Latest KFF Health News Stories
Opinion pages focus on these and other health issues.
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, Mississippi, Texas, California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
Amerigroup To Fight Kansas’ Decision To Drop Insurer From KanCare Contracts
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced that it will replace Amerigroup with Aetna. A spokeswoman for the company said Amerigroup has provided Kansans on Medicaid “improved access to high-quality health care since 2013” and today serves more than 127,000 KanCare recipients. Medicaid news comes out of Florida and Ohio, as well.
High Suicide Rates, Opioid Epidemic At Top Of New CDC Director’s Priorities
Robert Redfield, in his first interview in the position of CDC director, talked about the importance of realizing the role firearms play in the country’s suicide rate as well as his personal connection to the opioid crisis. In other public health news: the “marshmallow test,” DNA collection, dementia and guns, meditation, palliative care and more.
Woman Claims Pharmacist Refused To Fill Her Miscarriage Drug On Moral Grounds
The Arizona State Board of Pharmacy is investigating the allegations. Meanwhile, the scandal at USC has lead to a moment of reckoning and reflection in the gynecology field.
Measuring traces of the drugs in the wastewater can paint a detailed picture of the epidemic, and give a powerful tool to communities that are struggling. Other news on the crisis comes out of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Kansas.
Hospitals are also facing pressure from federal regulators who are demanding more transparency over health care costs. In other hospital news: the American Hospital Association submits ideas on how to reduce the backlog of denied Medicare claims; hospitals are expanding to fit the needs of transgender patients; and Washington state’s largest psychiatric hospital has lost its federal certification.
The thinking has been that requiring workers to shoulder more of the cost of care will also encourage them to cut back on unnecessary spending. But it didn’t work out that way. In other industry news: competition in the marketplace and General Electric’s plans to spin-off its health care business.
First Marijuana-Based Drug Approved By FDA In Expected Move
The drug, Epidiolex, is used to treat seizures in a very small population with a rare form of epilepsy. It does not create a high for patients.
While the VA called the data behind the analysis “fake news,” the report finds residents in a majority of the nursing homes serving nearly 50,000 veterans endured potential neglect and inadequate pain management. “They should be assessing individuals and doing what they can to manage it,” said Robyn Grant, director of public policy and advocacy at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. “And if it’s not working, they should be trying different things.”
Advocates Warn About Lingering Health Problems In Detained Children Even After Short Amount Of Time
Meanwhile, the administration has temporarily halted the prosecution of parents and guardians, unless they have a criminal history or the child’s welfare was in question, and Republicans are looking at a narrow fix for the crisis instead of a sweeping overhaul of immigration policy.
Not only is there a lack of abrupt exits from the marketplaces like there have been in the past, but insurers are also actually starting to expand their offerings to new areas. Experts say that if not for the legal and political uncertainty surrounding the law, the marketplace would be “very robust” right now.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers focus on these and other health issues.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, Florida, Ohio, Kansas, Arizona, California and Wisconsin.
Internet-connected locks, speakers, thermostats, lights and cameras that have been marketed as the newest conveniences are now also being used as a means for harassment, monitoring, revenge and control. In other public health news: pandemics, breathing tubes, precision medicine, pregnancy vaccines, and more.
Michigan Poised To Become Fifth State To Impose Work Requirements On Medicaid Beneficiaries
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill on Friday to add the restrictions, which need approval from the Trump administration. Medicaid news comes out of Pennsylvania, Texas and Kansas, as well.
Reproductive Rights Groups See Hope In Judge’s Questions About Family Planning Grants
The groups sued the administration after officials announced major changes to the $260 million federal Title X family planning grant process. After appearing in court, the groups expressed optimism for their case. Clare Coleman, president and chief executive of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, said: “I think we had a great day. I think the judge knew the importance of Title X. … I feel confident he heard the arguments we were advancing.”
Direct primary care is similar to concierge medicine but supporters say it is available to people across the economic spectrum. Advocates of the model hail it as better for patients looking for more personal, convenient care and as a solution for harried doctors who want to focus on patients, but critics worry those patients may be overpaying for care.
Hospice Care Has Become Booming Multibillion-Dollar Industry — And More And More Companies Want In
Humana is planning on buying two chains that together would create the industry’s biggest operator. But there’s more to hospice care than just profits. Meanwhile, some not-for-profit health systems are using methods to get around penalties on high employee compensation.
