Latest KFF Health News Stories
Democrats have seized on Republicans’ attacks on the health law — mostly focusing on preexisting conditions — as a winning strategy in the upcoming midterms. On Wednesday, senators forced a vote on blocking President Donald Trump’s short-term plan expansion, though no one really expected the measure to be approved. Still, the move put Republicans on the record as voting to uphold plans that don’t include health law protections just weeks before the 2018 elections.
Fact checkers comb through President Donald Trump’s opinion piece on the Democrats’ “Medicare For All” plan and flag many of the president’s points that misstate facts about the current Medicare program, Medicare For All’s potential impact on seniors, preexisting conditions, and the cost of the plan, among other things.
CVS-Aetna Merger Clears Crucial Hurdle With Justice Department Approval
The deal is one of several in recent years that has consolidated power among health care companies. Critics worry that the mergers will mean fewer choices and higher health care costs for consumers. “The combination of CVS and Aetna creates an enormous market force that we haven’t seen before,” said George Slover, a senior policy counsel for Consumers Union. CVS still needs to get approvals from several states.
First Edition: October 11, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
President Donald Trump writes about his views on the Democrats’ “Medicare For All” plan, which has become a litmus test among progressive candidates. Editorial pages look at other health issues, as well.
Thoughts On The Opioid Crisis: Everybody Needs To Come To The Table Ready To Fight Epidemic
Columnists discuss the challenges of curbing the opioid crisis, which has affected hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Researchers Seek Ways To Add Speed, Economy, And Flexibility To Process Of Producing Drugs
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Wisconsin, New York, Illinois, North Carolina and Colorado.
Campaign Calls On People To Break ‘Code Of Silence’ Surrounding Domestic Violence
The campaign, Don’t Just Give A Damn, urges people to take an active stand in the fight against domestic violence. In other public health news: therapy dogs, intermittent fasting, women in science, blood cancer, end-of-life discussions, and more.
Along with noise from planes, trains and automobiles, the din pumped through headphones, at fitness classes and during rock concerts is damaging our health, the WHO’s guidelines published on Tuesday said.
With Regulatory Threat From FDA Looming, Juul Beefs Up Lobbying Efforts
Last week, Juul brought in Josh Raffel, a former senior communications aide and crisis communications expert who has worked closely with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has taken steps in recent weeks to crack down on the e-cigarette company.
A Look At Venture Capital Funding For Health Care Companies Reveals Trend Of Fewer But Larger Deals
The first three-quarters of this year have seen the rise of so-called unicorns, or health care startups valued at more than $1 billion.
Dems Know What Immigration Policies They Don’t Like, But Struggle To Reach A Cohesive Path Forward
Democrats have expressed outrage over how the Trump administration has handled immigration problems, a fury that was amplified by the “zero tolerance” policy enacted this year. But the factions within the party are split about which direction they should move in. Meanwhile, drug-trafficking prosecutions plunge to the lowest level in years along the southwestern border.
FDA’s Handling Of Authority To Regulate Compounding Sparks Growing Chorus Of Criticism
The FDA has found itself pulled in many different directions as Congress, drugmakers and industry weigh in on compounding, the science of preparing personalized medications for patients.
The neighborhood in Philadelphia has been dubbed “Walmart of heroin,” and efforts to curb opioid abuse stemming from that marketplace have largely failed. The New York Times offers a glimpse inside the lives of the people who reside there. Meanwhile, a program in Tennessee tries to break the cycle of incarceration and addiction by focusing on job training.
Both Sides Of Abortion Battle Preparing For Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh
Braced for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood’s new strategy includes three major components: expanding access in states with laws favorable to reproductive rights; policy work aimed at strengthening reproductive rights; and efforts to reduce stigma surrounding abortion. Meanwhile, anti-abortion advocates are strategizing on the best cases to push forward.
The Trump administration is being pressed by a group of bipartisan senators “to review existing data and provide us with recommendations about what can be done at the federal, state and local levels to reduce mortality and improve health outcomes for all mothers and their children, regardless of their racial and ethnic background, income level or educational attainment.”
The legislation targets President Donald Trump’s newly expanded short-term plan coverage, which for the Democrats has become a proxy for the Republicans’ supposed willingness to roll back protections on preexisting conditions. Meanwhile, the administration announces its plans for maintenance downtime for the federal health law registration website, Healthcare.gov.
One of the main health care promises featured in Republican campaign ads this cycle is that theirs is the party that will protect Medicare as it is — even though entitlement program changes have long been desired by GOP leadership. News about the midterm elections comes out of Tennessee, Maine, Texas, California and Ohio, as well.
