Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: Reactions To The 2017 Obama Budget Proposal; The Sanders’ Take On Government Programs
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois.
Flint Investigator: Involuntary Manslaughter Charges Could Be On The Table
The Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that occurred after Flint, Michigan changed its water source resulted in nine deaths in 2014 and 2015. Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to request $195 million to help bring residents safe drinking water.
Federal Officials Approve Alabama’s Plan To Revamp Medicaid Program
The state is seeking to set up regional managed care systems to handle the health care program for low-income residents. New outlets also report on Medicaid news in Minnesota, Washington and North Carolina.
Johns Hopkins Is First Hospital Approved For HIV-Positive To HIV-Positive Organ Transplants
It’s estimated that such procedures could benefit 600 recipients and shorten the transplant lists for both HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. In other public health news, some pharmacists are becoming de facto drugs cops in the face of the opioid epidemic.
Texas Abortion Clinics Launch State-Wide Campaign To Stay Open
Meanwhile, more than 3,000 crisis pregnancy centers around the country are operated by religious opponents of abortion and are waging a legal fight to continue their mission to persuade women to choose parenting or adoption.
Study Finds VA Hospitals Providing ‘High-Quality Care’
Researchers looked at death and readmission rates and found the ones at Veteran’s Affairs hospitals were similar to those of other facilities. In other news, the House passes legislation aimed at improving mental health and suicide prevention services for female veterans and a bill to increase oversight over VA construction projects following a funding debacle at a Colorado hospital.
New Digital Ventures Let Consumers Comparison Shop To Find Lowest Drug Prices
GoodRx and Blink Health want to utilize technology to let patients find the cheapest generic options available. In other health IT news, The Washington Post examines how the problems at Zenefits reflect the larger disconnect when Silicon Valley startups try to revolutionize the health care industry, and a former Google executive is tapped to lead a cancer diagnostics firm.
Medicare Is Considering New Method To Pay For Drugs Administered By Doctors
Federal officials may set up a pilot program that would test how limiting reimbursement affects doctors’ choice of drugs. Also in Medicare news, a federal court revives a hospital industry’s lawsuit over the long wait for appeals on payment disputes, and the government details how changes in Medicare prescription drug policy has saved money for seniors.
FDA Panel Recommendation On Arthritis Drug Knockoff Could Clear Way For More Biosimilars
The non-binding approval of the lower-cost version of Johnson & Johnson’s drug Remicade could signal the Food and Drug Administration will use looser criteria for marketing approval than some people expected, analysts say. In other FDA news, the agency cracks down on a Florida stem cell clinic.
Cigna, Novartis Reach Pay-For-Performance Deal For Heart Drug
The agreement between the U.S. insurer and Swiss drug maker is one of the few such performance-based arrangements that have been made public. Also in the news, Sanofi’s call on a new inhalable insulin approach misses the mark and Regeneron’s results continue to create expectations.
Centene Profits Continue To Grow; Blue Shield Of California Is Top Pick On State Exchange
Also, CBS News details how health savings accounts work.
Acquisitions, Prescription Drug Sales Help Boost CVS Profit
The drugstore operator and pharmacy benefits manager’s postings were in line with analysts’ predictions for the fourth quarter.
Nebraska Medicaid Chief To Testify Against Bill To Expand The Program
The official says he believes the cost of expanding Medicaid under the federal health law would make the program “ultimately not sustainable.” Also, a key lawmaker who opposes expansion in Kansas stages a vote to show that the proposal does not have support in the legislature.
Trump, Sanders Win New Hampshire
With the results, voters sent a clear anti-establishment message Tuesday night.
Obama Leans On Health Care Savings, Targets Opioid Abuse And Cancer In $4.15 Trillion Budget
The Department of Health and Human Services’s funding would bump up to $1.1 trillion and the National Institutes of Health would get $33.1 billion. The president also proposes deep health program cuts to save $375 billion over the next 10 years.
First Edition: February 10, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Thinking About The Budget; Is Obamacare A Stepping Stone For Single Payer?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: Calif. Health Plan Tax; Newborn Deaths At Philadelphia Hospital
News outlets report on health issues in California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Tennessee, New York, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Missouri and Virginia.
Lawsuits Will Test Whether State Medicaid Plans Must Provide Expensive Hepatitis C Drugs
A handful of lawsuits are seeking to turn around state policies that limit coverage of the drugs for Medicaid enrollees and prisoners. Also, media outlets look at Medicaid news in Alabama, Iowa and Montana.
