Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospitals Are Often Skipping Easy Procedures That Could Drastically Cut Down On Maternal Deaths
The U.S. continues to fall behind other developed countries when it comes to maternal mortality. A USA Today investigation looks at how doctors and nurses are ignoring simple safety practices that could improve those numbers.
Coalition Of State Attorneys General Sues To Block Association Health Plans Rule
The Trump administration says the regulation would help small businesses and self-employed workers to afford insurance, but the 12 Democratic state attorneys general contend that the plans would undermine patient protections put in place by the health law. Meanwhile, House Democrats are pushing Republicans to agree to protect preexisting conditions coverage.
There are reports of failed reunifications, though, that are raising questions about whether the deadline has indeed been met. Beyond that, there are hundreds of parents who have either been deemed ineligible or were deported without their children.
Progressive-Favorite ‘Medicare For All’ Takes A Battering From Trump Administration Health Officials
HHS Secretary Alex Azar criticized the plan only a day after CMS Administrator Seema Verma said that it would become “Medicare For None” if the system were enacted. “Medicare is running out of other people’s money, and those other people happen to be our children,” Azar said. The secretary also spoke about plans for overhauling the Medicare billing structure.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers express views on these and other health topics.
Different Takes: Lessons On Work Requirements, Disability And Association Health Plans
Opinion writers express views on the health law and how to improve health care and lower costs.
Longer Looks: Catholic Hospitals In Rural America; Sickle Cell Disease; And Free Narcan
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, California, Wyoming, Ohio, Massachusetts and Florida.
Iowa, which has nearly 40 percent fewer psychiatrists per capita than average, is revamping its mental health care. “There’s a lot of energy and focus on this. It’s exciting,” said Tyler VanMilligen, one of the new psychiatric residents. News about hospitals comes out of New Orleans, Washington, D.C., California and Texas, as well.
Health Care Big Wigs No Longer Turning To Universities When They Want To Step Out Of Executive Roles
Instead, these high-profile names are heading to Google companies. In other news, former HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell reflects on her time in office, the health law and more in Politico’s Pulse Check.
Where there’s a potential health crisis, there comes a way to make money from it. Companies are popping up with at-home sperm tests, sperm health scores and sperm cryobanking services. In other public health news: Zika’s destructive power, physician-assisted suicide, brain injuries in soldiers, eating disorders, and more.
Lowering Blood Pressure Can Help Stave Off Alzheimer’s, ‘Breakthrough’ Study Finds
This would be the first time a single change could result in lowering people’s chances at getting the disease.
Despite Concerted Efforts To Curb Opioid Crisis, Kentucky Overdose Deaths Rise 11.5 Percent In 2017
“We are in a crisis state,” Republican Gov. Matt Bevin said. “While we are putting money at it and while we are drawing attention to it, until we start to truly address this and look at underlying causes of these things and what is leading to this it is not going to be addressed.” Meanwhile, Medicare is pushing a new rule to reimburse hospitals more for non-opioid pain management drugs.
In defense of its “zero-tolerance” policy separations, Trump administration officials have argued that immigrant parents made the decision to leave their children in America. The new information reported by Politico could undermine that position.
Part of the problem with letting Medicare negotiate drug prices has always been that the government has no power in the talks. But the bill would let HHS give a competitive license to another company to make a generic version of the drug. Few see the measure gaining traction at the moment, though. Lawmakers also advanced legislation that would eliminate pharmacist “gag clauses.”
The drug showed success with patients who had the highest dosage for over 18 months, but there will need to be more studies before experts get really excited. “I don’t know that we’ve hit a home run yet. It’s important not to over-conclude on the data. But as a proof of concept, I feel like this is very encouraging,” said Dr. Reisa Sperling, director of the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
With About Three Months Until Midterms, Democrats Press Hard On Health Care To Nab Swing Voters
Democrats see the Republicans’ failure to repeal and replace the health law at the same time they were chipping away at its protections as a huge vulnerability that candidates can attack. Meanwhile, a new poll shows that the public will hold the Trump administration and the GOP-led Congress responsible for any pain they feel from premiums this year. And, Anthem reports better-than-expected profits.
CMS Administrator Seema Verma said a “Medicare-For-All” system would divert attention away from seniors, and warned that people would be giving up complete control of their care to the government. Verma gave the speech in California, where the issue is a hot-button topic in the gubernatorial election.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
