Latest KFF Health News Stories
GOP Leaders Advance Plan To Avert Government Shutdown
In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will advance a stop-gap spending bill that does not include controversial language to block federal funding for Planned Parenthood. A vote is also being planned in the House. But opposition from Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, could still be a factor in passing the legislation.
Boehner’s Decision: Betrayal Or Sacrifice? Opinions Show Speaker Is Still Embattled
Editorials and op-eds over the weekend analyzed Speaker John Boehner’s surprise resignation announcement.
First Edition: September 28, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Boehner To Leave Congress At The End Of October
News outlets report Friday morning that House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, plans to resign, amidst growing pressure from the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Politico notes that now, free from intra-caucus concerns, he will be free to push a clean stop-gap funding bill through the House to prevent a government shutdown.
Viewpoints: Pinning Blame For A Possible Shutdown; Medicare Should Help On Drug Prices
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Economics Of Chronic Care; State-Run Marketplaces
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Health care stories are reported from Connecticut, California, Florida, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Alabama, District of Columbia, Kansas, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan and Texas.
FDA Needs More Info To Gauge Safety Of Essure Sterilization Device
The agency also wrote in a letter Thursday that a health-care startup’s cancer detection kit, which would be sold directly to healthy individuals, is high-risk and could harm public health.
Premera Faces 38 Class-Action Lawsuits Over Cyberattack
A security breach of the insurance company’s computer system may have compromised the personal information of 11 million customers. Some of them are suing, citing attempts at identify theft. In other Health IT news, a Walgreens database outage delayed prescriptions at thousands of pharmacies.
Fiorina’s Position On Mandated Health Insurance Evolves Over Past Two Years
CNN questions the Republican candidate’s campaign on statements Carly Fiorina made in a 2013 interview, while NPR reports on her abortion stance. Meanwhile, KHN analyzes Hillary Clinton’s proposals to save consumers money on health care.
‘Doing The Right Thing’: The Complicated Business Of Prescription Drug Pricing
With pharmaceutical companies receiving a lot of attention over the skyrocketing costs of drugs, Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez talks to The Washington Post. And after Turing’s controversial price hike for an HIV drug made waves this week, NBC News reports on other similar cases in the industry.
APA Says Insurance Mergers Would Undermine Access To Mental Health Care
Other prominent doctors groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians, have expressed concern about the proposed mergers’ impact on patients.
Details Of Utah’s Much-Anticipated Medicaid Expansion Plan To Be Rolled Out Tuesday
The plan, which faces skepticism from many Republican state legislators and is the product of hours of negotiations, will be the topic of briefings given next week during closed-door meetings.
Healthcare.gov Account Information Stored On Vulnerable Database, Audit Finds
The flaws uncovered by auditors are now fixed but included critical issues of security policy, such as not encrypting user sessions. Millions of insurance customers’ data is stored on the $110-million system known as MIDAS. In other health law news, a new study shows that Americans’ top concern when shopping for health coverage is the monthly premium they will pay.
Senate GOP Fails To Pass Temporary Spending Bill That Defunded Planned Parenthood
With just days left before a possible federal government shutdown, Democrats blocked passage of a bill that would have funded the government through Dec. 11 but included a provision to strip federal funding from the women’s health organization. Meanwhile, Republican leaders in both the House and Senate are moving ahead in efforts to pass a clean, bipartisan budget measure.
Possible Government Shutdown Won’t Delay Oct. 1 Launch Of Revised Medical Coding System
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have contingency plans in place for managing the transition to ICD-10. In other medical practice news, physician groups oppose draft language aimed at curbing “surprise” billing. And telemedicine usage is on the rise.
First Edition: September 25, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Longer Looks: Veterans Helping Comrades Fight Suicide; Telling A Child About HIV
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Health care stories are reported from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, California, Missouri, Maryland, Florida, Alabama, Ohio, Texas, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Deep Cuts To Texas’ Children’s Therapy Services On Temporary Hold After Judge’s Decision
A planned $350 million in budget cuts to the state’s Medicaid therapy services were scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 1 and impact an estimated 60,000 kids with conditions like autism, cerebral palsy and spina bifida. In North Carolina, the Medicaid overhaul bill takes effect as Gov. Pat McCrory signs it into law.
