Latest KFF Health News Stories
Education Department Considering Plan To Allow School Districts To Arm Teachers Using Federal Funds
The $1 billion student support program, part of the Every Student Succeeds Act, is intended for academic and enrichment opportunities in the country’s poorest schools, but it makes no mention of prohibiting weapon purchases. News on guns and public health comes out of Texas and Las Vegas, as well.
But the judges also used the case to question the Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence.
Advocates watching the changes the state has made to its request — such as adding a transition period to deal with the fact that the state’s income maximums are so low any work will likely kick beneficiaries off the program — are worried tens of thousands of people will lose coverage if the government approves the new requirements.
“Today’s announcements are a warning to every trafficker, every crooked doctor or pharmacist, and every drug company, every chairman and foreign national and company that puts greed before the lives and health of the American people,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions says.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) claims that her re-election opponent, Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), wants to kill one of the most popular provisions in the health law — protections for people with preexisting conditions. Cramer fired back, saying it’s a myth that Republicans don’t care about that part of the law.
The report from the Government Accountability Office will likely be used by Democrats in the upcoming midterms to support their message that the Trump administration is undermining the health law. But the GAO also credited the government’s efforts to reduce call center wait times and stabilize the ACA website. Meanwhile, HHS approves Maryland’s request to created a reinsurance program in an effort to curb high premiums.
First Edition: August 23, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health issues and others.
Perspectives: CVS Plan Lets Pharma Off Easy; What To Do With Prescription-Drug Middlemen
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Trump Administration Sends Up Mixed Signals On Drug Pricing, PBM Plans
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets also report on other news from Texas, Florida, California, Montana, Missouri, Ohio, Georgia, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kansas and Nevada.
Each day, Karina Garcia has to take her son Jojo, a 19-year-old with severe epilepsy, off school grounds to squirt a dose of cannabis oil into his mouth, then return him to school for his special education classes. In Massachusetts, the state Department of Public Health backs away from settling a fight over medical marijuana quality testing. And in Florida, Wells Fargo closes the account of a medical marijuana-supporting candidate.
Hospital Closures May Accelerate With 8% At Risk, Leaving More Patients Farther From Care
Currently 30 hospitals a year are shutting down across the U.S., Bloomberg reports. That number could increase, according to a Morgan Stanley analysis, with facilities in rural areas are particularly at risk. More hospital news also comes out of Texas, Minnesota and Denver.
Mass. Nurses Point Finger At Hospital Execs In Fight Over Nurse Staffing
The fight is headed to the ballot in November. Massachusetts voters will decide whether to impose limits on the number of patients assigned to hospital nurses, a measure that hospital executives oppose. “Hospital executives are the ones who have ignored nurses’ concerns, claiming a lack of resources for safe patient care, while pocketing seven-figure salaries,” said Donna Kelly-Williams, president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Ohio Gov. Kasich Touts Medicaid Report Showing Expansion Cut State’s Uninsured Rate By Half
Ohio’s Medicaid expansion is among the outgoing governor’s signature achievements. He is using this report as well as stories from people who have gained coverage to shore up support for it before he leaves office.
Meanwhile, government officials from a collection of more than a dozen states that supported Obama era regulations vow to file court challenges to the administration’s changes. Other reports on environmental news include warnings about the health toxins caused by wildfires in the West and improving air quality in Minnesota.
Health Advisers Include New Options For Life-Saving Cervical Cancer Screening
Because most cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus, the US Preventive Services Task Force says women ages 30-65 now have the choice to get an HPV test every five years, a Pap test every three years or a combination of both tests every five years. Also in women’s health news: a bill is being introduced to address the disparity in maternal health outcomes.
A top Veterans Affairs official says the agency will review all the denied medical claims dating back to late 2016.
FDA Adds 4 Months To Expiration Date On EpiPens In Face Of Shortage
The Food and Drug Administration is working with Pfizer to extend the expiration date on certain lots of Mylan’s EpiPen 0.3 milligram injectors by an additional four months. The move is made because of an ongoing shortage of the lifesaving drug.
Amazon’s New Hire Brings History Of Introducing Health Professionals To Technology
In other market developments, biotech instrument maker Bionano Genomics goes public and more legal action for Herbalife.
