Latest KFF Health News Stories
With ‘Brutal’ September Looming, Trump Braces For ‘Thorny Issues’ On Capitol Hill
With a number of must-pass legislative items on the agenda, there are also few working days on the congressional calendar — and a possibility that GOP lawmakers may make another attempt at an Obamacare repeal. All the while, news outlets examine how President Donald Trump’s Twitter and verbal attacks on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could further complicate the days ahead. Meanwhile, during the August recess, Republicans faced a lot of health care questions at town hall meetings. And Democrats use the GOP’s failed repeal-and-replace measures to formulate their talking points and political strategies. Abortion politics, though, continue to complicate their message.
Trump Administration Grants Insurers 3 Extra Weeks To Calculate 2018 Rate Requests
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced late last week that the deadline would be extended as insurance companies face uncertainty resulting from President Donald Trump’s threat to cut off some subsidies paid to them on behalf of low-income people. The uncertainty has disrupted planning by insurance companies and led some to either leave or contemplate leaving the Obamacare marketplaces.
First Edition: August 14, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: FDA Expedited Drug Approvals; Effectiveness Of Flu Vaccines
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Washignton, Texas, Missouri, New York, Delaware, Ohio, Wisconsin and Maryland.
In A Place Where Suspicion Has Dug In Roots, Researchers Want To Demystify Science
A small community in Georgia sees a nuclear plant as the source of their health woes. Scientists know otherwise, but getting that message across isn’t going to be easy. In other public health news: natural disasters, mental health clues on Instagram, obesity and depression, sinus cancer, hospital violence and more.
Gene-Edited, Virus-Free Piglets Revive Hope For Organ Transplants Between Animals, Humans
Dr. George Church, a geneticist at Harvard who led the experiments, said the first pig-to-human transplants could occur within two years.
The Cost Of Treating An Opioid Overdose: $92,400
Researchers said the cost highlights a troubling trend: that overdose patients are arriving in worse shape, requiring longer stays and a higher level of treatment. In other news on the opioid crisis: a vaccine for addiction, treatment deserts, sober homes, safe injection centers and more.
As Much Of The Country Sees Insurance Gains Under ACA, Texan Women Are Left Behind
The Commonwealth Fund’s 2016 Biennial Health Insurance Survey reported solid progress for women across the country since the law was enacted, but in Texas the gains for women have been minimal. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are inching toward passing legislation that will require women to buy separate insurance for abortions.
Republican Candidates For Colo. Governor Say Medicaid Costs Are Unsustainable
Three candidates seek to make Medicaid’s budget a key campaign issue. In other Medicaid news, talks between Iowa officials and the managed care companies there appear to have bogged down but no one is talking about what the problem is, and two insurance companies have filed suit in Mississippi over how the state awarded the managed care contract.
‘I Have No Illusions’ Medicare-For-All, Single-Payer Bill Will Pass, Sanders Says
But Sen. Bernie Sanders is looking to start a conversation about why America has the problem it does with its current health care system.
Early Look At Premiums For Marketplace Plans Show Wide Variability
The price changes in 21 cities range from an increase of 49 percent to a decrease of 5 percent. Elsewhere, news outlets examine insurance companies’ efforts to get lawmakers to drop the health law’s tax on plans, some health organizations propose fixes for the law, Oscar’s plans for Tennessee, Ambetter’s decision to stay in the New Hampshire marketplace and other topics.
Escalating Discord Between Trump, McConnell Puts Shockingly Public Spotlight On Party’s Problems
President Donald Trump unleashed another wave of criticism toward Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), highlight the growing distance between the president and Congress.
Americans: Stop Trying To Undermine The Health Law And Start Fixing It
Just 3 in 10 want President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to continue their drive to repeal and replace the statute, while nearly 8 in 10 say Trump should be trying to make the health law work according to a new poll.
Trump Declares Opioid Crisis A National Emergency. So What Does That Mean?
President Donald Trump hasn’t yet spelled out what the declaration will entail, but it could allow the government to negotiate lower prices for naloxone, open up additional funding to states and provide technical assistance and manpower to places where local and state resources have been overwhelmed. Some experts say it is a mostly symbolic move, though.
First Edition: August 11, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Perspectives On Policies And Politics: Medicaid’s Value; Who Now Owns Obamacare?
Opinion writers also offer their thoughts on the Affordable Care Act’s stability, the negative systemic possibilities of Medicare for all and a range of other topics.
Longer Looks: Andy Slavitt; Medicaid Explained; Genetic Testing And The Insurance Industry
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
