Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Closer Look At Trump’s Pick To Lead HHS
Alex Azar, President Donald Trump’s nominee to succeed Tom Price, spent three years on the board of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. During that time, he defended the behavior of its CEO, who came under fire for spending public money on everything from travel and steak dinners to Super Bowl tickets. Meanwhile, Azar is supportive of experimental Obamacare payment programs that Price ended.
Trump’s 3Q Salary Donation Earmarked For Opioid Epidemic Efforts
President Donald Trump gives $100,000 — his third-quarter presidential pay — to the Department of Health and Human Services, which will use the money on a public awareness campaign about opioid dangers.
ACA Enrollment Update: In Conn., Sign Up Estimates On Par With Last Year’s Numbers
People in one Virginia county that’s hard hit by premium hikes and other insurance-market instability are seeking answers and solutions now. Meanwhile, consumer advocates are focusing on some of the new types of insurance products that are emerging as people grapple with the rising costs.
In The Senate, Deal Making Surrounds GOP Leaders’ Efforts To Pass Tax Bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is scrambling to hold 50 votes on the bill, is making promises to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that the measure will not result in Medicare cuts and that he will advance separate legislation to stabilize the Obamacare insurance markets. But it is not clear how these assurances will play out in the House.
Republican Tax Bill Proves Congress Wasn’t Done With Health Policy
The GOP tax plan includes a range of health-related provisions — key among them is language that would eliminate the tax penalty created by the Affordable Care Act for not having health insurance. In addition, it threatens to trigger across-the-board cuts to Medicare and other domestic programs. A number of stakeholders and advocacy groups are expressing concerns about the impact of this and other changes that Republican lawmakers are advancing.
First Edition: December 1, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Longer Looks: The Tax Bill’s Health Effect, Children’s Health Insurance & Puerto Rico’s Economy
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Viewpoints: GOP Can Fund Tax Cuts — Why Not Kids’ Health?; Azar May Surprise Pharma
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Opinion writers examine some of the tax bill’s ramifications on health care.
Oregon Medicaid Audit Finds Need To Step Up Efforts To Detect Improper Payouts
The audit, which was released Wednesday by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, concluded that the program had missed opportunities to recover millions of dollars in overpayments.
States Warn Families Of Impending Cuts As CHIP Funding Nears Depletion
By the end of the year, nearly half of all states will have run out of their 2017 Children’s Health Insurance Program allotment. Unless Congress acts, Colorado, Massachusetts, California and Ohio are bracing for the worst. Texas, on the other hand, got good news.
Media outlets report on news from Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Arizona, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri and Georgia.
Public Health News: The Effect Of Pollution On Bones; The Growing Promise Of Gene Therapy
Media outlets also report on an effort by a coalition of health advocacy groups to keep Congress focused on the global fight against AIDS. Other reports include the latest advances in battlefield medicine and the Food and Drug Administration’s interest in nicotine-replacement therapies.
More Than Half Of Today’s Generation Of Kids Will Be Obese By Age 35
A New England Journal of Medicine study finds that even those who reach age 20 at a healthy weight still face substantial risk later in life. “I think the assumptions are pretty reasonable and their conclusions are pretty reasonable and, unfortunately, pretty scary,” says Stephen Daniels, chairman of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
If Australia’s Flu Season Is Any Indication, U.S. Is In For A Long Winter
As flu season kicks off, health officials warn it may be severe this year. Also, Johns Hopkins researchers work to bring back the nasal spray version of the flu vaccine after it was sidelined due to ineffectiveness.
In other news on the national drug crisis: Republican lawmakers propose a bill to limit opioid prescriptions for first-time users; farmers are hit hard by the epidemic; and most Wisconsin counties sue painkiller manufacturers.
Caring Voice Coalition, a nonprofit that takes money from drug companies to help patients pay for medicines, may close since an Office of Inspector General citation finds that the organization improperly allowed donors to influence operations and the use of patient data.
HHS Health Reform Office Winds Down
The Department of Health and Human Services office originally set up to implement the Affordable Care Act has faced an uncertain future under the Trump administration. Meanwhile, a proposed administration rule change could take a toll on rural health.
Status Check: Obamacare Enrollment Slows In Week 4 Of Sign-Up Season
About 2.8 million people have signed up for 2018 Affordable Care Act coverage so far, but the pace slowed during the week ending Nov. 25 with 37 percent fewer people enrolling than the previous week.
The Tax Bill’s Impact On Health Policy: A Trigger For Medicare Cuts? Impact On Insurance Markets?
News outlets examine how some aspects of the House and Senate GOP tax plans currently winding their ways through Congress could impact the Medicare program. In addition, the Senate measure’s provision to repeal the individual mandate is raising concern among some insurance commissioners. However, the stock market sees benefits for the health sector.
