Latest KFF Health News Stories
Planned Parenthood Funding On Lawmakers’ Post-Break Agenda Amidst Heavy Lobbying
As the women’s health organization has been holding rallies, commissioning polls and running ads, Republican congressional leaders debate the legislative options for holding a vote to try to defund Planned Parenthood.
Flexible Spending Accounts Might Vanish When ‘Cadillac Tax’ Kicks In
The tax on high-cost health insurance plans, set to begin in 2018, is also of concern for the writers union, which is seeking an exemption. In other health law news, Connecticut pushes back on insurers’ premium hike requests while recent changes to the health coverage provided to U.S. Olympians bring it in line with federal requirements.
Judge Says Alaska Gov. Can Go Forward With Enrollment Plan For Medicaid Expansion
The decision was a rebuke to Republican state legislators, who had asked for a temporary injunction to stop enrollment while the court heard their lawsuit against Gov. Bill Walker’s decision to expand the health program for low-income residents. The legislators quickly appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court.
First Edition: August 31, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Improving Drug Prices; Bundling Payments For Hip And Knee Replacements
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Palliative Care; Increasing Cost Of Insulin; Health Coverage For Prisoners
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Health care stories are reported from Texas, California, Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland and North Carolina.
Abortion Foes Pursue Public Records On Clinic Data, Comb Through Trash
Activists in Washington state are asking for data from abortion clinics on womens’ ages, races, length of pregnancy and how past pregnancies ended, as well as where the women lived. And they literally go through the clinic trash sometimes to find such patient information.
Minnesota Works To Clear Medicaid Backlogs
News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in Florida and Iowa.
John Kasich Aims To Break Out From GOP Field With ‘Compassionate’ But Not Moderate Message
On the Democratic side of the presidential race, Hillary Clinton calls out the Republican candidates for what she alleges are their “extreme views” about women.
HHS Proposes Narrowing Drug Discount Program
The program, known as the 340B program, would tighten control on the deep discounts that some patients, drugs and providers get.
More Parents Allowing Children To Be Vaccinated Since Measles Outbreak, Survey Finds
The trend is viewed as good news by health care professionals. In related news, the latest data shows that California lags behind other states in vaccination rates.
FDA Objects To Tobacco Makers Marketing Cigarettes As ‘Natural’
The use of terms like “additive-free,” “natural” or “organic” on labels violates federal law, the Food and Drug Administration warned the owners of Winston, Natural American Spirit and Nat Sherman brands in a letter.
Miami Doctor Sentenced For Defrauding Medicare $25M For Services Performed In Nicaragua
In another fraud scheme, four people in New York plead guilty for filing $4 million in false Medicare claims.
Planned Parenthood Analysis Alleges Manipulation, Editing Of Covert Videos
Planned Parenthood sent to members of Congress a detailed letter and an accompanying report defending its practices and alleging that a string of eight undercover videos was heavily altered.
Alaska Judge To Rule Today On Suit Against Governor’s Medicaid Expansion Plan
The judge said the ruling will be on the Republican legislators’ request to temporarily bar the Medicaid expansion while legal questions are fully argued. Also in the news, a look at how flexible spending accounts may be affected by the “Cadillac tax” and an analysis of the fiscal problems of the insurance co-ops set up in the health law.
Officials In Alaska, Iowa, Massachusetts. And Washington Approve Increases In Health Premiums
The increases range from 40 percent for two companies in Alaska to about 4 percent for the average rise in Washington state.
Second In New Class Of Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Approved By FDA
Amgen’s Repatha, the second in a class of new, expensive biotech drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration over the last month, targets artery-clogging cholesterol that cannot be treated as effectively by traditional statin medications.
Private Foundation Support Keeps Colo. Birth Control Program Alive
The program, which provides long-acting reversible contraceptives to low-income and uninsured teenagers and women, received $2 million in support from private foundations, which is enough to keep it operating for at least one year. In other news, an Alaska state court judge ruled that a state law defining what qualifies — for the purposes of Medicaid funding — as a medically necessary abortion is unconstitutional.
First Edition: August 28, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
