Latest KFF Health News Stories
As GOP Health Bill Fizzles, Insurers Face Deadline Today To Lock Into Marketplaces And Set Rates
Today, insurers must decide whether to sign contracts to sell coverage in the Obamacare marketplace next year, but they don’t know whether the federal government will continue to pay subsidies or enforce the health law’s mandates to have insurance. That is forcing some companies to raise rates significantly.
GOP Whip, Freedom Caucus Chair Don’t Want To Bog Down Tax Reform With Health Care
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) both oppose pairing the two issues. “Since we have fumbled at least twice now on health care, to include it and make tax reform contingent on us getting across the finish line on health care, I wouldn’t be in favor unless we can keep it on parallel tracks,”Meadows said.
Health groups are also worried this won’t be the last time Republicans try to roll back the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, The New York Times looks at what the failure means for consumers.
Mitch McConnell And His No Good, Very Bad Day
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Tuesday was a series of unfortunate events for the man who has crafted an image as the consummate insider who could deliver.
At One Point, It Looked Like Graham-Cassidy Had Real Chance At Success. What Happened?
A major part of the reason it fell apart at the seams was because of the rush and thus the haphazard process of the trying to shove through the legislation.
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the HELP Committee, says he will resume talks with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) but that future legislative action will be more limited than the plans they were discussing before the Graham-Cassidy bill gained traction.
Republicans Shelve Bill But Vow ‘We Haven’t Given Up On Changing American Health Care System’
Less than 24 hours after Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) stated her official opposition to the legislation, Republicans admit defeat, for now. They’re now planning to turn toward an overhaul of the tax code.
First Edition: September 27, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘We Don’t Have The Votes’: Senate Republicans End Latest Push For Replacement Bill
Republican efforts to pass a repeal-and-replace plan by Sept. 30 are over, as Senate leaders halt their plan to hold a vote this week on the Graham-Cassidy bill.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Opinion pages across the country view the impact of the Republican health bill — which currently appears to have failed under its own weight — in harsh terms.
Editorial writers offer harsh words and examinations of what caused the GOP’s most recent repeal-and-replace effort to come undone.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, Indiana, Connecticut, California, Georgia and Kansas.
Nation’s Organ Donation Network Wants To Make Liver Transplants ‘A Little Bit More Equal’
Right now, the chance of receiving a liver greatly depends on where a patient lives, but the United Network for Organ Sharing is looking to change that. In other public health news: sepsis, the benefits of social programs aimed at low-income children, autism, doulas and more.
FDA, Interpol Crack Down On Hundreds Of Websites Illegally Selling Unapproved Drugs
The operation targeted more than 500 websites illegally selling unapproved versions of prescription medications, the Food and Drug Administratioin said. Also, a prosecutor in New York teams up with academics to find opioid treatment gaps, and a young man whose overdose left him with irreversible brain damage and shocked the Berkeley campus seven years ago has died.
With GOP Bill Nearly Dead Senators’ CNN Debate Became More Theory Than Practice
When the debate was set with Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on one side and Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on the other, the Graham-Cassidy bill was gaining momentum. But by Monday night it looked all but dead, so the event lost some of its urgency.
A Recipe For Chaos: Even If Plan Passed, States Warn They Wouldn’t Be Able To Implement It
“Honestly, I am really struggling to figure out how we would respond,” said Teresa Miller, Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of human services, saying it’s “highly unlikely” Pennsylvania would be able to build a functioning insurance marketplace by the bill’s 2020 deadline. In other news, a look at what it would mean for consumers if the measure passed, The Washington Post fact checks remarks by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on premiums, and critics focus on pre-existing conditions.
Confused About What Exactly The Graham-Cassidy Bill Does? Here’s A Cheat Sheet
Media outlets break down just what you need to know about the measure and what’s coming next.
For People Covered By Medicaid Expansion, Health Law Debate In Washington Hits Home
Many people who gained insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid are fearful about suddenly losing that coverage. In other news, the National Association of Medicaid Directors makes clear that its opposition to a Republican plan to replace the ACA was issued as a consensus view of the board and not a unanimous decision by individual state directors, and The New York Times examines how a change in Medicaid compares to efforts to revamp welfare a generation ago.
‘Millions’ Of Americans Would Lose Insurance Under GOP Bill, CBO Projects In Partial Analysis
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office didn’t have enough time to do a full projection and its score was estimated from an earlier version of the Graham-Cassidy bill. But the agency says “the direction of the effect is clear.”
