Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: September 27, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘We Don’t Have The Votes’: Senate Republicans End Latest Push For Replacement Bill
Republican efforts to pass a repeal-and-replace plan by Sept. 30 are over, as Senate leaders halt their plan to hold a vote this week on the Graham-Cassidy bill.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Opinion pages across the country view the impact of the Republican health bill — which currently appears to have failed under its own weight — in harsh terms.
Editorial writers offer harsh words and examinations of what caused the GOP’s most recent repeal-and-replace effort to come undone.
Media outlets report on news from Florida, Indiana, Connecticut, California, Georgia and Kansas.
Nation’s Organ Donation Network Wants To Make Liver Transplants ‘A Little Bit More Equal’
Right now, the chance of receiving a liver greatly depends on where a patient lives, but the United Network for Organ Sharing is looking to change that. In other public health news: sepsis, the benefits of social programs aimed at low-income children, autism, doulas and more.
FDA, Interpol Crack Down On Hundreds Of Websites Illegally Selling Unapproved Drugs
The operation targeted more than 500 websites illegally selling unapproved versions of prescription medications, the Food and Drug Administratioin said. Also, a prosecutor in New York teams up with academics to find opioid treatment gaps, and a young man whose overdose left him with irreversible brain damage and shocked the Berkeley campus seven years ago has died.
With GOP Bill Nearly Dead Senators’ CNN Debate Became More Theory Than Practice
When the debate was set with Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on one side and Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on the other, the Graham-Cassidy bill was gaining momentum. But by Monday night it looked all but dead, so the event lost some of its urgency.
A Recipe For Chaos: Even If Plan Passed, States Warn They Wouldn’t Be Able To Implement It
“Honestly, I am really struggling to figure out how we would respond,” said Teresa Miller, Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of human services, saying it’s “highly unlikely” Pennsylvania would be able to build a functioning insurance marketplace by the bill’s 2020 deadline. In other news, a look at what it would mean for consumers if the measure passed, The Washington Post fact checks remarks by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on premiums, and critics focus on pre-existing conditions.
Confused About What Exactly The Graham-Cassidy Bill Does? Here’s A Cheat Sheet
Media outlets break down just what you need to know about the measure and what’s coming next.
For People Covered By Medicaid Expansion, Health Law Debate In Washington Hits Home
Many people who gained insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid are fearful about suddenly losing that coverage. In other news, the National Association of Medicaid Directors makes clear that its opposition to a Republican plan to replace the ACA was issued as a consensus view of the board and not a unanimous decision by individual state directors, and The New York Times examines how a change in Medicaid compares to efforts to revamp welfare a generation ago.
‘Millions’ Of Americans Would Lose Insurance Under GOP Bill, CBO Projects In Partial Analysis
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office didn’t have enough time to do a full projection and its score was estimated from an earlier version of the Graham-Cassidy bill. But the agency says “the direction of the effect is clear.”
‘Kill The Bill, Don’t Kill Us’: Protests Erupt At Committee Hearing On GOP Health Measure
Police surrounded the protesters and escorted them out of the room, and more than 100 people were arrested at the hearing and on Capitol grounds.
Cassidy Will Keep ‘Plugging Along,’ But There Will Be No More Tweaks Coming To Woo Senators
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) defended their proposed bill at a Senate Finance Committee hearing, where they sparred with Democratic senators.
Trump Says McCain’s Opposition To Health Bill Was ‘Slap In The Face To The Republican Party’
President Donald Trump in his Tweets and on a radio interview is pessimistic about the chances of the bill to replace Obamacare after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced that he could not support the measure.
After Collins Officially Declares Opposition, Passing Health Bill Becomes ‘Nearly Impossible’
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) joins Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in opposition of Republicans’ last-ditch efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, naming the “dramatic, sweeping cuts” to Medicaid as her top reason to vote no. The Republicans only had two votes to spare, so unless leadership can persuade one of three to change his or her vote, the bill would fail if brought to the floor.
First Edition: September 26, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Examining The Link Between Opioids And Medicaid; Putting The Squeeze On ACA Navigators
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country, including a range of thoughts on the Medicaid program and prescription drug costs.
Editorials from a variety of news outlets offer different thoughts on the current single-payer health plan being advanced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and whether it is picking up momentum.
