Latest KFF Health News Stories
Insurance Warrior Wages Battle Over Expensive Treatments
Laurie Todd, a 66-year-old former massage therapist, has become a crusader for patients whose insurance companies refuse to pay for a medical treatment. “I’m sitting here in my pajamas making decision-makers who get $20 million a year do the right thing,” she says.
Health Insurer Centene Reports Better-Than-Expected Profits
CEO Michael Neidorff said the company, which recently closed its $6 billion takeover of Health Net, is “achieving margins at the higher end of our targeted range” on its plans offered on the health law marketplace. Also, news outlets report on developments with Anthem and Express Scripts.
Last Ditch Legislative Effort To Kill Medicaid Expansion Fizzles In Arkansas
Senators failed to override the governor’s maneuvers to extend the health program for low-income residents. Also, a poll in Utah suggests that a majority of residents want the legislature there to agree to expand Medicaid.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘Out Of The Shadows’: For Kasich, Mental Health Issues Hit Close To Home
The candidate for the Republican presidential nomination’s only brother, Richard, 59, has struggled with depression disorders since college.
Viewpoints: Detailing The Cadillac Tax; Health Care And Longevity’s Decline
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health issues in Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, California, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Maryland and Alabama.
States’ Budget Woes Taking A Toll On Health Care And Medicaid Services
News outlets report on efforts around the country to close state budget gaps that may cut health services for low-income residents.
Sen. Brown, Opponents Slam Ohio Medicaid Plan
The proposal would require Medicaid recipients to pay a monthly premium of 2 percent of their income to receive benefits.
Teenagers Exposed To E-Cigarette Ads More Likely To Partake, CDC Finds
An increase in e-cigarettes usage among the younger generation correlates with the rise in spending on e-cigarette advertisements to $115 million in 2014. Elsewhere, The Baltimore Sun shines a light on the vaping culture and those who support it.
Zika Funding Negotiations Could Wrap Up This Week, Sources Say
And in Dallas, health officials are taking pro-active measures to control the virus’ spread before mosquito season even starts.
In Effort To Curb Opioid Overdose Pandemic, One Boston Clinic Takes Unconventional Approach
On Tuesday, Boston Health Care for the Homeless will open a room where drug users can ride out their highs under medical supervision. “When you initially hear we’re going to cooperate with someone using heroin, it might be a little shock to the system,” said former state senator Steven Tolman. “But with the level of pandemic we’re dealing with … any effort to get this problem under control is a worthwhile experiment.”
The legislation would threaten the license of any doctor who performs an abortion except when the procedure is necessary to protect the life of the mother. In other news, Iowa’s governor calls the legislature’s move to ban Planned Parenthood funding a “reasonable proposal,” and a new report finds that AmeriCorps “abortion doulas” were in violation of federal law.
N.Y.C. Hospitals Targeted For Overhaul
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is seeking $2 billion in his budget as part of a plan to restructure the city’s hospitals. Meanwhile, Modern Healthcare explores some of the difficulties that stem from hospital-system mergers. Also, Georgia Health News reports on how the state’s hospital safety rankings have gone done. News outlets also report on hospital-related developments in Kansas and California.
Under the agreement, the attorney general’s office will end investigations it began last year into the insurers’ coverage of the $94,500 treatment. Meanwhile, the state has also informed insurers that they will have to start paying for depression screening of pregnant women and new mothers.
Joseph Papa Named As New Valeant CEO
Joseph Papa, who will take over from J. Michael Pearson, is joining the company in a time of turmoil, after investigations into its drug-pricing and accounting practices sent its stocks tumbling.
High Court Justices Wrestle With Issues In Patent Case Backed By Drug Makers
The four liberal justices, joined at times by Justice Anthony Kennedy, sounded skeptical toward arguments in the case that centers around the question: What standard for interpreting patents should be used in new reviews created by Congress in 2011?
Two Louisiana Hospitals Question Projected Medicaid Expansion Savings
Meanwhile, insurer Centene Corp. reports an increase in quarterly revenue of nearly 36 percent, helped by higher Medicaid enrollment rates.
After Serious Losses On Marketplaces, Some Insurers Likely To Sharply Raise Premiums
Some of the companies priced their plans too low in the early years of the health marketplaces. In other news, a preview of the possible fallout for insurers if a court rules against the Obama administration on cost sharing subsidies, several outlets look at UnitedHealth’s pullback and California lawmakers weigh a measure to allow immigrants in the country illegally to buy coverage on the state marketplace.
Despite Pleas From Patients, FDA Panel Votes Against Drug For Muscular Dystrophy
The panel members said the trial was not well-controlled, noting that it only involved 12 patients without an adequate placebo control.
