Latest KFF Health News Stories
Iowa Lawmaker Introduces Medicaid Work Requirement Bill
The Trump administration is encouraging states to pursue such requirements, though critics of a work mandate say most adults on Medicaid already work or are too disabled or sick to do so.
HHS Reiterates ‘Commitment’ To Family Planning Program Amid Months-Long Delays In Grant Approvals
Family planning providers have been worried the delay signals that the Trump administration is no longer in support of the Title X program, which helps fund reproductive health services for low-income women.
House Changes To ‘Right To Try’ Legislation May Bog Down Chances In Senate
The original bill on experimental drugs passed the Senate by unanimous consent, but some House lawmakers eye modifications in its version. Meanwhile, a U.S. attorney considers reopening a federal investigation of Allergan’s drug marketing practices.
Health Law Enrollment Drops Only Slightly Following Tumultuous, Topsy-Turvy Year
Total signups slid by 3.7 percent, which was a much lower drop-off than most experts initially predicted. Meanwhile, states that ran their own exchanges far outperformed those that relied on the federal marketplace.
Senate Democrats Rack Up Number Of Health Care Victories In Spending Bill
The two-year budget deal includes funding for community health centers, extends CHIP for a total of 10 years, funnels money into fighting the opioid epidemic and boosts the National Institutes of Health’s budget, among other things. Other areas of health industry are being targeted in order to pay for the package though. The Senate and House are both expected to vote on the proposed deal Thursday.
First Edition: February 8, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health issues and others.
Opinion writers express views on improving health care and reducing costs.
Perspectives: CMS Takes Steps to Ensure Patients Benefit From Negotiated Discounts
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, California, New Hampshire, Colorado, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts and Texas.
As Many Kids Have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome As Autism, Yet They Are Slipping Through Cracks
New research finds that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders affect 1.1 to 5 percent of children in the country. In other public health news: stroke treatment, untreated water, black lung, death and aging, car horns and health, and more.
A Pacemaker For The Brain: Implant To Boost Memory Shows Promising Results
In testing, the device improved word recall by 15 percent — roughly the amount that Alzheimer’s disease steals over two and half years.
Lack Of Diversity Among Doctors Seen As Brewing Public Health Crisis
Stat talks to a group of doctors who are traveling the country and meeting with young people of color who are interested in health career paths.
Condition That Disrupts Sleep Responsible For Two Recent Train Crashes, Investigators Find
The Obama administration had been drafting a rule to require train operators, as well as truck and bus drivers be screened and treated for obstructive sleep apnea, but the Trump administration recently squashed it.
FDA Sharpens Stance Against Herbal Supplement Kratom: ‘It Isn’t Just A Plant — It’s An Opioid’
Kratom advocates say the botanical substance is a good way to wean people off of opioids. But new research reinforces Food and Drug Administration’s concerns about kratom’s “potential for abuse, addiction and serious health consequences, including death,” Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says. Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration comes under fire from House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.).
Practices With High-Risk Populations Lagging Behind On Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visits
The initiative was established under the Affordable Care Act to encourage prevention and wellness care for Medicare patients. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has decided not to move forward with an Obama-era program that would use outside organizations to improve care for select Medicare patients.
CMS Chief Pledges To Bring A Rural Health Lens To All Agency Policies
CMS Administrator Seema Verma promises technical help for providers when it comes to implementing new policies like the expansion of telehealth and better “information” to help patients make care decisions. Outlets report on Medicaid news out of Louisiana, Mississippi, Maryland, Utah and North Carolina.
‘Right To Try’ Legislation Will Do More Harm Than Good, Patient Advocacy Groups Warn Congress
More than three dozen groups say that the framework of FDA’s compassionate use program is already in place to help terminal patients access experimental drugs.
How Hospital Nonprofits Structure Themselves Helps Determine How Hard They’re Hit By New Tax Rules
Under the new law, a nonprofit will owe a 21 percent tax on pay exceeding $1 million. But it will owe the tax only on the five highest-paid employees at each tax-exempt entity the nonprofit has registered with the Internal Revenue Service, excluding some doctors.
Insurance Industry Darling Oscar Health’s Membership Growth For 2018 Off The Charts
As other companies retreated from business related to the Affordable Care Act, Oscar Health swooped. In other news: former CMS official Andy Slavitt is launching a nonprofit to try to find solutions on high health care costs. And the Trump administration is reportedly set to release guidelines giving states more flexibility in their ACA marketplaces.
