Latest KFF Health News Stories
There was little action expected out of a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing, but lawmakers debated recent abortion laws in both red and blue states.
Doctors From Missouri’s Last-Remaining Abortion Clinic Won’t Have To Testify At Trial, Judge Rules
On Saturday, the state served subpoenas to four doctors and physician trainees who worked at the Planned Parenthood clinic, compelling their testimony in court. In his ruling, Judge Michael Stelzer said because of the limited scope of the hearing the testimony of the four doctors would not be relevant to the issues before the court. The hearing starts this morning.
House’s ‘Medicare For All’ Plan Picks Up Its Highest-Ranking Democrat Yet
Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) is the No. 4 House Democrat and a close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “Despite the incredible progress we’ve made because of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion, we continue to see Americans crushed by the health insurance industry, and health care remains a right that far too many New Mexicans and far too many Americans struggle to gain,” Luján said in support of the “Medicare for All” plan. Meanwhile, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on the proposal next week.
Perspectives: Novartis Fell Victim To Human Nature When Putting A $2.1M Price Tag On New Treatment
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others health issues.
Media outlets report on news from Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine, California, North Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arizona, Louisiana, Ohio and Minnesota.
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded there was no significant risk from acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic chemical created during roasting.
While no one is keeping an exact count on how often the mix up takes place, more people are reporting their donor had a medical history they never would have chosen. Health officials question if better regulation of an industry that supports thousands of artificial inseminations a year is necessary. Public health news focuses on sleep’s healing powers, parents’ social media photos, online monitoring, antibiotic prescriptions, new NAS code of conduct, mothers’ health, animal studies and nurses’ PTSD.
Health officials say a loss in the prized status gained in 2000 could mean larger outbreaks in the future that could overwhelm health departments. Other news on the measles epidemic is on new cases and religious exemptions.
The mutation protects people from HIV infections but leaves them susceptible to other negative health effects. “This is a lesson in humility,” says George Daley, the dean of the Harvard Medical School.
Supreme Court Rules That Obama-Era Rule On Medicare Payments For Hospitals Should Be Removed
The justices wrote that HHS did not provide enough warning to the public about the cuts. The case was highly technical, and hinged on dueling interpretations of agency activity on what constitutes a “substantive legal standard” in a payment policy change to Medicare.
After Months Of Back-And-Forth, Congress Sends $19.1 Billion Disaster Aid Legislation To President
The bill provides funds for relief efforts in areas across the country hit by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. The Senate voted on it last month, but it got held up in the House, which passed the legislation 354-58 yesterday.
Are The Days Of Eye-Popping Rate Hikes Over? Health Law Premium Increases Fairly Moderate For 2020
The first batch of proposed 2020 rate filings are in from insurers. The sampling indicates to experts that the marketplace is stabilizing. One big reason why: Insurers are now making lots of money on their Obamacare customers — the vast majority of which are heavily subsidized — after jacking up rates to account for higher-than-expected medical costs in the early years. Other health law related news comes out of California, Minnesota, Georgia and Wisconsin.
California, Hawaii, Maine and the District of Columbia join a slew of other states, cities and counties suing the maker of OxyContin. “Purdue and the Sacklers traded the health and well-being of Californians for profit and created an unprecedented national public health crisis in the process,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said at a news conference announcing the legal action by his state.
11.9 Million Patients’ Personal, Medical Data May Have Been Exposed In Quest Breach
The breach came as a result of a cybersecurity incident at American Medical Collection Agency, a billing collections vendor. “Quest [Diagnostics] is taking this matter very seriously and is committed to the privacy and security of our patients’ personal information,” the medical testing company said. It indicated that plans are in the works to begin notifying individual patients but did not give a timeline.
Humana had long been seen as a potential acquirer of Centene, the biggest player in Medicaid managed care. Medicare-focused Humana has said it wants to grow in the Medicaid business. Yet Humana was also seen by analysts as unlikely to mount a hostile bid, an unusual move in the managed-care industry.
The FDA’s expanded access program is designed to help patients with immediate life-threatening or serious illnesses who don’t qualify for clinical trials and have no other treatment options. Officials say they want to make it easier for doctors to utilize.
Virginia’s Democratic Leadership To Push For Action On Gun Control Following Mass Shooting
Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark R. Herring, all Democrats, want lawmakers to tighten the state’s gun laws, which are among the most permissive in the nation. Over the weekend, several other Virginia Democrats took to social media to say that Friday’s shooting demonstrated the need to take control of the legislature this fall and pass restrictions on guns, as well, and a top Republican lawmaker said he is open to discussions.
