Latest KFF Health News Stories
More People With Chronic Conditions Turn To Palliative Care
The therapies, often used for patients with terminal illnesses, are now being tried to treat people dealing with diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s. Also, The New York Times examines restaurant offerings with big calories.
Patients, Doctors Applaud Hep C Drug Deal But With Caveats
While the agreement between Express Scripts, the nation’s largest pharmacy benefits manager, and drug maker AbbVie will make the new hepatitis C treatment Viekira available to people with early stage liver disease, some patients will not be good candidates for it. Meanwhile, Express Scripts will cover the $84,000 Sovaldi only in limited cases.
Study: Some Heart Patients Do Better When Doctors Are Away
Elsewhere, new draft guidelines suggest yearly blood pressure tests for everyone over 40 years old or if they have other risk factors.
North Carolina Abortion Law Struck Down By U.S. Appeals Court
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., ruled that the 2011 law requiring doctors to perform ultrasounds and describe sonogram images to pregnant women at least four hours before an abortion is “ideological in intent” and violates doctors’ free-speech rights.
Feds To Investigate If Insurers Discriminated Against Sick
The Obama administration said it had become aware of “discriminatory benefit designs” that discouraged people with costly chronic illnesses such as AIDS from enrolling because of age or medical condition, The New York Times reports. Also, a California group sues Aetna, alleging that requirements for mail-order drugs threaten patient privacy.
Supreme Court To Hear Big Health Law Challenge In March
Meanwhile, federal officials move to make health coverage summaries more user-friendly.
Medicaid Program Challenged In Pa.
The challenge does not target the expansion of benefits to up to 600,000 Pennsylvanians who will become newly eligible Jan. 1.
First Edition: December 23, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: The Problem With Medicaid Doc Pay; The Unraveling Of Vt.’s Single-Payer Plan
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
A selection of health policy stories from Virginia, Colorado, Texas, North Carolina and D.C.
Vermont’s Failure To Create New Health System Disappoints Single-Payer Fans Around The US
Although officials in Gov. Peter Shumlin’s administration say they want to implement some less ambitious parts of the plan, many advocates of a single-payer health system fear the Vermont effort may have set back their cause.
Hospital News: A Stepped-Up Focus On Antibiotic Resistance
In addition, Modern Healthcare reports on the debate over whether programs to encourage efficiency and prevent hospital readmissions are helping control health care costs.
Obama Signs Bill Allowing People With Disabilities To Open Tax-Free Savings Accounts
The accounts will allow those with disabilities to save for long-term health, housing and other needs.
Military Hospital Workers Often Fear Reprisal For Speaking Up
The New York Times details how at these hospitals, whistleblowing is sometimes met with punishment. Elsewhere, homeless and struggling veterans in California get access to medical care and other services.
Questions Arise Over Private Medicaid Plans
In Florida, some question whether Medicaid managed care is the right solution. North Carolina continues to explore Medicaid expansion. In Texas, Gov. Perry fires officials over a Medicaid contract.
Cindy Mann, Top Medicaid Official, To Step Down After 5 Years
Since taking the helm in 2009, Cindy Mann, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has overseen historic expansions of both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
New Hep C Treatment Competes With Costly Gilead Drugs
The largest manager of U.S. prescription drug benefits, Express Scripts, announced that it would require all patients to use AbbVie’s newly approved hepatitis C treatment rather than two costly regimens made by rival Gilead Sciences.
Skipping The Mortgage To Pay For Prescription Drugs
Bloomberg News explores the impact of prescription drugs that cost $50,000 a year or more. Other outlets examine how Latinos and African-Americans struggle with access to care because of cultural and language barriers. And NPR profiles one family’s battle to get their child access to an experimental drug.
Governments Push Consumers To Sign Up For Health Insurance
News outlets examine how the federal government, Minnesota, California, Oregon and Massachusetts are working to get people who don’t have a plan from work to enroll on the insurance exchanges.
