Latest KFF Health News Stories
Longer Looks: Religious Hospitals; Legal Cannabis; And Cancer In Prison
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, California, Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida, Minnesota, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin and Texas.
Days After Ebola Outbreak Ended, Cases Reported In Eastern Part Of Democratic Republic of Congo
Whereas other outbreaks have been in relatively safe areas, the new one is in an active conflict zone.
Hundreds of lawsuits claim that Abilify, which can be taken for depression and anxiety, causes gambling, binging, and other compulsive acts. But scientists say that if it does play a role, there are likely other factors also at play. In other public health news: tuberculosis, 3D-printed guns, cancer survivors, sleep, worker injuries, and more.
It took more than three months, several DNA studies and other tests before an undocumented mother was reunited with her 1-year-old daughter. She had many questions, but the caseworker who delivered her child disappeared before she could ask them.
Medicare Giving Hospices Pay Bump For Next Year
Meanwhile, academic and rural hospitals will likely see a cut in funding.
Painkiller-Makers Pouring Money Into Communities, States That Are Suing Them Over Opioid Crisis
The companies are doling out money to nonprofits, in a move that could potentially be building goodwill ahead of the massive legal battle the industry is about to face. Meanwhile, KHN takes a look at how competition in the early days of the opioid push helped shape the companies’ strategies.
Medicaid Expansion Advocates Have Found A Way Around GOP Legislatures Saying ‘No’
Activists are working to get expansion of the program on the ballots for a handful of red states where elected officials have blocked it for years. Medicaid news comes out of Florida, Virginia and Michigan, as well.
Medicare currently isn’t allowed to negotiate drug prices, but analysts looked at agencies that can — like the Department of Veterans Affairs — and crunched some numbers. As drug prices continue to rise, officials scramble to find ways to curb the cost hikes. Meanwhile, Medicare beneficiaries will pay lower premiums on their prescription drug plans next year.
After Years Of Eye-Popping Rate Increases, Insurers’ Requests Are Starting To Level Off
In some places, insurers are even seeking small decreases to some of their rates as the health law marketplace stabilizes. But there are still some areas that will be hit with double-digit spikes, such as New York, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing back against the requests.
The administration issued its final rule on the short-term plans on Wednesday, allowing insurers to sell them for 12 months and then renew them for two years. The coverage is cheaper because it doesn’t meet the strict requirements instituted by the health law — such as covering essential benefits. Democrats and other critics aired their concerns about the move putting both consumers and the marketplace at risk.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers about these and other health care issues.
Perspectives: We’re Already Seeing Results From Trump’s Drug Blueprint To Lower Costs
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Drug Rebates’ Days Are Numbered, Pfizer CEO Says Of Latest Culprits In High Prices Blame Game
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from California, New York, Virginia, Texas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kansas.
NIH Strives To Recover Reputation After Recent Ethical Controversies
The most publicized of the controversies involved a study on the benefits of moderate drinking and scientists’ attempts to woo the alcohol industry to fund the study. NIH Director Francis Collins acknowledged the setbacks, but the agency hopes to make clear the lapses are one-offs and not indicative of a larger cultural problem. In other public health news: suicide, Parkinson’s disease, exercise, Lyme disease, brain injuries, and more.
Attorneys general in eight states and the District of Columbia had filed a joint lawsuit attempting to force the Trump administration to prevent the company from uploading blueprints for consumers to print out plastic guns. The weapons would be hard to catch even by metal detectors.
Ideas about care are changing from the past when doctors were likely to take the baby away from the mother and put it in brightly lit ICU, making their risk of withdrawal higher. News on the epidemic also comes out of Texas, Arizona and Massachusetts.
“Any time Google tries to enter your industry, that’s a very big competitive threat,” said Nilesh Chandra, senior leader in PA Consulting’s health care business. In other health and technology news, IBM is tweaking its software that allows its supercomputer to recommend cancer treatments and a hospital turns to tech to help solve pervasive hand-washing issue.
