Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Nerves Getting Rattled On Health Subsidies; Battle On Abortion; Seniors In Poverty
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Obama And Smoking; ‘Poster Child’ For Chemical Regs; Abortion Training
Each week, KHN’s Alana Pockros finds interesting reads from around the Web.
State Highlights: Dental Care Issues In Md., Mo.; Nurse Staffing Requirements Advance In Mass., D.C.
News outlets report on health issues from Maryland, Missouri, Massachusetts, D.C., Kansas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Arizona Cancels Planned 5 Percent Cut In Medicaid Payments
The state’s Medicaid program announced that doctors, hospitals and other health care providers would be given a reprieve from the scheduled cut. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, people got a first look at a long-awaited Medicaid reform plan.
Legal Experts Expect Texas Abortion Ruling Will Push High Court To Provide Clarity
In other news, a fight is beginning to brew in the Indiana legislature over a clinic law set to take effect in July.
The Doctor Will See You … On Your Smartphone
Walgreens plans to offer a smartphone app that will link doctors and patients in 25 states, while insurers UnitedHealth Group and Anthem will make their telemedicine services available to about 40 million additional people by next year. Meanwhile, an FDA panel backs a second cholesterol drug for patients with dangerously high levels of the artery-clogging substance.
Tranquilizers Among Most Commonly Prescribed Drugs For Seniors
ProPublica reports that Medicare spent $377 million for anti-anxiety medications in 2013, the first year after Congress had lifted a ban on such drugs. Meanwhile, Stanford researchers use electronic health records to discover that people who take commonly used heartburn medications are at greater risk of heart attacks.
Obama’s Supreme Court Comments Stand Out Among Presidents
A soon-to-be-released study says President Barack Obama’s comments on Supreme Court cases differ from past presidents’ because of their intensity. His legacy, however, hangs in the balance as the High Court considers his signature health care law.
Judge Denies Florida’s Request For Mediation In Dispute With Federal Officials On Hospital Funds
Gov. Rick Scott has argued that the Obama administration is pressuring the state to expand Medicaid by reducing funds for hospitals that treat large numbers of uninsured patients.
Advocates Say Some Insurers Pushing To Exclude Sick Customers
Costs are so high for some with preexisting conditions that the plans have little value, some say. In Oregon, a top public health official had been previously fired from a similar post in Ohio for disparaging that agency.
Even With Insurance, Millions Who Still Can’t Afford Care Skip It
With high deductibles and copays, many people with coverage under the health law are still struggling with their part of the bill, and many turn to community resources to fill the gap. The Fiscal Times reports on community health centers that have seen an uptick in patients while KHN tells the story of a Georgia woman faced with a tough decision over eye surgery.
Possible Obamacare Supreme Court Decision Fallout: Rush To Care
Other repercussions could include financial stress on many consumers, a tricky Republican transition to make changes to the health care system and new limits that stop states from shrinking their Medicaid rolls.
Fast-Track Trade Bill Could Be Slowed By Medicare Provision
This small provision in the sweeping trade legislation would pay for a workers’ aid program through cuts to Medicare providers. It’s drawn Democratic opposition and put the future of the broader trade bill at risk.
Bipartisan Bill Would Pay Doctors To Do End-Of-Life Planning
The legislation, which revives a jettisoned health law provision that created fears about “death panels,” was introduced by Sens. Mark Warner, a Democrat, and Johnny Isakson, a Republican. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans say they will address concerns about a program that pays doctors and hospitals to adopt electronic health records, while House Republicans propose trimming the IRS budget.
House Republicans Clash With Burwell Over Response To Possible Supreme Court Ruling
The HHS secretary told the House Ways and Means Committee that it will be up to Congress and the states to help consumers if the court strikes down subsidies used to help purchase insurance on the federal health marketplace. But Republicans argued that the president must work with them to change the law.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Obama’s Signal To The Justices; Are Dems To Blame?; Reflecting On The ADA
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues from Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia, California, New Jersey and New York,
California Bill Ending Vaccine ‘Personal Belief’ Exemption Cleared For Floor Vote
The controversial bill, which cleared a key committee vote, would require school children be vaccinated, no matter their parents’ personal beliefs. Amendments to the bill do ease allowable medical exemptions, however.
