Latest KFF Health News Stories
Anti-Abortion Ballot Measures Set Stage For Path Forward If Roe Is Overturned
Voters in West Virginia and Alabama will weigh in on initiatives this fall that would amend their respective state constitutions to declare that abortion rights are not protected. That would pave the way for conservative state legislatures to ban or restrict abortion if the Supreme Court acts.
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said in 2011 that a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the ACA lacked standing until the tax penalty took effect. “When his decision came down, I remember thinking ‘Oh, well that’s savvy,’” said Orin Kerr, a professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
Novartis Issued Misleading Statements About Duration Of Relationship With Michael Cohen, Emails Show
The existence of the agreement between the drugmaker and President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen — whose consulting firm was paid $1.2 million from early 2017 through early 2018 — first became known months ago. At the time, Novartis portrayed the arrangement as a brief interaction. But emails and other documents show otherwise.
Out of 21 trips reviewed by the inspector general’s investigators, only one complied with all federal travel requirements. Former HHS Secretary Tom Price resigned last year after news of the high spending came out.
After Scolding From Judge, Government Provides Updated Plan To Reunite Families
The new HHS plan clarifies that the agency will use methods other than DNA testing to verify parentage for most older children. The government has drawn sharp words from U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw by suggesting officials couldn’t verify parentage properly within the court’s timeline.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers focus on issues impacting the health law and other health topics.
Research Roundup: Individual Mandate; Food Insecurity; And Medigap Enrollment
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Vermont, Missouri, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Maryland, Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Florida.
Creating Threat Assessment Teams In High Schools Could Prevent Shootings, Secret Service Report Says
The comprehensive guide encourages schools to create an atmosphere where students can report problematic behavior without feeling like a “snitch.” In other public health news: adoption programs, testosterone, ticks, heat waves, sleep apnea, e-cigarettes, and more.
Parasitic Illness Increases To More Than 100, Possibly Traced To McDonald’s Salads In Illinois, Iowa
“Approximately one-fourth of Illinois cases reported eating salads from McDonald’s in the days before they became ill,” a statement from the Illinois Department of Health said. In other food safety news, a salmonella outbreak is linked to Honey Smacks cereal.
Medicare May Start Paying Doctors For Certain Telehealth Services
The move would be particularly important in rural areas and for elderly patients. “We’re not intending to replace office visits but rather to augment them and create new access points for patients,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said.
White House Suggests Congress Pass Federal Work Requirement Law For Medicaid Beneficiaries
The proposal comes just weeks after a federal judge struck down Kentucky’s push to impose such standards on its Medicaid enrollees.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the project, which is based on a successful model in Manatee County, Florida. The program will provide a new assistant U.S. attorney to districts in New Hampshire, California, Kentucky, Maine, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.
FDA Wants To Be Granted Expanded Authority To Intervene In Drug Shortages
While the number of drugs in shortage is down from a peak several years ago, many supply interruptions are lasting much longer — sometimes well over a year. Right now, there’s not much the agency can do, but FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says he wants to get more aggressive in protecting patients from the shortfalls.
Like clockwork, Pfizer has been raising prices every six months, flying under the radar because most pharma companies were doing the same. But then the company caught the attention of President Donald Trump, and everything changed. In other pharmaceutical news: Novartis ditches antibiotics research; a patient advocacy group highlights a New Jersey candidate’s ties to high prices; and an experimental epilepsy drug moves forward toward approval.
CMS Chief Puts Blame On The Court For Decision To Freeze Payments To Insurers
A federal court ruling in New Mexico found the Trump administration did not properly justify its formula for dispensing the funds. “We’ve been trying to figure out, is there a solution? We understand the impact to the market [but] we have to follow what the courts say,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said.
Democrats Using ACA Threat As Talking Point Against Kavanaugh Exaggerate His Hostility To The Law
The New York Times fact checks some of the rhetoric being used as the nomination battle heats up. Meanwhile, though Democrats are painting a grim picture about what would happen to the health law if Brett Kavanaugh is approved, it’s unlikely that the Supreme Court will wholesale upend the legislation.
State Democrats Begin Scouring Their Books For Old, Unenforced Laws Banning Abortion
With Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court seat, both Republican and Democratic states are readying for what would happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion rights are thrown back to the states. Meanwhile, polling shows continued support from Americans for upholding Roe.
All Eligible Children Under 5 Reunited With Families, But Thousands Of Older Kids Still In Custody
The government scrambles to fulfill a judge’s order regarding the younger children being held. There are still 46 kids under the age of 5 that weren’t released due to a variety of reasons, such as their parents having been accused of serious crimes.
