Latest KFF Health News Stories
More Proof Required To Sign Up During Special Enrollment Periods
The Obama administration is tightening the rules about customers entering the federal exchanges after the open enrollment period following an outcry from insurers.
First Edition: February 25, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Democrats’ Yearning For Single Payer; Managing Drug Costs; School Lunches
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio and New York.
State Legislators’ Efforts To Close Abortion Clinics Having Nationwide Impact
Bloomberg reports that since 2011 at least 162 abortion clinics have shuttered or stopped offering the procedure. News outlets also report on related developments in Oklahoma and Ohio.
Burned Out And Underpaid: Addiction Counselors Fleeing The Industry
The labor shortage is nothing new, but as demand across the country rises due to the opioid crisis and more patients getting health insurance, the industry is struggling. In other news, the Kansas Senate approves a bill creating a new type of addiction counselor, and Hawaii’s lawmakers want to make it easier to access drugs to fight overdoses.
Iowa’s Medicaid Privatization Plan Gets Feds’ OK — But Delayed Until April 1
Gov. Terry Branstad originally planned to shift to private management of the state-federal low-income health insurance program starting Jan. 1.
As Hospital Landscape Changes, Worries Over Patients’ Access To Care Reemerge
A Connecticut lawmaker says the time is ripe to look at regulations surrounding hospitals so that patients don’t suffer. Meanwhile, in Florida, Adventist Health System will pay $2 million to settle allegations it used leftover chemotherapy drugs, a judge rules on a certificate of need dispute between a nursing home and the state Agency for Health Care Administration, and legislators are looking to permanently alter a law that gave a special status to a group home with a history of abuse.
In Calif., Gov. Brown, Legislative Leaders Finalize Health Plan Tax Deal
The proposal’s backers say they have enough GOP support to gain approval in the Senate and Assembly. The vote is scheduled for Thursday. Meanwhile, state legislatures are active across the nation, with news outlets reporting developments in Utah, Idaho, Michigan, West Virginia, Kansas and Florida.
Clinton’s Public Option Talk Draws Dismay From Some Health Industry Groups
Modern Healthcare explores the issues involved. Meanwhile, Donald Trump claims another GOP victory.
Johnson & Johnson Ordered To Pay $72M In Case Linking Baby Powder To Ovarian Cancer
It’s the first time a jury has ordered the company to pay damages over claims that it knew decades ago that its talc-based products could cause cancer and failed to warn its customers.
‘It Feels Like A Sucker Punch’: Hospitals On The Hook When Patients Can’t Pay
When patients aren’t covered by insurance, or have high deductibles, hospitals are struggling to collect those bills, putting pressure on the entire industry. In other news, WellCare shares jumped after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced proposed Medicare payment changes, Genesis Healthcare’s chief executive says the company is in good shape despite some short-term turbulence, and Bayer names its new CEO.
Senators Focus On Opioid Addiction And Treatment Issues
Various proposals are being floated, including measures to address doctor shopping as well as protections for opioid-dependent parents who seek treatment, that could ultimately be folded into a comprehensive effort. Meanwhile, The Huffington Post reports on the White House’s interest in tackling the epidemic.
GOP Leaders Say No To Hearings, Vote On An Obama Pick For The Supreme Court
Senate Republicans say they are united behind this position. Meanwhile, in an interview with RealClearHealth, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle offers his thoughts on the polarized climate on Capitol Hill that gives rise to such lines in the sand and the current legal battle between Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Obama administration over the health law. In other news, The New York Times examines how the Texas abortion case, which is currently on the high court’s docket, could have implications across state lines.
In Utah, State Senate Panel OKs Democratic Medicaid Expansion Bill
Meanwhile, supporters of expansion plans in Maine have relaunched their efforts. And Wyoming lawmakers are debating a bill that would block the state from expanding Medicaid for two years while a study is conducted.
GAO: Healthcare.gov ‘Passive’ In Identifying Potential Fraud
Although the Government Accountability Office did not allege widespread cheating, investigators noted that the administration had struggled with questions of eligibility. Meanwhile, New York’s health exchange reports that the number of people who are uninsured in the state has dropped by 850,000 since 2013.
Two More U.S. Cases Of Zika Likely Transmitted Via Sex
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials are investigating another 14 similar cases. Meanwhile, two Texas hospitals have developed a rapid test for the virus.
First Edition: February 24, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Beating Sepsis; Gaps In Life Expectancy; Using Big Data
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in New York, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Puerto Rico and Minnesota.
