Latest KFF Health News Stories
Aetna Posts First-Quarter Loss, Mulls Scaling Back Health Law Participation Even Further
Aetna said it expects 2017 losses on its individual business will amount to roughly half its loss last year, which was $450 million.
Having More Insured People Under ACA Did Not Lead To Loss Of Access For Those Already With Coverage
“We found no consistent evidence that there were negative impacts on continuously insured adults of rising insurance rates,” said Steven Hill, one of the report’s authors.
The Paths Forward For Republicans Are Politically Unpalatable
GOP lawmakers are faced with three options that aren’t ideal for retaining their political power: keep negotiating, starve the health law until it collapses or come up with a moderate “repair” bill. Meanwhile, Politico also looks at why the health law is so hard to repeal, and the Senate’s reaction to all the uncertainty in the House.
Kimmel’s Emotional Plea For Preexisting Conditions Reflects Debate Over Revised Health Plan
“No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their child’s life,” TV show host Jimmy Kimmel said. Protections for people with preexisting conditions are becoming one of the main sticking points with the legislation.
Latest GOP Defector Deals A Major Blow To Health Bill Already On Shaky Ground
Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) saying he can’t vote for the Republican’s Obamacare-replacement plan, as it stands, gives centrists cover to be more vocal about their concerns. Upton says he’s crafting an amendment though to address his issues. Meanwhile, House leadership is scrambling to whip up votes as President Donald Trump continues to press hard to get something passed. Media outlets report on the state of negotiations and where lawmakers stand.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Who Loses In The Mo. Budget Debate; Ill.’s Medical Debt
A selection of state-based opinions on health care.
Opinion writers consider what’s behind the current buzz words in the debate over the Affordable Care Act’s future.
Contemplating The Ups And Downs Of The NIH Budget; The Link Between Politics And The Measles
News outlets take on a range of public health topics.
Media outlets report on news from Maryland, Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, California, Colorado and Texas.
Hospitals In 10 States Cut Staff Amid Fears Driven By Financial And Political Uncertainty
Stat reports on the pressures felt by the hospital industry. And the financial difficulties faced by hospitals in Texas, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., are also in the news today.
Florida Congresswoman Proposes Grants For Treating Police With Post-Traumatic Shock
Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) wants local police departments to get federal money for peer-to-peer counseling and other mental health aid for officers with PTSD. Elsewhere, New Hampshire Public Radio examines data on police shootings and finds they often involve people who are severely mentally ill.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Wis. Law That Can Force Pregnant Women Into Addiction Treatment
A spokesman for Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel said the office was still reviewing the decision and had no immediate comment.
To Beat Opioid Crisis, Prevention Work Has To Start In Schools, Massachusetts AG says
The state’s Youth Opioid Prevention Grant Program, which will dole out the funds to schools, was established with money that Walgreens and CVS paid to settle charges of improper dispensing of opioids. Media outlets also report on news related to the epidemic from Florida and Virginia.
Twins May Hold The Key To Unlocking Mysteries Surrounding Zika
Determining why one twin became infected in the womb while the other did not may illuminate how Zika crosses the placenta, how it enters the brain, and whether any genetic mutations make a fetus more resistant or susceptible to Zika infection. In other public health news: chronic fatigue syndrome, fasting, gender identity, hunger, premature babies and back pain.
This Technology May Allow Computers To Sniff Out Diseases
Patients give off a unique odor that can hold clues to any medical problems going on in their bodies, but it can’t be detected easily by humans. Also in technology news, doctors ponder the future of artificial intelligence and the role it has to play in medicine, and a look at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s roll out of its new electronic health record system.
Drug Offers Alzheimer’s Researchers A Glimmer Of Hope After Years Of Brutal Failures
Instead of targeting a protein that most of the industry has focused on, this new drug tries to stop the destruction of brain synapses and neurons in the first place.
Lawmakers In Ohio And Arkansas Give Preliminary Approval To Medicaid Changes
Republicans in the Ohio House turned down efforts by conservatives to freeze enrollment in the state’s Medicaid expansion program but a committee approved several restrictions on spending. In Arkansas, Senate and House committees approve changes to Medicaid sought by the governor.
Cancer, Alzheimer’s And The Other Areas Of Medical Research That Won Big In Spending Bill
The Washington Post digs into the National Institutes of Health budget to find out what the money will go toward.
Trump Administration Relaxes School Nutrition Guidelines That Were A Michelle Obama Legacy
The School Nutrition Association, which represents companies that sell food to schools, has been lobbying against the standards on federally funded program.
