Latest KFF Health News Stories
Research Roundup: Death-Hastening Options; Medicare Part D; And Preventive Care
Here is a selection of recent research.
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Illinois, Ohio, Connecticut, Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Texas and Louisiana.
Each Of Past Three Years Has Been Deadliest On Record For Transgender People, Advocates Say
Although it’s difficult to get an accurate death toll, violence against transgender people is on the rise. In other public health news: tobacco use, fidget spinners, clean water, hospital-acquired infections, and more.
Prosecutors Now Able To More Easily Go After Anyone Trafficking Fentanyl-Related Substances
The Drug Enforcement Administration will now classify drugs that are chemically similar to fentanyl as illegal controlled substances. Meanwhile, it’s up to Congress to fund the administration’s new promises to curb the opioid epidemic, but with bigger fights looming, it’s unlikely lawmakers will come up with a new stream of revenue by the end of the year.
Big, Expensive Battle Brewing Between Pharma, Hospitals Over Drug Discount Program
The 340B program requires drugmakers to offer discounts of up to 50 percent on medicines sold to safety net hospitals and health centers that serve low-income populations. The Trump administration wants to slash reimbursement payments to providers. Meanwhile, Vermont is investigating if pharmaceutical companies have violated state law by giving gifts or payments to providers.
Conservative Activists’ Next Health Goal After ACA Failure? Privatizing Veterans’ Care
Advocates want to make it easier for veterans to seek care from private doctors, but the debate is fraught, with traditional groups the American Legion firmly on the side of guarding the Veterans Affairs system that they helped build. Meanwhile, a battle over whether the Pentagon can approve drugs and medical devices has been brewing on Capitol Hill this week.
Federal Medicaid Chief Again Raises Concerns About Effect Of Expansion
Seema Verma, who heads up the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, says the federal health law should not have opened Medicaid to nondisabled adults because it “stretched the safety net” and imperils care for those who need it.
Repeal Of Individual Mandate Not In Senate’s Tax Plan, But Could Still Be Added Down The Road
Some lawmakers are still pushing for it to be introduced further along in the legislative process. Meanwhile, the Senate tax bill keeps a deduction for medical expenses.
For Years GOP Used Health Care As Political Weapon, But Election Suggests Tables Have Turned
Democrats won big Tuesday, including passage of a ballot initiative to expand Medicaid in Maine. The results seem to signal that health care is no longer a winning issue for Republicans.
Despite Dire Predictions, Pace Of Health Law Sign-Ups In First Days Of Enrollment Surging
The Trump administration slashed the budget for outreach this year, but some say that all the attention that was on the political debate about the law has kept the issue at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
First Edition: November 10, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Perspectives: Birth Control, Abortion Rights And What The Future Holds
Opinion writers offer their thoughts on recent developments and what might happen next regarding these issues.
Commentary pages across the country take a look at the role health issues — most notably, Medicaid expansion — played in this week’s election. Editorials also offer views on the factors and dynamics of U.S. health spending as well as ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Longer Looks: Mass Shooting Contagion; The Future Of Hospitals & The Origins Of The Opioid Epidemic
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luhra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Minnesota, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, California and Ohio.
More often, the shooters fall into the category of disgruntled and aggrieved, with perceived humiliation fueling their acts. In other public health news: weight loss supplements, pesticides, brain implants, double-booked surgeries, sudden infant death syndrome, and more.
Scientists Genetically Modify Stem Cells To Grow Skin For 7-Year-Old Boy With Fatal Disease
The doctors were able to reconstruct fully functional skin for 80 percent of the boy’s body. The success story may offer hope to burn victims and others with severe skin conditions.
China, U.S. To Focus On Fentanyl In Efforts To Curb Opioid Epidemic, Trump Says
“Today President Xi and I discussed ways we can enhance coordination to better counter the deadly drug trade and to stop the lethal flow of poisonous drugs into our countries and into our communities,” President Donald Trump said.
Proposed Provision Would Allow Providers Who Object To Abortion To Sue If They Face Discrimination
Some Capitol Hill lawmakers want to work the language into the end-of-the-year spending bill Congress will consider. Meanwhile, outlets report on other news pertaining to women’s health care from Massachusetts and Texas.
