Latest KFF Health News Stories
Working On A New Puzzle: A Finance Whiz Focuses On Matching Medical Researchers With Investors
The Wall Street Journal profiles Karen Petrou, an influential adviser to bankers and regulators, who has launched a very personal crusade to cure blindness, Meanwhile, news outlets report on a range of other medical innovations, experiments and market developments — including a recently approved syrup derived from marijuana that will soon be available for people with epilepsy, a birth control app that recently gained Food and Drug Administration approval and is highlighting the health technology market, and other stories about clinical trials and life in the lab.
Democrats Put Sharp Focus On Health Care In Political Ads While GOP Message Targets Other Issues
From January through July, Democratic candidates and outside groups aired nearly 70,000 ads focused on health care, far and away the most common issue highlighted, while the GOP strategy covered Trump, taxes and immigration. News on health care campaigning comes from Iowa, also.
Also in the news regarding the opioid epidemic, Atlanta-area government leaders are joining the ranks of groups suing the opioid industry, synthetic pot is emerging as a public health risk and chronic pain patients say their need for painkillers often leaves them feeling like criminals.
More Patients Discover They Are Shelling Out Higher Copays Than The Cash Cost Of The Drug
“I was very shocked,” said a patient’s husband who bought a generic blood pressure medicine for $40 at Costco, after previously paying a $285 copay through insurance. “I had no idea if I asked to pay cash, they’d give me a different price.” In other drug pricing news: states take steps to bring down prescription costs. And “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli’s former lawyer is sentenced to jail for fraud.
Association Health Plans Look To Offer ‘Important Niche’ For Some Employers
The plans, which have been touted by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, are exempt from some of the federal health law’s rules and may provide a less expensive option for coverage — but also may lack certain consumer protections.
First Edition: August 20, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion pages focus on the impact of the opioid epidemic.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
While public health officials say fountains or taps found to contain water with lead levels above 20 ppb are shut down and are being evaluated, parents are pushing for more stringent standards. The CDC says no level of lead is safe for children. Media outlets also report on water issues in D.C. and Florida.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, New Mexico, California, New York, Louisiana, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio and Connecticut.
Following an investigation of an outbreak last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found people who were infected lacked immunizations and had the incorrect perception that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine was linked to autism. Media outlets also report on food safety, baby foods, blood pressure medicine recalls, kidney donors and more.
‘Queen Of Soul’s’ Death Highlights Viciousness Of Pancreatic Cancers
Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, following lung and colorectal cancers. Meanwhile, new research from the University of California-Davis shows that Californians are faring better against most types of cancer because of early detection and more effective treatments. CNN explores one scenario that plays out when insurers won’t pay for care.
Liberal Vets Group Sues To Stop Influence Of Three ‘Shadow’ Advisers
Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general finds problems in the agency’s caregiver program.
NYU Announces ‘Game Changer’ For Medical Students: Free Tuition
The initiative is designed to alleviate the six-figure debt that many medical students carry after graduation. The school says that will help encourage a more diverse student enrollment and allow more graduates to think about careers in primary care.
Trump Administration Value-Based Rule Expected To Force ACOs To Adapt Or Bolt
The National Association of ACOs signals that the Health and Human Services plan will cause affordable care organizations to leave Medicare’s Shared Savings Program. News outlets also report on industry news surrounding a heart valve procedure that is saving lives, a Q2 drop in bankruptcies and a “tidal wave of change” predicted from Colorado companies.
Schizophrenia Drug Discovery Has Scared Off Many Researchers, But This Group Is Taking On Challenge
A lack of understanding about the disease’s physiology makes creating new medicines difficult. “So we hope to revolutionize the way schizophrenics are being treated. … We hope to give these people their lives back,” Remy Luthringer, CEO of Boston-based Minerva Neurosciences, tells Stat. In other biotech and pharmaceutical news: companies thrive in Minnesota. And production resumes at a troubled Pfizer plant.
First Generic Version Of EpiPen Injector Approved By FDA And Could Lower Cost Of Drug
Teva gets approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell its version of the epinephrine auto-injector, but hasn’t yet revealed its pricing. Mylan, the manufacturer of the brand-name EpiPen, has faced public criticism and congressional investigations for raising the price of its lifesaving drug 450 percent since 2004.
Senators Challenge Azar On Assertion That Middlemen Are Preventing Drugmakers From Lowering Prices
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are seeking a response from the secretary of Health and Human Services about his answers in recent congressional testimony.
The Worst Year For Drug-Overdose Deaths — 2017
Vox reports that, according to preliminary data, more than 72,000 people died from drug overdoses, and The Washington Post details how the synthetic opioid fentanyl contributes to the United States’ vulnerability. Also in the news, reports about how Purdue Pharma downplayed addiction risks of opioid painkillers and new Food and Drug Administration warnings about how some pet owners use their pets to gain access to these powerful drugs.
Trump Wants To Take Opioid Manufacturers To Court
During a White House cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Donald Trump signaled his desire to join the litigation scrum by asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to file a federal lawsuit against certain pharmaceutical companies involved in the supply and manufacture of opioids. Trump said he preferred pursuing a federal lawsuit rather than joining existing actions filed by states.
