Latest KFF Health News Stories
The tent city in West Texas has been open for 120 days and that longevity, along with its size, has drawn criticism from immigrant advocates, Democratic lawmakers and others.
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.
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.
People In States That Did Not Expand Medicaid More Likely To Forgo Needed Medical Care, Report Finds
A new report from the Government Accountability Office shows the ways low-income people make choices about care versus expense. News on Medicaid comes out of Virginia, as well.
“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.
First Edition: October 15, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, Washington, Michigan, Maryland, California, Louisiana, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Florida.
Columnists explore various public health issues.
Perspectives: When It Comes To Health Care, Watch What Republicans Do Not What They Say
Editorial pages delve into the complexities of the health law, the marketplaces and what it all means for the elections.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote an opinion piece countering the one from President Donald Trump that attacked Sanders’ “Medicare For All” plan. Other columnists react to the discourse over the issue, as well.
Research Roundup: Residents’ Test Ordering Habits; Housing And Health; And Government Responsibility
Editorial pages focus on these and other health issues.
Tracking Typing Patterns On Smartphones May Give Professionals Insight Into Patients’ Mental Health
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
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.
With the growing popularity of DNA testing sites like 23andMe and Ancestry.com, eventually it won’t even matter if you’ve given a sample or not because a distant relative’s test is enough to wipe out your anonymity.
“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.
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.
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.
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
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
Trump Administration Opened Door To Step Therapy And Insurance Giant Plans To Rush In
Step therapy allows insurers to require patients to try cheaper drugs first and see if they fail before moving on to more expensive ones. UnitedHealth has decided to require the method, which is supported by the Trump administration which rolled out new step therapy rules this year. Other pharmaceutical news includes Walgreens’ sales and biotech unicorns.
