Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Trump Administration Wants Pharma To Put Prices In Ads, But Experts Are Skeptical That Would Rein In Costs

Morning Briefing

Experts say drugmakers’ list prices are typically used as a starting point for negotiations with other health care payers and few patients are asked to pay them, so including may be confusing. HHS Secretary Alex Azar is scheduled to give a speech Monday afternoon that will address the administration’s blueprint for lowering drug costs.

Investigation On Medicare Advantage Plans Finds Widespread, Persistent Problems Related To Denials Of Care

Morning Briefing

The investigation by the HHS inspector general raises some concerns just as Medicare Advantage plans become more and more popular. Analysts predict that one in two seniors will have them in a few years despite predictions that the health law would hobble the marketplace.

‘Somebody Needs To Fix It’: As Each Party Locks In Health Care Rhetoric, Many Voters Just Want A Solution

Morning Briefing

“It’s crippling people. It’s crippling me,” Pennsylvania voter Kaci Rickert says of health care costs. The topic has taken center stage in the weeks before the midterm elections, as Democrats focus on Republicans’ threat to popular health law provisions, such as preexisting conditions protections, while Republicans go after progressives’ “Medicare For All” plan. News on the races comes out of Iowa, Ohio, California and Minnesota.

Tracking Typing Patterns On Smartphones May Give Professionals Insight Into Patients’ Mental Health

Morning Briefing

For example, a manic episode may be preceded by rising numbers of typos and faster typing. But a host of privacy issues comes along with the technology. In other public health news: air pollution, stem cells, older patients, vision loss, dementia, anxiety and more.

Upswing In Vaccine Skepticism Has Spawned Communities Of Vulnerable Children Over Past Two Decades

Morning Briefing

The percentage of very young children who haven’t received any vaccination has quadrupled in the past 17 years, a new survey says. But a separate CDC study finds that overall vaccination rates for older, kindergarten-age children continue to hold about steady, with close to 95 percent fully vaccinated.

Global C-Section Rates Almost Doubled Worldwide Over 15-Year Span, With Many Countries Overusing Procedure

Morning Briefing

“The large increases in C-section use – mostly in richer settings for non-medical purposes – are concerning because of the associated risks for women and children,” said Marleen Temmerman, an expert who co-led the research. Meanwhile, a House committee will start to investigate the U.S.’s high maternal mortality rates. And a study finds that childbirth is most dangerous for black women.

With Roe V. Wade In Possible Peril, Planned Parenthood Turns Attention To Building Up Defenses At State Level

Morning Briefing

A key part of Planned Parenthood’s strategy calls for expanding services in states where abortion is likely to remain legal and accessible, with longer business hours, additional staff and new clinics among the possible steps it will take. Meanwhile, the organization’s next director Dr. Leana Wen reflects on her time as Baltimore’s health commissioner. News on abortion comes out of Kentucky, Oregon, Alabama and West Virginia, as well.

Doctors Charged With Taking Millions Of Dollars In Return For Prescribing Opioids To Patients Who Didn’t Need Them

Morning Briefing

Five New York doctors are charged in connection with the investigation. “Instead of caring for their patients, these doctors were drug dealers in white coats,” said Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a news conference on Thursday.

Lawmakers Publicly Shame Drug Distributors For Role In Opioid Crisis. But As Candidates They Welcome Their Money.

Morning Briefing

The practice of lawmakers taking money from the health industries they regulate is not unusual, but the increased scrutiny of the opioid epidemic is drawing attention to these particular donations. News from the upcoming elections comes out of Iowa, California and Massachusetts, as well.

Pfizer To Settle Charges That It Misled Consumers With Drug Coupon Promises

Morning Briefing

Pfizer will pay $500,000 in penalties, fees, and costs to New York, as well as more than $200,000 in restitution to consumers. The settlement comes amid ongoing controversy over the role that copay coupons play in rising health care costs