Latest KFF Health News Stories
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Strikes Distribution Deal With Walgreens
The drug company, which has been in the hot seat recently because of its high drug prices and its troubled relationships with some mail-order pharmacies, hopes the Walgreens agreement will lead to new distribution pathways for its products and help regain some credibility among investors. However, Valeant issued a downbeat earning guidance for 2016.
FTC Counters Health Care Antitrust Accusations From Republicans
Deborah Feinstein, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, says federal rules can regulate competition in the insurance market, disputing claims from congressional Republicans that the health law has provoked consolidation.
Privately Run Homes For Disabled Amassing Grim Record Of Abuse, Investigation Finds
As an example, a ProPublica review of news accounts found that at least 145 kids died from avoidable causes in for-profit residential programs over the past three decades. In other public health news, news outlets report on the connection between walking and standing to blood sugar counts, reciprocal medical licensing across states and a lack of patient diversity in many clinical trials.
Michigan State Board Approves $1.2M More In Planned Parenthood Funding Despite Opposition
The state contract increases a federal grant to Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan to provide family planning and health screenings, but will not fund abortion services. Elsewhere, in Ohio, a federal judge’s temporary order will allow three Planned Parenthood clinics to stay open while the reproductive health organization sues the state over planned injunctions.
News outlets report on health care developments in Minnesota, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Georgia and Ohio.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Civil Rights Complaint Alleges Discrimination In California’s Medi-Cal Program
News outlets in North Carolina, Iowa and Oregon report on other state Medicaid developments.
Viewpoints: The Myth Of ‘Empowered Consumers’; Addicted Mothers And Babies
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in Michigan, Massachusetts, Vermont, California, Texas, Florida and Missouri.
Daughters Of Charity Finalizes Deal With East Coast Hedge Fund To Keep Calif. Hospital Chain Afloat
The $260 million investment will keep the health system up and running in the Bay Area for at least three years. Also, the American Civil Liberties Union raises concerns about Walgreens’ plan to have Providence Health run the drug chain’s in-store health clinics in Washington state and Oregon.
State-Level Abortion And Medicaid Restrictions Are ‘Frightening,’ Sebelius Says
Kathleen Sebelius, a former Health and Human Services secretary, blasts Missouri and Kansas lawmakers’ policies on Medicaid expansion and funding of Planned Parenthood. In related news, a federal judge temporarily blocks Ohio officials from taking action against Planned Parenthood.
Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealth will provide information to researchers on claims data for an estimated 88 million people and $682 billion in health care bills.
CDC Issues Guidelines Seeking To Cut Opioid Drug Use, Find Other Methods For Pain Relief
The draft recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that doctors try different strategies. At the same time, a new study also looks at prescribers’ role in the use of the opioid drugs, and Maryland relaxes its rules for getting a drug that can reverse the dangerous effects of opioids.
Despite Popularity, Evidence Still Slim About Mental Health Courts’ Effectiveness
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, chairman of House Democrats’ Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, held a hearing about gun violence and mental health care on the third anniversary of the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
Aging Patients’ Obesity Puts More Pressure On Nursing Homes
Also, The Associated Press reports that very old age is not a barrier to aggressive treatment for some illnesses.
Rubio Claiming A Victory Against Obamacare That Isn’t His Alone, Some Republicans Say
Though GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio, R- Fla., was instrumental in undoing a health law provision, other Republicans also helped deliver the defeat. The Associated Press investigates these claims. In other 2016 news, The Washington Post’s Fact Checker calls out Republican candidate Carly Fiorina’s statements about Americans’ views on abortion and Planned Parenthood.
Lawmakers Polish Off Budget Deal As They Near Finish Line
Although Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., expects a two-year postponement of the “Cadillac Tax,” he considers it a “glass half-empty” win because he wanted an end to the levy on high-cost health plans.
Wyoming Lawmakers Asked To Reconsider Governor’s Medicaid Expansion Plan
The state’s health director outlined to appropriators how the governor’s plan would help cover rising costs. Also, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard continues to pitch his plan to expand the health care program for low-income people.
As Enrollment Deadline Approaches, Last-Minute Surge Overwhelms Call Centers
The administration is bombarding potential enrollees with email reminders to get health care coverage as it pushes to hit a modest 10 million goal before Tuesday’s midnight deadline.
Viewpoints: Watch Out For Single Payer In Colo.; Drug Costs; Flu Shots For Hospital Workers
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
