Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Vermont’s Health System Ranks First In Study Assessing Costs, Accessibility And Medical Outcomes
Louisiana came in last in the WalletHub study that compared the states and D.C. The measures were broken down further, such as lowest average monthly insurance premium and hospital beds per capita.
The GM deal is a different approach to the traditional model in which companies hire insurers for access to a broader network of health-care providers. More and more, companies are looking for innovative ways to try to curb rising costs.
App Warns Those Recovering From Addiction When They’re In A Location That Could Trigger Relapse
It can also send a notification when the person is around an acquaintance that could make them vulnerable to using again. The app — Hey, Charlie — is part of a new trend of technology focusing on the social-network of a person in recovery. In other news from the opioid crisis: lawmakers are seeking documents from painkiller-makers as part of an ongoing investigation; a letter-writing campaign finds success in getting doctors to cut back on overprescribing; and more.
FDA Takes Steps To Encourage Development Of Medication That Can Be Used To Aid Addiction Treatment
Currently, just three drugs exist to treat opioid use disorder: buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. Adherence to the drugs is typically low, and addiction treatment experts have long said medication assisted treatment is vastly underutilized.
The Washington Post fact checks some Democrats’ talking point that a recent working paper supports the idea that the proposal by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) would save $2 trillion in health care spending. To get to that number, one would need to make unrealistic assumptions, the report’s author says.
Republicans Could Pay Political Price For Cementing Conservative Supreme Court, History Shows
There’s a track record in the nation’s history of political backlash reflected in elected positions any time the court goes too far to one ideological side. Meanwhile, Democrats are digging in to possible ties between Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a judge forced into retirement last year over sexual harassment allegations.
The regulators were particularly concerned about aggressive and possibly misleading marketing strategies to sell the plans that are being touted by the Trump administration following a rule extending the duration that the coverage can be sold.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers express views on these health topics and others.
Different Takes: Is ‘Medicare For All’ The New Health Care Debate Or Just An Old One?
Editorial pages focus on the controversy over “Medicare For All” and other health care costs.
Media outlets report on news from California, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Michigan, Connecticut, Georgia and Florida.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Texas Senate also came out forcefully against the idea. In other news, media outlets offer a deeper look at the men behind two mass shootings.
Prosecutors had alleged that Prime Healthcare Services unnecessarily admitted Medicare patients who were being treated at the emergency rooms of several hospitals in its system. Medicare pays more for patients who are admitted to hospitals than those who are treated as outpatients.
