Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare To Pay For Hep C Screenings For Baby Boomers
The decision comes amid controversy surrounding the costs of new drugs to treat the blood-borne virus. Meanwhile, two studies find that Medicare could save billions if doctors switched from an expensive eye medication to a similar, much cheaper one and, also, if Part D plans were selected based on the actual drugs patients take. The Fiscal Times looks at how spending on new specialty drugs is forecast to skyrocket.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories about Medicare data released Monday indicating that 2012 charges for some common inpatient hospital procedures dramatically increased over the previous year.
State Highlights: NYC Plan For Treating Mentally Ill
A selection of health policy stories from New York, Kansas, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina and California.
After Shinseki Resigns, A Scramble To Fix VA
Warnings about long wait times go back at least to 2005, raising questions about how to overhaul a sprawling system that has been chronically understaffed.
Sanders Details Plan To Overhaul Veterans Health Care
On Sunday, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., unveiled legislation, called the Restoring Veterans’ Trust Act, which is designed to smooth out the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs by — among other changes — making it easier for veterans to see outside providers if care isn’t available within 30 days.
After Controversies, Medicare Reimbursement For End-Of-Life Planning Again Getting Consideration
Stateline reports on this development.
New Editor Takes Reins At Health Affairs
In breaking precedent, journal turns to a lawyer for leadership.
Media outlets offer opinions on Gen. Eric Shinseki’s departure from the Department of Veterans Affairs and efforts to fix problems in that system.
Oncologists Urged To Consider Financial Impact Of Treatments
The American Society of Clinical Oncology is developing a system to rate drugs for advanced cancer based on their likely benefits and side effects, as well as on their price. Meanwhile, better long-term care is urged for the millions who survive the disease, and a report details how drugmakers are tailoring treatments to individuals’ genetic makeups even though that may affect only small numbers of people.
Viewpoints: GOP Needs To Refine Its Message On Health Law; Battle Over School Lunches
A selection of editorials and opinions from around the country.
GOP Candidates Expand Campaign-Trail Message Beyond The Health Law
Increasingly, it appears that Republican candidates are focusing their assaults on more than just the Affordable Care Act. News outlets examine how the overhaul is playing on the campaign trail.
Medicare To Cover Sex-Change Surgery
The ruling, handed down Friday by a Department of Health and Human Services appeals board, reverses a Medicare policy in place since 1981. It covers surgery, but not other treatments like hormones.
Virginia’s Medicaid Expansion Standoff Moves State Toward Budget Shortfall, Government Shutdown
Also in the news, after Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion efforts failed in the legislature, the state is poised to try out Gov. Bobby Jindal’s alternative to the federal health law.
States Focus on Network Adequacy, Other Issues
States are updating rules to better reflect how the health system has changed as a result of the Affordable Care Act, and the Los Angeles Times takes a look at confusion by doctors, as well as consumers, about who’s in the new networks.
With Healthcare.gov The Go-To For 36 States, National Exchange Becoming A Likely Possibility
Politico reports that a national enrollment system is what liberals wanted all along, and now, because some GOP governors took a pass on state-run marketplaces while some Democratic states bungled theirs, it’s picking up steam. News outlets also report on the latest exchange news from Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota and Washington.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about state health law implementation activities as well as the next steps regarding the difficulties at the VA health system.
VA Chief Shinseki Apologizes And Says He Is Replacing Leadership At Troubled Phoenix VA Hospital
Two days after a preliminary Inspector General report confirmed secret waiting lists at a Phoenix veterans hospital, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki addresses a conference on homeless veterans and says the breach of integrity “is indefensible.” He meets today with President Obama amid calls for his resignation in Congress.
VA Scandal Becomes Issue In Congressional Campaigns
As probes of Veterans Affairs hospitals continue, Democratic and Republican candidates are pointing fingers and attempting to find political advantage in the controversy.
Most Americans Say Health Law Has Not Affected Them
Among those who report being impacted, Republicans are much more likely to say they know someone who has been hurt by the law, while Democrats are more likely to say their families have been helped, according to The Kaiser Family Foundation’s monthly tracking poll.
Research Roundup: Surviving Trauma When Older; ACA’s Big Waiver For States
This week’s studies come from JAMA Internal Medicine; JAMA Surgery; the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law; The Urban Institute; The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
