Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Look At Amazon’s Health Benefits Administrator Gives Hints Of What’s To Come With New Initiative
Making better use of patient data is at the heart of Amazon’s effort.
Health Provisions In Congress’ Budget Touted As ‘Beacon Of Light’ In The Legislation
Health providers were pleasantly surprised by some of the health care wins that were achieved through the budget deal that was hammered out last week.
Kentucky’s Medicaid Work Mandate Has Green Light, But Actually Implementing Is A Lot Trickier
Monitoring and enforcing the work requirements is a complex problem that officials are trying to wrap their arms around. The state will build a mobile-friendly website to help beneficiaries log their hours. Media outlets report on Medicaid news out of Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Connecticut and Maryland, as well.
Despite Big Talk On Bringing Down Drug Prices, Critics Find Trump’s Plan Modest, Underwhelming
The White House Council of Economic Advisers has released a 30-page strategy for reducing drug costs. But the White House strategy largely sidesteps the question of whether drugmakers set their prices too high to start with.
Deputy White House Chief Of Staff Tapped To Lead Office In Charge Of Tackling Opioid Crisis
Jim Carroll has no background in working in public health policy, but the White House said that after law school, Carroll spent five years as the assistant commonwealth attorney for Fairfax, Virginia, where the majority of the cases were drug-related.
FDA Chief Winning Over Skeptics As He Juggles Public Health, Industry Concerns And Wary Staff
In a presidential administration that’s been roiled by scandal and confusion, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is standing out as a “thoughtful” and “deliberate” leader who doesn’t want to blow up his agency as some had previously feared.
White House Budget, Though Largely Ceremonial, Will Provide Peek At Trump’s Health Priorities
President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint, set to be released Monday, is expected to include funding to fight the opioid crisis. Media outlets take a look at what else may be in the proposal.
First Edition: February 12, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers comment on these health issues and others.
Research Roundup: Medicare Advantage, Medicaid And Diabetes Coaching
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on the news from Florida, Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts, Kansas, New Jersey and Vermont.
State legislatures also focus on changing home health-care workers’ contracts, ending gay conversion therapy and allowing paid family leave.
Kansas’ Abortion Laws Could Be In Jeopardy Depending On How High Court Rules In Pending Case
The state’s supreme court will rule whether the Kansas Constitution includes a right to abortion. Ahead of the ruling, Gov. Jeff Colyer wants lawmakers to consider amending the constitution to guarantee protection of laws restricting the procedure. Outlets report on news from Iowa and Florida, as well.
Researchers Discover Common Patterns In Brain Activity Between Five Major Psychiatric Diseases
Researchers find links between the brain activity of people with autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and alcoholism. In other public health news: sexual harassment, pain management, prostate cancer, modified mosquitoes and hysterectomies.
How Close Should Anti-Addiction Experts Be To An Industry That Many Blame For Opioid Crisis?
Specialist Jessica Hulsey Nickel through her advocacy group, the Addiction Policy Forum, has accepted funding from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The decision to take the money is roiling the anti-addiction world. Meanwhile, Attorney General Jeff Sessions talks tough on fighting the opioid crisis and investors want more information on wholesaler AmerisourceBergen’s roll in the epidemic.
Beyond Tamiflu: After Decades With Just One Main Drug To Fight Virus, More May Be On The Horizon
“For several decades now, we have not sought to develop the tools we need to fight the flu,” said Olga Jonas, a senior fellow at the Harvard Global Health Institute. “The tax we pay for this folly is as inexorable as it is enormous.” Pharmaceutical companies stand to make quite a fortune off of any medicine they develop to treat the flu.
CVS To Use $1.5B Windfall From GOP Tax Plan To Raise Hourly Wages For Workers
The company also said it will invest in technology that can help it track prescription drug use or monitor data like blood tests to determine if a patient’s health or a condition grows worse.
Medicare Beneficiaries Would Be Able To Share In Rebates From Drugmakers Under Trump’s Plan
President Donald Trump is also proposing to expand Medicare’s “catastrophic” drug benefit so that many seniors with very high costs would not face copayments.
Enrollment Numbers For State-Run Vs. Federal Exchanges Reveal A Great Divide
States that run their own exchanges tend to want them to succeed so they invest time and energy into getting people to sign up. Meanwhile, the Trump administration approached the enrollment period as if the health law has failed. The enrollment numbers from the year reflect those different mentalities.
In the early hours of Friday morning the House passed a spending deal to very quickly reverse a government shutdown that was triggered at midnight. The bill includes many of the Democrats’ top health care priorities, but they had to compromise in some places as well.
