Latest KFF Health News Stories
Secret Court Document Reveals Sackler Agreed With Plan To Downplay Potency Of OxyContin To Doctors
ProPublica and Stat obtained the sealed court deposition of Dr. Richard Sackler taken as part of a lawsuit by the state of Kentucky against Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. The deposition is believed to be the only time a member of the Sackler family has been questioned under oath about the marketing practices of OxyContin. Purdue has fought a three-year legal battle to keep the deposition and hundreds of other evidence secret, in a case brought by Stat. Through the documents, Sackler’s investment in the success of OxyContin is clear: “It is almost that I dedicated my life to it,” he wrote in an email cited by the court documents.
First Edition: February 22, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Research Roundup: E-Prescriptions; Primary Care Physicians; And Medicare Advantage
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from Arizona, Tennessee, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas, California and Minnesota.
State legislature news comes from Connecticut, Oregon, Georgia, California, Colorado, Utah, Maryland, Arizona and Florida.
The 18-member committee representing the World Health Organization will meet in March and begin to address calls for standards that scientists could adhere to. News on public health looks at an increase of heart attacks among young women; child flu deaths; a teen survey on mental health; sleep deprivation and health; a shortage of female surgeons; and HIV in rural America.
The Sackler family has given millions to philanthropic causes, but as more information comes out about how involved the family was in Purdue Pharma’s aggressive marketing tactics, institutions are starting to think about cutting ties. But experts in philanthropy and nonprofits said returning funds or removing the Sackler name may be difficult.
Those Old-School Hospital Bracelets May Be Getting An Upgrade
Traditional hospital bracelets can collect germs and be hard to read, which leads to mistakes. Experts say there’s tons of room for improvement, coming up with all kinds of high-tech replacements that they say would lead to better care.
Government Still Separating Immigrant Children From Families At Border, Advocates Say
Even after the Trump administration said it ended its policy of breaking up families trying to cross into the U.S., a watchdog group says the actions still continue and without oversight of a child welfare expert. In other immigration news, the ACLU is back in court in Texas contesting the cases of children crossing with someone other than a parent and a Colorado congressman raises concerns about health issues at a detention facility.
There’s a new trend of diabetic patients having to ration insulin — a dangerous and sometimes fatal decision — because the price has gone up so much in recent years. Proposed legislation would allow people to import the drug from Canada, though the FDA would still be required to inspect all foreign exporters and patients would still need a prescription. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is thinking along similar lines, just more broadly than insulin.
More Than 20 Percent Of Rural Hospitals Are At A High Risk Of Closing
A new report breaks the stats down by state, revealing that half of Alabama’s rural hospitals are in financial distress, the highest percentage in the country. At least 36 percent of the hospitals in Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Maine and Mississippi are also in financial jeopardy. In other hospital and costs news: a community wants to form a nonprofit to negotiate with hospitals; the health law hasn’t made as big of an impact as expected on Colorado hospital prices; Medicare payments threaten a hospital’s survival; and more.
CVS reported a net loss of $421 million in the fourth quarter and $596 million for the full year 2018, and the earnings expectations for 2019 are well below Wall Street forecasts. The companies financial health, or lack thereof, is raising questions about whether pursuing its $70 billion take-over of Aetna was the right call.
Testimony from Jack Stoddard, the venture’s chief operating officer, reveals a focus on market efficiency and cost transparency. In one response, Stoddard boiled the initiative’s mission down to this point: make health insurance intelligible. “It’s very difficult for the employees when we talk to them to be able to understand what’s covered, to afford their coverage.” The lawsuit highlights just how nervous traditional health industry mainstays are about the new project founded by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and J.P. Morgan Chase.
“Some states are engaging in such wide exemptions that they’re creating the opportunity for outbreaks on a scale that is going to have national implications,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said. Gottlieb, however, was vague on what that would actually look like. Meanwhile, the growing measles outbreak casts a spotlight on the recent rise in religious exemptions. And groups try to sway minds by taking a parent-to-parent approach.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says that the expenses of Darin Selnick, a top adviser for the agency, are “standard for federal employees who travel periodically to implement their responsibilities.” But some veterans groups are less than pleased that Selnick, who has been a vocal critic of how the VA spends money, is being reimbursed for frequently commuting from California to Washington.
A Reuters report in December revealed that the company knew for decades that small amounts of asbestos, a known carcinogen, had been occasionally found in its talc and powder products. Johnson & Johnson said that the federal inquiries “are related to news reports that included inaccurate statements and also withheld crucial information” that had already been made public.
A new CMS report projects that U.S. health care spending will surpass $5.9 trillion in 2027, growing to represent more than 19 percent of the economy. Rising prices for health care goods and services are expected to account for nearly half the spending growth, with the rest driven by a mix of factors, including an aging population and more intensive use of services. The spending report may give Democrats campaign fodder for the 2020 presidential election.
First Edition: February 21, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.
