Latest KFF Health News Stories
Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) is alleged to have passed inside information on the failure of an Innate Immunotherapeutics’ drug trial to his son, who then passed it to another alleged conspirator. Collins describes the charges as “merit-less” and says he will stay in office and run for reelection. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan says that Collins would not serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee “until this matter is settled.”
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Rep. Christopher Collins (R-N.Y.) is alleged to have passed inside information on the failure of a Innate Immunotherapeutics’ drug trial to his son, who then passed it to another alleged conspirator. The three avoided about $768,000 in losses as a result of the information, prosecutors allege.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health issues.
Perspectives: Are Recent Pharma Concessions One-Off Victories When Systematic Change Is Needed?
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Montana, Texas, D.C., Louisiana, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Hampshire and Florida.
Families, Health Care Teams Turn To New Approaches To Help People Caught Up In Opioid Epidemic
Rather than immediately sending newborns dependent on opioids to foster care, Kansas City health officials are working to keep the families together. Other new ideas include not letting a family member hit “rock bottom” and using more medication-assisted treatments to keep people alive.
In other news on how to make schools more safe, few rural districts in South Dakota and Wyoming are arming teachers, and a new survey says 25 percent of students are “very worried” about a school shooting.
“People tend to think about pregnancy as a universally happy experience,” said Daniel Grossman, of the University of California at San Francisco. “But the reality is that pregnancy is inherently risky. … Black women face significantly higher risks during pregnancy, and Beyoncé and Serena Williams help to put a very well-known face to these risks.” In other public health news: the need for men to be tested for BRCA2 gene; the psychological harms of technology on children; drinking water during hot weather; and more.
First Look At How Zika Babies Are Faring As They Grow Up Is Sobering In Breadth Of Health Problems
About one out of every seven babies who were exposed to Zika in the womb have health complications, with some of the problems emerging well after birth. “We are still early in the Zika story, and we still have lot to learn about how these children will grow and develop,” said Margaret Honein, director of the CDC’s Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders.
Carl Icahn is urging fellow shareholders to vote against the deal between the health insurer and the pharmacy-benefits firm.
Confusion, Worry Plague States As They Try To Navigate Federal Rule On Association Health Plans
State insurance regulators are also concerned that the Labor Department won’t provide guidance on how much regulatory authority the states have. In other health law news: a lawmaker wants details about information on Medicare that was removed from a website; proposed rates continue to come out of states; and the Connecticut insurance commissioners is asked to ban short-term health coverage.
The rule, as drafted, would authorize federal officials to revoke legal-resident status from legal immigrants who accept government assistance currently available to them. Polling shows that Americans think immigrants are responsible for high health care costs, but research shows otherwise. Medicaid news comes out of Arkansas, Iowa and Ohio.
Administration To ‘Unleash’ Medicare Advantage Plans’ Bargaining Power On Some Drug Prices
As a negotiation tool, Medicare Advantage plans will now be able to require patients getting drugs in a doctor’s office or the hospital to try lower-cost medicines before moving up to more expensive ones in a process called step therapy. Insurers already had this option in Part D drug plans — which cover prescriptions such as those purchased by beneficiaries at pharmacies. But the option is now being expanded.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health care issues.
Media outlets report on news from Arizona, Connecticut, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, Oregon, California, Oklahoma, Kansas and Florida.
Gamble Pays Off For Patients Who Accepted Organs Infected With Hep C
Powerful new drugs can cure the virus, so scientists wanted to test out if the transplants would be successful despite the donor being infected. “When there’s such a bad organ shortage, we can’t just do business as usual,” said Dr. Peter Reese, a kidney specialist who led the study. “We need to shake off that these organs aren’t valuable and that people will not want them.” In other public health news: ticks, microbiome testing, gene-muting drugs, cancer, postpartum struggles, and more.
Women More Likely To Survive Heart Attacks When Their Doctor Is A Woman
A new study also finds that male physicians who have treated more women or have more female colleagues are more successful in treating women who have had heart attacks.
