Latest KFF Health News Stories
Court Says Challenge To Florida Hospital Plan Can Go Ahead
Elsewhere, a deal to sell a California hospital chain meets less resistance at a public hearing than it did before, and a group of Texas hospitals sues to stop a doctor-owned hospital from getting an exception from federal law to double its size.
Government Watchdog Blasts Phoenix VA Hospital Over Urology Care
The report says some sick veterans died waiting for care at the Veterans Affairs hospital and that 45 percent waiting for urology services received delayed or no care.
Kasich Proposes Plan To Balance Budget In 8 Years
The Republican presidential hopeful’s proposal is light on details, but would transfer responsibility for Medicaid to the states, even after he successfully pushed his state to accept the health law’s expansion of the program.
FDA Warns IBM-Acquired Merge Healthcare About Monitoring Device Dangers
In other marketplace news, a judge orders records to be turned over related to a lawsuit over artificial hips made by a unit of Johnson & Johnson. And Bristol-Myers Squibb and Five Prime Therapeutics team to develop medicines for cancer and immune-system disorders.
Blood-Testing Startup Theranos Halts Most Finger-Prick Collections After FDA Pressure
In most of its tests, the company has stopped collecting blood drawn from the finger in tiny vials, or “nanotainers,” that the Food and Drug Administration considers to be unapproved devices. Theranos says its services are “accurate and reliable.”
Federal Prosecutors Subpoena Valeant In Prescription Drug Pricing Probe
Shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International slumped on news the company received subpoenas from U.S. attorney offices in New York and Massachusetts. The move is another sign that scrutiny of the biotech sector’s prices is likely to grow, according to one analyst.
UnitedHealth To Expand Into 11 Additional States’ Insurance Marketplaces
The largest U.S. insurer was initially hesitant about joining the state-based health insurance exchanges. California will be among the new states where UnitedHealth offers plans. News outlets also cover the insurance company’s third-quarter earnings reports.
Nearly A Third Of Medicare Beneficiaries Face Steep Premium Increases
The announcement about premiums and the lack of a Social Security cost-of-living increase made official what many seniors and politicians had been warning: 30 percent of beneficiaries will see their health insurance premiums soar in 2016. The White House and Congress are contemplating fixes, but the effort is mired in the GOP leadership problems on the Hill and budget talks.
Cigna To Pull Florida Plans From Health Exchange — Just Two Weeks Before Open Enrollment
Cigna’s Florida exit will impact 2016 plans that would have been available through the federal exchange starting Nov. 1. Also in the news, Pennsylvania regulators say the cost of premiums for individual health plans will rise in the year ahead; while Connecticut reports that the state’s uninsured rate drops below figures from the U.S. Census.
Medicaid Spending Rises 14% As Health Law Expands Eligibility, Report Finds
Because the federal government covers the cost of expansion for the first several years, states that opted for the program are not yet feeling any pinch, according to the research from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Obama Administration Expects Small Health Law Enrollment Growth In Upcoming Open Season
Some news outlets called the forecast of a small increase in enrollment through the health law’s insurance exchanges “pessimistic.” Officials acknowledged that cost was a concern for some consumers searching for coverage.
First Edition: October 16, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Kasich’s Medicaid Success; Abortion Issues And The High Court
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Mental Illness in Africa; Living With Lupus; Agriculture’s Impact On Nutrition
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
News outlets report on health issues in Missouri, Virginia, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Hawaii and California.
Mo. House Committee Floats Plans For More Restrictions On Abortion Providers
Among the ideas being considered are random inspections of any facility, including hospitals, that performs abortions. News outlets also report on other develoments regarding abortion policies or Planned Parenthood in Utah, Texas and Wisconsin.
Urban Hospitals Engage Beyond Medicine In Effort To Address Community Problems
In Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University and the Hopkins hospital and health system have begun an initiative to alleviate some poverty and improve health. Meanwhile, in Florida, the University of Central Florida is joining forces with HCA to train doctors in the hope that they will stay in the state. Also in Florida, the future of a key hospital funding program is uncertain.
Advocates Pressing For States To Recognize Dental Therapists To Help Meet Consumer Needs
Millions of Americans do not seek dental care, often because they can’t afford it. A new mid-level professional that could handle some of the regular care with less expense, might help. In other consumer health news, some employers are offering cash bonuses to workers who find cheaper medical care, telemedicine is opening some doors and retirement health care can be expensive.
UnitedHealth Reports 3Q Revenues Up, Earnings Flat At $1.6B
The health insurer beat expectations due in part to growth in its pharmacy benefits management business, spurred by a recent purchase of Catamaran.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Under Federal Investigation For Drug Pricing Practices
In other news, Bloomberg examines an effort by top cancer hospitals to provide patients with information about the cost of the drugs used in their treatments. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal takes a look at Theranos, and The Washington Post reports that a watchdog group has thrown up a red flag regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s review of a blood-thinning drug.
