Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: February 2, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Senate Panel Advances Price HHS Nomination, Without Any Democrats Present
In the face of a boycott by Democrats on the panel, Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee temporarily suspended a rule that would have required at least one Democrat to be present for a vote to go forward on Tom Price’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Viewpoints: The Ups And Downs Of The Repeal-And-Replace Debate; Trump And The Cures Act
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Perspectives: Misinformation Reigned Supreme At Trump’s Meeting With Pharma
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Public Outraged Over Drug Prices Yet Fears Hampering Innovation
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical drug pricing.
Outlets report on news from Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Colorado, New Hampshire, Georgia, California and Florida.
Today’s other public news stories focus on treating constipation, using games and crafts to stave off mental decline, a patient accidentally injected with drug-resistant bacteria and tainted medical scopes.
Republican Lawmakers Begin Hearings On Revamping Medicaid But Bypass The Big Issues
The House subcommittee looked at specific issues such as third-party liabilities and excess spending but didn’t tackle some of the larger questions on whether to keep the health law’s expansion of Medicaid or turning to a block grant program. Also, Democrats complained about claims by some conservatives that the expansion left many disabled people on waiting lists for services.
Aetna CEO: Despite Best Intentions Health Law Failed
Chief Executive Mark T. Bertolini said the company has lost $450 million on ACA-compliant coverage last year — $100 million more than it expected.
VA Secretary: Wide-Scale Firings, Dismantling Agency Not The Way To Fix System
David Shulkin, who is in line to be the lone ex-Obama administration official serving in Trump’s Cabinet, is expected to advocate for a measured response over dramatic changes to the system at his Senate hearing on Wednesday.
Pharma Silent On Immigration Ban Despite Relying Heavily On Foreign Labor
“My guess is pharma is waiting to see how it plays out and which side the public opinion goes,” said Hank Greely, director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford Law School. “I think that’s prudent — but another word for prudent, of course, is ‘cowardly.’” Meanwhile, hospitals are already feeling the effects of the ban, and hundreds of medical students and doctors want Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to cancel its fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida in light of the order.
Reading Between The Lines, Anti-Abortion Movement Celebrates Trump’s Supreme Court Pick
Although Neil Gorsuch has little history on abortion, he has written extensively on “inherently valuable” human life and sided against the health law’s contraception mandate by calling out a provision that would require the objecting businesses to “underwrite payments for drugs or devices that can have the effect of destroying a fertilized human egg.”
GOP’s Solution Of Selling Insurance Across State Lines Has Already Been Tried — And It Failed
Although it’s touted as a way to drive down costs, the idea of selling insurance across state lines is riddled with complications that deter many regulators from adopting the option. Meanwhile, some Republicans are criticizing their own party for being caught flat-footed on repeal and replace following the elections. And a variety of business and labor groups are concerned about tax breaks for employer-sponsored health insurance.
Open Enrollment Finishes Strong, But Some Say Demand Was Lower Than Previous Deadline
The new administration pulled outreach efforts last week, and as the Tuesday deadline arrived, enrollment volunteers noticed a decrease in demand from last year.
Democrats Boycott Price’s Hearing, Saying He Misled American People
The Senate Finance Committee was scheduled to vote on Tom Price, the Trump administration nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, but Democrats refused to show as part of a larger campaign to oppose the president’s Cabinet choices.
Despite Calling Drug Prices ‘Astronomical,’ Trump Takes Mostly Conciliatory Tone In Pharma Meeting
The president met with the heads of some of the country’s biggest drugmakers on Tuesday. He said that they need to lower drug costs, but that he also plans to roll back regulations and help streamline the approval process to make things easier for the industry.
First Edition: February 1, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Democrats Boycott Price’s Hearing, Saying He Misled American People
The Senate Finance Committee was scheduled to vote on HHS nominee Tom Price, but Democrats refused to show as part of a larger campaign to oppose the president’s Cabinet choices.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Georgia, Minnesota, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Colorado, Connecticut, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
