Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers focus on these health care issues and others.
Opinion pages look at these health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from California, Connecticut, Louisiana, New York, New Hampshire, Florida, Arizona, Missouri, Georgia and Maryland.
Mayor Catherine Pugh received $500,000 from The University Of Maryland Medical system for her “Healthy Holly” children’s books and allegedly pushed dozens of bills to benefit hospitals when she was a state senator while also serving on a hospital board. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called for an investigation on Monday. Pugh announced she’s taking an indefinite leave for health reasons.
North Carolina Orders Duke Energy To Remove All Coal Ash In Efforts To Protect Ground Water
North Carolina joins Virginia and South Carolina in ordering its major electric utilities to move their coal ash out of unlined storage. “We’re making these decisions so that they are most protective of public health and the environment,” said state Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan. The decision, Duke Energy, said will double costs to $10 billion. Environmental news comes from California and Louisiana, as well.
What are the ethics behind a drug that boosts your brain? Who would decide who gets it, and what would that criteria be? It might not work at all, but if it does, it could lead to some tricky discussions. In other public health news: Alzheimer’s, opioids, stem cell treatment, cigarettes, migrant children in U.S. custody and asthma.
In Just Three Months, Measles Tally This Year Has Surpassed The Entirety Of Cases In 2018
The 2019 tally is already the most since 2014, when 667 were reported. The numbers have been driven up by several outbreaks in anti-vaccination hotspots.
Tech Companies Are Jostling To Be The One Patients Turn To For Help Corralling Their Health Data
The Trump administration is making a concerted push to make health data more available for patients, and tech companies are rushing in to get a piece of the lucrative field. But with profits comes great responsibility for a lot of personal information. In other health and technology news: what AI can tell from your voice, getting better bedside manner from robots, and a telehealth surge in 2017.
If a patient is on Medicare, the insurers have to cover it. But many are younger than that when they get their transplant procedures. That means the commercial insurers are allowed to deny coverage of the medications. Meanwhile, hospitals across the United States are holding honor walks to show respect to patients at the end of life who are donating organs to others.
Some states, emboldened by the make-up of the Supreme Court, start to introduce more and more restrictive bills which are designed to directly challenge abortion precedent in courts. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court declines to hear a case against Planned Parenthood, effectively siding with the women’s reproductive health organization in a lawsuit brought by anti-abortion activists. Abortion news comes out of Texas, Massachusetts and Iowa as well.
CMS To Give Medicare Advantage Plans A Pay Boost Along With More Flexibility
“These changes to the model better reflect costs and improve the financing for the care of beneficiaries with multiple conditions,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.
A new survey paints a grim picture of what Americans are doing to afford health care across the country. And few have optimism that it’s going to get any better.
The meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s senior health policy adviser, Wendell Primus, came across as an invitation to help kill the idea, according to Politico’s interviews with people who were in the room at the time. The reports highlight a growing division between moderates and progressives over the next steps for health care.
Billions Of Dollars In Disaster Aid Stuck In Congress, As Both Parties Balk At Relief Legislation
The Senate shot down test votes on two competing plans for delivering at least $13 billion in aid to communities hit by hurricanes, wildfires and catastrophic flooding in recent months. Democrats want more money for Puerto Rico, while Republicans don’t think states in the Midwest are getting enough funding. It’s unclear where the measure will go from here.
While many advocates cheered the rulings last week, some experts think they could be the push that gets red states — who were starting to come around to qualified expansion — to abandon plans completely. Medicaid news comes out of Nebraska, Montana, Iowa, Illinois and Tennessee, as well.
Despite Tumultuous Court Battles Over Health Law, Industry Proceeds Like It Is Business As Usual
Most legal experts don’t expect the health law to actually be overturned, so many in the health care field are ignoring the day-in-day-out drama of the case. Meanwhile, a separate ruling that association health plans are illegal leaves some companies unsure about what to do next.
The attorneys general of Ohio and Montana submitted “friend of the court” briefs to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is expected to review a December ruling striking down the health law. The filings are indicative of the hesitation that can be felt from some in the Republican party over President Donald Trump’s decision to ask the court to completely nullify the law.
President Donald Trump has been promising that congressional Republicans are crafting a “spectacular” replacement plan in case the health law is invalidated by the courts — as his administration supports — but he amended his timeline to punt what could be a costly political battle for his party until after the 2020 elections.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
