Latest KFF Health News Stories
Mapping Zika’s Family Tree With Genome Sequencing Shows The Origins Of An Epidemic
Using the technique could help researchers predict how the next pandemic will move across the globe.
Setting Sights On High Drug Prices, Gottlieb Steers FDA Into Waters Previous Chiefs Dared Not Tread
In previous administrations, the heads of the Food and Drug Administration said the agency’s focus is efficacy and safety. But Dr. Scott Gottlieb is launching a concerted effort, hinged on increasing competition with generic drugs, to address skyrocketing costs.
Wis. Committee Approves Gov. Walker’s Plan To Test Some Medicaid Enrollees For Drugs
The plan, if it wins full legislative approval and is endorsed by federal officials, would be the first of its kind in the country.
House Panel Broadens Investigation Of NIH Safety And Compliance Issues
House Energy and Commerce Committee requests more documents in its probe of contaminated research samples reported at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. In other administration news, former Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) starts her new job as director for the Department of Health and Human Service’s regional office in Atlanta.
Budget Cuts Affecting Opioid Treatment Leave Families Feeling Betrayed By Trump
President Donald Trump “promised me, in honor of my son, that he was going to combat the ongoing heroin epidemic,” one man who lost his son said of meeting the president. “He got me hook, line and sinker.” Media outlets report on the epidemic in Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina and Ohio, as well.
Mulvaney Defends Budget Cuts But Gets Some Tough Questions About Medicaid From Senators
The head of the Office of Management and Budget says the reductions won’t affect current enrollees and dismisses health care scoring from the Congressional Budget Office.
Giving Up Hope On Federal Help, N.C. Insurer Seeks 23 Percent Price Hike For Next Year
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announcement came the day after Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City said it will leave the individual insurance market next year.
GOP Win In Montana Shows Limits Of Strategy By Democrats To Use Health Repeal In Elections
All eyes were on Montana’s special election to see if the recent troubles Republicans have faced as they seek to overhaul the federal health law would have an impact at the polls.
If States Use Waivers Built Into GOP Health Plan They Could Blow Up Their Own Markets, CBO Reports
The Washington Post explains what would happen to states that roll back protections on preexisting conditions and waive requirements for essential health benefits. Meanwhile, Republican senators admit the Congressional Budget Office score makes their job tougher and health groups respond to the analysis.
Senate To Start Drafting Health Care Bill Over Upcoming Recess
But lawmakers say there’s no timetable for when it will be made public.
Lawmakers, who are headed home for recess, aren’t exactly hopeful that they can get the 50 votes they need to pass health care legislation through the Senate.
NOTE TO READERS: KHN’s First Edition will not be published May 29. Look for it again in your inbox May 30. Here’s today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Ominous Conclusions From The CBO Analysis Of The GOP Health Plan: ‘Fatal Flaws,’ ‘A Train Wreck’
Opinion writers use the Congressional Budget Office’s recent analysis of the updated American Health Care Act to pan the House Republican’s repeal-and-replace measure.
Perspectives On The Trump Budget: Questionable Math; Who Feels The Most Pain?
Editorial pages across the country include analysis and review of President Donald Trump’s fiscal blueprint, including some tough talk about its political and policy implications.
Opinion writers offer a variety of thoughts on health policy issues, including whether the health law is “collapsing under its own weight,” some ominous predictions about the individual insurance markets, the importance of the public option and a range of other ideas.
Longer Looks: Shuttering Abortion Clinics, Obamacare In The Senate And A Lead-Poisoned Generation
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the web.
Media outlets report on news from Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, California, Virginia and Arizona.
Marijuana Extract Found To Reduce Seizures In Kids With Epilepsy
The study adds another layer to the debate over the health benefits of the plant.
Patients Seeking Aid In Dying Driven More By Psychological Suffering Than Physical Pain, Study Finds
“It’s what I call existential distress. Their quality of life is not what they want.” says researcher Madeline Li, an associate professor at University of Toronto. Today’s other public health news stories cover so-called “conversion therapy,” Zika, tuberculosis, fitness trackers, knee arthritis and “high-intensity” drinking.
