Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicaid Enrollment Drives WellCare’s Profits
Centene, another Medicaid-focused insurer, also reported strong earnings in its fourth-quarter earnings report.
House Subcommittee Approves 2 Bills Tweaking Medicaid Eligibility
Democrats criticize the bills as being trivial. They would limit coverage for people who are lottery winners and those getting long-term care coverage whose spouses receive payments from annuities.
Immigration Ban Compromises Years Of Investment In Biotechnology, Industry Says
More than 150 executives are speaking out against the president’s executive order, the drug industry’s strongest collective condemnation yet of the ban. In other news, the Cleveland Clinic doctor who made headlines for being barred from entering the U.S. returned to the hospital on Tuesday, and health workers say the order is affecting their immigrant patients.
Effort To Ease Terminally Ill Patients’ Access To Experimental Drugs Gets White House Support
Backing of the legislation is part of an overall push from the president to streamline the Food and Drug Administration. In other news, the agency says it will stop redacting information in resumes submitted by experts who serve on its advisory committees.
HHS Draft Rule To Stabilize Market Highlights That Change Will Come From Legislation, Not Agencies
“None of this will fundamentally change the market,” says health insurance expert Craig Garthwaite of the rule.
North Carolina Sees 10% Drop In Health Law Enrollment Numbers
Amid uncertainty surrounding the future of the Affordable Care Act, state and national numbers for sign-ups have slipped from last year. Media outlets also report on health law news from Connecticut and Colorado.
Sanders, Cruz Fall Back On Campaign Rhetoric At Health Law Debate
The event highlighted the challenges congressional lawmakers face in coming up with a plan both sides can agree on.
‘Tom Obeyed The Law’: GOP Lawmakers Dismiss Democrats’ Ethical Concerns Over Price
“What disqualified Democratic nominees apparently is not a problem for many Republican nominees,” Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said Tuesday. “They seem to be bulletproof when it comes to ethical issues.” Meanwhile, KHN investigates stock trades made by Rep. Tom Price, the Trump pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, while his committee was under scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Republicans Detest The Individual Mandate, But Other Options Aren’t Any More Palatable
Most health care economists believe lawmakers will be hard-pressed to come up with an effective and politically tolerable alternative to what has become the symbolic heart of the health law. “Carrots are expensive,” says Paul Van de Water, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “Sticks are unpopular.” Meanwhile, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., reiterates that the plan to dismantle and replace the Affordable Care Act will be completed this year.
First Edition: February 8, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Is It An Obamacare Replace, Repair Or Cleanup?; Rolling Back A ‘Sensible’ Gun Limit
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on news from Kansas, Florida, California, New Jersey and Minnesota.
Not All Over-The-Counter Pain Relievers Are Created Equal
The New York Times breaks the options down by what pain they treat, side effects and other information the consumer should know before buying the drugs. In other public health news, breast cancer surgeries, crash test dummies, mysterious illnesses, supplements and salads.
Advocates, Officials Warn Repeal Would Undermine Progress Made Against Opioid Epidemic
Medicaid expansion and the law’s mandate that all insurers cover addiction treatment at the same level as medical and surgical procedures have helped states make strides in the battle against opioid addiction.
Medicaid Block Grants Advocated By GOP Could Reduce Federal Spending By $150B Over 5 Years
The analysis by consulting firm Avalere also suggests states would have to put in more money to keep the same services. In other news, efforts to overhaul the health law raise concerns about new Medicaid coverage among the homeless, Medicaid issues are on the agenda in the Kansas legislature and a doctor staffing company agrees to pay $60 million to settle allegations that it overbilled Medicaid and Medicare.
An Iraqi Doctor In Trump Country
Dr. Chalak Berzingi was looking for a place he was needed. He found it in medically underserved Elkins, West Virginia. But now, the immigration ban could prevent doctors like him from practicing in towns that need them the most.
Administration Sends Rule To OMB To Stabilize Insurance Market, But The Clock Is Ticking
Since Republican efforts to revamp the health law have slowed down, insurers and consumer advocates have raised concerns that the uncertainty could keep companies from offering coverage in the law’s marketplaces in 2018.
Republicans Have Been Quietly Chipping Away At Health Law For Years
Ever since it was enacted, the health law’s funding has been a target for appropriators, which Democrats say contributed to the current problems people are experiencing.
Covered California Enrollment Slips In Tandem With Federal Trend Of Fewer Sign-Ups
But state officials said they met their projections of 400,000 new enrollees. Media outlets report on the health law and enrollment in Colorado, Ohio and Minnesota as well.
Effects From Repeal Would Ripple Through Entire Economy, Creating ‘Noticeable’ Slowdown
Most of the job cuts would result from two factors: the loss of federal spending for premium tax credits that help people pay for marketplace coverage, and the loss of spending for Medicaid services. In related news, Massachusetts officials say reviving the old system in their state if the health law is repealed is unrealistic; Minnesota’s efforts to stabilize its marketplace may offer a peek into the future; the medical device industry is on tenterhooks over a tax on its products; and more.
