Latest KFF Health News Stories
News outlets report on health care developments in California, Minnesota, Washington and Florida.
Key Scientist At Coke Retires After Memos Show Ties To Anti-Obesity Group
The revelations showed the soda giant helped fund research that critics say minimized the effect of sugary drinks on obesity.
ACLU, Abortion Providers File Lawsuit To Press MaineCare To Fund Abortions
The legal challenge argues that depriving low-income women of abortion coverage is against the state’s constitution. Meanwhile, in Missouri, a Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia has stopped performing abortions, leaving only one clinic in the state that continues to do the procedure.
CDC Updates Guidelines On Who Should Take HIV Prevention Drug Truvada
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pushing to increase awareness of the medication, also known as PrEP, since less than 1 percent of at-risk Americans are taking it. And USA Today reports that one-third of primary care doctors don’t know about the drug, according to a not-yet-published national survey.
Feds Propose Major Changes To Rules Protecting People Participating In Medical Tests
While many of the revisions are seen as long overdue, others are triggering debate among scientists who say the language is overly complex or vague. In other public health news, The Marshall Projects reports on the benefits of giving new hepatitis C treatments to inmates, and NPR separates flu-shot fact from fiction.
Drugmaker Will Cut List Price To Hospitals For Anti-Parasitic Drug But Not For Consumers
Turing Pharmaceuticals says hospitals can earn a discount of up to 50 percent depending on how much of the drug they use. But the price will still be well above what the drug sold for before Turing bought the rights to the drug in August.
Carson’s Early Universal Care Plan Failed To Take Flight; O’Malley Unveils Health Proposal
Before entering GOP politics, Dr. Ben Carson tried to develop a nonprofit that would provide financial assistance to patients without insurance, but it didn’t work. In other campaign news, Democratic presidential contender Martin O’Malley offers his plan for health care, and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio refines his comments about abortion.
GOP Readies For Hill Fight On Health Law And Planned Parenthood
The Associated Press examines the tactics and issues that will be involved in the Republican push to overturn the 2010 health law and federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Also, Politico Pro looks at competing congressional strategies on mental health overhauls.
In Some Cities And States, Medicaid Expansion Funds Provide Help To Homeless People
Meanwhile, in Alabama, a recent state task force recommendation gives the idea of Medicaid expansion additional momentum.
Study Finds Link Between Early Cervical Cancer Detection And Young Women’s Increased Health Coverage
Researchers find a substantial increase in the number of women under the age of 26 who get a diagnosis of early-stage cervical cancer since the implementation of the health law, which allowed young adults to stay on their parents’ plans until that age.
Early Effort By Rubio To Limit Federal Payments To Insurers Is At Heart Of Current Turmoil
Some of the co-op failures and the threat from UnitedHealthcare about a possible pull-out in 2017 are prompted by low levels of federal payments to help shield insurers from losses in the exchanges. Rubio helped lead an effort to stop those payments. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell says she is trying to get more information about costs to consumers.
Viewpoints: Pfizer’s Merger Won’t Help Health; Zuckerberg Sets Standard With Paternity Leave
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: N.Y. Seeks Payments From Disabled Who Were Abused; Cancer Surgeries In Calif.
News outlets report on health care developments in New York, California, Iowa, Georgia and New Jersey.
Specialty Medicines Injected By Doctors Straining Budgets Of Medicare And Patients
A study finds that these drugs that must be administered under doctor supervision cost Medicare $20.9 billion in 2013, while the out-of-pocket share for Medicare Part B beneficiaries ranged from $1,900 to $107,000. In other Medicare news, KHN reports on the end of a bonus program that will impact primary care doctors’ pay, and Reuters writes about adult children struggling to care for two parents at once.
Four In 10 Americans Have Known Someone Addicted To Painkillers
The poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation also shows that a quarter of the respondents had a close friend or family member people who is addicted.
Earlier Hep C Treatment With Pricey New Drugs May Be More Cost-Effective Than Waiting
A computer simulation finds that treating the disease when liver damage first begins can save money over the long run, especially if the cost of the new generation drugs is addressed. Some insurers won’t cover the treatment until a patient’s liver disease is advanced. In related news, NPR reports on the financial and public health calculations of the expensive hepatitis C prescriptions in prisons.
Pre-Diabetes A Likely Condition For Nearly Half Of All 45-Year-Olds, Study Says
A large Dutch study used population estimates to draw this conclusion. Pre-diabetes has no clear symptoms, according to reports, but people with blood tests indicating higher than normal blood sugar should be tested regularly for diabetes. In other public health news, the Food and Drug Administration is targeting inaccurate medical tests, and as the U.S. surgeon general works on a serious public health agenda that includes addressing substance abuse, gun violence and mental health issues, he is also emphasizing happiness as a way to prevent disease and be healthy.
Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Wis. Abortion Law That Mandates Doctor Credentials
The state law requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Nearly a dozen states have similar provisions, and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case on the issue this term. Meanwhile in Texas, women must navigate a growing number of obstacles to terminate a pregnancy, and Planned Parenthood sues the state over its threat to end Medicaid funding for the health organization.
Gallup Poll: More Than Half In U.S. Think Health Insurance Is A Gov’t Responsibility
Even with this finding, though, the health law continues to enjoy only mixed support. Meanwhile, Politico Pro examines what some mid-sized businesses, which must begin offering health coverage to their employees in January, think about the health law’s Medicaid expansion. Also, The Fiscal Times reports on a study that highlights the importance of shopping around during this open enrollment season.
Financing For Sanders’ Plan To Expand Medicare To All Is Not Yet Clear
USA Today examines the Democratic presidential candidate’s tax proposals. Also, the announcement of a blockbuster merger involving a U.S. and Irish firm drew comments from some candidates.
