Latest KFF Health News Stories
DON’T MISS IT!: KHN will hold a Facebook Live chat today at 2 p.m. Senior correspondent Jordan Rau will answer questions about his story examining how House and Senate Republicans’ plans to overhaul the ACA and Medicaid would impact nursing home care. Tune in here.
Senate GOP Leaders Say They Will Put Off Health Plan Vote Until After The July 4th Recess
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had hoped to bring the bill to the floor for a vote before the upcoming break, but support for the bill faltered within his own party. He now plans to make changes to the measure that will shore up the support of the reluctant members of the Republican caucus.
Viewpoints: The Heat Of Health Care Rhetoric; The Link Between Access To Care And Curbing Opioids
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlook From The States: Concern For The Health Care Safety Net; Criticism For The GOP Senate Plan
Editorial pages across the country offer strongly worded cautions about the current direction of the health care debate and how the current policy debate would play out in their respective areas.
Editorial writers and columnists analyze a variety of policy proposals advanced in the current Senate plan.
Political Points And Counter Points: What’s At Stake As GOP Senators Face A Health Plan Vote
Opinion writers contemplate the cost-benefit analysis Republican senators are confronting. Many have for years dreamed of the chance to unravel Obamacare, but the Congressional Budget Office analysis offers some damning reasons to think twice before supporting it.
Media outlets report on news out of Arizona, California and Ohio.
Pharmacist Sentenced To 9 Years For Role In Deadly Fungal Meningitis Outbreak
The outbreak, which was tied to the New England Compounding Center, caused at least 64 deaths.
The study could help redirect efforts toward curbing the opioid epidemic.
Is DNA Testing For Health Adults Actually A Good Idea? These Scientists Don’t Think So
Although it sounds like the wave of the future, the upsides of genome sequencing may not outweigh the negatives. In other public health news: wrong diagnoses, medical care for undocumented immigrants, superbugs, hair products and more.
Why California’s Single-Payer Proposal Was Doomed To Fail
The bill was more a reflection of ideological wishes than reality, and thus never stood a strong chance of passing.
GOP’s Health Care Stumbles Are Causing Some Donors To Lock Up Piggy Banks
“You control the Senate. You control the House. You have the presidency. There’s no reason you can’t get this done. Get it done and we’ll open it back up,” one influential donor said.
If Republicans Are Going To Succeed In Getting Rid Of ACA’s Taxes, This Is Their Window
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady says there are no plans to use future tax reform legislation to rework them.
Tweak To Senate Bill Penalizing Consumers For Dropping Insurance Draws Sharp Criticism
The change is aimed at appeasing skittish industry leaders, but patient advocates say Americans could face grave health consequences if they have to wait for a plan to kick in before seeking costly treatments.
‘People Will Die’: The Country Reacts To Proposed GOP Health Plan
As the American Medical Association comes out against the Senate health care bill, The New York Times and other outlets round up reactions on it from across America.
Democrats Light Anti-Trumpcare Fire: ‘The Power Of The People Is Greater Than The People In Power’
Democratic lawmakers are digging in this week against the Senate version of repeal-and-replace legislation, including holding a rally on the steps of Capitol Hill that drew senators and protesters alike.
In Rare Note Of Industry Support, Anthem Lauds Senate Bill’s Efforts To Stabilize Insurance
The legislation, which would pay insurers billions to help keep the health law markets afloat for several years and kill a tax on insurance plans, will “moderate premium increases,” Anthem said in a statement.
Va. Says It Will Lose $1.4B In Senate’s Medicaid Plan; Iowa Nursing Homes Also Raise Alarms
Around the country, Medicaid stakeholders are speaking out about how a reduction in federal funding for Medicaid under the Senate plan would play out in the states.
As GOP Takes Aim At Medicaid, A Growing Chorus Rises To Sing Its Praises
The federal-state program, which covers 70 million low-income Americans, has long been stigmatized as substandard. But it also has grown into a powerhouse program that now provides funding for hospitals, nursing homes and drug treatment, and cutting that back has many people nervous.
Senate Bill Dealt Tough Blow With CBO Score, But Leadership Eyes Side Deals As Possible Path Forward
At least six GOP senators are now opposed to the bill and three have said they would block it on the procedural vote. But Senate leaders were also pleasantly surprised by the amount of savings that can go toward wooing reluctant colleagues.
