Latest KFF Health News Stories
Perspectives: Drug Prices Out Of Control? Not So Much, Actually
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
In The Drug Industry’s Civil War, Finger-Pointing Over Prices Is The Name Of The Game
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Texas, Florida, California, Massachusetts, Georgia, Colorado, Wisconsin and Kansas.
Price Gouging Runs Rampant In ERs, With Vulnerable Populations Taking The Brunt Of Pain
A new study looks at how hospitals are marking up prices in their emergency rooms. Media outlets report on hospital news out of Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and Missouri, as well.
Kansas Legislature Passes Exacting Requirements For Abortion Providers’ History Disclosures
The information must be provided to patients on white paper in black, 12-point Times New Roman type. Elsewhere, in California, Planned Parenthood confirms that three of its clinics will close in the northern part of the state.
Ohio Is Not Doing Enough To Combat Its Opioid Epidemic, Expert Says
There are several steps that the state should be taking to address the crisis, but it is falling short according to an health expert. Media outlets report on the crisis from Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa and Massachusetts.
Dentists In Unique Position To Identify Domestic Abuse, Activist Group Says
One survey of domestic abuse victims found that over half had visited a dentist when signs of abuse were present, but nearly 90 percent of those individuals weren’t asked about their injuries. An activist group is pushing to get dentists more training so they can better recognize those signs. In other public health news: health disparities between transgender and cisgender Americans, gene editing, sepsis, antibiotics, helmet safety and more.
Hearing Aid Bill Draws Unlikely Opponent: The Gun Industry
The opposition to the legislation, which would create an over-the-counter category of hearing aids, appears to be more about the fact that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is involved with the bill and less because of the substance.
Medicare Next Spring Will Mail Beneficiaries New Cards Without Social Security Numbers
The change is designed to cut down on the risk of identity theft. But the transition is sensitive since it involves coordination among beneficiaries, hospitals, doctors, insurance companies and pharmacies. In other news, Medicare announces it will cover exercise therapy for peripheral artery disease, and two insurers in Florida settle a lawsuit over billing.
Moody’s Says Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Would ‘Pressure States’ And Harm Nonprofit Hospitals
The credit rating agency says changes in Medicaid “would force states to make difficult decisions about safety-net spending for hospitals that serve large numbers of indigent patients.” Also, the Dallas Morning News examines how Medicaid cuts will affect state residents.
Green Bay voters gathered to express concerns about the legislation despite knowing Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) wouldn’t be there. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, dozens were arrested following a health care protest.
Dirt-Cheap ‘Junk Insurance’ Plans, Wiped Out By ACA, Could Reappear Under GOP Health Bill
The Congressional Budget Office says the plans are so low-quality that it considers people who have them to be uninsured. In other news on the Republican health care plan, former patients speak out against the high-risk pools central to the legislation, Democrats criticize the Medicaid cuts they say will hurt rural Americans and a look at preexisting condition coverage.
CMS Chief Lumps Marketplace Woes Onto Obamacare’s Shoulders
Seema Verma, the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, says that the buck stops with the creators of the Affordable Care Act over high premiums and an unstable marketplace. In other news, House Republicans defend their decision to seek delays in the insurer cost-sharing reduction lawsuit, and Connecticut might be left without any insurers offering plans under Obamacare.
Majority Of Americans Don’t Like GOP’s Health Care Plan, Poll Finds
But about two-thirds of Republicans support the legislation.
Two Republican Senators Temper Expectations On Completely Scrapping Health Law
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Republicans from Iowa who are active players in the health care debate, admitted that completely repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act doesn’t look like it’s going to be in the cards. But, the forecast looked just as gloomy a few weeks ago in the House.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Memorial Day Thoughts On Veterans’ Health
Opinion writers pause on the holiday to urge recognition of soldiers who deal with mental health injuries when they return from war as well as other issues — including President Donald Trump’s budget — related to vets’ health care.
Opinions continue to swirl regarding the status of the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces and about the challenges involved in advancing California’s health insurance reform plan as well as how the Trump administration budget blueprint deals with the safety net.
Repeal-And-Replace Perspectives: Tough Talk About The GOP Health Care Plan Continues
Editorial pages skewer a variety of aspects of the House-passed GOP health plan. Some, however, counter these arguments with skepticism.
