Latest KFF Health News Stories
HHS Touts Strong Enrollment Numbers In Coveted Young Adult Demographic
More than 8.2 million people have signed up or renewed health coverage on the federal marketplace for 2016. Of those, 2.1 million are under 35, close to double what it was at this point last year.
First Edition: December 23, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Cruz’s FDA Plan Falls Short; Fixing U.S. Opioid Abuse; Parents’ Fear Of Concussions
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in Florida, South Carolina, California, Virginia, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri and Connecticut.
An investigation explores how the state’s mental hospitals focus on preparing some alleged offenders with mental health issues for trial rather than treating the underlying mental illness. Meanwhile, advocates say mental health issues will be at a “critical juncture” in the 2016 Kansas legislative session as momentum builds behind movements away from institutionalization and toward community-based care.
Iowa Governor: Medicaid Recipients Can Be Reassigned To Remaining 3 Companies
The Iowa Department of Human Services will enroll the 140,000 that need coverage after the state terminated its contract with a private company. Meanwhile, the delay in the state’s efforts to privatize Medicaid may leave some children without access to care.
Home And Hospital Births Equally Safe In Low-Risk Pregnancies: Study
In other public health news, a growing number of jails are offering exiting inmates a drug that can help aid opioid addiction recovery. Also in the news are stories on a gum disease-breast cancer link, a high-tech thermometer monitored through an app and cardiac warning signs that patients ignore.
FDA Rolls Back Blood-Donor Ban For Gay And Bisexual Men, But There’s A Catch
Before they can donate, the men are required to have been celibate for a year.
Poll Finds That Public Support For Legal Abortion Hits Two-Year High
The Associated Press-GfK poll survey found that 58 percent of Americans think abortion should be legal in most or all cases. In Planned Parenthood news, Ohio lawmakers push new requirements for the disposal of fetal remains by abortion clinics and hospitals. Elsewhere, The Diane Rehm Show discusses the move toward pharmacists prescribing birth control. KHN’s Julie Rovner appeared on show Monday to discuss the issue.
New Medicare Dashboard Allows Users To Analyze Drug Prices
Through the tool, researchers and the public will have access to a trove of prescription drug data, including overall spending, recent cost trends and the number of Americans who rely on it. And The Wall Street Journal points out that the rollout for the dashboard including information on drugs with prices that have increased dramatically for Medicare.
Biotech Company Reports Promising Results In ‘Kick And Kill’ HIV Treatment
The firm says its method has reduced latent HIV in 17 patients by an average of 40 percent. In other news, public health officials want to know why a drug that has proven effective at preventing HIV is not being used.
Report: New Glaxo Asthma Drug Price Should Be 76% Lower
The assessment comes from a nonprofit group that analyzes drugs’ effectiveness. In other pharmaceutical news, the head of Novartis says companies should share the benefits of new drugs with the health care system; and Valeant is buying back its own drugs from Walgreens.
Super PAC To Highlight Rubio’s Efforts To Rout Health Law
Meanwhile, a new poll shows that health care comes second only to national security in terms of what voters care about for 2016. Americans highlighted their concerns with high drug costs, premiums and deductibles.
Demise of Colorado Co-Op Complicates Insurance Sign-Ups
Meanwhile, the Washington state marketplace is facing a barrage of callers and website users as its Wednesday enrollment deadline nears.
Stocks Jump On The News Of Higher Health Insurance Enrollment
After the government announced that 6 million people have signed up on the federal exchanges for coverage next year, shares of the three biggest publicly traded hospitals rose, staving off concerns that the benefits to the industry from the health law are plateauing.
First Edition: December 22, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Regulators To Investigate Blood-Testing Startup Theranos
The federal scrutiny comes after complaints of major accuracy and stability issues.
Viewpoints: Health Law Faltering Despite GOP; The Case For A Switch In Iowa Medicaid
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in Colorado, New York and New Hampshire.
FTC Signals Its Plan To Block Merger Of Two Illinois Hospitals
The New York Times reports that the Federal Trade Commission’s intent to block this deal between Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem is indicative of the regulators’ uneasiness with the health care sector’s current merger climate. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on hospital-pricing news from Texas and Florida.
