Latest KFF Health News Stories
Administration Dips Into NIH Funds As Congress Refuses To Budge On Zika
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced that the administration is moving $81 million away from biomedical research and other health programs to continue Zika vaccine development funding, which would run out by the end of the month otherwise.
First Edition: August 12, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Medicaid’s Shortcomings; Mixed Messages Regarding Pain And Opioids
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Noticing Cardiac Arrest; Bug Hunting; And The Science Of Cupping
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Outlets report on health news from Texas, Delaware, Ohio, Minnesota, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, California, Colorado and Georgia.
Anti-Abortion Activist’s Group Gets $1.6M As Part Of Texas’ Healthy Woman Program
The Healthy Texas Women program absorbs an old program that ousted Planned Parenthood, which criticized the grant saying it funnels “hard-earned tax dollars in support of their anti-abortion agenda.”
‘I Assume You’re Calling About My Death’: Clerical Errors Turn Some Into Living Dead
One day a man got a letter from the Social Security Administration offering condolences about his recent loss of life, and what follows is a Monty Python-worthy scramble to figure out just what happened.
Puerto Ricans Shrug Off Concerns As Zika Ravages Island
For many residents, Zika is just the latest virus to hit the island — and it doesn’t seem as scary as some that have come before it. But for researchers trying to contain it, it’s terrifying. “This is something you would imagine if you were writing science fiction — but it’s the reality,” says Brenda Rivera Garcia, the state epidemiologist for Puerto Rico.
Hospitals, Paralyzed By Fear Over Penalties, Are Tossing Organs, Refusing To Do Transplants
Surgeries involving imperfect organs and extremely ill patients are more risky, so hospitals that do many of them run the risk of poor outcomes that may hurt their performance on the standards.
Obama Administration Lifts Restrictions On Marijuana To Aid Medical Research
Now, universities will be able to apply to grow marijuana, which experts say will alleviate the shortage researchers have faced before. However, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency has decided to reaffirm marijuana’s classification as a “Schedule I” drug.
Prosecutors Investigate Valeant’s Link To Mail-Order-Pharmacy For Possible Fraud
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan is looking into the company’s relationship to Philidor Rx Services, and whether it defrauded insurers by hiding the extent of those ties.
Specialty Drug Costs Are Top Reason Insurance Will Be More Expensive Next Year, Survey Finds
Meanwhile, other stories related to the insurance market focus on expenses for uninsured testicular cancer patients, a Georgia health system deal and a federal fraud indictment in Florida.
In Setback To Insurers, Judge Sets Aetna-Humana Trial For December
The later trial date means a ruling isn’t likely to come down until January. The companies have an agreement that if the merger isn’t approved by Dec. 31, Humana has the option to walk away from the deal.
GOP Candidates Distance Campaigns From ‘Repeal-And-Replace’ Mantra Of The Past
The health law, one of most politically charged topics of the day, has faded into the background of the 2016 elections. Meanwhile, The Washington Post looks at how talking about the candidates’ mental health in soundbites can be a tricky business.
Brewing Health Law Storm Could Rain On Next President’s First Month In Office
The fourth Obamacare signup period ends about one week before inauguration on Jan. 20, and could set the tone for the future of the health law following a precarious year for insurers on the marketplace.
Maternal Mortality Rates Rise In U.S. — Higher Than Most Other Industrialized Countries
Researchers aren’t sure why the rates have increased, but think that women having children later in life and C-sections play a role in the grim statistics. In other public health news, the Pulse shooting provides lessons on how paramedics and other responders should act in the aftermath of such events.
First Edition: August 11, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Outlets report on health news from California, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, Florida, Wyoming, Georgia, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
N.Y. Medicaid Program Paid $2.3M In Managed Care For Dead Patients, Auditors Find
Auditors say they identified 119 dead people enrolled in Medicaid and 1,177 enrollees who died and weren’t automatically removed. In other news, dental reimbursements in Kansas frustrate providers.
