Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Media outlets report on news from California, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas, New York, Michigan, Georgia, Minnesota, Maryland and Iowa.
As Population Ages, Communities Face Tough Choices On Supporting Local Nursing Homes
Some jurisdictions are opting to use general fund money to cover costs for necessary services, while others are selling the facilities to private companies. Also, the top complaint among nursing home residents is eviction.
Apple’s ResearchKit Poised To Become Actually Medically Useful
Much of the early research scientists were doing with ResearchKit wasn’t clinical in nature; rather it simply studied the feasibility of using mobile apps to collect health data. But that may be about to change. In other health IT news, Molina Healthcare is investigating a potential data breach.
Public Health Roundup: Losing Sleep Over Climate Change; Immunotherapy And Hope; And Youth Suicides
Also in more public health news: rheumatic heart disease, gay and transgender patients, adult ADHD, reading and the brain, bullying with peanuts, and more.
Profit Mining The Opioid Epidemic: These Middlemen Are Turning ‘Patients Into Paychecks’
Patient brokers can earn up to tens of thousands of dollars a year by wooing vulnerable addicts for treatment centers that often provide few services and sometimes are run by disreputable operators with no training or expertise. Meanwhile, there are tools people can turn to in order to manage chronic pain, but the treatments costs thousands of dollars.
Women Feel Impact Of Texas’ Roundabout Ways Of Chipping Away At Planned Parenthood Funds
By 2013, the state’s maneuvers prompted 82 Texas clinics to close or stop offering family planning services. None of the clinics performed abortions. In related news, a sweeping anti-abortion bill passes the Texas legislature.
Drug, Opioid Thefts A Stubborn Problem At VA Hospitals
In February the agency announced it was putting safeguards in place to combat the problem, but criminal investigators say it’s hard to tell if they’re working.
Former Theranos Directors Did Not Follow Up On Public Allegations, Court Documents Reveal
“It didn’t occur to me,” one said when asked if he probed into whether the company’s much-hyped proprietary technology was working.
Cuts To Biosecurity In Trump Budget Leaves ‘The American People Very Vulnerable,’ Experts Say
The Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, which tracks outbreaks of disease, would be cut by $136 million, or 9.7 percent, while the branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that fights threats like anthrax and Ebola would be cut by $65 million, or 11 percent. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump tweeted that he wanted to allocate more money toward health care, which is in direct contrast to both his proposed budget and the House GOP health bill.
Administration Takes Steps To Relax Health Law’s Birth Control Mandate
The decision all but ensures a court challenge from women’s groups.
As GOP Senators Ponder Health Plan, Republican Governors Split On Future Of Medicaid
The divide over how to handle the Medicaid expansion is reflected in the ranks of Republican governors. Also in Medicaid news are articles about how cuts could have a major impact on women, on Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-Pa.) efforts on the GOP bill, California legislators weighing adding benefits for people in the state illegally and cuts in services in Texas and Louisiana.
Newly Insured Worry About Going ‘Back To The Old Way Of Doing Things’
With the federal health law in peril, some of the more than 20 million people who gained coverage are concerned about the future. Among them are older Americans, who could see their premiums increase dramatically. Some of them are beginning to organize to fight for the law.
Health Care Groups At A Crossroads Over Trying To Kill GOP Bill Or Help Shape It
Senators have hinted at a willingness to work with health care industry stakeholders, which were shut out of House negotiations. Those businesses now must decide what course of action to take. Meanwhile, The Associated Press looks at some of the sticking points of getting to 50 votes. And meet the Senate parliamentarian who will be the chamber’s referee in the debate.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Taking Stock Of Genetic Privacy; What About Those Medical Misfits?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Opinion writers take on a variety of fiscal issues advanced by President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, including how it treats Medicaid and Social Security’s disability program.
