Latest KFF Health News Stories
The desire to expand the research into medical marijuana underscores how eager lawmakers are to shift patients toward alternatives to opioids. News on the crisis comes out of Virginia, California and Ohio, as well.
ProPublica investigates the case of one Texas doctor and the way the state’s protections that are meant to help patients were flawed.
Texas To Reopen Process For Medicaid, CHIP Contracts After ‘Serious Issues’ Found With Existing Bids
The announcement follows a troubled year for the state’s bidding process, including the resignation or retirement of six agency officials after revelations of sloppiness and mistakes in bid scoring. Medicaid news comes out of Ohio, as well.
One Of Nation’s Largest Dialysis Providers Agrees To $270M Settlement Over Medicare Advantage Fraud
The settlement cites improper medical coding by HealthCare Partners from early 2007 through the end of 2014. According to the settlement, the company, which is part of giant dialysis company DaVita Inc., submitted “unsupported” diagnostic codes that allowed the health plans to receive higher payments than they were due.
Cancellations Of More Than 250,000 Radiology Orders At VA Hospitals Raise Questions
The cancellations seem to be part of an effort to clear outdated or duplicate orders, but there are concerns that some medically necessary orders for CT scans and other imaging tests were canceled improperly.
Pfizer’s Top Executive To Hand Over Reins To Company’s Current COO At End Of Year
“The company has come out of the abyss it was in, and is really poised for growth,” CEO Ian Read, 65, said. “Given my age, it’s time for me to move on.” Chief Operating Officer Albert Bourla will take over starting in 2019. Meanwhile, AmerisourceBergen agreed to pay federal and state governments $625 million for illegally distributing misbranded drugs.
Medical costs are often dense and hard to understand, so most employers cede control to their insurers and the companies managing benefits. But taking an active role in monitoring and negotiating prices can pay off in the end.
HHS investigators describe a poorly coordinated interagency process that left distraught parents with little or no knowledge of their children’s whereabouts, according to an unpublished internal watchdog report obtained by The Washington Post. Meanwhile, the government is now moving detained children in middle-of-the-night journeys to a tent city in Texas, and an official downplays the impact of the administration’s expanded “public charge” policy.
The plans hit the market on Tuesday, but consumers should be aware that while they are cheaper than other individual coverage options, they don’t have to follow the regulations set into place by the health law.
First Edition: October 2, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and other health issues.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health care issues.
Media outlets report on news from Connecticut, California, Kansas, Iowa, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois.
California Governor Knocks Down Proposal To Open Safe Injection Site In San Francisco
“After great reflection, I conclude that the disadvantages of this bill far outweigh the possible benefits,” Gov. Jerry Brown wrote in a veto message. The legislation was one of several health care related measures on Brown’s desk. Others addressed gun control, abortion medication and mental illness.
A cradle-to-grave socialized medical system in China has improved life expectancy and lowered maternal mortality rates, but it has also been greatly strained by the country’s population and economic growth.
Nutrition Studies Plagued By ‘Credibility Problem,’ Critics Say
A Cornell University food researcher’s discredited work is symptomatic of a pervasive problem with food and health studies, according to a group of scientists, who say part of the problem stems from the need to publish often. In other public health news, there are reports on flu, twins, pregnancy, nursing homes, living donors, teen girls, anxiety, vaping and more.
Coming Forward To Report Sexual Assault Is Complex, Layered Issue For Victims
Experts look at the reasons why reporting sexual assault can be a traumatic decision for victim. Meanwhile, as the allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh grip the attention of the nation, sexual assault survivors are trying to cope with triggered memories.
U.S. Judge’s Ruling Keeps Open Last Abortion Clinic In Kentucky
The law requiring advance agreements with hospitals and ambulance services did not protect the rights of women to make their own choices and had “no impact on the vast majority of the rare post-abortion complications,” U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers wrote. News on abortion comes out of Ohio, also.
Only Branded Companies Can Market Drugs For Off-Label Use Now But Two Senators Want To Change That
Generics drug companies can’t launch the process to ask the FDA to be able to market the drug for off-label use. In some cases, the brand drug is pulled, and only the generic remains. “The result is that these drug labels get frozen in time,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has come under the microscope for potential breaches regarding financial conflicts-of-interest. On Friday, the Manhattan-based cancer center issued a memo to thousands of employees, announcing that it would restrict some interactions with for-profit companies.
