Latest KFF Health News Stories
Congressional Republicans Battle Health Law Spending On Two Fronts — The Hill And In Court
After an initial court victory, the Republicans are advancing their arguments that the administration spent money to help defray health care costs for low-income residents without proper appropriations from Congress.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: President Obama On Personalized Medicine; Medicare Advantage’s Growing Pains
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Police On The Front Line Of Mental Health Crisis; The Daily Work Of A Hospice Nurse
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Outlets report on health news from Colorado, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, Connecticut, Ohio, New York and Georgia.
Though Predicting Alzheimer’s Remains A Daunting Task, Researchers Take Another Small Step
Scientists have developed a genetic test that can help identify people who are at unusually high risk of developing symptoms of dementia as they age. The test only underlies how complex truly predicting someone’s risk for Alzheimer’s is, but it’s “an important first attempt,” experts say. In other news, biotech executives are bringing back the practice of self-experimentation, researchers find that adults cannot regrow cartilage and patients are taking calculated risks with medical marijuana.
When It Comes To Sunscreen, Don’t Just Buy Based On Other Shoppers’ Reviews
Scientists researched the top-rated sunblocks on Amazon.com and found that 40 percent of them came up short in terms of doctor-recommended standards. Often the reviews focused on superficial qualities such as texture or smell instead of whether it was actually effective.
Men With Advanced Prostate Cancer Should Be Tested For Genetic Mutations, Study Finds
The recommendation is a major shift from previous thinking in which only men with a family history of prostate cancer were urged to consider testing. Currently insurers are unlikely to cover it in any other case. Meanwhile, a new test could help those men with advanced prostate cancer decide what treatment is best for them, and a high-priced drug for the disease is at the center of a takeover battle.
VA Adjusts Veteran Suicide Estimate To 20 Per Day Using More Precise Data
But even with the slight decrease from 22 per day, officials say the number is still far too high. “Twenty a day is not that different from 22,” says Dr. David Shulkin, the undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Texas Anti-Abortion Activists Draw Up New Blueprints After Supreme Court Decision
Two major anti-abortion groups in Texas are taking different paths after the Supreme Court overturned the state’s law regulating abortion. Meanwhile, officials in the Lone Star state have proposed new rules on fetal remains.
Alabama Trims Medicaid Payments To Doctors Because Of Budget Shortfall
Alabama had left a short-term health law program in effect that bumped up Medicaid’s payments to doctors so that they matched Medicare’s payments. But state officials said the new cuts were necessary because of an $85 million budget gap. Meanwhile, the third hearing on proposed revisions to Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion draws protests, and Texas is denying children with autism Medicaid coverage for expensive behavioral therapy.
Medicare Proposes Changes In Pain Questions, Cuts In Payments To Hospitals’ Off-Site Facilities
The changes are part of the proposed hospital payment rule, which was released Wednesday. Also in Medicare news, a House committee is calling for funding for a consumer assistance program that a Senate committee rejected, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, questions plans for possible changes in cancer drug payments and some Medigap rates are rising in Michigan.
Expensive Specialty Drugs Are Driving Increased Spending By Insurers, Study Finds
Researchers see the trend as a foreshadow of what’s to come as more and more high-priced treatments are released onto the market.
White House Announces New Precision Medicine Measures
The Precision Medicine Initiative’s goal is to modernize and accelerate biomedical discoveries, bringing new treatments to patients faster. Some of the new steps include plans to speed the development of tests used to identify genetic mutations and the development of tools to make data collection easier for researchers.
Both Parties Seize Upon Administration’s Slow Pace In Redirecting Ebola Funding To Combat Zika
The Obama administration has only distributed about one-sixth of the Ebola funding that it’s using to fight the virus. Republicans say that proves their point that Congress has some breathing room before it becomes absolutely necessary to pass legislation for it. Democrats, however, say moving money out the door takes time, which is all the more reason to act quickly on Zika. Outlets also report on developments out of Florida, Puerto Rico and Kansas.
House Republicans Release Their 2017 Health Spending Bill
The measure includes increases to help combat opioid abuse and the Zika virus as well as a funding boost for the National Institutes of Health, which is lower than what the Senate OK’d last month. In addition, it also targets Obamacare by rescinding some of its existing funding.
House Overwhelmingly Passes Bill To Revamp Mental Health System
The bill, introduced by Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., has been stalled for years. But House leaders scaled back some of the more controversial elements to get the legislation through. Plans for Senate action are unclear.
Opioid Bill’s Fate In Peril As Republicans Rebuff Dems’ $920M Funding Proposal
What started out as bipartisan legislation has devolved into party politics as Democrats try to add funding to the bill. Without the money, the measure’s future in getting through the full Senate is uncertain.
House GOP Report Finds Administration Spent Billions On Health Law Without Authority
The report by two House committees is expected to be released Thursday. Also in the news, a study finds that the health law’s insurance surcharges for tobacco users were not effective, more concerns are raised about co-ops set up under Obamacare and a new plan comes into the marketplace in Wisconsin.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
