Latest KFF Health News Stories
Shkreli Gave The Public A Face To Blame For Price Gouging. Now He’s A Convicted Felon
Martin Shkreli was found guilty of three counts of fraud and faces a possible prison sentence. But how has his case affected the pharmaceutical industry?
Providers Failing To Follow Up With Troops At Risk For Suicide
The report also found that one third of troops with PTSD were prescribed with a medication harmful to their condition.
Republican Lawmakers In Pa. Weigh Changes To Medicaid, Adding Work Requirement
The state Senate has passed the plan and it goes back to the House for a vote. Meanwhile, officials and Medicaid enrollees in Nevada are concerned about the future of the Medicaid expansion program there.
Hospitals Nervous As Medicare Considers Paying For Joint Replacements At Surgical Centers
If the federal government begins covering hip and knee surgeries in outpatient facilities, hospitals could lose substantial business. Also in the news, consumer groups mobilize to fight the Trump administration’s proposal to allow nursing homes to force residents to settle complaints through mediation and in support of a decision during the Obama administration to hold up Medicaid money for Texas because of anti-abortion laws there.
McConnell Concedes GOP May Consider Bipartisan Solution To Stabilizing Marketplace
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) still hasn’t entirely ruled out repeal efforts, either. Meanwhile, Republicans are facing a time crunch if they want to move to tax reform.
As ACA Emerges From The Rubble Intact, Attention Shifts To Enrollment Season
Many questions remain about what exactly the enrollment period will look like, and if President Donald Trump and his administration will try to undermine sign-ups. Meanwhile, the damage may already be done to the individual marketplace following months of uncertainty.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Medicaid And Doctors Are Key Weapons In Fight Against Opioid Epidemic
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
The Debate On Health Care: The Need For Bipartisanship; The Origin Of The Rage
Opinion writers analyze where Congress turns now on the health law and the factors affecting the political decisions.
Research Roundup: Value-Based Payment; ACOs; And Medicare Advantage
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Outlets report on news from Texas, Vermont, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, California, Illinois, Florida, Kansas, Ohio and Louisiana.
Doctor Tackles Internet’s Most Dubious And Dangerous Medical Advice With Empathy And Snark
Dr. Jennifer Gunter is loved and loathed by many for taking on Republicans, President Donald Trump and Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop. In other public health news: seniors who don’t take their meds, back pain, transgender police recruits and flame retardants.
Most Effective Opioid Addiction Treatment Banned From Majority Of Jails
Much of the criminal justice system still takes a punitive approach to addiction. Many who work in corrections believe, incorrectly, that treatments like methadone, itself an opioid, allow inmates to get high and simply replace one addiction with another. In other news on the crisis: driving under the influence; answers about the epidemic; how health law repeal would hurt those fighting addiction; and more.
Trump Blaming Mexico For N.H.’s Opioid Crisis Exposes Lack Of Understanding Of The Epidemic
In a phone call with Mexico’s leader, President Donald Trump called New Hampshire a “drug-infested den,” and placed the blame on Mexican cartels. However, the crisis has its roots in prescription drug abuse, which can come from a local doctor.
Lack Of Access To Care In Rural Areas Particularly Hard For Veterans
There are veterans who are making hours-long car trips just to get chemotherapy treatment. Pilot programs, such as offering van rides to those who don’t have transportation, are being instituted across the country, but funding for them can be tight to nonexistent. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump praises a new telehealth program to try to address that problem.
Feds Back Down Over Rule Requiring Accreditors To Release Reports On Hospital Errors, Mix-Ups
The decision did not go over well with supporters of the rule. ““The public deserves full transparency on how the health care industry performs. Instead, transparency has been sacrificed to accommodate special interests that lobby to avoid disclosing embarrassing information about health care quality,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.
Despite Turmoil Over ACA, Employer-Provided Health Care Not Budging Any Time Soon
“I think a company — any size company — would be incredibly afraid to just cancel its insurance policy and say the hell with it,” says business owner Walt Rowen.
Massachusetts Officials Take Control Of Health Insurance Co-Op Formed By ACA
Minuteman Health Inc., which served customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, was one of the small customer-owned insurance companies established by the federal health law. News outlets also look at other Obamacare insurance issues elsewhere.
Aetna Smashes Second-Quarter Expectations With 52 Percent Profit Jump
Aetna added Medicare customers and grew the health plans it provides for large employers. A pullback from the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges also helped its business improve compared to last year’s quarter.
Emails Reveal Behind-The-Scenes Drama Of FDA’s Drug Approval Process
Last year, a fierce battle emerged over Sarepta’s new muscular dystrophy drug, in which FDA official Janet Woodcock approved the treatment — overruling the recommendations of a review team and an advisory committee. Newly released emails show what happened next.
