Michael McAuliff

@mmcauliff ‏

Senate Democrats’ Plan Boosts Spending on Medicare, ACA Subsidies, Long-Term Care

KFF Health News Original

The plan from high-wire negotiations would affect five key areas of health, but there will be further tense negotiations among Democratic lawmakers about specifics of the $3.5 trillion in funding. And all Senate Democrats will need to be behind the plan, because Republicans oppose it.

Drugmakers’ Spending on Stock, Dividends and Executive Pay Exceeds Research, Democrats Say

KFF Health News Original

The pharmaceutical industry argues that large profits are needed to fund extensive research and innovation. But Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, seeking to bolster their effort to let Medicare negotiate drug prices, say major drug companies plow more of their billions in earnings back into propping up their stock and enriching executives and shareholders.

Military Exposed to Toxic Fumes From Burn Pits Set to Get Bipartisan Boost

KFF Health News Original

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio were set to roll out a bill Friday that could help unknown thousands of service members who are sick from toxic substances they were exposed to from burning garbage in Afghanistan, Iraq and other war zones.

Doctors Found Jet Fuel in Veteran’s Lungs. He Can’t Get Full Benefits.

KFF Health News Original

Sick with ailments similar to those suffered by 9/11 first responders, military service members exposed to toxic burning garbage in Iraq and Afghanistan may finally see Congress address their plight. President Joe Biden believes his son Beau’s brain cancer may have been caused by such exposure.

With Pandemic Surging, Ohio Gov. DeWine Dials Back His Aggressive Response

KFF Health News Original

The governor won praise around the state for his early efforts to combat the coronavirus, but as the crisis wore on and President Donald Trump played down the threat, Ohio Republicans began to grow restless with DeWine’s stance, and concerns for his reelection campaign in 2022 are rising.

Wear a Mask. If Only It Were That Simple.

KFF Health News Original

Health experts agree masks are the cheapest, best weapon against the coronavirus pandemic. But how should mask-wearing be enforced? Mandates? Fines? Polite requests? It’s hard to figure out what works as President Donald Trump’s behavior keeps the debate alive over whether they should be worn at all.

Sky-High Drug Prices Driven by Pharma Profits, House Dems Charge

KFF Health News Original

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a damning investigation Wednesday of drug company pricing tactics and profits, as two days of hearings with testimony from pharmaceutical industry CEOs begin.

Colleges’ Opening Fueled 3,000 COVID Cases a Day, Researchers Say

KFF Health News Original

In a draft study, researchers correlated cellphone data showing students’ back-to-campus movements and county infection rates to quantify how the coronavirus spread as colleges and universities reopened for the fall semester.

Why It’s So Hard To Predict How Much Funding 9/11 First Responders Need

KFF Health News Original

Eighteen years ago, most first responders were not thinking about their future health when they spent hours searching “The Pile” for the remains of terror victims. Today, their illnesses are a slow-moving epidemiological nightmare that has been as difficult for scientists to study as it has been easy for politicians to overlook.