Latest KFF Health News Stories
Ryan, Obama To Meet As House Prepares For Vote On Overriding Veto On Health Law Repeal
It will be the first one-on-one meeting between the president and the Wisconsin Republican since he became speaker of the House. Also in health law news, a look at efforts in New York and Minnesota to offer more affordable policies to low-income residents, Minnesota reports its enrollment numbers and an Ohio insurer drops a health system from its network.
Iowa Caucuses: Cruz Beats Trump; Clinton Claims Narrow Victory
The night signals a long road ahead for both parties.
First Edition: February 2, 2016
Editor’s Note: California Healthline is now being produced by Kaiser Health News. Our goal is to bring you the best coverage of health policy news in California, with original reporting that highlights the state’s outsized influence on the nation’s health care system. Click here to learn more about California Healthline and its staff. If you would like to receive the free California Healthline daily or weekly emails, you can adjust your email preferences here.
Viewpoints: Health Premiums Bust Wallets; Affordability Of Care, Access To Insurance Go Together
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on health care developments in California, Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois, Hawaii, Florida, Minnesota, Texas and Delaware.
Republican Efforts Against Planned Parenthood In Texas Produce Few Results
The grand jury investigation is just one of several steps Texas Republicans have taken against the reproductive health organization. Media outlets also report on abortion news in Florida and Kentucky.
Cancer Moonshot Ignites Long-Simmering Firestorm Over Data Sharing
The research community has been set asunder over how fast scientists should share data. In other public health news, concerns arise in Flint, Michigan, over children who have been affected by the water crisis, a program helps adults who were childhood cancer survivors as they face unique challenges, and a study finds fiber reduces breast cancer risk.
Health Care Attacks Escalate As Candidates Make Final Push Before Caucuses
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton says opponent Bernie Sanders’ health care plan will “never, ever come to pass,” and targets Republican Ted Cruz over his lack of a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, Sanders defends his proposals from critics who call them unrealistic. And STAT looks at how Americans’ health care has become the defining battle between the two candidates.
Advocates’ Focus Turns To Enrolling Millions Of People Eligible For Medicaid
Nationally, as many as 6 million people eligible for Medicaid have not signed up, The Wall Street Journal reports. In addition, reports provide expansion news in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Alaska and South Dakota.
IRS Alerts Consumers To Insurance Penalty Tax Scam
Tax preparers are keeping the money from the fines their clients are paying for being uninsured, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The agency said the creators of these schemes have been “targeting taxpayers with limited English proficiency and, in particular, those who primarily speak Spanish.”
Enrollment Period Comes To An End With Little Fanfare From Administration
Federal officials are quiet about information on website traffic and enrollment from the weekend. Meanwhile, Maryland and California, two states that run their own exchanges, offer enrollment extensions.
WHO To Decide If Zika Is ‘Public Health Emergency’ On Monday
The World Health Organization is holding an emergency meeting to decide if the Zika virus requires a coordinated global response. Meanwhile, NPR looks at how Puerto Rico has been affected, how the virus is sparking the abortion debate in Brazil again, and how women in affected areas have limited access to contraception because of religious doctrines.
First Edition: February 1, 2016
Editor’s Note: California Healthline is now being produced by Kaiser Health News. Our goal is to bring you the best coverage of health policy news in California, with original reporting that highlights the state’s outsize influence on the nation’s health care system. Click here to learn more about California Healthline and its staff. If you would like to receive the free California Healthline daily or weekly emails, you can adjust your email preferences here.
Viewpoints: Sanders’ ‘Bold’ Yet ‘Facile’ Ideas; How The GOP Should Aim At Obamcare
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Impact Of GOP Lawsuit; Co-Ops’ Failures; Plan Choices For Patients With HIV
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
News outlets report on health care developments in Massachusetts, Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Alaska, California, Minnesota, Indiana and Florida.
Drug Makers Attempt To Treat Depression By Blocking Inflammation Instead Of Altering Brain Chemistry
Meanwhile, in other public health news, WBUR profiles a former addiction counselor now living with dementia — with help from a onetime patient whose life he changed. And researchers capture a cell that would become cancer at its earliest state.
After Ebola Missteps, Politicians Walk Delicate Line On Zika Messaging
The White House and other political leaders need to strike a balance between preparedness and disproportionate reactions that go beyond public health recommendations. Meanwhile, new research calls into question the link between the virus and a rare birth defect, even as women worry about abortion and childlessness as a result of the crisis.
Report: Dozens Of Deficiencies Found At Reservation Hospitals
The Associated Press reports on federal findings that hospitals on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations are providing substandard care for their patients. The Department of Health and Human Services calls the deficiencies “unacceptable” and says it is working with Indian Health Services to improve the facilities.
When There’s Only Enough For One, Doctors Faced With ‘Tragic Choice’: Who Gets The Medication?
Drug shortages are the new normal in American medicine, but the decisions around which patient gets the medication is causing murky ethical quandaries and questionable medical practices for physicians. In other patient news, STAT examines why mix-ups, which can lead to fatal errors, happen with such frequency.
