Latest KFF Health News Stories
Fish Oil Pills Remain Popular, Despite Little Proven Value
The Washington Post examines the $1.2 billion fish oil industry and the effectiveness of the pills. Also, The New York Times reports that those doctors’ notes recommending a change of duty for pregnant women can backfire.
Suicide Risks Higher For Newer Service Members, Study Finds
The research, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, also found suicide attempts are more likely among women and those without a high school diploma. Meanwhile, former Rep. Patrick Kennedy talks to KHN about steps needed to fix the country’s mental health system.
Despite Tumbling Contraction Rates, 3 Hot Spots For Colon Cancer Remain
High obesity rates, low education and a lack of access to medical care result in high colon cancer rates in the Mississippi delta, western Appalachia and the borderland between Virginia and North Carolina, a study by American Cancer Society finds.
Examining The Toll Of America’s Heroin Epidemic
USA Today looks at the growing number of babies born dependent on opiates and at advocates’ efforts to expand the use of medications that treat addiction. The Concord Monitor explores how recovery centers in Vermont fill gaps in the system.
White House Endorses ‘Cures’ Bill But Proposes Several Changes
The Obama administration gave general support Wednesday for a bipartisan medical “Cures” bill in Congress, but also called for some tweaks to help fund it, such as removal of the 2011 budget cuts known as the sequestration.
Drumbeat Grows For Medicaid Expansion After High Court Upholds Health Law Again
Health industry and consumer groups continue to push for Medicaid expansion in the 21 states that opted not to expand eligibility under the health law, reports Stateline. Meanwhile, Montana faces tough negotiation with federal officials over its expansion plan, and a small Ohio program might serve as a model for Georgia.
GOP’s Plan To Halt Health Law With Rare Budget Tool Has Stalled
Senate Republicans are downplaying any plans to use the tool, called reconciliation, to repeal large portions of the law with a simple majority vote.
Medicare Proposes Paying Doctors For End-Of-Life Discussions
Six years after a similar proposal nearly derailed passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration has revived a plan to reimburse physicians for talking with Medicare patients about how patients want to be cared for as they near death.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Preventing A Rise In Health Costs; Monitoring Artificial Hips; Veterans Care
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: Tenn. Cancer Group Probed; KanCare Not Working For Disabled, Advocates Say
News outlets report on health care developments from Tennessee, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
Calif. Supporters Withdraw Aid-In-Dying Bill After Momentum Stalls In Assembly
The proposal, which would allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for people with terminal illnesses, was shelved shortly before a legislative hearing.
FDA OKs Drug Said To Dramatically Cut Risks Of Death From Heart Failure
Entresto, made by Novartis, has been shown to reduce death and hospitalizations from heart failure in a large clinical trial. The drugmaker said the pills would cost about $4,500 a year.
Heroin Use Surges As More Young Women, Whites Become Addicted, CDC Says
The federal report finds that heroin deaths quadrupled over the last decade and are closely related to the nation’s prescription drug addiction epidemic.
Aetna’s Bid To Buy Humana Driven By Market Forces
The plan highlights the company’s efforts to exploit business opportunities related to the expansion of coverage under the Affordable Care Act and the rush of baby boomers to Medicare Advantage plans.
CVS Quits U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Over Smoking Issue
The drug store chain — the first to remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from its stores last year — said it was leaving over the lobbying group’s stance on smoking. The chamber has led a global campaign against anti-smoking laws, according to a report in The New York Times.
Consumer Group Asks Colo. To Cut Insurers’ Proposed Premiums
The group says insurers can’t justify premium increases of 20 to 30 percent. Also, North Carolina’s largest insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is eligible for $295 million in federal payouts related to the costs incurred by its sickest enrollees.
Montana Releases Key Plans For Medicaid Expansion
The expansion, approved by the legislature in a bitter fight this year, will now undergo public review and then will be submitted to federal officials. Several aspects could raise concerns with the Obama administration, however. Also, Utah officials say they are not going to meet their self-imposed, end-of-the-month deadline to have a plan for Medicaid expansion.
Health Law’s Contraceptive Coverage Requirements Show Significant Savings For Women
The average woman using the birth control pill saved $255 in the year after the requirement took effect, a new study found. A woman using an intrauterine device (IUD) saved $248.
Republican Lawmakers See Opening In Spending Bills To Thwart Obama
The efforts by Republican members of Congress seek to turn back a wide variety of administration initiatives, including implementation of the health law and other spending on health-related programs.
