Latest KFF Health News Stories
Senator Says Revised Health Bill Will Keep Republicans’ Proposal To Reduce Medicaid Costs
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), a proponent of the reductions, said he has been led to believe that the new draft bill will not change much on the question of Medicaid funding. If so, that could make it hard for some moderate senators to support the measure.
Insurance Lobby Sounds Alarm Over Cruz Amendment To Senate Health Bill
America’s Health Insurance Plans, an insurer trade group, warns that the conservative amendment to allow companies to sell skimpy plans would destabilize the market and harm coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
Juxtaposition Of Slashing Services For Poor, Deep Tax Cuts For Wealthy Hard To Sell To Constituents
Republicans say the taxes are killing jobs and strangling economic growth, but paired with their plans for rolling back Medicaid, the cuts may become politically toxic to Republicans.
GOP Poised To Unveil New Plan In Hopes Of Securing 50 Votes And There’s No Margin For Error
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says he won’t vote for the legislation, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has also voiced strong opposition to the measure. That means Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) needs the vote of every single one of the rest of the 50 Republicans to pass the bill. The revised draft will be out today.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Reasons To Defend Medicaid; For Congress, Recess Isn’t The Problem… It’s The Games
Opinion writers offer their analysis of the ongoing debate on Capitol Hill and across the country over health care reforms and issues.
Perspectives: More Transparent Pricing System Would Help Untangle Confusion Around High Costs
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Pharma’s Money-Back Guarantees Sound Nice, But Experts See Them As A Ploy
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, Florida, Wisconsin and Missouri.
With Smoking In Movies On Rise, Experts Want All Films With Tobacco Use To Get An R-Rating
They say there’s evidence that strongly suggests that depictions of smoking in movies can lead to youth smoking.
Treatment Using Patient’s Own Immune Cells To Fight Cancer May Take Step Forward Wednesday
A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will decide if it can recommend the “true living drug” that has shown impressive success in some patients to the full agency. In other public health news: syphilis rates, mental health, high-risk pregnancies, alcohol withdrawal and more.
Justice To Target Opioid Treatment Programs Exploiting Affordable Care Act Insurance Plans
Sources say arrests will be carried out in cities including Miami, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the department has reached a settlement with a pharmaceutical company over its failure to report potential abuse of its drugs.
Home Health Agency Workers Get Extra Time To Prepare For New CMS Regulation
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services delays the rule by six months. In other news on the agency, its Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program awarded bonuses to some lower-rated facilities, the Government Accountability Offices finds.
Former CMS Administrators Press Senate To Delay Making Changes To Medicaid
Andy Slavitt, who worked for President Barack Obama, and Gail Wilensky, who worked for President George H.W. Bush, urge lawmakers to take a more deliberate review of Medicaid issues. “Congress can and should commit to improving and modernizing Medicaid, but the process will take time to develop bipartisan support for the changes that are needed and should not be rushed,” they wrote.
Oscar Teams Up With Humana In Pilot Project For Small-Business Insurance In Nashville
The partnership expands the startup insurer’s interests beyond plans sold to individual market.
Alaska To Set Up Reinsurance Program To Protect Consumers From Skyrocketing ACA Premiums
The state says the program will help save the government money in premium subsidies.
Ad Campaigns Urge Crucial Senators To Vote Against GOP Health Bill
The AARP, the Democratic National Committee and a trade group for safety-net health plans are launching campaigns targeting key Senate Republicans.
Nearly 70 Percent Of Republican Voters Want GOP To Continue Repeal Efforts
The poll also suggests that Republicans want Senate GOP leaders to shift gears and work with Democrats to pass a new health care bill. But a separate poll also finds that health care is not necessarily going to be the only deciding factor in the elections.
There’s No Real Buy-In From Republicans On Bill Making It Tough To Get To 50 Votes
The response has been tepid at best on the legislation, and lawmakers are struggling to get something they’ve been promising for seven years out the door. The New York Times offers a look at where they’re still divided, while the Los Angeles Times considers what a fix to Obamacare would like.
In Effort To Find A Way Forward, McConnell Contemplates Retaining Obamacare Taxes
The revised Senate health bill will likely retain certain taxes on wealthier Americans that helped finance the Affordable Care Act. This step would mark a big step back from a central GOP promise.
