Latest KFF Health News Stories
Study Links Poverty, Chronic Health Problems In Children
Access to health care and health literacy may play a part in the increased risk, says the study’s lead researcher Dr. Christian Pulcini. In other public health news, the FDA is focusing on young adults in the LGBT community with its latest anti-smoking campaign; after years of pain and distress one woman finds her cure for debilitating migraines; and a study touts the impact of states’ social services and public health programs.
In A City Where Health Takes A Back Seat To Getting By, One Man Wants To Turn It Around
When Dr. Abdul El-Sayed went after the job of Detroit’s health commissioner he was facing almost insurmountable odds: the department had been all but dismantled, the city was ravaged by poverty and neglect and its health problems ran deep and severe. But El-Sayed knew he wanted to try to help make a difference in his home town.
Foreign Investors See Opioid Epidemic As Pathway To Green Card
The EB-5 program allows foreigners who invest at least $500,000 in a development that creates jobs to qualify for U.S. visas, and those investors are turning keen eyes toward substance abuse and mental health facilities — a marketplace that is booming because of the crisis sweeping the country.
Jury Awards $55M In Talcum Powder Suit, While More Than 1,000 Other Cases Wait In The Wings
Women contend the company knew the risk of its product being linked to ovarian cancer.
Shkreli’s Ex-Company Sued Over Drug It Marked Up 5,000 Percent
Impax Pharmaceuticals says Turing Pharmaceuticals breached its sales contract by failing to reimburse $20 million in Medicaid rebates and provide pricing data for the drug, Daraprim.
Gilead Allowed To Submit New Evidence In Patent Case After Claiming Merck’s Lawyer Lied
The company alleges the lawyer misused what he learned on a conference call to change pending applications. In other pharmaceutical news, three newcomers have been tapped to join the Valeant board, and a study finds that drug shortages continue to plague emergency departments.
231 Hospitals With Subpar Quality Awarded Bonuses From Medicare
The hospitals were rewarded because caring for their patients during their stays and in the 30 days following their discharge cost Medicare less than what it cost at half of hospitals evaluated in the program. In other news, a jury convicts the owner of a health care company for her role in a Medicare fraud scheme.
In Scathing Report, DOJ Says South Dakota’s Long-Term Care System Fails Thousands With Disabilities
In the latest investigation into states’ care of those with disabilities and mental illnesses, the Department of Justice has signaled it may sue South Dakota. The state, it says, has forced people unnecessarily into nursing homes in violation of federal law.
Covered California’s Unique Negotiating Power Helps Slow Premium Increases
Other states and the federal marketplace accept any plan that seeks to participate, but California’s exchange negotiates prices with insurers to help consumers get better prices. Meanwhile, pregnant women with Covered California plans are being transferred from the exchange into Medi-Cal without any consent or notice.
Governor Unveils ‘Healthy Louisiana’ Name For Medicaid Expansion
Meanwhile, Gov. John Bel Edwards faces key challenges as his administration rolls out the program to expand Medicaid coverage to more low-income residents while also battling to fix the state’s budget shortfall.
Tenet Predicts Other Insurers Will Absorb UnitedHealth’s Share Of Exchange Market
The hospital operator downplayed the effect UnitedHealth’s departure from many Affordable Care Act marketplaces will have, saying insurers are expected to make adjustments.
Nonprofit Hospitals Dominate Top 10 Most Profitable Ranking
Market muscle — whether gained from size, prestige or a lack of competition — plays a key part in hospitals’ power to negotiate with insurers, the study finds.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: What Cops Know About Mental Health Situations; Home Birth In America
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in New Hampshire, Maryland, Kansas, Ohio, Texas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington.
In S.D., 2 Reservation Hospitals Agree To Undertake Significant Quality Measures
By taking these steps, the government-run hospitals on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations will keep receiving federal funding. News outlets report on other hospital-related developments in Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida and Hawaii.
Flint’s Water Crisis Takes Mental Toll On Residents
With people experiencing high anxiety and distress, health workers are scrambling to provide “psychological first aid.” In other lead contamination news, parents and health providers in Washington state are being warned that water is not the only risk for exposure.
As Patients Make Transition From Hospital To Home, Simple Mistakes Can Turn Fatal
It’s one of the most dangerous junctures in medical care, and, despite multiple safeguards in place, the issue continues to endanger patient safety leading to deaths that could have and should have been prevented. In other public health news, a study finds that tighter alcohol restrictions lead to fewer deaths, and an expansive heart disease study turns 30.
Facing Down An Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: ‘The Beginning Is Like Purgatory’
Geri Taylor could not ignore the problem any longer when she looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize her own face. That day she started — with her husband — down the path of navigating Alzheimer’s.
Term ‘Opioid Epidemic’ May Hinder Efforts As Two Distinct Drug Addictions Plague U.S.
Americans are dying in startlingly high numbers from overdoses, but heroin victims and prescription opioid victims are very different. And attempts to find a one-size-fits all to the problem may exacerbate each. Meanwhile, Massachusetts has been particularly hard hit by both epidemics.
