Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Road To 50 Votes: Which Senators To Watch In Health Care Talks Over The Next Week
Republicans can only afford to lose two votes. In other news on the repeal-and-replace efforts: a national Democratic poll finds that the measure has 24 percent support; opponents in California go hard against it; Nevada’s governor says the legislation’s increased funding is a “false choice”; and more.
Although Publicly Enthusiastic About Efforts, Trump Has Little Sway Over Crucial Senators
GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, John McCain of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are not senators that are likely to be wooed or threatened by President Donald Trump.
Provision Tucked Into Bill Benefits Alaska, Just When GOP Is Desperate For Murkowski’s Vote
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is a crucial vote for Republicans to secure if they want to pass their health law. Critics blast a provision of the legislation that only benefits Alaska and Montana as the GOP try to sway votes. “Everyone involved in this moral and intellectual monstrosity should be ashamed of themselves,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) says.
States Who Win Under Graham-Cassidy Win Big, While The Losers Get Walloped
Multiple analyses have found different results about which states come out on top and which are hit the hardest. But they all find massive financial discrepancies between the two. For example, federal funding for coverage would plunge by 41 percent in Louisiana, while it would grow by 126 percent in South Carolina, according to one estimate.
Inside The ‘Most Radical Of Any Of The Republican Health Care Bills’ Debated This Year
For all the last-minute rush surrounding the measure from Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the bill is actually the most far-reaching the Republicans have tried to pass yet. Media outlets take a look at what exactly is in the bill and what it does.
First Edition: September 22, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: The Promise And Price Tag Of A New Cancer Drug; Medicaid In Indian Country
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Thinking About A Single-Payer System: Pros And Cons Of ‘Medicare For All’
Opinion writers communicate their takes on the health care plan advanced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Newspapers offer their members of Congress a bleak picture of what would happen in their states if the Graham-Cassidy proposal were to become law.
Parsing The Policies: Is This Just Another ‘Lousy’ Bill Or Does It Advance A ‘Great Idea’?
There are a variety of ideas about the Graham-Cassidy bill now pending in the Senate, with some saying it’s “poison” and others praising its intent to give states flexibility.
Political Reverberations: How Graham-Cassidy Impacts The Health Care Debate
Editorial pages feature opinions praising this “last-chance” legislation or calling it “nonsense” and “cynical.” They also detail how, regardless of the outcome of the vote planned for next week, the GOP will own it.
Longer Looks: Cassidy-Graham; A Man-Made Epidemic & A Single-Payer Failure
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, North Carolina, Maine, Florida, California, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Louisiana and Minnesota.
CVS To Limit Duration, Dose Of Opioid Prescriptions For Some Patients
Starting in February 2018, if CVS-covered patients arrive at the pharmacy with a prescription above its new limits, the pharmacy will kick it back to the doctor for review.
Bouncing Back From Trauma Is Possible, But Some People Have To Work Harder Than Others
Dr. Dennis Charney has spent years studying trauma. And then he joined the ranks of the patients he worked with. In other public health news, ADHD, embryo editing, effects of gender stereotypes, the science of weight loss, the flu and more.
Florida Closes Nursing Home Tied To 9 Patient Deaths, Issues Rebuke For False Patient Records
Staff at the home entered normal vital signs into the medical records of several residents after they had already been evacuated, Florida officials said.
Pfizer-J&J Legal Brawl Could Set Precedent For Competition In Biosimilar Landscape
If Pfizer is successful, it could discourage brand name companies from using deals with insurers to limit competition in the emerging biosimilar market. If Pfizer loses, the case could highlight a strategy those companies could continue to use to deter competition.
Each one of the chartered flights is estimated to have cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has advocated cost-cutting at his agency. His predecessors often traveled by commercial flights or on trains.
Children’s Health Program And Community Health Centers’ Funding Stuck In Senate Logjam
A bipartisan deal on the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program was reached by senators earlier this month, but it looks unlikely to get a vote before the program’s authority expires on Sept. 30 because the Senate is consumed with efforts to replace the federal health law. Also in Medicaid news, officials in New Mexico unveil plans to charge enrollees premiums and copayments.
Given State Of Affairs Around Health Law, States Stuck Approving Sharp Premium Increases
Because of all the uncertainty in D.C., states like Kentucky, Mississippi and Virginia are approving average rates for major insurers that are at least 25 percent higher than they were in 2017. Meanwhile, Department of Health and Human Services documents show that outreach efforts under the Obama administration actually were working.
