Latest KFF Health News Stories
Blood Tests May Have ‘Significantly’ Underestimated Lead Levels, FDA Warns
The tests the agency are warning about, though, are not used as often as less invasive screenings, so it should not affect most people, according to officials. However, pregnant women and children should be retested, they say.
After Losing $2M In Funds Under New Measure, Planned Parenthood To Close 4 Clinics In Iowa
Iowa’s Republican-led legislature agreed in its recent budget to discontinue a federal Medicaid program and replace it with a state one that bars funding to organizations that provide abortions or maintain facilities where abortions are carried out.
Despite Factors That Should Put It Ahead Of Game, U.S. Health Ranking Is ‘An Embarrassment’
A new study finds that access to cutting-edge medical technology and well-trained doctors don’t necessarily correlate to good health for a country.
UnitedHealth To Shutter Experiment Of No-Cost-Sharing Plans For Primary And Behavioral Care
Modern Healthcare reports that Harken Health, a UnitedHealth subsidiary, will close in Chicago and Atlanta. In more news on the insurer, KHN reports that UnitedHealth faces allegations that it overcharged the federal government by more than $1 billion through its Medicare Advantage plans.
Senate Committee Passes Bipartisan Bill To Revamp Medicare Coverage Of Chronic Care
The bill would give people greater access to telehealth services, promote care coordination between providers and expand value-based payment models.
Democrats Tell Trump To Get A Science Adviser So He’s Not Vulnerable To Fake News
Lawmakers on the House Science Committee are urging the president to fill the empty position to head the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
House Repeal Plan Would Cut $43B From Medicaid Coverage Of Kids, Analysis Finds
“Over time, per capita caps could significantly reduce the amount of funding that goes towards Medicaid coverage for children,” says Dan Mendelson, president of Avalere, the consulting firm that conducted the study. Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republican moderates float ideas in order to retain Medicaid expansion that could have other consequences for states.
After All That Turmoil, House May Have To Vote On Health Plan Again
In an “abundance of caution,” House leaders are refraining from sending the legislation to the Senate until the CBO score comes back.
Not Satisfied With What They’re Seeing In Congress, Governors Start Drafting Own Health Plan
Governors will have more influence over the final legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, because they’re the ones who will be implementing the vision in their states. Meanwhile, lobbying groups are hoping they’ll have better luck in the Senate than they did the House.
‘There Are No Hands On The Wheel’: Insurers Heap Blame On Administration For Next Year’s Rate Hikes
The finger-pointing toward the Trump administration undermines GOP arguments that the marketplaces are collapsing under their own weight. Meanwhile, Republicans are seizing on the increases to drum up support for their repeal-and-replace push.
Democratic Attorneys General Seek Role In ACA Subsidy Case: ‘Lives Are At Stake’
The subsidies that are paid to insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act have been a threatened negotiation tool by President Donald Trump and have long been targeted by congressional Republicans. But not paying them would wreak havoc on the marketplaces, insurers and Democrats say.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of public health opinions from around the country.
Editorial writers examine different aspects of the current debate surround the GOP repeal-and-replace measure in Congress and the status of Obamacare’s marketplaces.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Drugmakers Deploy Lobbyists As Battle Over High Prices Moves To State Level
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Georgia, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Oregon.
Researchers say in vitro gametogenesis — creating babies from skin cells — is only a couple decades away from being possible. That means a gay couple could have a child genetically related to both parents, but it also means someone could for all intents and purposes clone themselves. In other public health news: teens and mental health, maternal age, superbugs in hospitals, knee pain and more.
Test Strips Allow People Using Opioids To Test Their Supply For Fentanyl
The synthetic drug is extremely powerful and is contributing to the high number of overdoses across the country. These kits could help people determine if what they are about to take is stronger than they thought it was. Meanwhile, IBM and MAP Health Management are teaming up to create software to help identify and treat addiction.
Taking Abortion Pills At Home Just As Safe As In A Clinic, Study Finds
Researchers studied the outcomes of people who turned to Women on Web — a website that provides counseling and abortion pills online — for help.
