Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Illinois, Georgia, Minnesota and Arizona.
Lawsuit Seeks Reform Of Conn. Mental Health System; Thousands of Calif. Nurses Protest Contract Plan
News on hospitals and health systems comes out of Connecticut, California, D.C., Tennessee, Massachusetts and Minnesota.
Detecting Sexual Abuse In Medical Setting Can Be Challenging When Kids Are Taught To Trust Doctors
Experts give tips on what to keep an eye out for when taking children to the doctor.
One Hospital’s Success Demonstrates Medicare’s Bundled-Payment Program Can Produce Results
An Ohio health center’s success story of utilizing the program for congestive heart-failure patients offers encouragement to many providers that are struggling to achieve savings with a notoriously challenging population.
Employee Wellness Programs Fail At Making Workers Healthier, Lowering Costs, Study Finds
It turns out that those most likely to take advantage of their employer’s wellness offerings are healthy people who don’t spend a lot on health care. In other public health news: the blood-brain barrier, domestic violence, nuclear fallout, c-sections, headaches and more.
Safe Injection Sites Have Been Shown To Save Lives, But Actually Setting One Up Is ‘Complicated’
Philadelphia is considering creating a safe-injection site, but a lot of questions remain about the next steps, what it means for the community it will be established in, or if it’s even legal.
In Worst Flu Season In Nearly A Decade, The Whole Country Has Been Hit At Once
Usually different parts “light up,” but this year only Hawaii has been spared. In another unusual twist, the virus has affected Baby Boomers in an unusually high number. Officials predict it will start to wane soon, though.
Meet The Man Who Is Taking On The Drug Industry Because The Government Has Failed To Act
Dan Liljenquist, a former Utah state senator, is leading the effort by four large health systems to create a drug company that will keep the rest of the industry from jacking up prices. In other news, the Food and Drug Administration approved a record number of generic drugs in 2017, lawmakers in three states are pushing legislation that would allow promotion of off-label drug uses, and more.
FDA’s Animal Testing Program To Come Under Review After Deaths Of Monkeys In Addiction Study
Federally funded medical research that relies on animals has been contentious for years.
Drug Prices, Affordability, Shift Toward Value Care And Opioids Top New HHS Head’s Priorities List
When Alex Azar was being officially confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services last week, he addressed a host of issues to deal with as he takes up the reins.
‘Together We Have Made Real Progress’: Cecile Richards Steps Down As Planned Parenthood Leader
The organization has come under intense fire in recent years that’s only intensified under the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress.
Funding For Vulnerable Health Programs Getting Tangled Up In Immigration Fight
Although lawmakers took care of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, there are still other health programs — like funding for community centers — that have been in limbo since the end of September.
Medicaid Work Mandate Offers Conservative Bent That May Push Red States Toward Expansion
Some key Republican lawmakers who opposed the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion are rethinking the option now that they can stamp it with the requirement for non-disabled adults to work. Liberal groups remain opposed to the new requirement, however. In other news, a study finds Oregon’s efforts to revamp its Medicaid program have been successful.
Attorneys general from New York and Minnesota allege the Department of Health and Human Services made its decision to stop money that went to insurers to help pay for low-income patients without proper justification.
First Edition: January 29, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers from around the country look at these topics and other health care issues.
Research Roundup: Diabetes And Breast Feeding; Hospital Closures; And Diagnostics
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Kansas, Minnesota, Florida, Wisconsin and New Hampshire.
Large New England Health Systems Take Definitive Steps Toward Merger
Partners HealthCare of Boston and Care New England Health System of Providence said an “important milestone has been reached” in talks that started last year.
What Happens In The Body When We Gain Weight, And Why Is It So Hard To Lose?
In a small study, researchers found that 318 genes worked differently after most subjects had gained even a little weight. In other public health news: hope for fixing brain damage caused by strokes, a look at the mitochondria, and the spread of aid-in-dying laws.
