Latest KFF Health News Stories
Experts Worry Eating Disorder Centers Are Sacrificing Treatment For Profit
In an ever-expanding industry, some worry that the residential programs are taking advantage of vulnerable patients.
Getting Drugs To Treat Addiction Harder Than Getting The Drugs To Feed It
A shortage of doctors able to prescribe anti-addiction medications means those who need help are struggling to get it. In other news, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill targeting the state’s opioid crisis into law.
Democrats Call Out GOP Action On Late-Term Abortions, Yet Inaction On High Court Vacancy
“While they say they won’t even hold a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities— they were eager to hold a hearing to attack women’s constitutional rights,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will say when she takes the battle to the Senate floor. Meanwhile, in Indiana, abortion rights advocates ask Gov. Mike Pence to veto a bill that would ban the procedure if the fetus has a genetic abnormality.
New Rules Aimed At Helping Consumers On Federal Exchanges
Among other things, the new regulations would give patients slightly more warning before they get hit with surprise medical bills. In other health law news, one-third of Floridians say their health care has become less affordable in the two years since the Affordable Care Act was implemented.
Report: 21 Million Would Lose Insurance Under Donald Trump’s Health Plan
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a Washington-based fiscal watchdog, said the Republican presidential candidate’s proposals would also drive up the deficit by as much as $500 billion over the next 10 years.
Marijuana-Based Drug Helps Reduce Seizures In Children, Study Finds
Justin Gover, chief executive of GW Pharmaceuticals, said the trial result “validates the proposition that cannabinoids can play a meaningful role in modern medicine.”
Specialty Medicines Contribute To 5 Percent Increase In Drug Spending For 2015, Report Finds
The rate is half of the 2014 spike, but Express Scripts, the company that issued the report, forecasts that the prices will only continue to climb for the next two years.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: A Medicaid Funding Tutorial; Michigan And Mental Health Services Privatization
A selection of opinions from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Michigan, Puerto Rico, Washington, Virginia, California, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina.
Indiana Abortion Ban Goes To Governor’s Desk
The legislation would ban abortion in cases where the fetus has a genetic abnormality and in cases based on gender, race or ancestry. Conservatives believe Gov. Mike Pence will sign it. Elsewhere, the Georgia House passes a measure to provide funding to “pregnancy resource centers” that discourage abortion.
FDA Tentatively Approves Field Trial Using Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes To Battle Zika
The agency will make its final decision after it has given the public time to comment on the experiment but says it has concluded that the mosquitoes would not cause harm to the people or environment. In other Zika outbreak news, the CDC releases new guidance about how elevation affects risk of contracting the disease, and health officials confirm 201 cases in Puerto Rico.
As Heroin Epidemic Swells, Some States Consider Safe Injection Sites
Proponents say the facilities save lives and make it easier for users to get treatment. In other news, a growing number of states are passing legislation to address opioid addiction, PBS NewsHour looks at the growing number of babies being born going through withdrawal, and a small town’s fight against the epidemic is representative of the crisis spreading across the country.
Legal, Ethical Concerns Arise Over Mandated On-The-Job Wearables
As they gain prominence, wearable devices — and the health data that comes with them — are provoking questions about how much information employers can collect and just what they can do with it. In other technology news, New York is going all digital when it comes to writing prescriptions.
Medical Costs Can Mount Quickly Through Surprise Bills, Long-Term Care
PBS NewsHour and The Fiscal Times report on the challenges consumers face through these types of health expenses.
Powerful Genetic Testing Provides Patients With Plenty Of Data, But Few Concrete Answers
Patients are left to decide what to do when doctors can’t reach a consensus on a course of action when genetic tests turn up a higher risk for diseases like breast cancer.
Hospitals Employ New Strategies In Attempt To Control Rising Drug Costs
In related news, 11 Democratic senators – including presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — are urging the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to examine the impact of the drug company practice of selling “one-size-fits-all” vials of drugs to treat cancer and other deadly diseases.
Bristol-Myers Outflanks Merck By Embracing Old, Mass-Marketing Approach On Cancer Drug
The two companies are offering a comparable drug, but doctors are flocking to Bristol’s to bypass the testing process required for Merck’s. In other pharmaceutical news, Valeant is trying to calm wary investors as its Tuesday earning report draws near, the stock market reflects the uncertainty surrounding the Pfizer-Allergan deal and Martin Shkreli’s old drug company gets an offer.
A spokesman for Bernie Sanders released a photo and video clip from 1993 showing the candidate standing directly behind Hillary Clinton at an event to promote health care reform.
By End Of 2015, Obamacare Enrollment Off Target By 3 Percent
Over the course of the year, the number of people signed up and paying premiums on exchange plans went down 25 percent, from 11.7 million to 8.8 million. In other health law news, a few of the troubled insurance cooperatives could turn profits in 2016. And Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois hopes for a financial turnaround after last year’s flop.
