preventable cause for cancer. Being obese and overweight — long implicated in heart disease and diabetes — has been associated in recent years with an increased risk of getting at least 13 types of cancer. In other oncology news: multiple cancers in one patients, breast implants, miracle treatments and their complications, survivors helping others, and the HPV vaccine.
