Latest KFF Health News Stories
Study Finds Prices Rise When Hospitals Acquire Doctors’ Practices
The research in JAMA Internal Medicine reports that patient prices go up an average of $75 when small doctor practices join hospitals.
Drugmakers Push Specialty Pharmacies To Encourage Prescriptions Of High-Priced Drugs
The specialty pharmacies affiliated with a drug company can relieve physicians of having to deal with insurance issues and therefore make them more willing to prescribe the drugs. In related news, pharmaceutical companies like AbbVie and Sanofi are paying large sums for Food and Drug Administration “priority review vouchers” to help speed new products to market.
Aetna, Humana Shareholders OK Proposed Merger
The deal, however, still faces hurdles, including scrutiny by federal antitrust authorities.
Money Short, Colorado Health Insurance Cooperative To Shut Down
The move to begin ceasing operations comes after an unsuccessful eleventh-hour appeal to get permission to sell 2016 insurance policies. The Colorado Division of Insurance says the insurer doesn’t meet the state’s capital reserve requirements.
Bugs In Healthcare.gov Upgrades Still Being Fixed; Some Features May Be Delayed
With open enrollment two weeks away, federal officials race to finalize improvements to the government’s health insurance website. Meanwhile, many employers are reporting that few of their low-income employees are taking advantage of offered health insurance, due primarily to cost.
Judge Turns Down Administration’s Request For Appeal On House GOP Lawsuit
Federal Judge Rosemary M. Collyer denies the request in a case hinging on whether the House is allowed to sue the administration. The House brought the lawsuit after the government set up health insurance subsidies that Republicans said were not authorized by Congress.
First Edition: October 20, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Fixing Medicare Premium Hikes; 2016 Politics And Drug Abuse
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Virginia, California, Vermont, Indiana, Missouri, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio.
Gov. Bobbly Jindal, who is also a GOP presidential hopeful, began the push to defund the reproductive health organization last summer after controversial videos were released regarding the group’s involvement in fetal tissue research. In other news, Michigan anti-abortion advocates are advancing measures in the state legislature that would target second-term abortions.
Feud Flares Up In Georgia Between Hospitals And Cancer Treatment Chain
In other hospital-related news, The Connecticut Mirror details the state’s hospital spending and tax issues, which are currently central to a budget debate in the legislature. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on Twitter’s role in tracking hospital satisfaction; a Maryland lawsuit by a union and local residents seeking to prevent a hospital closure; and a North Carolina Indian tribe is opening a new hospital.
N.C. Health Dept. Acknowledges Potential Medicaid Data Breach
In other state Medicaid news, Iowa officials struggle to document savings they claim will result from hiring private companies to managed the health insurance program for low-income people; and, in Texas, the state appeals a judge’s order regarding proposed cuts in payments for therapists.
VA Administrator Charged With Reducing Claims Backlog Resigns
Allison Hickey, Veterans Affairs under secretary for benefits, oversaw a decline in pending claims during her tenure in part by transitioning from paper to digital files. Recently, an internal agency watchdog found promotion and reimbursement irregularities in her department.
Dementia Care — Where And How — Often Dictated By Money
In other news, KHN reports that antibiotic overuse in nursing homes may be putting residents in danger. And ProPublica reports Medicare spent nearly $4.6 billion in the first half of 2015 on hepatitis C drugs.
Kite Pharma’s GPS-Like Treatment For Lymphatic Cancer Shows Promise In Trials
In other industry news, start-up insurer Oscar aims to build a consumer-friendly app that makes health care access easier. And hospitals around the U.S. consider jumping into the health insurance business.
FDA Scrutiny Raises Questions About Theranos’ ‘Breakthrough’ Blood Tests
In the wake of a Food and Drug Administration warning letter to the testing startup, news outlets report on Theranos’ hyped technology that the company says can screen for diseases with only a few drops of blood from a finger prick.
Clinton Calls For Cap On Medicare Cost Spikes
The Democratic presidential hopeful wants Congress to act to stave off Medicare premium and deductible increases for some beneficiaries after Social Security benefits stagnated. The increases for many would amount to an additional $54 per month in costs.
Congress Has Short Timeline To Stop Medicare Premium Increases
The Hill reports hopes are dimming for a that congressional deal to avert double-digit increases that will be felt by some Medicare beneficiaries next year. Meanwhile, Politico notes that budget talks appear to be hitting the skids.
Ky.’s Medicaid Expansion At Stake In Gov.’s Race, But La. Candidates Are Embracing The Option
Candidates to replace Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear are divided on whether to keep the popular Medicaid expansion that he implemented. In Louisana, where Gov. Bobby Jindal has been one of the country’s most steadfast critics of the federal health law and expansion, all four candidates for governor say they would support implementing it.
Managing Expectations Key To The Goal Administration Set For Health Enrollment
The New York Times examines how the Obama administration set its goal for 2016. Elsewhere, The Associated Press notes that the penalty for not having health coverage rises to $695 next year, a level that could motivate more people to sign up for insurance. Also, The Washington Post looks at a challenge by a group of nuns to the health law’s contraception coverage requirement.
