Latest KFF Health News Stories
CDC Stumped By Polio-Like Paralyzing Illness In Children As Cases Surge In 22 States
The condition striking kids in a growing number of states is called acute flaccid myelitis and it can cause paralysis, but health officials are unable to find a cause for the increased number of cases. The wave of illnesses seems to come in alternating years, and this one is similar to surges seen in 2014 and 2016.
The lawsuit alleges the insulin makers fraudulently set an artificially high “list” price but then negotiate lower prices by paying rebates and discounts to pharmacy benefit managers. Stories of patients dying because they weren’t able to pay for their insulin have brought attention to the issue in recent months. Minnesota is the first state to go to court over the prices.
Stat takes a look at what those five drugmakers are spending on ads right now and how they might be impacted by the Trump administration’s proposal to require prices to be included. Meanwhile, some families who have struggled with high drug costs are frustrated that the plan might not actually lower prices.
First Edition: October 17, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health care issues.
Media outlets report on news from South Dakota, California, Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kansas, New Hampshire and Minnesota.
The genome itself doesn’t change, but research about mutations and diseases linked to certain genes does update. And when that happens, there’s no good way to inform people who think they’re in the clear.
First Flu Death Of The Season Is An Unvaccinated Child From Florida
Florida health officials have not revealed the name of the child or where the child lived, but they are saying he or she was healthy before getting the flu. The CDC — which has reported almost 200 children were listed among last year’s 80,000 flu fatalities — is urging everyone to get a flu shot.
The success of a therapy technique that injects viruses into bacteria and lets them reproduce like crazy until the germs explode was great news for Dr. Carl Merril — and convinced him to return to work as a government scientist, starting a new company. Other public health news includes: babies’ sleep, depression, maternal death rates, caregivers, medical data profits, mental health and surgery center ratings.
Dr. Piero Anversa popularized the idea of stem cell treatment for damaged hearts, prompting the formation of start-up companies to develop new treatments for heart attacks and stroke. Harvard has called for the studies to be retracted.
“The flu season is just upon us, and we are seeing that we are having difficulty getting our immigrant children and adults in for flu shots,” said Dr. Lisa Ward, president of the board of the California Association of Family Physicians. “It is quite likely that one of the reasons is that they are too afraid not only to get health care for the adult parents but for their U.S.-born children as well, and that’s just one tiny bit of health care.” News on the policy comes out of Texas and Massachusetts, as well.
No matter the outcome, the massive $69 billion deal between the pharmacy chain and the health insurer will likely transform the health care landscape if it gets final approval from state regulators.
The Anthem settlement is nearly three times larger than the previous highest amount paid to the government in a privacy case. In other health industry news: telemedicine fraud, tariffs and health care construction, and electronic health records.
Mary Mayhew, who was announced as the deputy administrator and director of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, worked previously as Maine’s health commissioner under Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican known as a fierce opponent to Medicaid expansion.
Another 4,100 Dropped From Arkansas’ Medicaid Rolls After Failing To Properly Report Work Hours
And the report found that another 4,800 people are at risk at losing coverage if they don’t meet the work requirement by the end of this month. For critics of the requirements, it’s their worst fears realized. “This is an absolute train wreck, and it is a slow-moving train wreck that the state can stop at any time,” said Sam Brooke, deputy legal counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of three groups that had sued Arkansas over the mandate.
Democrats have been sounding warnings about the potential threat to preexisting conditions coverage on the trail for months. Now some Republicans are trying to get ahead of the issue through ads including family members with health problems. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump goes after Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare For All” plan.
The rule, which is part of President Donald Trump’s blueprint to rein in high drug costs, sparked immediate push back from pharmaceutical companies. Beyond the industry, experts are skeptical that the regulation would do anything to bring down prices and may confuse patients because consumers often don’t pay the list price for medications.
First Edition: October 16, 2018
DON’T MISS: It’s bad enough that a patient has a health emergency so dire that it requires a helicopter ride to make it to the hospital in time. But then comes the bill. Tune in to the next KHN Facebook Live – on Friday, Oct. 19 at 12:30 p.m. – when KHN senior editor Diane Webber outlines the factors that allow air ambulance costs to be so high.
Viewpoints: Would ‘Medicare For All’ Do Everything Its Supporters Are Promising?
Editorial pages offer opinions on “Medicare For All,” the health law, mental illness, aging, and other health topics.
Media outlets report on news from Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Texas.
