Latest KFF Health News Stories
Critical Of Athenahealth’s Performance, Hedge Fund Offers To Buy It For $6.5B
If successful, the campaign by Paul Singer and his Elliott Management Corp. would be a dramatic turn for a successful startup that had bridged two of Massachusetts’ core industries — software and health care.
Heroin And Homeless Crises Collide In Northern California Creating Epidemic Of Despair
Although the state on the whole isn’t as hard hit by the opioid epidemic, a rural slice in the north is struggling under the weight of dual crises. Media outlets report on news of the national drug epidemic out of Colorado, Arizona and Ohio, as well.
Drug distributors are being hauled in front of Congress to answer questions about their role in the opioid crisis. Advocates want the hearings to mark a tidal change in public opinion on the companies.
CMS Rejects Kansas’ Request For Lifetime Limits On Medicaid
“We’re determined to make sure that Medicaid remains the safety net for those that need it most,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said of the decision to reject Kansas’ proposed 36-month lifetime cap on benefits. CMS did approve New Hampshire’s Medicaid work requirements request.
CHIP Targeted In Trump’s Proposed $15 Billion Spending Cuts
But an administration official said the proposed $7 billion in cuts would not hurt the Children’s Health Insurance Program since $5 billion would come from an account from which money is not authorized to be spent.
Democrats See Opportunity In Trump’s Inaction To Reclaim High Drug Prices As Winning Issue
Drug price negotiation has been a longtime plank of the Democratic platform, but President Donald Trump made it his own talking point during his campaign and the early days of his tenure. Now, Democrats want to take it back. Meanwhile, CMS Administrator Seema Verma blasted pharmacy-benefit managers and the model Medicare uses to pay for drugs.
Eye-Popping Premium Increases Give First Glimpse Of Next Year’s Marketplace
One insurer wants to nearly double the amount it charges on average for one coverage option in Maryland, and raise the cost of another in Virginia by 64 percent. The two states are the first to announce the rates filed by insurance companies for 2019 plans.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health topics.
Media outlets report on news from Connecticut, California, Minnesota, Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Arizona and Ohio.
Failure To Find Source Of E. Coli Outbreak Highlights Vulnerabilities In Food Safety Regulation
As the outbreak enters its second month, investigators are still scrambling to locate its origin. In other public health news: domestic violence, Alzheimer’s, anti-depression medication, eyeglasses, Lyme disease, autism, and more.
Most Agree Telemedicine Is Step Toward Improving Access And Helping Patients, But Concerns Remain
Some economists worry that e-visits will actually exacerbate health costs, while doctors are concerned that if the tele-appointments become popular they’ll lose valuable face time with their patients.
Ohio Refuses To Consider Medicaid Change That Saved West Virginia Millions Of Dollars
The model would require the state to get rid of managed care in favor of the state university handling benefits for Medicaid recipients. But Ohio says the move would cost more money than it would save. Medicaid news comes out of Iowa and Connecticut, as well.
Many in the antiabortion movement want the potential case to make it to the Supreme Court, where they see a shot at overturning Roe v. Wade.
A Veritable Who’s-Who Of High-Profile Investors Lost Big In Theranos Debacle
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whose family invested $100 million in the blood-testing start-up, is just one of the well-known investors that took a chance on what was touted as a Silicon Valley fairy tale.
Many see race as a crucial factor in how Congress and health officials have focused on prevention and education rather than punishment. White victims make up almost 80 percent of the deaths from opioid overdoses, while, in contrast, in 2000, 84 percent of crack cocaine offenders were black. In other news on the crisis: a 25-year-old pill for nerve pain raises some red flags; the DEA issues an immediate suspension of opioid sales by a wholesale distributor; drug distributors head to Capitol Hill; and more.
‘We’ve Been Planning For It’: FDA Braced For Tsunami Of Retirements From Its Senior Level Staff
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb emphasized the need to cut hiring time when it comes to rank-and-file staff positions. At the annual meeting of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA, Gottlieb also countered criticism of the agency’s “breakthrough” designation for certain drugs.
“I’ve never known the enthusiastic mass exodus of an organization’s most knowledgeable and experienced personnel to be an indication that all is well,” said John Hoellwarth, a spokesman for Amvets. The VA has been struggling with its leadership at the same time there’s been a push to move toward privatization, and the officials on the ground are overwhelmed and understaffed.
IRS Aggressively Enforcing Employer Mandate Despite Trump’s Promise That Health Law Is All But Dead
Business groups want relief from the mandate, but lawmakers have little appetite to take up any more changes in this politically charged election year. Meanwhile, Idaho officials are still trying to figure out ways to sell plans that don’t comply with health law regulations.
‘Pharma Folks Are Nervous’ As Trump Gears Up For Major Speech On Curbing Drug Prices
This week’s planned speech is expected to offer a “comprehensive strategy” that administration officials say will result in a “profound modernization” of how the government pays for some drugs. But the pharma industry is watching anxiously in case President Donald Trump goes off script.
