Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Is Not ‘An Open Question’ For The White House, HHS Secretary Says
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price spoke of the need to make sure Medicare is financially stable but promised the White House views it as a guarantee for seniors.
Older Adults Could See Premiums Spike By 25% If Health Law Is Repealed
Under current rules, insurers cannot charge older adults more than three times what they charge young adults for the same coverage, but that could change under the Republicans’ plans. Meanwhile, Utah’s surge in sign ups under the Affordable Care Act this year highlights problems Republicans will face when dismantling the law, and conservative groups say their patience has come to an end.
Pence: Despite Best Efforts Of Activists, Americans Know ‘Obamacare Must Go’
The vice president says that President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have a close partnership that will benefit Americans “for generations to come.”
As Congress Wrestles With Medicaid’s Future, Advocates In States Rally To Preserve Expansion
House Republicans’ plan has not yet been unveiled but could include a compromise to allow the current federal funding for Medicaid expansion continue until 2020 but it’s not clear conservatives will accept that formula.
E&C Chairman’s Political Savvy To Be Tested As A Point Person On Repeal
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., the chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, will be navigating the tumultuous waters of repeal as his committee begins handling legislation to dismantle the health law.
With Holy Grail Of Repeal In Sight, Leadership Gears Up To Muscle Bills Through Despite Opposition
Although a large chunk of their own party is threatening to block their efforts, Republican lawmakers are starting this week to actually put their repeal promises into action.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions from around the country.
Different Takes On The Issues In Play As GOP Lawmakers Wrestle With Obamacare
Opinion writers review the strategies and ideas being advanced as the debate over what to do with the health law continues.
Skin Cancer Survivors Better At Protecting Themselves From Sun Damage, But Some Still Getting Burnt
The results of the study speak to a truism in health: Changing behavior is really hard.
Women Infected With Zika 20 Times More Likely To Have A Baby With Birth Defects
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention look at a range of abnormalities associated with Zika, from microcephaly to vision problems and joints with limited range of motion, such as clubfoot.
Places Hit Hardest By Economic Woes More Likely To Be Ravaged By Opioid Epidemic
A new study finds a link between unemployment rates and abuse of prescription painkillers. Meanwhile, an advocacy group’s funding is called into question and more people are taking opioids.
Rural Hospitals Turning Away Women In Labor, Violating Federal Law
In several cases, women suffered serious complications after being denied treatment, or were misdiagnosed at facilities that lacked specialists in obstetrics.
Pharma May Dodge Spending Cuts In GOP Obamacare Repeal Plan
The leaked Republican plan to repeal and replace the health law doesn’t include other cost savings aimed at pharmaceutical companies either. Elsewhere, President Donald Trump says the Food and Drug Administration is slow to approve new drugs, but it is actually faster than ever. And, a drug distributor merges with a health care analytics firm.
Trump’s Pick To Head CMS Moves To Full Senate Floor
Seema Verma, a consultant who helped design Vice President Mike Pence’s Medicaid expansion in Indiana, is expected to be confirmed.
Pence Pledges To ‘Lift The Weight Of Obamacare’ Off Americans
At a stop in Ohio, Vice President Mike Pence visited a small business with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and vowed to maintain health coverage for the most vulnerable Americans while repealing the law, which he says lays a heavy financial and regulatory burden on small businesses.
Specter Of Lifetime Caps Returns As Health Law’s Protections Are Considered For Chopping Block
Those with chronic illnesses are concerned the plan to replace the Affordable Care Act will bring back lifetime caps. In other health law news: the Cadillac tax; the implications of repeal on science; health care stocks; and the president’s claim that 20 million Americans have taken a tax penalty instead of buying coverage.
Governors Crafting Medicaid Compromise With Promise Of Ensuring Flexibility And Coverage
“What we’re trying to do is have everybody be on the same page with something that’ll actually pass and work in the states,” Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said.
The Case Of The Hidden Draft: Senators Play Hide-And-Seek To Find GOP’s Repeal Blueprint
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and other lawmakers tromped through the Capitol on Thursday in search of the Republican leadership’s fiercely guarded draft replacement plan.
House Leaders, Confident Rabble-Rousers Will Fall In Line, Promise Repeal This Month
But in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., strikes a less optimistic tone, saying “we’re not there yet.”
