Latest KFF Health News Stories
In Setback To State Efforts To Control Costs, Mass. Health Spending Soars
Massachusetts’ health spending was $632 million more last year than it was supposed to be and increased at a rate much higher than that of inflation, according to a new report. Much of the boost was attributed to Medicaid costs.
Personalized Medicine Not Yet A Help For Many Health Questions
Genetic testing can still only say so much about how you will react to certain drugs, one writer finds. Elsewhere, a digital stethoscope shows promise, and Pfizer’s bid to get a Medicaid overcharging complaint tossed out runs into a roadblock.
Your Heart May Be Aging Faster Than You Are, Report Suggests
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the heart of an average American man is 7.8 years “older” than his chronological age and 5.4 years higher for a woman. The report is part of an effort to get people to pay attention to heart issues.
Obama Administration’s Revamp Of Two-Midnight Rule Receives Mixed Feedback From Health Industry
In other developments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a pilot program will test value-based insurance under Medicare Advantage while the Chicago Tribune reports on the impact of the agency’s obscure “hold-harmless rule” on Medicare beneficiaries’ Social Security checks.
McConnell: Efforts To Defund Planned Parenthood Will Fall Short
The Senate majority leader noted that critics of the organization don’t have the votes for defunding and that the effort may have to wait for a supportive president. Meanwhile, a Congressional Research Service report concludes that a government shutdown would not impact federal support for Planned Parenthood, and advocates of a ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy focus on the votes of four senators.
As Enrollment Begins Slowly For Alaska Medicaid Expansion, White House Praises Governor’s Move
After some legal skirmishes with legislative critics, Alaska officials open up enrollment under Gov. Bill Walker’s plan to expand the program for low-income residents. At the same time, Michigan has submitted its proposal for a waiver to federal officials to continue its Medicaid expansion program.
Middle-Class Benefits Could Be At Risk As More Employers Hit ‘Cadillac Tax’ Thresholds
The tax on high-cost health insurance is set to begin in 2018 but is expected to hit more job-based plans over time. In other Obamacare news, the Connecticut Mirror evaluates the impact of the health law on state hospitals while Florida Healthy Kids warns of pending premium hikes for children.
First Edition: September 2, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Medicare’s Plan For Prosthetics; GOP Stumbles On Health; Prisoners Paying For Care
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Health care stories are reported from Florida, Connecticut, California, Ohio and Georgia.
Assisted Suicide Bill To Get New Hearings In California’s Special Legislative Session
In other state legislative news, Florida’s House forms a panel to advance health proposals. Meanwhile, medical marijuana proposals also are getting retooled and re-examined in these states.
Mass. General To Take On Children’s Hospital In Ad Campaign
News outlets from Florida, Pennsylvania and Kansas report on other hospital news.
17,000 Arkansans Lose Medicaid Despite Federal Change In Renewal Process
Meanwhile, allegations of Medicaid billing and bidding fraud are hot topics in Pennsylvania and Iowa. And news outlets in New Jersey and Florida offer additional coverage of Medicaid developments.
Legal Wrangling Heats Up Over Planned Parenthood Funding In Louisiana
Lawyers filed documents on behalf of the Louisiana health secretary in advance of a Wednesday court hearing in which Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is seeking to keep the Jindal administration from removing its clinics as Medicaid providers.
Meanwhile, as the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs grab attention from lawmakers and government officials, Politico reports that disease advocacy groups have been conspicuously quiet in the debate.
Alaska Supreme Court Greenlights Medicaid Expansion
The state’s high court did not grant a temporary restraining order to opponents of the expansion plan and allowed enrollment to begin today.
Public, Private Employers Develop Plans, Strategies For Looming Cadillac Tax
In other news, a government report finds that fewer Americans are going without health care because of cost concerns and the number of people in Colorado who have health insurance reaches a historic high.
Judge Allows Group To Claim Moral Objection To Health Law’s Mandate On Birth Control Coverage
A federal judge ruled that employers, such as the organization March for Life, can claim an exemption to this requirement based on moral or ethical grounds, as well as religious ones.
Dr. Lisa Tseng pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges in the deaths of three of her patients who overdosed on pain killers she prescribed. Prosecutors accuse her of recklessly doling out pills in three-minute appointments while the defense says the victims abused their prescriptions.
Investigations Of Medical Errors At VA Hospitals, Clinics Down 18 Percent, GAO Report Finds
Over the same four-year time period, errors rose 14 percent through the Department of Veterans Affairs system. Meanwhile, the ongoing troubles at the agency and attempts to reform its issues with providing health care to vets has stifled doctor recruitment.
