Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Viewpoints: Insurance Mergers May Help Consumers; Paying For Health
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Helping Alzheimer’s Patients; Getting Kids Dental Care; Birth Control Primer
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Health care stories are reported from Oklahoma, Florida, California and Illinois.
Florida To Give Medicaid Insurers 7.7% Rate Increase
Elsewhere, officials in Texas are reviewing proposed cuts to Medicaid, but are likely to keep them. The move would affect therapy for children. In other Medicaid news, Iowa and Minnesota consider bids to run parts of their Medicaid programs, and Illinois cuts heroin addiction treatment in Medicaid from a bill to address the problem.
After Katrina Destroyed Charity Hospital, New Orleans Opens Doors To Its Replacement
Many are thrilled with the new medical center, a decade in the making and costing in excess of $1 billion, while others fear that it does not share the mission of serving patients no matter the cost. Meanwhile, other hospital news includes changes to night-shift pharmacies in Charlotte, N.C., a funding grant for psychiatry training at Carolinas Medical Center and a $6.6 million cost-cutting bonus for the Delaware Valley ACO.
News outlets report on what candidates are saying on the issues, including those related to health care and public health.
Public Health Advocates Press White House To Help Expand Use Of Costly Hepatitis Drugs
Also in the news, NPR examines the role of the prescription drug Fentanyl in the current opioid epidemic and a new strategy for some patients to control their diabetes.
Protests Seek To Attract Attention To Medicare’s Prosthetics Policy Change
Amputee groups, practitioners who work with them and prosthetic limb makers are rallying against a Medicare proposal they say will limit access to some artificial limbs.
Budget Issues Top Congressional To-Do List When Lawmakers Return To Capitol Hill
Other hot topics include efforts to resuscitate a provision regarding care for medically complex kids that was dropped from the House-passed Cures bill. Patent issues are also emerging.
