For Better Or Worse, Trump And GOP Now Own Health Care
By Julie Rovner
More than six in 10 people think that moving forward the responsibility for dealing with the health law falls to President Donald Trump and Republicans controlling Congress, Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds.
Where There’s Willingness, There’s A Way For Congress And Trump To Fix Health Law
By Julie Rovner
After the collapse of the Republican replacement plan, there may be a way to find consensus and repair the law.
GOP Has No Choice But To Keep Pushing Health Care Rock Up The Hill
By Julie Rovner
The White House continues to look for a policy “win” while members of the House are concerned about heading home for the spring recess where they could “get hammered” for not fulfilling their promise to repeal Obamacare.
‘It’s Not Like Other States’: High-Cost Alaska Sits In The Eye Of Health Reform Storm
By JoNel Aleccia
With the most expensive medical care and health insurance premiums in the nation, Alaska seeks a novel way to bail out Obamacare.
Trump’s Effort To Lure Consumers To Exchanges Could Bring Skimpier Plans
By Michelle Andrews
The changes proposed by the administration for the health law marketplaces in 2018 could increase customers’ out-of-pocket costs and reduce the amount they receive in premium tax credits.
Public Health
Another Circle Of Hell: Surviving Opioids In The Fentanyl Era
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
Unlike heroin, fentanyl routinely shuts down breathing in seconds, and it's becoming more common.
In Pain? Many Doctors Say Opioids Are Not The Answer
By Emily Bazar
The opioid addiction crisis has led to a crackdown on prescriptions for chronic pain patients, who are increasingly given less addictive painkillers along with referrals for acupuncture, physical therapy, massage and even yoga.
Aging
Boomerang Seniors: Aging Adults Move To Be Near Mom Or Dad
By Sharon Jayson
Some older adults are living in the same senior communities as their parents, which streamlines caretaking in the end-of-life years.
To Help Ward Off Alzheimer’s, Think Before You Eat
By Judith Graham
Good nutrition has been linked to a boost in senior citizens’ cognitive skills.
Health Industry
Also Made In Mexico: Lifesaving Devices
By Sarah Varney
The medical supply industry makes a particularly revelatory case study of the difficulties of untangling global trade.
CMS Chief To Sit Out Watershed Decision On Medicaid Work Mandate In Kentucky
By Phil Galewitz
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma will recuse herself from the agency's decision-making on whether to approve Kentucky’s Medicaid waiver because she helped develop the proposal in her former job as a health policy consultant.
Markups On Care Can Fatten Hospital Budgets — Even If Few Patients Foot The Full Bill
By Chad Terhune
A study finds that higher charges are associated with greater payments by private insurers, which can drive up costs for employers and consumers who pay their way.
While Washington Fiddles, Calif. Leaders Forge Ideas For Universal Health Care
By Pauline Bartolone
But it could take years to achieve coverage for everyone — if it happens at all.
Missouri Rejects Federal Money In Order To Set Up Its Own Abortion Restrictions
By Durrie Bouscaren, St. Louis Public Radio
Abortion is already heavily restricted in Missouri, but now the state is cutting more funding to organizations that provide abortions, even though it means rejecting millions of dollars from the federal government.