Latest KFF Health News Stories
Yes, Health Law Enrollment Numbers Are Up. But That Doesn’t Tell Full Story.
Because the enrollment window is much shorter — it ends Dec. 15 in most states — it’s not clear if the final numbers will be more than previous years.
Murkowski, A Key GOP Swing Vote, Signals Support For Repealing Individual Mandate
A spokesperson for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says that the comments should not be construed as support for the Republicans’ tax bill. Meanwhile, the American Academy of Actuaries is warning Congress against repealing the mandate, and health care leaders watch with trepidation as a vote on the measure nears.
First Edition: November 22, 2017
NOTE TO READERS: KHN’s First Edition will not be published Nov. 23-24. Look for it again in your inbox Nov. 27. Here’s today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Rising Medicare Premiums Pinching Budgets; GOP Needs Alternative To Individual Mandate
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Media outlets report on news from Minnesota, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania, California, D.C., Vermont and Ohio.
Mayor Acknowledges NYC’s ‘Troubling’ Lapses Over Public Housing Lead Inspections
Mayor Bill de Blasio announces he has appointed a chief compliance officer to oversee the lead testing process after it was discovered that the city had failed for years to do the required inspections.
Hot New Immunotherapy Field Continues To Deliver Promising Results
Scientists have genetically altered cells to attack more than one place on a cancer cell. “The idea that we could have one magic bullet is naïve,” says Dr. Crystal L. Mackall, the senior author of the study. In other public health news: the lucrative field of dermatology; using the bugs that are in our bodies; stillbirth; tobacco; weight loss and more.
Purity, Potency Of Illegal Drugs Have Reached New Levels, Worrying Health Officials
The problem is that users aren’t expecting the higher strength drugs and are overdosing because of the increased potency of them. In other news on the crisis: addiction treatment, patients with chronic pain who desperately need opioids, an interview with the U.S. surgeon general, and opioid prescription practices.
Preliminary Report Finds Oregon Mismanaged $78M In Medicaid Funds
The report from the state Health Authority director says the figure comes from overpayments to some contractors and money it still owes other companies. In addition, he said budget and accounting problems kept the state from collecting $34 million that the Medicaid program is owed. Other Medicaid news comes from Kansas, Florida and Georgia.
Medicare Trust Fund Is Not Sustainable Long-Term, HHS Warns
The agency estimates that the ratio of workers paying taxes to beneficiaries eligible for Medicare will drop from 3:1 in 2016 to 2:1 by 2091, even as health care costs continue to rise.
VA Secretary Signals New Support For Privatized Care For Veterans
“The direction I’m taking this is to give veterans more choice in their care,” Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin says. The issue is a hot-button topic for those involved in veterans’ advocacy.
Massachusetts To Require Insurers Cover Contraception No Matter What Happens To Health Law
The Trump administration is starting to roll back mandates on contraception coverage, but Massachusetts moved to protect the requirement, which came about from the Affordable Care Act.
States That ‘Went All-In’ On Health Law Have Half As Many Uninsured As Those That Didn’t
The disparity can largely be explained by the expansion of Medicaid.
Health Centers Desperate As Renewal Of Their Funding Languishes In Congress
The funding for the centers, which are often located in under-served areas, is a noncontroversial aspect of the Affordable Care Act. But the deadline for renewing the money passed in September, leaving the facilities scrambling. In other news from Capitol Hill: CHIP funds, hospital cuts, orphan drugs, an alcohol tax, and a potential bipartisan fix for the health law.
When Wait Times Become A Death Sentence: A Look Inside Backlog For Disability Benefits
The Washington Post investigates the ever-growing backlog for people seeking disability benefits.
Nominee For HHS Post Raked In Millions As Top Pharma Executive
The newly released numbers are likely to ratchet up the scrutiny of Alex Azar, who is already facing criticism that he is too closely tied to the industry to be effective as the person regulating it.
First Edition: November 21, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Dangerous Roads; Cracking Down On Stem Cell Clinics, Half-Hearted Fight Against Hep A
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Perspectives On Obamacare: Mandate Repeal Is Not A Tax Increase; Who Wins If Mandate Is Gone
Opinion writers analyze the controversy about the Senate Republican tax bill’s efforts to get rid of the federal health law’s requirement to have insurance or pay a fine and other concerns about the law.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Florida, Connecticut, Wisconsin, California, Texas, Georgia and Illinois.
