Latest KFF Health News Stories
Lawmakers Argue To Keep Opioid Crisis On Front Burner During Health Care Debate
A bipartisan group of House members continues to push for increased financial support to the states for prevention and treatment programs. Meanwhile, news outlets report on the national epidemic from Maryland, Washington and California.
We’re Running Out Of Treatment Options To Fight Superbugs, WHO Warns
The World Health Organization has released a list of antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens” to spur on research and awareness about the threat.
VA Vows To Close Gaps That Allowed Drugs To Go Missing
The Department of Veterans Affairs will be adding some inspectors to help check drug inventories across a network of 160 medical centers and 1,000 clinics.
Ill. Governor Unveils Plan To Move More Medicaid Enrollees Into Managed Care Programs
Gov. Bruce Rauner says the change could save the state money but doesn’t speculate on how much that will be. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Minnesota.
Getting Patients To Have Skin In The Game Is An Economist’s Dream, But It’s Also A Political Risk
Although experts believe high costs are being driven by the high prices of medical services in the country, Republicans are instead focusing on getting Americans to pay more for their own coverage. It’s a political risk that could backfire on them. In other news, The Washington Post fact checks Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s health law claim, pre-existing conditions continue to be a sticky issue, a look at how one CEO managed to not lose big under the Affordable Care Act, and more.
Medicaid Expansion Drives Wedge Between GOP Governors
“We need to find a formula that’s fair for everyone. Maybe that’s going to be an impossibility, but we need to get as close to fairness as we can and give flexibility to the respective states,” Republican Gov. Gary Herbert of Utah says of the issue that dominated the National Governors’ Association’s winter meeting.
Conservatives Rebel Against GOP Leadership’s ‘Obamacare Lite’ Repeal Plans
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows says he won’t support the proposed plan, creating a rift in the party as Republicans try to dismantle and replace the health law.
Administration’s Pace In Filling Top Jobs Slows Regulatory Roll-Back Efforts
Also in the news, President Donald Trump’s nomination to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says she will recuse herself from mental health policy decisions because of her husband’s child psychiatry practice. Meanwhile, fallout from the travel ban snags some physician rural recruitment efforts.
GOP Worries Trump’s Shifting Rhetoric On Health Law Opens Possibility Of Advocates Hijacking Debate
The president’s message on the future of the Affordable Care Act often depends on who he is talking to. Meanwhile, Republicans, who are lacking consensus on some of the fundamentals of replacement, want guidance from the administration.
President Implores Insurers To Help ‘Save Americans From Obamacare’
President Donald Trump held a meeting with executives to get them on board with Republican plans to dismantle the health law.
‘Nobody Knew That Health Care Could Be So Complicated,’ Trump Tells Governors
The president said the intricacies of replacing the health law could slow progress on other priorities, such as the tax overhaul and infrastructure.
Trump Says Insurers Will ‘Like What They Hear’ On Health Care In His First Address To Congress
President Donald Trump’s address to Congress comes a day after he released a spending plan that skirts attempts to cut Medicare.
First Edition: February 28, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Where Opioid Addiction Sometimes Starts; Improving End-Of-Life Care
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
The Twists And Turns Of Unraveling The Health Law And Related Federal Policies
Opinion writers examine the issues in play — and how people might be affected by them — as the repeal-replace-repair debate continues.
Outlets report on news from Connecticut, Wisconsin, Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Ohio.
Mo. Foster Care Flooded With Young Kids Of Parents Addicted To Heroin
In other news on the nation’s opioid and heroin epidemic, police departments in Virginia and Ohio expand the use of naloxone by officers to combat overdoses.
Artificial Blood Has Long-Bedeviled Scientists, But Breakthrough May Be On The Horizon
The artificial blood could be freeze-dried and stored safely for years. In other public health news: antibiotic-resistant infections, aid in dying, gene editing, alcoholism, obesity and more.
Direct Primary Doctors Provide More Affordable Alternative To ‘Concierge’ Care
A small but growing number of doctors is bypassing insurance and charging patients a monthly fee for services.
The Associated Press reports that Veterans Affairs disciplined more than 370 employees across 160 medical centers and 1,000 clinics since 2010 for drug- or alcohol related infractions.
