Latest KFF Health News Stories
Robotic Surgery Is Widely Used For Cancer Patients, Yet Health Benefits Are Unproven, FDA Warns
There’s little evidence to suggest patients who receive robotic treatments live longer than those who undergo traditional surgeries and some patients fare worse. News on health technology also looks at video conferences with the doctor; artificial intelligence diagnosis; hospital data breaches; and more.
Supreme Court Upholds Decision That Medicaid Must Cover Women’s Sex Reassignment Surgery
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the argument that the policy’s explicit exclusion of gender-reassignment surgeries was merely a specified example within the broader category of “cosmetic, reconstructive, and plastic surgeries” that were excluded from coverage was invalid. “The [department] expressly denied Good and Beal coverage for their surgical procedures because they were ‘related to transsexualism … (or) gender identity disorders’ and ‘for the purpose of sex reassignment,'” Justice Susan Christensen wrote, citing segments of the policy.
Although the rule is geared toward changing how Medicare handles rebates to middlemen, members of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission want to make sure Medicaid beneficiaries are protected from any downstream ramifications. Meanwhile, Medicare advisers talk about a unified payment system for post-acute care facilities.
Roche Scores FDA Approval For First Immunotherapy Drug To Treat Breast Cancer
Despite the fact that costly immunotherapy drugs help only a small minority of patients, breast cancer doctors are calling the approval “tremendously exciting.” In other pharmaceutical news: biologics and drugs for preventing premature births.
Oklahoma is seeking payments that could exceed $1 billion from drugmakers to cover the costs of coping with the drug crisis. While much of the nation’s attention has been focused on the massive, consolidated Ohio trial, the Oklahoma case will actually be the first one to see its day in court. Meanwhile, Purdue Pharma defends the timing on its possible decision to file for bankruptcy.
The harrowing tale of an unvaccinated 6-year-old boy who got a cut on his head and later developed tetanus was detailed in a new report last week. The experience highlights just how costly and dangerous the old disease that doctors thought was under control can be. “I honestly never thought I would see this disease in the United States,” said Dr. Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Oregon Health & Science University, who helped care for the boy and was the lead author of the article.
A report shows that 245 children have been taken from their families even after the court ordered the government to halt routine separations. The new separations are taking place amid an unprecedented influx of migrant families from across the southern border that has highlighted the failure of the Trump administration’s hard-line policies to deter them. Meanwhile, a judge may expand the number of families that the government is responsible for reuniting, and mumps outbreaks hit detention centers.
Sanders Raises The Stakes On His ‘Medicare For All’ Plan By Including Expansion For Long-Term Care
The move from 2020 hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) followed action by Medicare for All allies in the House to incorporate a generous long-term care benefit in their newly introduced legislation. Experts are excited that it is getting attention. Long-term care has “always been the stepchild,” said Marc Cohen, a gerontology researcher and professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
“You don’t want anything on there that shows you out playing Frisbee,” said one disability claims lawyer recently. Advocates say any policy that would use social media to determine a person’s disability status would be problematic because photos posted there do not always provide reliable evidence of a person’s current condition. People are more likely to post pictures of themselves when they are happy and healthy than when they are in a wheelchair or a hospital bed. In other news from the administration: transgender troops, military doctors and HIV spending.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health issues and others.
Editorial writers express views on vaccinations.
Longer Looks: Innovating Access To Abortion; An Amputation Crisis; And Donating Kidneys
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, Virginia, New York, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, California, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
News from state legislatures comes from Connecticut, Virginia, New Hampshire, Georgia and Florida.
The news could help patients who struggle to remember to take the daily pills, but cost remains a sticking point with the shots. In other public health news: Ebola, cigarette warnings, meat safety, the flu, second-hand smoke, and more.
Why Pancreatic Cancer Is So Deadly: It’s Quite Difficult To Detect And It’s Very Aggressive
The problem is that pancreatic cancer usually has no symptoms until it is far advanced. Experts explain more about the deadly disease following “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek’s announcement that he’s been diagnosed.
First came the lawsuits from states and cities. Now, museums, non-profit organizations and financial services are reviewing ties or severing relationships with the family that controls Purdue Pharma LP. “An opioid-related tragedy affected someone with a personal relationship to me and other members of Hildene,” fund manager Brett Jefferson said. News on the opioid epidemic comes from Missouri, Arizona and California, as well.
Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli Is Diligently At Work On A Big Second Act From His Prison Cell
With the help of a contraband smartphone, disgraced pharma executive Martin Shkreli is still calling the shots at Phoenixus AG, the drug company that used to be called Turing Pharmaceuticals AG. The Wall Street Journal goes inside the prison walls to see just what kind of life Shkreli is leading. In other pharmaceutical news: in a drug pricing hearing, Republicans warn against lawmakers undermining innovation; FDA issues a draft on naming features for biosimilar medicines; Anthem promises more transparency with its new PBM; and more.
Health Experts Puzzled, Alarmed By Sharp Drop In Number Of Kids Enrolled In Medicaid, CHIP
Enrollment in the Medicaid and CHIP decreased by 599,000 children in the 48 states. While experts seem uncertain about the cause, they cite the possibility of the improving economy that might enable parents to leave government health plans. Other Medicaid news comes out of Kansas and Texas, as well.
