Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Law Plans Draw 1 Million New Sign-Ups This Enrollment Season
Obama administration officials were upbeat in reporting the enrollment figures, saying the numbers are reason for confidence in Obamacare’s long-term stability. They also downplayed concerns about rising costs of premiums and deductibles.
Viewpoints: Democrats Undermine ‘Cadillac Tax’; Clinton’s Conservative Bent; End-Of-Life Needs
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska and Florida.
Pa. Joins FTC Effort To Block Merger Between Penn State Hershey Hospital And PinnacleHealth
In other hospital news, Carolinas HealthCare System unveiled plans to spend $3 billion on capital projects.
Iowa Unsure How Many Providers Have Joined Up With Private Medicaid Companies
Four for-profit firms will take over the state’s Medicaid program on Jan. 1. Also, employees of the University of Iowa hospital system say it has yet to sign contracts with any of the managed care companies, despite the system announcing earlier that it had.
VA Employee Accountability Will Be Under Scrutiny At House Hearing
Leaders of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs want to know why more disciplinary action and firings have not taken place for worker misconduct. In other military health news, special drug courts are increasingly being used to help vets get treatment rather than imprison them.
The Division of Select Agents and Toxins, which regulates hundreds of U.S. labs working with the organisms like anthrax, plague and Ebola, will now be run by Daniel Sosin. A recent internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention review found that for years labs were allowed to continue experiments despite failing multiple safety inspections.
Tallying Law Enforcement-Related Deaths Critical To Community Well-Being, Researchers Find
Meanwhile, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have their hands tied by congressional restrictions on research into gun violence. The lack of information is glaring in the wake of mass shootings and police shootings that are prompting policymakers to search for ways to take action.
Physician Burnout: It’s Getting Worse
Students in the medical field are also feeling the stress. In a new study, participants portrayed their supervisors as monsters, and themselves as sleep-deprived zombies. And the researchers note that it’s not just students who are affected: quality of care suffers when residents are depressed.
The Wall Street Journal provides a rare look at a drug company’s process as three years of market research led Pfizer to settling on Ibrance’s $9,850-a-month price. In other pharmaceutical pricing news, a Senate panel opens hearings on the costs of generics and a GlaxoSmithKline executive talks about the difference in the debate tenor between now and the 1990s.
With Friday Deadline Fast Approaching, Budget Deal Still Elusive
It’s likely that Capitol Hill lawmakers will vote Friday on a short-term budget measure to keep the government open and give House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., more time to negotiate.
Kansas’ Medicaid Expansion Plan Could Be Budget Neutral, Study Finds
News outlets also report on developments related to the low-income health insurance program in South Dakota and Arkansas.
U.S. Government Recovers Millions In Funds From States Where Exchanges Faltered
The Wall Street Journal reports that more than $200 million has been recouped, and officials hope to collect more of the original grant funding. Meanwhile, an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that consumers who don’t buy health insurance in 2016 will face bigger tax penalties. Also, the Congressional Budget Office predicts the health law will likely have an impact on the American workforce.
Viewpoints: GOP Putting Repeal Plan In Place For 2017; Gun Violence And Public Health
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in Connecticut, Washington, Idaho, California, Texas, Minnesota and Puerto Rico.
Minnesota Home Health Providers Can Unionize, 8th Circuit Court Rules
Elsewhere, a federal appeals panel rejects a lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania hospital against Medicare’s payment structure for skilled nurses. And the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case on whether providers who bill Medicaid imply they are following program requirements such as licensing and supervising staff.
Report: Three Years After Sandy Hook, A Number Of States Cut Mental Health Funds
The report, issued by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, found that 23 states have increased money for mental health services in 2015 while the others decreased or kept funding level. Connecticut, the site of the school shooting, is among the states that have increased resources.
Linde To Purchase American HomePatient Inc.
American HomePatient, a company that specializes in respiratory health care and had sales of $280 million last year, has faced financial pressure because of government budget cuts. Also in the news, SAP showcases its software for doctor data sharing.
State Policies Sometimes Dissuade Doctors From Reporting Drug-Endangered Babies
Reuters reports that some state laws, which were designed to protect drug-dependent babies, put the mother in legal trouble, leading some doctors to avoid certain referrals. In a separate story, Reuters reports on patterns in which these at-risk babies, once released from the hospital, have a greater risk of mortality.
HHS Official: Only Three Cents Of Each Health Care Dollar Goes To Public Health Activities
Even so, physician Karen DeSalvo, acting assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services, said this investment plays a big role in keeping Americans healthy. Meanwhile, news outlets report on a range of public health issues, including the Alzheimer’s risk of some prostate-cancer drugs, the rising incidence of the “phantom menace” superbug and HIV infection rates.
