Latest KFF Health News Stories
Victory In Maine Breathes Life Into Other’s Efforts To Get Medicaid Expansion On State Ballots
Advocates in Idaho and Utah are already working on their own measures, and the impact of health issues in both the Maine and Virginia 2017 elections may provide a path for others as well.
Maine Governor Balks At Expanding Medicaid Even After Voters Had Their Say
Gov. Paul LePage (R), who has vetoed similar plans five times, says his administration will only implement expansion if it’s fully funded by the state Legislature.
First Edition: November 9, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Ending Medical Expense Deduction Pinches Middle Class; The ‘Demise’ Of CHIP
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Perspectives: Despite Rhetoric, Orphan Drugs Not A Major Factor In Health Care Spending
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
What You Need To Know About Lucrative Drug Subsidies Program Administration Wants To Slash
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Missouri, Illinois, New Hampshire, California, Oregon, and Georgia.
Even Light Drinking Can Increase Risk Of Cancer, But Doctors’ Message Isn’t ‘Don’t Drink’
“The message is not, ‘Don’t drink.’ It’s, ‘If you want to reduce your cancer risk, drink less. And if you don’t drink, don’t start,’” said Dr. Noelle LoConte, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In other public health news: West Nile virus, heart attack-related deaths, genetic tests, medical research, doctors working sick and more.
Non-Addictive, Over-The-Counter Painkillers Alleviate Acute Pain As Well As Opioids
A new study finds that for patients who went to the emergency room for things such as a sports injury or a fall can be served just as well with over-the-counter pain relievers. Experts have pointed to prescription practices in those scenarios as part of the cause of the opioid crisis. In other news, medical experts are the latest target of lawsuits over the epidemic.
In One Of A Series Of Red Flags From His Past, Texas Gunman Once Escaped Psychiatric Hospital
But none of the warnings stopped Devin Kelley from being able to legally purchase a firearm.
FDA Chief Offers Alternative Plan To Letting Pentagon Approve Medical Devices, Drugs
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said it’s important to keep the responsibility under his agency.
In Course Reversal, Notre Dame To Continue Offering Employees Free Birth Control
Following the Trump administration’s decision to allow employers and universities to cite religious or moral objections to end birth control coverage, the university notified employees that contraception coverage would end Jan. 1. Now it’s walking that decision back.
Individual-Mandate Repeal Gains Traction As GOP Scrambles To Close $74B Revenue Hole
But while the move would give House tax writers an estimated $416 billion in sorely needed offsets for the deep rate cuts they want, it risks alienating GOP senators.
Pharma Racks Up Huge Victory In Ohio As Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Drug Price Relief Act
Pharmaceutical companies pumped about $60 million into defeating the initiative that sought to reduce spending on prescription drugs and save money for public agencies. Voters, however, were left confused about exactly what the measure would do.
Iowa Medicaid Enrollees And Officials Raise Questions About Insurer’s Abrupt Departure
Democratic lawmakers and advocates for Medicaid enrollees question how the state is handling the program and why AmeriHealth, one of three companies hired by the state, is leaving. In other Medicaid news, federal officials say Ohio owes $29.5 million for improper payments and the Oregon governor seeks to get some overpayments back.
CMS Chief Signals Willingness To Approve Work Requirements For States’ Medicaid Programs
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma criticized the previous administration’s stance on requirements as “the soft bigotry of low expectations” and said “those days are over.”
Maine Voters Green-Light Medicaid Expansion With First-Of-Its-Kind Ballot Initiative
Gov. Paul LePage (R) had vetoed five different attempts by lawmakers to expand the program. Other states have been closely watching the campaign, particularly Utah and Idaho, where newly formed committees are working to get Medicaid expansion on next year’s ballots.
First Edition: November 8, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Advance Directives And Dementia; When Scientific Trials Take Place In Court
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country, including perspectives on the opioid crisis, a Medicare trap for people who choose to work past age 65 and the limits of behavioral economics in medicine.
Perspectives On Gun Violence: Mass Shootings Are Not ‘Inevitable’; It Is ‘A Mental Health Issue’
In response to the weekend’s mass shooting in a small town in Texas, opinion writers offer their ideas on why gun violence continues to plague the United States.
