Latest KFF Health News Stories
Outlets report on health news from New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, California, Texas, Ohio and Wyoming.
New Mexico Supreme Court Overturns Law Allowing Doctors To Help End Patients’ Lives
The justices rule 5-0 against a law that says doctors cannot be prosecuted for helping terminally ill patients end their lives. Elsewhere, an Iowa woman with two terminal conditions becomes too sick to continue her fight to obtain a doctor’s aid in dying.
Texas Lawmakers, Home Health Therapists Make Last-Ditch Attempts To Stop Medicaid Cuts
The state is slated to cut $350 million in spending on in-home therapy for children on July 15.
In other public health news, a leading gun-violence researcher answers California Healthline’s questions, KQED explores the field of epigenetics and a small Belgian town welcomes “guests” with mental disorders.
Stem Cell Clinics Crop Up Across The Country — But Regulation Is Almost Non-Existent
Stem cell procedures offer a lot of promise, but also carry a lot of risk. So as more clinics open, researchers are calling for additional oversight of the potentially dangerous field.
Even With Hundreds More Cases In U.S., Zika Scares Americans Less Than Ebola
Two-thirds of Americans say they are “not too” or “not at all” worried about Zika. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats say Congress shouldn’t take August recess without reaching a Zika funding deal, three more babies in the U.S. are born with Zika-linked birth defects, a look at where the mosquitoes are in California and an expert talks Zika and the Olympics.
Under New Rule, Penalties For Health Care Fraud Would Likely Double
The rule, published Thursday in the Federal Register, would increase the minimum penalty to $10,781 for a false claim submitted for Medicare and other federal programs. Also, CBS News examines the backlog in Medicare appeals.
Doctors, Hospitals Received $6.49B From Pharmaceutical Industry, Device Makers Last Year
Physicians and teaching hospitals in the U.S. took in fees, educational services, meals and other services worth billions, according to required annual disclosures available through a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ database. Nearly 2.3 percent of the transactions between doctors and drugmakers were related to opioids.
Embattled Zenefits Cuts Deals With Investors In Effort To Reset Reputation
The move cuts the once-celebrated company’s valuation to about $2 billion.
Possible Collapse Of Anthem-Cigna Deal Could Create Opportunities For Smaller Health Plans
The Justice Department has expressed skepticism that the companies can properly address its competition concerns. But if the merger falls apart, the two may go after smaller companies. In other news, Connecticut’s insurance commissioner is being urged to recuse herself from the review of the merger.
Dems To GOP On Funding For Opioid Bill: ‘You’ve Got To Walk The Walk, Not Just Talk The Talk’
Republicans are trying to wrap up legislation to address the opioid epidemic, but Democrats are demanding the GOP lawmakers include new funding for the legislation’s initiatives, not just authorize such funding.
After High Court Ruling, Abortion Advocates Target Potentially Vulnerable Laws In 8 States
There are laws on the books in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia with measures similar to the ones struck down this week by the Supreme Court. The campaign will also go after Texas provisions that weren’t included in the ruling. Meanwhile judges in Indiana and Florida block abortion laws that were set to go into effect in those states. And in Missouri, officials say they won’t immediately cut off funds to Planned Parenthood.
Federal Medicaid Officials Give Tenn. Two-Month Waiver While Talks Continue On Funding
The sticking point is federal funding for hospitals that have high levels of uncompensated care. Federal officials want to discontinue that funding and say states can overcome that problem by expanding their Medicaid programs.
More Than 233,000 Louisiana Residents Gain Medicaid Coverage Today As Expansion Goes Into Effect
Louisiana is the first state in the Deep South to overcome Republican resistance and implement the health law’s Medicaid expansion for low-income residents. Meanwhile officials in Kentucky, which expanded Medicaid early on, say the new governor’s efforts to curb that program is likely to win federal approval.
Drop-Out Rate For Those Covered By Health Law Slightly Higher Than Predicted
The 13 percent of people who dropped coverage is more than predicted, since the Department of Health and Human Services had been actively trying to weed out problematic applications, but the attrition of nearly 1.6 million is in a “reasonable range.” Meanwhile, the health law’s risk-adjustment program is under fire.
NOTE TO READERS: KHN’s First Edition will not be published July 4. Look for it again in your inbox July 5. Here’s today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: A Dismantled Mental Health System; Abortion In Texas; Fighting Zika
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Outlets report on health news from New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, California, Texas, Ohio and Wyoming.
The Slide From Opioid Prescriptions To Heroin At Root Of Epidemic
Some turn to heroin after becoming addicted to prescription painkillers because it’s cheaper, in great supply and doesn’t require going to a doctor. Meanwhile, Illinois’ bill tackling the epidemic has been called “groundbreaking legislation” that can provide a blueprint to other states. And police in Columbus, Ohio, are now carrying naloxone.
