Latest KFF Health News Stories
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Drug Company’s Proposition: Pay For Pricey Drug In Installments Rather Than In One Go
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from New Hampshire, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Vermont and Illinois.
One Of Most Common Parasites In Country Is Also One Of Most Neglected
About five percent of the U.S. population has the parasite, but many doctors are unaware of the infection. In other public health news: prostate cancer, diabetes, health data, sneezing, and more.
Spike In Accidental Deaths In U.S. Attributed To Opioid Overdoses
The category, which includes accidental drug overdoses, saw a 10 percent uptick in 2016. Meanwhile, states are starting to open their Medicaid programs to covering alternative pain treatments in an effort to combat the opioid crisis.
FDA Pilot Program Designed To Increase Transparency Around Drug Rejection Letters
But Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is stopping far short of the full disclosure he called for before he took up the reins of the agency. In other news, the Food and Drug Administration and Pentagon are working to expedite approvals for devices and drugs that are used on the battlefield.
Anti-Abortion Advocates’ No. 1 Legislative Priority For 2018: A 20-Week Ban
“It’s an election year, so getting substantial stuff done from Congress is usually a stretch,” said Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs with March for Life, which opposes abortion. “However, it is a good chance to bring up bills to highlight the differences between pro-lifers and those who are not.”
Health Sharing Ministries Offer Cheaper Plans Than ACA, But At What Cost?
Ministries have no guarantee of solvency and can reject claims that traditional insurance companies are barred from rejecting. They also have little, if any, government oversight. In addition, they drain the traditional marketplace of healthy people.
UnitedHealth Expects $1.7B Windfall From Republicans’ Tax Bill For Next Year
The country’s largest insurer says it will invest the money in new technology and local community-based health care initiatives.
Doctor Credits Genetics For Trump’s ‘Excellent’ Health, Dismisses Concerns Over Cognitive Decline
Dr. Ronny Jackson, who has served as the presidential physician since 2013, said he recommended President Donald Trump lose 10 to 15 pounds, who at 6 feet 3 inches tall with a body mass index of 29.9 is just shy of officially being obese.
The Trump administration aims to expand protections to workers who “morally” object to being involved with certain procedures or treatments with a proposed rule that’s been kept tightly guarded at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Shutdown Watch: Republicans Offer Democrats Six-Year CHIP Extension To Force Them To Table
The bill would set up another possible showdown in mid-February, with government funding set to expire Feb. 16, but it would give lawmakers room to negotiate on tricky topics like immigration.
Investigation Of Iowa Medicaid Program Finds After Denial Of Care, Enrollees Face Endless Appeals
The Des Moines Register reviews 200 cases appealed to Iowa administrative law judges by Medicaid recipients who say they have been unfairly denied medical care since the state turned over management of the $4.8 billion program to for-profit companies in April 2016. In other Medicaid news, an effort by a Virginia lawmaker to get a rural hospital reopened fails after it gets snarled in the bitter fight over Medicaid expansion, Republican lawmakers in Kansas raise some objections to Gov. Sam Brownback’s plans and other developments around the country.
“The Commonwealth will not be able to afford to continue to operate its Medicaid expansion program as currently designed in the event any one or more of the components of (the new program) are prevented by judicial action from being implemented,” Gov. Matt Bevin wrote in an executive order.
First Edition: January 17, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Last week’s decision by the Trump administration to add work requirements to the Medicaid program drew both praise and criticism from opinion writers across the country.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Connecticut, New York and Minnesota.
Community Meeting Highlights Rift Between Nashville General And Meharry Medical College
Recent developments between Nashville General Hospital and Meharry Medical College officials could impact inpatient care at the city’s only public hospital. Outlets also report on hospital and health system news from Maryland, Ohio and Illinois.
Hype Of Precision Medicine Getting Too Far Ahead Of The Facts, Experts Worry
“We’re getting better, but like many things in life, there’s hope and hype. And that’s also the reality with precision medicine right now,” says Ben Park, an oncology professor at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Hopkins. In other public health news: breast cancer, skin lightening, in-womb surgery, musical therapy, salty diets, and more.
