Latest KFF Health News Stories
FDA OKs Dissolving Stent — With A Caveat
The implant gradually dissolves in the body after three years, but the Food and Drug Administration says it hasn’t been shown to be safer yet than the older, metal devices.
HHS Relaxes Strict Prescribing Caps For Anti-Addiction Medication
The limits, put in place to thwart the black market, have made it hard for those in need to get a prescription for buprenorphine.
Both Sides Dig In On Opioid Bill, As Dems Call For More Than $900M In Funding
Democratic leaders wrote in a letter that they would not support the legislation without “significant funding that reflects the seriousness of the epidemic and provides meaningful support to these important priorities.”
Panel: VA Health System Has ‘Profound Deficiencies,’ Requires ‘Urgent Reform’
The bipartisan Commission on Care says the Department of Veterans Affairs should get an overhaul that includes shuttering some facilities and making permanent a system that lets the nation’s 22 million veterans get care from private doctors.
Appeals Court Strikes Administration’s Rule Barring Alternative Type Of Health Insurance
The decision applies to a provision that kept insurers from offering insurance that pays a fixed dollar amount, such as $500 a day for hospital care. The administration said these policies do not meet the federal health law’s standards. Also in the news, Connecticut officials have ordered that the state’s insurance co-op begin the process of closing because of financial problems.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Thumbs Down On GOP Health Care Replacement Plan; Independence Day For The FDA?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Parsing The Implications Of The High Court’s Most Recent Abortion Decision
Opinion writers offer thoughts on what’s next in the abortion debate as well as how it dovetails with other states’ policies and state court actions.
Perspectives On Medicaid Expansion
Editorial boards and columnists offer their thoughts on various states’ efforts to advance or retreat regarding the health law’s Medicaid expansion.
Outlets report on health news from Illinois, California, Florida, Missouri, Massachusetts, Ohio and Georgia.
Nursing Homes Phase Out Alarms In Favor Of Proactive Care, Other Measures To Reduce Falls
The Associated Press reports on this national trend among nursing facilities. Meanwhile, in Ohio, evictions top the list of reported problems for such facilities.
Report: Number Of Psychiatric Beds In State Hospitals Has Drastically Declined
“The numbers are so bad that people almost don’t believe them,” said John Snook, the executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, which released the report. In other news, Massachusetts issues new “fresh air” rules and the New Hampshire health commissioner is promising the state psychiatric hospital will be adequtely staffed after physicians and nurses quit en masse over a contract dispute.
Connecticut Officials Say 15% Of Those Losing Medicaid Have Found New Coverage
State officials estimate that nearly 14,000 residents, mostly low-income parents, will lose their coverage under new Medicaid rules that take effect Aug. 1. News outlets also look at a budget gap for Ohio’s Medicaid program and a new addiction treatment benefit for New Hampshire residents covered by Medicaid.
A Doctor’s Quest To End Gun Violence: ‘In Medicine We See A Problem And Say Let’s Act’
Dr. Jay Kaplan wants to know what Congress is afraid of when it comes to funding research on gun violence. In other public health news, the spotlight continues to fall on lead in schools’ water, new inventions are targeting those that are moderately obese, and other stories.
Gene Mutation Offers Promise Of Addiction-Free Pain Management
Pharmaceutical companies are eyeing a gene that produces a pain-related protein as a way to turn pain on and off without using opioids. In other news in genetic research, women who have the BRCA1 gene have a higher risk of uterine cancer and critics say the study of epigenetics needs to be overhauled.
New Reports On Zika Provoke Heightened Interest In Sexual Transmission Risk
Although some have doubts about the data, experts say the reports showing women in Latin America are much more likely to be infected than men, although both are presumed to be equally exposed to mosquitoes, should prompt a new focus on how the virus is transmitted through sexual activity. Meanwhile, The Hill offers a look at how Planned Parenthood has become central to the Zika funding battle.
As Musicians Age, Medical Bills From Hard-And-Fast Lifestyle Can Be Daunting
Older musicians are struggling as royalty checks get smaller, and medical costs mount from a life on the road. Meanwhile, Louisiana’s newly expanded Medicaid program is helping musicians who have never had stable health care before.
A New Specialty For Doctors: Overnight Shifts
Hospitals, in an effort to boost patient safety, are beginning to employ “nocturnalists,” or doctors who are hired explicitly to work in the hospital overnight. Residents — doctors in training — and nurses often have managed patients during these off hours, with help from attending, or staff, physicians on-call at home.
Aetna Reportedly May Sell Medicare Advantage Assets To Ease Concerns About Humana Merger
The insurance company reportedly hopes the move will help ease antitrust concerns as it seeks an acquisition of another insurer, Humana. Also, federal Medicare officials announce a new rule that will allow some companies access to claims data.
UnitedHealthcare Claims Dialysis Chain Engaged In Fraudulent, Illegal Billing Scheme
The lawsuit, filed by UnitedHealthcare, alleges the for-profit dialysis chain American Renal Associates Holdings Inc. illegally pushed poor people in Florida and Ohio to leave inexpensive government programs and sign up for private plans sold by UnitedHealthcare so the dialysis chain could get higher reimbursements from the insurer.
