Latest KFF Health News Stories
Could Success Of Personalized Medicine Lend Itself To Precision Public Health Care?
The idea would be to pinpoint populations with genetic vulnerabilities and try to prevent health issues such as cancer and obesity that way. Although roadblocks remain, some advocates are hopeful. In other public health news: the flu, irregular heart rhythms, Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, and more.
Teenagers’ Smoking, Drug Abuse And Drinking At Lowest Levels Seen In Decades
A notable exception to this trend is marijuana use: the proportion of teens who said they had tried it has remained steady over the last decade.
Mother’s Close Proximity To Fracking Sites Linked To Risk For Having Underweight Baby
The study found negative health consequences up to a two-mile radius around the hydraulic fracturing site. The method for extracting natural gas from the ground relies on chemical-laced water.
“Often people leave the emergency room, right back onto the street to find their next fix,” said Marylou Sudders, the Massachusetts secretary for Health and Human Services. States have been working to bridge this gap between hospitalization and getting a patient into a program, but Massachusetts has pitched a more aggressive approach.
Biden Comforts McCain’s Daughter Over Her Father’s Brain Cancer Diagnosis
Sen. John McCain’s cancer is the same type that affected former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. The Arizona Republican has been hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Centers for side effects of his disease treatment.
Nominee For EPA Chemical Safety Position Bows Out After Criticism Over Ties To Industry
Michael Dourson’s consultant group produced research for chemical companies that consistently showed little or no human health risks from their products. Critics were worried that if he was confirmed, he would be in the position to oversee the review of chemicals produced by companies he once represented.
Maine Officials Wrestle Over Options For Funding Medicaid Expansion
The referendum authorizing the state to move ahead on expanding the program for low-income residents did not include a provision for funding. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in Montana, Louisiana, Mississippi and the District of Columbia.
Uncertainty Over Funding For Medicare Programs Has Rural Hospitals On Edge
Congress has lagged in renewing extenders for programs that the hospitals rely on. “It’s very devastating,” said Maggie Elehwany of the National Rural Health Association.
Fate Of 340B Drug Discount Program In Spending Bill Pits Hospitals, Pharma
The 340B program requires drugmakers to offer discounts on medicines sold to safety-net hospitals. Earlier this year, the Trump administration slashed funding for the program, and hospitals want it restored in Congress’ year-end spending bill. Meanwhile, lawmakers are turning their attention to pharmacy benefit managers in their efforts to bring down high drug costs.
Insurer Subsidies Likely To Be In Spending Bill, Collins Vows
The Trump administration earlier in the year stopped payment on the cost-sharing subsidies that are designed to help offset insurers’ costs for reducing out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-pays for lower-income individuals. Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) says that Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) never made a promise either way on the subsidies.
With Enrollment Deadline Only Days Away, Sign-Ups Are Surging Over Last Year’s Pace
But the total numbers for 2018 are still likely to fall short of this year’s because of the shorter enrollment period. So far, about 1.4 million new customers have signed up this year, and 3.3 million people re-enrolled.
House, Senate’s Negotiated Tax Package Includes Repeal Of Individual Mandate
The agreement will also allow taxpayers to continue to deduct high out-of-pocket medical expenses. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) tells reporters that he was confident the final bill would be approved next week.
First Edition: December 14, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Congress Helped Create Opioid Crisis; Thoughts On Assisted Suicide
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Parsing The Policies: Undoing The Individual Mandate; Medicare, Medicaid Cuts Are On The Horizon
Opinion writers offer their thoughts on a range of health policy issues.
Perspectives: With Federal Government Stalled Over Drug Prices, States Should Be Allowed To Act
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
A Pill To Knock Out Hookworm Costs 10,000 Times More In U.S. Than In Tanzania
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Georgia, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., Minnesota, Ohio, Arizona, Texas, Kansas, Washington, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Hampshire and California.
Massachusetts Ranks As Healthiest State, While Mississippi Clocks In At The Bottom
The report from the United Health Foundation found that states in the lower rankings struggled with particularly high rates of poverty among kids, smoking and obesity.
‘Fantastically Promising’ Trial For Drug To Treat Huntington’s Giving Hope To Formerly Hopeless
Patients and doctors often say Huntington’s is like having Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease — all at the same time. In other public health news: mental health and guns; the flu shot; a president’s health; gluten in medication; and more.
