Latest KFF Health News Stories
Expensive New Meds, Price Hikes On Old Ones Contribute To Steep Drug Spending Spike
Total spending in 2015 rose to nearly $425 billion, according to the report from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. It estimates that after rebates and other price breaks, manufacturers received $309.5 billion for U.S. prescription drugs last year, up 8.5 percent from 2014.
Federal Lead Water Rule, Widely Considered Flawed, Won’t Be Updated Until Next Year, EPA Says
Environmental Protection Agency officials promise the agency is actively working on revisions to the rule, which Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has called “dumb and dangerous,” but say they don’t want to rush because they “want to get them right.”
‘Pill For Every Pain’ Culture Played Key Role In Opioid Epidemic, Experts Say
As the crisis grips the country, some health officials think President Barack Obama’s call for $1.1 billion in funding to fight opioid addiction signals a shift in thinking about addiction from an individual problem to a chronic medical condition. News outlets offer coverage of the epidemic in Missouri, Massachusetts and California.
CDC: There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Zika Causes Birth Defects
“Never before in history has there been a situation where a bite from a mosquito can result in a devastating malformation,” says CDC head Dr. Tom Frieden, ending months of debate about the virus’s effects.
Maine House Approves Medicaid Expansion, But Governor’s Veto Likely
Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed similar legislation five times before. Also, in Arkansas, a bill to fund the state’s Medicaid expansion program passes its first legislative hurdle but still faces a tough sell in the Senate.
Study: Public Increasingly Appreciates Health Law, But Likability Remains Rooted In Politics
A new study in Health Affairs returned to participants of polls from 2010, 2012 and 2014 to assess changes in attitude.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Connecticut, North Carolina, California, Illinois, Oklahoma and Massachusetts.
Insurer Tells Texas Judge That Medicaid Cuts To Therapy Don’t Harm Children
The assertion is part of an eight-month fight over whether the state can cut payments for services to low-income children in the Medicaid program. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee.
Leery Flint Residents Urged To Turn On The Taps
People in Flint, Michigan, who have been plagued by water issues, are now causing a conundrum for experts who need them to go back to using water so it flushes the system of lead. Meanwhile, a task force created to investigate the crisis says it was a failure of leadership and a clear case of environmental injustice.
Concerns Raised About Chicago-Area Hospital Merger Plan In Court Proceeding
The Federal Trade Commission requested the hearing over the proposed merger of Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem. News outlets also report on regional hospitals in Florida, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Number Of Abortion-Trained Doctors Surges, But Distribution Remains A Problem
The doctors who are learning the procedure are staying near the cities where they trained, leaving rural areas with a dearth of providers who know how or are willing to perform abortions.
FDA Panel Shoots Down Early Approval Request For Experimental Lung-Cancer Treatment
The advisory panel is recommending that the Food and Drug Administration wait for data from a phase 3 clinical trial before deciding on Clovis’ rociletinib. In other agency news, an FDA official says long-awaited biotech medicine guidelines are still in the works.
Senators Seek To Delay Administration’s Release Of Overall Hospital Star Ratings
The lawmakers say they support the effort but think the ratings do not adequately assess hospitals that deal with large numbers of low-income patients or chronic, complex problems.
Trade Deal Jeopardizes Access To Affordable Medicine, Health Groups Tell Congress
The groups are urging lawmakers to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal because “it would lock in policies that keep prices of too many medicines unaffordably high.”
The filing deadline was Tuesday for the briefs in the case concerning the federal government’s mandatory contraception coverage requirements. The challengers proposed that insurance companies create stand-alone contraception plans. The Obama administration says such plans would “impose logistical obstacles on women seeking contraceptive coverage” and was “inconsistent with federal and state insurance law.”
Hospitals’ Pain Assessment Guidelines Leading To Dangerous Overprescribing Practices, Groups Say
More than 60 nonprofit groups and medical experts have sent a letter to the agency that accredits U.S. hospitals, asking it to revise its standards for pain management. They say that doctors routinely ask patients to assess their pain, which is leading to too many prescriptions for opioids.
Bill To Incentivize Zika Drug Development Heads To President’s Desk
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation, which allows the Food and Drug Administration to include Zika drug developers in the agency’s priority review voucher program. However, the measure comes with no extra funding to battle the virus.
With $250M Immunotherapy Donation, Parker Aims To Crash Through Bureaucratic Research Roadblocks
Sean Parker, the co-founder of Napster, is creating the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, which will focus on collaboration between scientists in their efforts to unlock the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.
