Latest KFF Health News Stories
Under Pressure To Reduce Red Tape, FDA To Hold Hearing On Approval Process
The Food and Drug Administration implemented a more structured approach to how new drugs are approved based on their safety risks as part of the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act in 2010. At the meeting, the agency will likely hear testimony on experiences with this approach.
Ohio House Speaker Surveys Colleagues About Overriding Kasich’s Medicaid Expansion
Last summer, Ohio Gov. John Kasich vetoed the part of the state’s budget bill that would have frozen Medicaid expansion enrollment. Republicans in the House threatened to try to override the veto in July but eventually did not take a vote. Also in Medicaid news, Pennsylvania’s governor says that a cash shortfall is causing Medicaid payments to insurance companies to go out late.
Vermont Sets Its Focus On Statewide Model Of Care That Incentivizes Keeping Patients Healthy
After its single-payer efforts collapsed, the state is trying to revolutionize health care in a different way. The model is similar to how Medicare pays for care.
Unlike The Senate, House Panel Fails To Come To Terms On Plan For Children’s Health Insurance
Key Senate leaders agreed on a bipartisan funding bill last week for CHIP, but the House left town without announcing any agreement. The program’s funding authority runs out Sept. 30.
Anti-Abortion Advocates Pleased By Modest, But Sustained, Gains From Trump Administration
“Even with what’s already been done—add that to what we think will be done—I would say this is the most pro-life presidency in the modern era,” says Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. “We’d be hard-pressed to say any other administration has made more gains.”
Following Tragedy, Nursing Home Vows It Sought Urgent Help Which Contradicts State Officials’ Story
One of the executives of the facility where eight residents died in the wake of the hurricane said she repeatedly called a special number given out to nursing homes that needed urgent help, and yet no one came. Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott has suspended the home from the state’s Medicaid program and announced new safety rules for facilities this weekend.
Anthem Reverses Course, Will Sell Plans On Individual Marketplace In Virginia
So far efforts to keep any county from being “bare” under the law have been successful. Meanwhile, Affordable Care Act navigators brace for deep budget cuts.
GOP Says It’s Close On Graham-Cassidy Bill, But Those Last Votes Have Always Been A Struggle
The measure from Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is the party’s last-ditch effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. And while Cassidy says he thinks he has about 48 or 49 votes, that still isn’t enough to pass it.
First Edition: September 18, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Different Takes: Sanders And Single-Payer; One Last Try On Obamacare Repeal; Building On Victory
Opinion writers across the country examine the health proposal offered by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), where things stand for congressional Democrats and Republicans, how the Trump administration is quietly moving against the Affordable Care Act and why it’s time for politicians to get real.
Research Roundup: Cost Sharing Reductions; Insurance Gains
Here is a selection of news coverage of other recent research:
Media outlets report on news from the District of Columbia, California, Iowa, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Oregon and Texas.
High-Risk Drinking In Older Adults A Growing Problem
The scientists who ran the study didn’t investigate causes, but speculate that anxiety caused by the recession, which hit right between the two surveys, may have played a part. In other public health news: lupus, nail-biting and other tics, end-of-life discussions, cervical cancer and more.
Google Imposes Restrictions On Opioid Treatment Center Ads
“This is a bold move by one of the world’s biggest companies, saying people’s lives are more important than profit,” said Greg Williams, co-founder of Facing Addiction. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s opioid commission says there’s no timetable for officially declaring the crisis a national emergency.
Medicare Unveils Design And Publicity Campaign For New Beneficiary Cards
The new cards will be rolled out in April, but federal officials are beginning an outreach campaign now so seniors are not confused when they get theirs.
FDA Chief Stresses Competition As Way To Curb High Drug Prices
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the tactic isn’t new, but he wants to be more transparent with the agency’s efforts going forward.
A new federal rule will require that nursing homes have “alternate sources of energy to maintain temperatures to protect resident health and safety.” But some say it is too vague and wouldn’t have necessarily avoided the deaths of the eight residents in Florida even if it had been in effect. Meanwhile, police have obtained a search warrant in their criminal investigation of the Florida nursing home, and The New York Times offers tips on choosing a reliable facility.
Weeding Out The Rhetoric From The Facts On Sanders’ ‘Medicare For All’ Plan
The New York Times examines various claims — like that the majority of people are in support of a single-payer system — surrounding the proposal advanced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Meanwhile, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) asks the Congressional Budget Office to score the bill, which could make it an even tougher sell than it already is.
Repeal-And-Replace Is Still An Extremely Important Priority For Many Republican Voters
Fifty-three percent of Republican respondents in a new poll classify the issue as extremely important while another 26 percent said it should be a “very important priority.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post uses state-level data to examine how the Affordable Care Act has affected uninsured rates.
