Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Conn. Governor, Health Officials Sued Over Ebola Quarantine
The plaintiffs say the decision was unconstitutional and was rooted in political, not scientific, grounds.
Researchers: ‘There’s No Silver Bullet’ To Eliminating Mosquitoes, But Progress Can Be Made
As the Zika virus spreads, scientists are looking for ways to wipe out the species that carry life-threatening diseases, but the solution isn’t a simple one. In other news, experts find it hard to offer advice to pregnant women as they themselves receive ever-changing information about the virus; 12 groups are racing to find a vaccine; and workers have few legal avenues to pursue if they want to avoid being sent to Zika-afflicted areas for their jobs.
Caregivers Struggle To Honor Requests Not To Be ‘Sent Away’ To Nursing Homes
As the population ages, more families face difficult choices when a loved one asks them to “promise you won’t put me away.” Experts says that more must be demanded of the nation’s long-term care facilities.
Senators Aim To Defy Odds With Bipartisan Medicare Reform Efforts
Lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee are setting their sights on making changes to Medicare — even if it means expanding aspects of the Affordable Care Act during an election year. In other news from Capitol Hill, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has concerns about possible ties that experts on an advisory panel have to the pharmaceutical industry, and the Senate HELP Committee will mark up medical innovation bills.
Wyo. Governor Presses For Medicaid Expansion In Address To Legislature
Gov. Matt Mead tells lawmakers that the program would help uninsured residents and the state’s hospitals. Also in the news, bills are introduced in the Kansas legislature that promote an expansion plan authored by the state’s hospital association.
Eight States Show Significant Drops In Uninsured: Gov’t Report
The Associated Press reports that the eight states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and New York — with statistically significant coverage gains in the National Health Interview Survey represent a political grab bag. Meanwhile, news outlets in Georgia, Connecticut and Montana detail state-based coverage numbers.
As CDC Put On Highest Level Of Alert Over Zika, Obama Asks For $1.8 Billion In Emergency Funding
The president says there’s no need to panic, and experts do not expect a large U.S. outbreak. They say, however, that the extra funding will help them prepare as spring and summer approach.
