Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Price Defends Steep Cuts To NIH As Reducing Redundancies And Waste

Morning Briefing

The Health and Human Services secretary was grilled by appropriators about the suggested $5.8 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health 2018 budget, in addition to the surprise $1.2 billion that was proposed for next year.

Responses And Reviews: Action Needed On The Kansas Medicaid Expansion, Kentucky Mental Health Law

Morning Briefing

Editorial pages in Kansas urge Gov. Sam Brownback to follow the state legislature’s lead and sign the Medicaid expansion while Kentucky’s opinion writers urge state lawmakers to reverse Gov. Matt Bevin’s veto of a mental health bill.

California Activists Behind Planned Parenthood Videos Charged With 15 Felonies

Morning Briefing

Prosecutors say David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt filmed 14 people without permission between October 2013 and July 2015 in Los Angeles, San Francisco and El Dorado counties. The videos added fuel to congressional Republicans’ crusade against the organization.

Trump To Create Opioid Panel To Assess Federal Funding, Create Best Practices For Treatment

Morning Briefing

The president’s proposed executive order, however, left many Democrats on Capitol Hill scratching their heads because much of the information the commission appears to be seeking to establish is already well-known after an extensive public debate last year. Meanwhile, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is pursuing answers on drugmakers’ role in the opioid epidemic.

Trump Suggests Surprise $1.2B Cut To NIH, But GOP Lawmaker Says It’s A Nonstarter

Morning Briefing

“You can’t come in at the last minute in a budget, to be fair, you weren’t a part of, and negotiate these kinds of changes,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said in response to the proposal. “I just don’t think it’s doable.

Florida Lawmaker’s Plan To Cut Medicaid Budget By $239 Million Has Hospitals On Edge

Morning Briefing

Hospitals are deeply concerned that the proposal, which would likely also bring a similar reduction in federal funding, could deeply cut into their revenues. Meanwhile, Georgia officials are preparing to add another insurer to the Medicaid managed care program