Latest KFF Health News Stories
10 Years Ago This Lawyer Went Up Against Pharma Over Opioids And Won. Now He’s Ready For Round Two.
Back in 2007, Purdue settled with individual patients who alleged that it had underplayed the addiction risk of its medications. It was a huge case for lawyer Paul Hanly and a rare win against makers of painkillers. Now, in an entirely different landscape — one where these companies are becoming the targets of states who want to try to curb the national crisis — Hanly is gearing up to go again. Meanwhile, PBS looks at how the brain gets addicted to opioids in the first place.
California Governor Signs One Of Strictest Drug Transparency Bills In Nation
The pharmaceutical industry has fought hard to kill the legislation, and it will likely be a legal target now that the bill is law.
Washington Is Latest State To Sue Trump Administration Over Contraception Mandate Rollback
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson says that the new rules violate the First Amendment by “requiring individuals to bear the burdens of religions to which they do not belong,” as well as the equal protection clause of the Fifth Amendment.
“We have yet to receive any explanation of the cut. We have met or exceeded every one of our performance metrics. There was never any feedback that gave us any indication that we were not going to receive the same amount,” says Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, the executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. The Trump administration slashed funding for theses navigators by more than 40 percent nationally, with some places seeing cuts of nearly 90 percent.
First Edition: October 10, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Stopping Gun Violence; Helping Patients Once They Leave The Hospital
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Different Takes On The Health Law: Trump’s Determination; Undermining Cost Cutting
Opinion writers take a look at a variety of benefits and problems they see in the health law.
The Obama administration’s decisions about how to handle insurance coverage of contraception was controversial, and the rollback announced by the Trump administration is also sparking debate.
Media outlets report on news from California, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
States Experiment With New Approaches To Try To Combat The Opioid Crisis
Health and law enforcement officials in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio continue to try new approaches in order to tackle the drug epidemic.
How Cracking The Code Behind The Body’s Internal Clock Could Help Prevent Poor Health
Scientists are working to understand how the body’s clock affects disease, heart attacks, obesity and more health problems. In other public health news: breast cancer, health care marketing, flu shots, heart disease, and more.
Frequency Of Gun Shot Wounds In America Provide ‘Ideal Trauma Training’ For Military Surgeons
The training programs “reflect the reality that you have 34,000 to 35,000 people who die of a gunshot a year, and also two to three times that many who are injured,” said Sandro Galea, dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health.
U.S. One Of Only Seven Countries That Allows Elective Abortions After 20 Weeks
The Washington Post fact-checks this particular talking point and finds it passes the Pinocchio test.
Drugmakers On Edge As California Governor Expected To Sign Bill To Curb Prices
For pharmaceutical companies, California is seen as a bellwether state that often sets the pace and tone for other legislative efforts around the country.
Some Physicians Who Were Initially Skeptical Of Bundled-Payment Program Coming Around
Administrators and physicians say they’re impressed with how the programs have engaged physicians to produce lower costs and better outcomes.
After Congress’ Repeal Failure, States Become Battleground In Fight Over Medicaid
Changes made in the states — such as adding work requirements — could reshape how people think about the program.
Red And Blue States Alike Frustrated That Crucial Health Programs Are Languishing In Washington
Everything from the funding of community clinics and CHIP to the uncertainty in the ACA marketplaces is worrying state officials.
Trump Reaches Out To Dems On Health Care, But Schumer Makes Clear Repeal Is Off Table
“If he wants to work together to improve the existing health care system, we Democrats are open to his suggestions,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says. “A good place to start might be the Alexander-Murray negotiations that would stabilize the system and lower costs.”
Trump’s Proposed ‘Association Plans’ Popular With Conservatives, But Insurers Aren’t Fans
The White House plans to issue executive orders to promote selling insurance across state lines and “association health plans,” which would allow small employers to band together to offer coverage that wouldn’t be subject to the full range of ACA requirements. But some insurers fear that associations would peel off healthier and younger individuals and leave traditional insurance plans to cover sicker and older customers.
California Sues To Stop Contraception Rollback, Saying New Rules Are Unconstitutional
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says the rule unlawfully targets women. “What group of Americans will they target next? Will they allow businesses to deny you cancer treatment?” Other states react as well.
