Latest KFF Health News Stories
Gunshots Second Only To Car Accidents For Cause Of Death For American Children
Each day in the United States, an average of 3.5 people under the age of 18 are shot to death and another 15.5 are treated in a hospital emergency department for a gunshot wound.
Bristol-Myers’ Supreme Court Victory Could Have Far-Reaching Ramifications In Liability Cases
The case centered around whether plaintiffs residing outside of the state who claim they were harmed by the company’s blood thinner could join in a lawsuit brought by California residents. “It will extremely limit the notion that large companies can be sued by anyone, anywhere,” said one lawyer.
Credit Agency Pokes Texas For Failing To Budget Sufficiently For Medicaid Growth
S&P Global Ratings did not downgrade the state’s ratings, but criticized the legislature’s decision to cut funds by nearly $2 billion while expecting more people to qualify for the program. Meanwhile, officials in Illinois are still seeking to get beyond an impasse on Medicaid payment formulas for doctors, hospitals and other health care providers.
‘A President Who Simply Does Not Care’ About HIV/AIDS: 6 Angered Experts Quit Trump’s Panel
The members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS write that the administration “pushes legislation that will harm people living with HIV and halt or reverse important gains made in the fight against this disease.” The White House disputes the former advisers’ characterizations. “Well, I mean, respectfully, the president cares tremendously about that and the impact it has,” Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.
State Officials Scramble To Woo Insurers Back Into ACA Marketplaces
In Washington state, an insurer that was going to pull out of the exchanges reversed course after “repeated discussions” with state officials. And in Iowa, a company that had been considering leaving the individual marketplace announced it will stay in it.
Firebrand Ted Cruz Finding Shades Of Gray In Previously Black-And-White Health Debate
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has emerged as a central figure in Republicans’ health law efforts and is cautiously embracing a one-time foreign word: compromise. In other news, conservatives have thrown up some red flags on changes to the American Health Care Act, staff departures uproot the Senate’s ambitious agenda, health care groups that have been shut out of the process take their message directly to the American people, and more.
GOP Senators Working On Health Bill Weigh Deeper Reductions In Medicaid
The group, which is working in secret, has reportedly asked the Congressional Budget Office to score a proposal that would cut the House bill’s growth rate for Medicaid funding.
‘Ashamed:’ The New Buzz Word Democrats Embrace As They Step Up Attacks Against GOP
Senate Democrats are lobbing a variety of criticisms at the health law efforts by colleagues on the other side of the aisle, but a consistent theme is that Republicans don’t like their own bill.
Lacking Real Power To Alter GOP Bill, Democrats Try To Throw Wrench In Process Itself
As Republicans race toward a self-imposed deadline to vote on their legislation, Democrats take steps to slow down work in the Senate.
McConnell Keeps Foot On The Gas With Eye On Ambitious Health Law Deadline
Republican leaders are still pushing to get a vote before Congress goes on recess for the July Fourth holiday. But it’s unclear whether they have enough “yeses” to pass the legislation.
DON’T MISS IT!: KHN has launched a new Facebook group on navigating aging and will hold a live chat today at noon. Judith Graham, our Navigating Aging columnist, will be joined by geriatrician Dr. Lee Ann Lindquist to answer all your questions about the topic. Tune in here.
Viewpoints: Problems With Drug Labeling Rules; Fixing Genes; Mental Illness And Punishment
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Different Perspectives On Health Reform: Industry On The Sidelines; Alternative Options?
Opinion writers examine the secretive discussions in the Senate on the changes to the health law and the impact they could have around the country.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Massachusetts, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Ohio and Texas.
Sleep Apnea, Called A ‘Time Bomb’ For Women, A Contributing Factor In Carrie Fisher’s Death
Women, particularly older ones, have a greater chance of never being diagnosed with sleep apnea — and never being treated for it.
The One-Paragraph Letter That Helped Shape The Opioid Epidemic
A letter, published in a 1980 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, has been twisted and misrepresented by the makers of painkillers to prove their products are not addictive. In other news, researchers look at why treating opioid addiction can be complicated and the American Medical Association backs supervised injection sites.
Stem Cell Scientists Worry Unregulated Clinics Undermine Actual Progress In Field
The researchers are optimistic about where stem cell therapy is headed but they fear horror stories stemming from some clinics will derail public support. In other public health news: Alzheimer’s, a surgery gone wrong, brain injuries and depression, dog bites, transgender children, and more.
Hospitals Only Have To Report Certain Cyberattacks, Leaving Rivals In The Dark And Vulnerable
Advocates are pushing for tighter reporting requirements for all electronic attacks.
Feds To Collect More Than $53M From Genesis HealthCare To Settle False Medicare Claim Charges
The nursing home operator strikes a settlement with the Justice Department to end six federal lawsuits and investigations of allegations that the company submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary therapy, hospice service and substandard care.
Marketing Sanctions Lifted Off Cigna
The federal sanctions barred the company from marketing and selling its Medicare Advantage policies to new beneficiaries.
