Latest KFF Health News Stories
Last year the Supreme Court ruled against a Texas law requiring doctors to have “admitting privileges” at a hospital, saying it created a substantial burden on women seeking an abortion. But a judge says differences in Texas and Louisiana hospital rules negates that worry in a different case. “Almost all Texas hospitals required that for a doctor to maintain privileges there, he or she had to admit a minimum number of patients annually,” Judge Jerry E. Smith wrote in the opinion joined by Judge Edith Brown Clement. “Few Louisiana hospitals made that demand.”
Medicaid Expansion Is Expensive, And Soon States Are Going To Have To Pick Up More Of The Tab
Federal funding will be phased down soon, and states are exploring a variety of taxes and work requirements to support their expansion. Medicaid news comes out of Tennessee and Iowa, as well.
The report released by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General found that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services “is not properly vetting the physicians it designates to conduct required medical examinations of these foreign nationals, and it has designated physicians with a history of patient abuse or a criminal record.”
U.S. Death Toll From Last Winter’s Vicious Flu Season Climbed To 80,000, CDC Reports
That tally is nearly twice as many deaths as what health officials previously considered a “bad” year. Officials are pushing to get people vaccinated before this year’s season hits.
If Democrats win the majority, they’ll be able to use their new positions as committee chairs to conduct investigations, issue subpoenas and drag Trump administration officials before Congress to ask tough questions about their handling of the health law. Meanwhile, the court case against the health law places a spotlight on attorney general races that usually fly under the radar.
As a model of the kind of investment advocates would like to see, they point to the Ryan White Care Act, a bipartisan bill that was passed in 1990. It allowed for billions of dollars in treatment and other support for people with HIV and AIDS, including antiretroviral drugs for anyone without insurance. More news on the crisis comes from California, Colorado and Ohio.
Trump Expected To Sign Spending Bill Passed By Congress To Avert Government Shutdown
The National Institutes of Health is a big winner in the bill, which passed the House 361-61. The agency will see a 5 percent boost in its budget.
The opening statements of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford were released ahead of today’s Judiciary Committee hearing about an alleged sexual assault. On Wednesday, a third woman came forward with a new set of allegations. Meanwhile, all eyes are on moderate Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) as possible swing votes in the nomination fight for a court seat that will greatly impact future health policy debates.
First Edition: September 27, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers weigh in on this health topics and others.
Opinion writers express views about the health care insurance.
Perspectives: The Dream For Curing Cancer Now A Reality, But Costs Stand In The Way
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Virginia, California, Missouri, Louisiana, Minnesota, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Georgia and Virginia.
Ending HIV Transmissions In America Now Seen As An Attainable Goal Within The Span Of A Few Years
The tools exist, experts say, they just have to be put into action. In other public health news: racial disparities in health care quality, child abuse, appendicitis, shingles, c-sections, tuberculosis and more.
Because the sexually transmitted disease is treatable with penicillin, the CDC is recommending pregnant women get tested at their first prenatal appointment, possibly again in their third trimester and at the time of delivery. Untreated cases can result in stillbirths or the baby dying. News on the report comes out of Texas and Florida, also.
The Orlando Fire Department had been working for years ahead of the Pulse nightclub shooting toward an innovative approach where specialized teams of medics, guarded by police officers and wearing specially designed bulletproof vests, would pull out victims before a shooter is caught or killed. But the plan sputtered out.
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has come under fire for its exclusive deal with an artificial intelligence company that board members had a financial stake in.
CMS Urged To Reverse Course Over Site-Neutral Payment Policy For Off-Campus Hospital Facilities
The 60 percent rate cut proposed in the rule could mean a nearly $760 million hit to hospitals in 2019.
Medicaid Expansion Has Had ‘Dramatic Impact’ On Uninsured Rates In Rural Areas For Some States
“We knew Medicaid expansion was having a big impact in rural parts of our state but this report — it really sort of outlines how dramatic that impact has been,” said Adam Fox, director of strategic engagement for the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.
