Latest KFF Health News Stories
If the pre-existing conditions provision of the health law is stripped away by an upcoming court case — which the Justice Department announced last week it will not defend — it won’t just affect people who buy their health care on the health law marketplace. Meanwhile, a group of Democratic lawmakers are demanding more information on the administration’s decision, and candidates plan on using it as a talking point in the upcoming midterms.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers look at these and other health care issues.
Perspectives: FDA Needs To Demand More From The Drugs It Approves
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Despite All The Talk About Cutting Drug Costs, Triple-Digit Spikes In Prices Are Still Around
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, Puerto Rico, Maryland, Oklahoma, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Illinois and Arkansas.
Vaccination Exemptions For Kids Are Causing Pockets Of Vulnerability To Spread Across U.S.
“We were able to identify some scary trends that were happening,” said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine and one of the study authors. There were both rural and urban areas that were identified as being vulnerable because of a high number of exemptions. In other public health news: CRISPR, eggs, c-sections, emergency go-bags, snacks, “chemobrain,” electrocardiograms, and more.
Despite Progress Made Against HIV, These Three Very Different Communities Show The Fight Isn’t Over
PBS Newshour examines the social stigma, economic hurdles, and other obstacles that stand in the way of beating the HIV epidemic.
More Than One-Third Of Americans Take A Medication That Has Depression As Potential Side Effect
The side effect was well known in some of the drugs, but to see it listed on others was a surprise, the study’s authors say. The topic of suicide and depression has been thrust into the spotlight following two celebrity deaths and a startling CDC report last week.
AMA Adopts Nearly A Dozen Gun-Related Proposals After Strong Outcry From Doctors
“We as physicians are the witnesses to the human toll of this disease,” Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency-medicine specialist at Brown University, said at the American Medical Association annual policymaking meeting. The group voted to support age bans, safety-class requirements, better training for physicians, and more.
Academic workplaces are second only to the military in the rate of sexual harassment, with 58 percent of academic employees indicating they had such experiences, according to one study cited in a sweeping report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Meanwhile, a BIO International Convention party highlights the need for change to spread beyond academic institutions.
Abortion rights advocates call the ruling “extremely troubling.” In other news on women’s reproduction: a poll finds that support for abortion drops during the second trimester, a bill in Congress addresses ways to reduce maternal death rates, and a study looks at the high out-of-pocket costs of having a baby.
Beneath The Large Profits At A Pennsylvania Nursing Home Lay Rampant Neglect
While profits were surging, patients at St. Francis Center for Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Darby, Penn. were suffering from what a state official called “extreme” conditions, including a lack of proper wound treatment and nursing care. Meanwhile, in Florida, in a dispute over death certificates, a judge ruled in favor of the nursing home where residents died following a hurricane.
Massachusetts Becomes First State To Name Purdue Executives Personally In Suit Against Opioid Maker
“It was Purdue’s executives who led and directed this illegal business model, leading to addiction and deception to enrich a few while leaving a path of devastation and destruction in its wake,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. The state joins others that have turned to the courts to try to combat the opioid epidemic.
Even as lawmakers gear up to consider a sweeping package of opioid bills, some experts are doubtful the legislation will do enough to address the crisis. However, the bipartisan support for the measures speaks to the fact that lawmakers know it’s a winning topic for the upcoming midterms. Meanwhile, NIH has laid out its $500 million plan to combat the epidemic.
Should Insurers Be Able To Deny Emergency Room Claims? Companies Test It Out And Hospitals Are Livid
To cut high health care costs, insurers are slowly starting to look at an area that’s always been off-limits before: emergency room visits. But it’s not going over well with hospitals, doctors or lawmakers.
HHS Secretary Alex Azar testified before a Senate panel on Tuesday about what’s being done to curb high drug prices. In his proposals, Azar focused on the complex system of rebates that drug companies and pharmacy-benefit managers use to negotiate and set prices. He also continued to float the idea of allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies.
Democratic lawmakers questioned HHS Secretary Alex Azar about why the Trump administration backed away from defending the health law’s provision that protects people with pre-existing conditions. Azar said the decision was driven by constitutional considerations not policy ones. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says that “everybody” he knows in the Senate wants to keep pre-existing conditions protections in place.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: One Quick Solution Can Save Lives During Opioid Epidemic
Opinion writers focus on these and other health issues.
