Latest KFF Health News Stories
Policy Perspectives: Medicare For All? Single-Payer As The Democrats’ ‘Party Consensus’
Opinion writers offer their thoughts on some big-ticket health reform concepts that range from Medicare for all to drug costs.
Research Roundup: Health Debate’s Impact On Views Of ACA; Treating Opioid Addiction In Medicaid
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from California, Massachusetts, Texas, Maryland, Florida, Missouri, Georgia, Minnesota and Iowa.
Texas Law Banning Common Abortion Procedure Temporarily Blocked
Proponents of the state’s law say it would ensure the “humane termination” of the fetus, but opponents argued it would require women seeking abortions to undergo medically unnecessary and untested procedures. Meanwhile in Arkansas, three patients are asking an appeals court to review a decision to allow the state to block funding to Planned Parenthood.
Ohio Pharmacists Say Low Reimbursements May Force Them To Quit Serving Medicaid Patients
One pharmacists says that the largest Medicaid managed care firm pays his store $38 for a drug that costs the pharmacy $50. Meanwhile in Florida, members of Congress ask federal officials to check out Medicaid care for children in that state with some serious health problems, and Oregon officials finish their efforts to update Medicaid rolls and remove those ineligible.
End-Of-Life Talks Taking Backseat To Promises Of Immunotherapy Miracles
“In the oncology community, there’s this concept of ‘no one should die without a dose of immunotherapy,’” said Dr. Eric Roeland, an oncologist and palliative care specialist. “And it’s almost in lieu of having discussions about advance-care planning, so they’re kicking the can down the street.” In other public health news: prostate cancer, home visits for moms, later-in-life fatherhood, herpes vaccine tests and more.
Claims That ACA’s Medicaid Expansion Fueled Opioid Crisis Puzzle Experts
A new report shows that the overdose death rate rose nearly twice as much in states that expanded Medicaid compared with states that didn’t, but experts say the analysis misses some crucial facts and skips standard steps that researchers use to rule out coincidences. In other news on the epidemic: Advocates urge the Food and Drug Administration to pull high-dose opioids from the market, the administration still hasn’t officially declared a national emergency, Arizona files a lawsuit against a drugmaker for its marketing tactics and more.
Chemical Plant Explosion Adds To Long List Of Public Health Concerns Wrought By Harvey
Toxins and chemicals from the plant and other sites are contaminating the water that’s flooding Houston. Media outlets report on public health and other news from the city.
If Anyone Can Work Miracles To Get Bipartisan Solution On Health Care It May Be These Two Senators
In the current political atmosphere, it may seem like a long-shot to come up with something both sides can agree on. But Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have deep experience with working across the aisle on tough bills.
Hickenlooper, Kasich Unveil Bipartisan Health Plan Aimed At Shoring Up Marketplaces
Six other governors are backing the plan that Govs. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and John Kasich (R-Ohio) have worked on for months.
Administration Guts Health Law Ad Budget While Critics Call Sabotage
On top of the 90 percent cut to the advertising budget for the open enrollment period, grants to navigators who help people sign up for coverage were nearly halved.
First Edition: September 1, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Future Health Policy Debates; Expanding Parental Leave Benefits
A selection of opinions on public health issues from around the country.
Longer Looks: A Deadly Storm; The 25th Amendment & Rewriting Family History
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Minnesota, California, Missouri and Kansas.
Iowa Seeks Federal Permission To Eliminate Medicaid’s 3 Months Of Retroactive Coverage
State officials say their proposal would save the program $36.7 million, including $9.7 million in state payments. Meanwhile, Mississippi Medicaid officials deny allegations by two companies that the state acted inappropriately when awarding managed care contracts.
HHS Watchdog Says Medicare Saved $1B Through Program That Coordinates Care
Accountable care organizations, created by the federal health law, are groups of doctors, hospitals and other health providers that coordinate care to reduce unnecessary federal spending and get to claim a portion of that savings. The report by the inspector general’s office also found that the majority of the 428 ACOs in the shared-savings program improved the quality of care they provided. In other Medicare news, an advisory panel says there is little evidence that weight-loss surgeries work.
Missouri AG Casts A Wider Net In Probe Of Opioid Makers And Their Marketing Tactics
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is among officials in more than 20 U.S. states that have decided to combat the opioid crisis through the court system. Outlets also report on the epidemic from Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Anti-inflammatory drugs have predictable and dangerous side effects, and messing around with a patient’s immune system can just be asking for trouble sometimes. In other public health news: gene-editing, breast-feeding, a salmonella outbreak, student athletes, Lyme disease, and more.
For Houston’s Hospitals, Returning To Business As Usual May Take Weeks
But the chief executive officer of the council that has overseen catastrophic medical operations during Harvey has praised the storm response coordination of hospitals, first responders and civic leaders.
