Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Obama administration’s decisions about how to handle insurance coverage of contraception was controversial, and the rollback announced by the Trump administration is also sparking debate.
Media outlets report on news from California, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
States Experiment With New Approaches To Try To Combat The Opioid Crisis
Health and law enforcement officials in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio continue to try new approaches in order to tackle the drug epidemic.
How Cracking The Code Behind The Body’s Internal Clock Could Help Prevent Poor Health
Scientists are working to understand how the body’s clock affects disease, heart attacks, obesity and more health problems. In other public health news: breast cancer, health care marketing, flu shots, heart disease, and more.
Frequency Of Gun Shot Wounds In America Provide ‘Ideal Trauma Training’ For Military Surgeons
The training programs “reflect the reality that you have 34,000 to 35,000 people who die of a gunshot a year, and also two to three times that many who are injured,” said Sandro Galea, dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health.
U.S. One Of Only Seven Countries That Allows Elective Abortions After 20 Weeks
The Washington Post fact-checks this particular talking point and finds it passes the Pinocchio test.
Drugmakers On Edge As California Governor Expected To Sign Bill To Curb Prices
For pharmaceutical companies, California is seen as a bellwether state that often sets the pace and tone for other legislative efforts around the country.
Some Physicians Who Were Initially Skeptical Of Bundled-Payment Program Coming Around
Administrators and physicians say they’re impressed with how the programs have engaged physicians to produce lower costs and better outcomes.
After Congress’ Repeal Failure, States Become Battleground In Fight Over Medicaid
Changes made in the states — such as adding work requirements — could reshape how people think about the program.
Red And Blue States Alike Frustrated That Crucial Health Programs Are Languishing In Washington
Everything from the funding of community clinics and CHIP to the uncertainty in the ACA marketplaces is worrying state officials.
Trump Reaches Out To Dems On Health Care, But Schumer Makes Clear Repeal Is Off Table
“If he wants to work together to improve the existing health care system, we Democrats are open to his suggestions,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says. “A good place to start might be the Alexander-Murray negotiations that would stabilize the system and lower costs.”
Trump’s Proposed ‘Association Plans’ Popular With Conservatives, But Insurers Aren’t Fans
The White House plans to issue executive orders to promote selling insurance across state lines and “association health plans,” which would allow small employers to band together to offer coverage that wouldn’t be subject to the full range of ACA requirements. But some insurers fear that associations would peel off healthier and younger individuals and leave traditional insurance plans to cover sicker and older customers.
California Sues To Stop Contraception Rollback, Saying New Rules Are Unconstitutional
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says the rule unlawfully targets women. “What group of Americans will they target next? Will they allow businesses to deny you cancer treatment?” Other states react as well.
New Moral, Religious Exemptions To Birth Control Mandate Prompt Medical Groups To Speak Out
“Contraception is a medical necessity for women during approximately 30 years of their lives,” the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said. About 200 employers that are involved in suing the government over the requirement to provide contraception coverage would likely take advantage of the rule change, the administration estimated.
First Edition: October 9, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Backtracking On Medicare Costs; Single-Payer Could Jeopardize Obamacare
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Media outlets report on news from California, Illinois, Washington and Kansas.
NYC Public Hospitals Will Not Fill Many Vacancies Because Of Federal Funding Cutbacks
State and city officials are working to sort out how to deal with a $2.6 billion reduction in federal funds for all state hospitals. Also, Politico examines the impact of the growing number of closures of rural hospitals, and voters in Oregon are likely to be asked to approve a new tax on health providers.
Gene Therapy Staves Off Fatal Brain Disease In What Was Thought Of As An Impossibility
The treatment had never really been tried on diseases such as ALD, a rare, fatal disorder. In other public health news: neanderthal DNA in humans, cancer and obesity, MRSA and sports, and traumatized children.
In Latest Setback, Painkiller-Maker Agrees To Pay $500K In Suit Over Marketing Tactics
Massachusetts brought the lawsuit on claims that the company “aggressively marketed its product and made illegal payments to providers to boost sales.”
