Latest KFF Health News Stories
Some Democratic Senators Not Swayed By Calls For Public Option From Obama And Clinton
Senators from some conservative states say they aren’t sure that the proposal to add a government-run insurance plan is a good way to strengthen the health law. In other news, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) says he expects all the remaining insurance co-ops to fail, and outlets in Iowa and Texas look at local coverage issues.
Well This Is Awkward: Pence Draws Kudos From White House Over Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s expected pick for vice presidential running mate, expanded Medicaid in Indiana under the health law, but also pushed the program in a more conservative direction. Still, it counts as a win for the Obama administration. Also in the news, outlets look at Pence’s stances on public health and abortion and the Republicans’ more expansive health care message for the 2016 elections.
$161 Billion Health Spending Bill Approved By House Panel
The package is nearly $3 billion below the levels requested by President Barack Obama.
Congress Leaves For 7-Week Recess With Zika Funding Unresolved
Legislation to fund the battle against the virus was just one of several bills lawmakers punt to the fall.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Obama’s Assessment Of The Health Law; GOP And Drug Prices; Better Medicare
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Skip The Pain, Take The Epidural; What’s For Breakfast? Might As Well Be Dessert
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Outlets report on health news from California, Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, Minnesota, Texas and Florida.
Report: Health Care Has Vastly Improved Across U.S., But Progress Remains Uneven
The Commonwealth Fund has released a new scorecard on health systems across the U.S. Nationally, health care systems in Hawaii, the upper Midwest, New England and the San Francisco area generally performed better than systems in the South and West.
Public health developments related to skin cancer, superbugs, a link between kids’ sleep patterns and obesity, America’s lower birth rates and the risks of medical tourism also make the news.
AIDS Activist Brings Initiatives On Condoms, Drug Prices To Calif. Ballot
Michael Weinstein, the president of the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, is pouring millions into the campaigns to require actors in adult films to use condoms and cap the price state health programs pay for prescription drugs. In other news, New York is trying to bring innovative ideas to the effort to bring HIV under control.
Gene Linked To Alzheimer’s Affects Brain Development In Children, Study Finds
The findings, published Wednesday by the journal Neurology, suggest that it may be useful to think of Alzheimer’s as a developmental disorder. In other news, drugmakers are teaming up to more quickly develop treatments for the disease.
Medicare Official Suggests New Doctor Payment Formula Could Be Delayed
CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt tells a Senate hearing that administration officials are concerned the needs of small physician practices may not have been addressed yet. In other Medicare news: a study on what age groups spend more on end-of-life care, Sen. Orrin Hatch wants changes to the Stark Law and a hospice agrees to a penalty.
Even As Public Fury Mounts And Scrutiny Intensifies, Drugmakers Are Still Boosting Prices
U.S. manufacturers’ prices of pharmaceuticals rose 9.8 percent from May 2015 through May 2016, the second-highest increase among the 20 largest products and services tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index. Meanwhile, Valeant’s former CEO sells $100 million in stock, a look at how Gilead avoided paying $10 billion in U.S. taxes and Mark Cuban talks sky high drug prices.
CDC Risk Analysis: Olympics Won’t Be To Blame For Spread Of Zika
The estimated 350,000 to 500,000 people headed to Brazil for the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent less than 0.25 percent of the total who traveled to Zika-affected countries in 2015. “The relative contribution of the Olympics is really quite small,” said Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s division of global migration and quarantine.
Montana Officials Say 47,400 Residents Sign Up For Medicaid Expansion
The report to the legislature also notes that the program has brought in $75 million in federal funding. In North Carolina, the Democratic candidate for governor says he will push for Medicaid expansion.
Ohio Hospital A Microcosm Of Health Law Implementation Successes And Struggles
University Hospitals in Cleveland have had to adjust to a new way of life under the Affordable Care Act. In other health law news, IRS issues new opt-out payment rules and a look at the difference in premiums from 2016 to 2017 in the marketplaces where information is available.
Most Recent Closing Of Insurance Co-Op Leaves Some Customers In Illinois Facing Higher Costs
Customers switching plans may not be able to keep the same doctors and will not be credited for money that they’ve already paid toward their deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.
House Passes Bill To Shield Insurers From Paying For Abortions In Largely Symbolic Vote
A California order requiring health insurance companies to pay for elective abortions was upheld by the Obama administration, so it is unlikely the House-passed “Conscience Protection Act” would become law during his presidency. In other news, a Democratic lawmaker proposes a bill that would protect information about workers’ birth control use.
Despite Discord Over Funding, Congress Sends Opioid Bill To President’s Desk
The legislation, which passed the Senate 92-2, focuses on treatment and recovery efforts but the authorized spending has not been appropriated. This is “the first time that we’ve treated addiction like the disease that it is,” says Sen. Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio.
