Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Once Seen As Enabling Drug Use, Bronx Needle Exchange Now Embraced As Public Health Strategy

Morning Briefing

As the opioid epidemic explodes across the country, officials are more and more turning to programs such as St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction, which distributes clean syringes, paraphernalia, condoms and naloxone. And those within the medical field are starting to imbue students and doctors with a better understanding of how to treat pain.

Medical Marijuana Activists See Big Pharma Threat Lurking Behind Epilepsy Drug

Morning Briefing

If Epidiolex is approved by the FDA, doctors would be able to prescribe the cannabis-based drug and insurance would cover it. But activists say that is when the pharmaceutical industry would take over, and patients would lose the ability to use marijuana to treat their symptoms as they see fit. In other news, Pennsylvania has legalized a medical marijuana program, becoming the 24th state to do so.

Immunotherapy Drug Doubles Long-Term Survival Rate For Melanoma Patients

Morning Briefing

Opdivo is a checkpoint inhibitor, which releases the break on the immune system allowing a patient’s body to fight the cancer. Research released on Sunday shows that patients who received the drug had a 34 percent survival rate 5 years out. A similar immunotherapy drug, Keytruda, was part of Jimmy Carter’s successful treatment for advanced melanoma.

Trying To Save Medicare: CMS Innovation Center Experiments With New Practices

Morning Briefing

The Associated Press examines the group of doctors, lawyers, health policy experts and career federal employees charged with coming up with ways to save money and improve care in Medicare. Meanwhile, news outlets report on other Medicare developments including bundled payments, hospice use and fraud.

Ark. Governor Hopes To Save Medicaid Expansion With Veto Strategy

Morning Briefing

As the state Senate balks at funding the expanded program, Gov. Asa Hutchinson is betting that he can use the line item veto to keep it running. Also, news outlets examine Medicaid expansion news in Ohio and New Hampshire.

Analysis: Health Law Has Halted Decades-Long Expansion Of The Gap Between Haves And Have-Nots

Morning Briefing

The New York Times offers analysis of coverage gains under the Affordable Care Act. In other news, UnitedHealth has announced it will be pulling out of the Michigan exchange, an announcement that comes on the heels of its decision to withdraw from Georgia and Arkansas.

Ohio, Mass. Officials To Offer Changes In Medicaid Programs

Morning Briefing

Ohio will soon release details of a plan to require some Medicaid enrollees to make payments toward the cost of their insurance, and Massachusetts is finishing up a draft of an overhaul that will change how doctors and hospitals are paid.

Doctors, Breaking With AMA, Form Group To Support Legalization Of Marijuana

Morning Briefing

Doctors for Cannabis Regulation says the prohibition and criminalization of marijuana use does more harm to the public than good. In other news, researchers wonder if parasites can actually help treat diseases.

Couple Sues Sperm Bank Saying It Misrepresented Donor Touted As Healthy PhD Student

Morning Briefing

The couple thought they were getting sperm from a musically gifted, well-educated donor, but later found out he was actually a man who suffered from schizophrenia and narcissistic personality disorder, had no university degrees and had been charged with residential burglary.

Nearly Half Of Patient-Doctor Interactions Missing From Electronic Records: Study

Morning Briefing

A new report tries to quantify the problem of inaccurate health records and finds that incompatible electronic record software can miss checkups, emergency room stays and hospital admissions. In other information technology news, a doctor creates an online tool to help patients with end-of-life wishes, while an artist uses murals to channel her anger with the digital health system.

Surgeons’ Group Says Doctors Should Inform Patients When They Double Book

Morning Briefing

In its first guidelines for managing simultaneous operations, the American College of Surgeons says “the patient needs to be informed” that the doctor will be in more than one operating room. News outlets also look at variety of other developments that affect patients.