Latest KFF Health News Stories
CDC Confirms Zika Can Be Transmitted Through Anal Sex
Officials do not know how long the virus can live in semen. In other Zika news, experts are divided over what to tell women looking to get pregnant in affected areas, the White House gets an unlikely champion in its funding efforts and infections are confirmed in Florida and Ohio.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions from around the country.
Columnists and editorial writers take on a range of public health issues.
Longer Looks: Clinical Trials; Soldiers On Drugs; ‘Hollywood’s Medicine Man’
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
News outlets report on health issues in Georgia, Massachusetts, California, New Hampshire, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska.
Iowa Medicaid Officials Say Move To Private Managed Care System Going Well
Leaders of the program say they encountered some expected glitches but nothing major. News outlets also report on Medicaid developments in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.
Report: KidsCare Expansion Would Deliver $75M In Economic Benefits To Arizona Next Year
Lawmakers in the state are at an impasse over the legislation, which would extend health coverage to 30,000 or more kids. News outlets also report on developments out of legislatures in Kansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Couple Who Ran N.Y. Flophouses Used By Addicts Arrested On Medicaid Fraud Charges
Yury and Rimma Baumblit had been the focus of an investigation by The New York Times. Other reports examine fraud cases in New York, Oklahoma and Maryland.
Brain Implant Allows Paralyzed Man To Move Hand Through Thoughts
When equipped with a device, the 24-year-old man regains enough use of his right hand to grasp a bottle and hold a toothbrush. Researchers hope the technology will help patients with similar spinal cord injuries.
Hospital Roundup: Mass. Budget Proposal Would Tax Hospitals; C-Section Rates High In Fla.
News on regional hospitals comes from Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois and Texas.
In ‘Worst Case Scenario,’ Theranos Founder Could Face 2-Year Ban
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offered harsh sanctions to the troubled blood-testing startup and its leadership in a March 18 letter, which The Wall Street Journal obtained. CMS is now reviewing Theranos’ response as to why those punishments should not be imposed.
Outgoing Valeant CEO Reverses Course, Agrees To Senate Deposition
J. Michael Pearson had previously refused to cooperate in a Senate committee’s investigation of soaring prescription drug prices, which had prompted lawmakers to threaten to initiate contempt proceedings.
Expensive New Meds, Price Hikes On Old Ones Contribute To Steep Drug Spending Spike
Total spending in 2015 rose to nearly $425 billion, according to the report from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. It estimates that after rebates and other price breaks, manufacturers received $309.5 billion for U.S. prescription drugs last year, up 8.5 percent from 2014.
Federal Lead Water Rule, Widely Considered Flawed, Won’t Be Updated Until Next Year, EPA Says
Environmental Protection Agency officials promise the agency is actively working on revisions to the rule, which Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has called “dumb and dangerous,” but say they don’t want to rush because they “want to get them right.”
‘Pill For Every Pain’ Culture Played Key Role In Opioid Epidemic, Experts Say
As the crisis grips the country, some health officials think President Barack Obama’s call for $1.1 billion in funding to fight opioid addiction signals a shift in thinking about addiction from an individual problem to a chronic medical condition. News outlets offer coverage of the epidemic in Missouri, Massachusetts and California.
CDC: There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Zika Causes Birth Defects
“Never before in history has there been a situation where a bite from a mosquito can result in a devastating malformation,” says CDC head Dr. Tom Frieden, ending months of debate about the virus’s effects.
Maine House Approves Medicaid Expansion, But Governor’s Veto Likely
Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed similar legislation five times before. Also, in Arkansas, a bill to fund the state’s Medicaid expansion program passes its first legislative hurdle but still faces a tough sell in the Senate.
Study: Public Increasingly Appreciates Health Law, But Likability Remains Rooted In Politics
A new study in Health Affairs returned to participants of polls from 2010, 2012 and 2014 to assess changes in attitude.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
