Latest KFF Health News Stories
Marketplace Roundup: Biotech Organogenesis To Go Public Again; Eyes On Esperion Cholesterol Trial
Health care companies Organogenesis, Esperion Therapeutics, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and AbbVie make headlines today.
Anthem, Walmart Partner To Expand Seniors’ Access To OTC Medications
Beginning in January 2019, Anthem Medicare Advantage members will be able to use their insurance for over-the-counter drugs, first-aid and other such supplies.
Gov. Matt Bevin (R-Ky.) filed a lawsuit against 16 people who are separately suing the state to challenge Bevin’s plan to scale back Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion with a variety of changes, including work requirements. Also in Medicaid news are reports about a dramatic drop in Louisiana’s uninsured rate, the effort to expand the program in Maine and a managed care company in Iowa forced to provide specialized wheelchairs to enrollees.
Paul Stirs Up Planned Parenthood Funding Battle As Senate Considers Massive Government Spending Bill
Also in the news on Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is focused on issues of protecting Roe v. Wade as he considers the Trump administration’s Supreme Court nominee, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) defends his “Medicare for all” plan in the face of media fact checks. But Politico reports that the idea, which has become a favorite for parts of the Democratic base, may not be playing well in primaries.
Trump Presses Senate To Pass Bill Aimed At Ending Shipments Of Synthetic Opioids Into The U.S.
The bill, the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act, has already been passed by the House but a group of eight health industry groups oppose part of the measure. Specifically, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and other groups are pushing back against a provision that would require private insurance plans to pay more to cover kidney disease before Medicare becomes the primary payer. The change is meant to offset the costs of the bill, which includes a range of steps designed to counter the opioid epidemic.
First Edition: August 21, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: Checks On Fentanyl, Legal Prescriptions Can Help Save Lives During Opioid Epidemic
Editorial pages focus on issues surrounding the opioid epidemic.
Opinion pages focus on these health care topics and others.
Media outlets report on news from California, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Arizona and Florida.
The decision follows a national investigation by NPR and The Center for Public Integrity looking at influence by drug makers. In other Medicaid news, Nebraska gets a step closer to a referendum on whether to expand the program.
Cleveland Hospitals’ Tax Exemptions Called Into Question With Building Boom, High Revenues
Nonprofit private hospital systems are required to provide what is known as a community benefit in order to maintain tax-exempt status. But in places like Cleveland, where the medical systems are among the largest employers and help drive the economy, some community advocates would like to see them also provide money to help fund services. News services also report on other hospital news from around the country.
Black Men More Likely To Have Certain Health Tests If Discussed With A Black Male Doctor: Study
The survey would indicate that today’s lack of black physicians may be a factor in the health care disparity for black men, who currently have the nation’s lowest life expectancy rate. In other news: a study finds that some doctors have a hard time talking to patients about the downsides of cancer screenings. And WBUR looks at the growing number of practicing osteopaths.
Dr. Michael Holick played a crucial role in spurring America’s Vitamin D craze while receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the industry, a KHN investigation finds. Other public health stories in the news: lead poisoning on Army bases, health benefits of vacation, changing blood pressure guidelines and gut health.
As the administration grapples with how to treat asylum seekers after critics assailed the zero-tolerance policy, one mother who was detained in Texas with her son says a detention center is no place for a child. News on the treatment of immigrants comes out of California, also.
“It is shocking to see these large reserves when we have a funding stream to address the crisis that Los Angeles and other jurisdictions are facing,” said Catherine Blakemore, executive director of Disability Rights California. In other news, The Oregonian reports on safety issues at Unity Center for Behavioral Health opened its doors in Northeast Portland.
Putting More Focus On The ‘Invisible Cancer Generation’
Young people with cancer, and their specific needs, are a sometimes-overlooked population, but there are signs that’s changing. In other cancer-related news, exposure to secondhand smoke during childhood is linked to lung disease later in life; a reporter with cancer goes from journalist to patient; and ex-spouses are taking on the role of cancer caregivers.
Working On A New Puzzle: A Finance Whiz Focuses On Matching Medical Researchers With Investors
The Wall Street Journal profiles Karen Petrou, an influential adviser to bankers and regulators, who has launched a very personal crusade to cure blindness, Meanwhile, news outlets report on a range of other medical innovations, experiments and market developments — including a recently approved syrup derived from marijuana that will soon be available for people with epilepsy, a birth control app that recently gained Food and Drug Administration approval and is highlighting the health technology market, and other stories about clinical trials and life in the lab.
Democrats Put Sharp Focus On Health Care In Political Ads While GOP Message Targets Other Issues
From January through July, Democratic candidates and outside groups aired nearly 70,000 ads focused on health care, far and away the most common issue highlighted, while the GOP strategy covered Trump, taxes and immigration. News on health care campaigning comes from Iowa, also.
Also in the news regarding the opioid epidemic, Atlanta-area government leaders are joining the ranks of groups suing the opioid industry, synthetic pot is emerging as a public health risk and chronic pain patients say their need for painkillers often leaves them feeling like criminals.
More Patients Discover They Are Shelling Out Higher Copays Than The Cash Cost Of The Drug
“I was very shocked,” said a patient’s husband who bought a generic blood pressure medicine for $40 at Costco, after previously paying a $285 copay through insurance. “I had no idea if I asked to pay cash, they’d give me a different price.” In other drug pricing news: states take steps to bring down prescription costs. And “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli’s former lawyer is sentenced to jail for fraud.
