Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: House Plans Would Hurt Health Law; Who Should Decide On Trans-Fat: Consumers Or FDA?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania and Alabama.
Va. Task Force Recommends Ways To Combat Growing Heroin And Rx Drug Abuse Problems
Meanwhile, fatal heroin overdoses are on the rise in the Seattle area.
Doctors, Patients Learning To Ask About Health Costs — Or Pay A Steep Price
With consumers shouldering a bigger share of their medical bills, some doctors are learning to talk about treatment options in ways that help patients manage costs. And Kaiser Health News tells the story of a woman who faced $19,000 in medical bills not covered by her employer’s “skinny” insurance plan as a result of misunderstandings and errors.
Walgreens Rolling Out Virtual Doctor Services In Five States With Plans To Expand In 20 More
The Associated Press reports on the benefits and drawbacks of telemedicine as pharmacies and insurers quickly expand such offerings. And CVS announced plans to sell more healthy foods and beauty items, as well as changes to some stores aimed at serving Hispanic shoppers.
California Regulator Warns Against Health Insurance Mega-Mergers
As the nation’s biggest health insurers look to consolidate, California’s elected insurance commissioner warns that consumers, employers and medical providers could be harmed by potential large mergers.
Surveys Suggest Doctors Have A Mixed View Of The Health Law
California Healthline examines polls that show how doctors’ opinions have evolved since the passage of the law. Also, CNBC reports on oversight issues concerning federal premium payments to insurers.
Fla. Governor To Continue To Press Lawsuit Against HHS Over Hospital Funding
Gov. Rick Scott says he will maintain the suit until he hears whether the Obama administration accepts the Florida legislature’s proposal for shared payments to hospitals that treat a large number of uninsured patients, though he did withdraw a preliminary injunction request. Scott alleges in the case that a federal funding cut was an effort to force Florida to expand its Medicaid program under the health law.
A number of economists predict a ruling upending the health law would lead to billions of dollars in lost health care spending. Meanwhile, state officials brace for the impact of such a decision.
Challenger Of Health Law Subsidies Is Confident, Says He Has VA Health Care
The New York Times reports that David M. King, the plaintiff in the case before the Supreme Court that will decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act, is confident he will prevail. Other stories analyze the legal arguments and the decision’s potential impact on millions of Americans.
House Proposal Would Kill Health Care Quality Agency
The House fiscal 2016 budget plan would terminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and spread its duties among other parts of the Department of Health and Human Services. The plan would also boost funding for a rural health grant program.
Hill Republicans Discuss Contingency Plans To Extend Temporarily Health Law Subsidies
In the event that the Supreme Court overturns this part of the health law, GOP leaders appear to be settling on plans to extend the health insurance assistance for as long as two years while also pursuing efforts to repeal other parts of the overhaul.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: How Obamacare Could Put The GOP In A Pickle; Is That Doughnut Becoming Less Deadly?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona, Montana, California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia.
‘Unacceptable’ Numbers Of Pa. Foster Children Take Psychiatric Drugs, Report Says
A study found that 43 percent of 6- to 18-year-olds in Pennsylvania’s foster care system were given such drugs in 2012. Those children were almost three times more likely than other children on Medicaid to take psychotropic medications, which are typically prescribed to manage mental health or behavioral symptoms. And they were four times more likely to be on anti-psychotics.
California, Massachusetts Medicaid Programs Blasted
In California, a state auditor says that more than 9 million Medi-Cal enrollees in managed care plans may not have adequate access to doctors, while in Massachusetts, the program for low-income residents misspent $500 million, according to a state audit.
California Breaks Ground In Offering Health Coverage To Children In U.S. Illegally
Immigrant children would receive public health care coverage in California under a budget deal announced Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders.
Updated Birth Control Training For Counselors Cuts Unintended Pregnancies
Instead of directly educating women about IUDs and implants, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, conducted a study to see if educating health care workers about the latest innovations regarding contraceptives would make a difference. It cut unintended pregnancies in half.
Food Industry Must Phase Out Trans Fats Over Next Three Years
While partially hydrogenated oils were once promoted by doctors, the Food and Drug Administration now says the substances clog arteries and are unsafe. Use of artificial trans fats has dropped 78 percent over the last decade but they are still found in products like microwave popcorn, whipped topping and pie crusts. The Washington Post profiles the 100-year-old professor from the University of Illinois who led the charge to ban them.
