Latest KFF Health News Stories
Employer-Based Health Care System ‘Alive And Well’ Under The Affordable Care Act, Analysis Finds
Despite fears that the health law would cause employers to rush to drop benefits for their workers, offering insurance is still viewed as an important recruitment and retention tool.
Final Rule Provides Slight Increase In Medicare Advantage Payments
The payment amount decision, which came after heavy lobbying, was a bit lower than the administration initially suggested. On another part of the rule, however, the administration delayed efforts to cut payments to employer-sponsored Medicare Advantage plans.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: The Vaccine Debate Continues; Doctors Talk About Guns
A selection of opinions from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Connecticut, Washington, New Hampshire, Florida and California.
Feds Pushing States To Keep Seniors In Home, Community Long-Term Care Programs
The move is an effort to keep these seniors out of nursing homes as states grapple with rising demand for long-term care and the effect of that on state Medicaid spending. Also in the news, radiologists and minority health advocates in Connecticut are seeking to reverse cuts in Medicaid reimbursement rates there.
Hospitals Face Fallout When Staff Succumbs To ‘VIP Syndrome’
In one such case, reports reveal policy violations at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston during treatment of a high-paying patient. Meanwhile, outlets report on news from All Children’s Hospital in Florida, MetroHealth System in Ohio, as well as a merger in Georgia.
Traditional spraying — from trucks and planes — is mostly useless against this mosquito. Instead, beating it back will require a lot of mosquito workers dumping over a lot of water containers in a lot of backyards. However, the prospect of beefing up control is daunting to states and counties most likely to be affected because of their limited budgets and tight resources.
Consultants Help Steer Families Through Labyrinth Of Expensive Addiction Treatment
Finding the right treatment for an addicted loved one is tricky for families. That’s where a small group of advisers is stepping in. In other news, an effort to curb painkiller abuse turns into a cautionary tale after it sparked an HIV outbreak, and the roadblocks that could stymie President Barack Obama in his effort to tackle the opioid epidemic.
Tennessee’s Fetal Assault Law Sunsets
Physicians celebrate the end of a law that punished women who were addicted to drugs while pregnant and a 20-week abortion ban leads to a nightmarish scenario for two Texas parents,
Medicare Overpaying For Hospice Services, Report Finds
An investigation by the inspector general’s office says the extra cost runs $260 million a year. Meanwhile, a new Medicare program to cut durable medical goods expenses is causing some problems in Montana.
Arkansas Lawmakers To Consider Medicaid Proposals
Two measures are pending in the state’s general assembly. One has to do with Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s private option program, the other deals with setting up a managed care system for the programs for enrollees who are developmentally disabled or mentally ill.
Valeant’s $58M Accounting Error Prompts The Question: What Other Flaws Will Emerge?
The company made a mistake in booking sales to a specialty pharmacy. Improperly booking revenue, as Valeant did with Philidor, is a tactic called “stuffing the channel” that sophisticated investors stay alert for. Elsewhere, new clinical data give hope that Regeneron’s new drug could help reverse the company’s 2016 stock slump.
Cholesterol Drug Touted As ‘Great Hope’ Stuns Specialists With Lack Of Benefits
Although patients taking the drug saw their LDL cholesterol fall and their HDL levels rise as hoped, researchers find that it didn’t have an impact on whether they had heart attacks and strokes, or died from cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, one study confirms statin intolerance while another shows that statins have positive benefits in a globally diverse group of people. And getting a bypass gives patients a better chance at surviving than taking drugs alone.
New FDA Head Tops Ranking Of Influential Physician Executives And Leaders
Modern Healthcare has released its annual list of the most influential physician leaders in health care, and Dr. Robert Califf comes in at the top of the rankings because the decisions he makes will define how drugs, medical devices and more are regulated in this century.
Trump’s About-Face On Abortion: ‘The Laws Are Set’
The Republican front-runner’s positions on abortion have been in the spotlight since he said if it were banned, women seeking out the procedure should be punished. In a “Face the Nation” interview Sunday, he said, “The laws are set. And I think we have to leave it that way.” A spokeswoman later clarified that he meant abortion laws won’t change until he’s president.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Taking Stock Of Obamacare; The High Court’s Contraception Case Consideration Gets Messy
A selection of opinions from around the country.
Views, Opinions On Trump’s Abortion Policy
Editorial writers and columnists examine GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s recent statements about abortion.
Research Roundup: Opioid Abuse; Profiling The Uninsured; Surprise Medical Bills
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
