Latest KFF Health News Stories
Lawsuits Will Test Whether State Medicaid Plans Must Provide Expensive Hepatitis C Drugs
A handful of lawsuits are seeking to turn around state policies that limit coverage of the drugs for Medicaid enrollees and prisoners. Also, media outlets look at Medicaid news in Alabama, Iowa and Montana.
Conn. Governor, Health Officials Sued Over Ebola Quarantine
The plaintiffs say the decision was unconstitutional and was rooted in political, not scientific, grounds.
Researchers: ‘There’s No Silver Bullet’ To Eliminating Mosquitoes, But Progress Can Be Made
As the Zika virus spreads, scientists are looking for ways to wipe out the species that carry life-threatening diseases, but the solution isn’t a simple one. In other news, experts find it hard to offer advice to pregnant women as they themselves receive ever-changing information about the virus; 12 groups are racing to find a vaccine; and workers have few legal avenues to pursue if they want to avoid being sent to Zika-afflicted areas for their jobs.
Caregivers Struggle To Honor Requests Not To Be ‘Sent Away’ To Nursing Homes
As the population ages, more families face difficult choices when a loved one asks them to “promise you won’t put me away.” Experts says that more must be demanded of the nation’s long-term care facilities.
Senators Aim To Defy Odds With Bipartisan Medicare Reform Efforts
Lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee are setting their sights on making changes to Medicare — even if it means expanding aspects of the Affordable Care Act during an election year. In other news from Capitol Hill, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has concerns about possible ties that experts on an advisory panel have to the pharmaceutical industry, and the Senate HELP Committee will mark up medical innovation bills.
Wyo. Governor Presses For Medicaid Expansion In Address To Legislature
Gov. Matt Mead tells lawmakers that the program would help uninsured residents and the state’s hospitals. Also in the news, bills are introduced in the Kansas legislature that promote an expansion plan authored by the state’s hospital association.
Eight States Show Significant Drops In Uninsured: Gov’t Report
The Associated Press reports that the eight states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and New York — with statistically significant coverage gains in the National Health Interview Survey represent a political grab bag. Meanwhile, news outlets in Georgia, Connecticut and Montana detail state-based coverage numbers.
As CDC Put On Highest Level Of Alert Over Zika, Obama Asks For $1.8 Billion In Emergency Funding
The president says there’s no need to panic, and experts do not expect a large U.S. outbreak. They say, however, that the extra funding will help them prepare as spring and summer approach.
What’s In Obama’s $4.15 Trillion Budget?
Although much of the president’s budget includes proposals that are dead on arrival in the Republican Congress, ideas such as funding cancer research and opioid treatment could garner bipartisan support in a rancorous election year.
It’s Not Just Putting Down The Eggs: Stress Plays An Under-Recognized Role In High Cholesterol
In an era in which digital technology makes it hard for employees to unplug and relax, researchers are warning that chronic stress from these tough jobs and other causes can lead to high cholesterol just like poor diet and lack of exercise do. In other public health news, scientists find a new species of bacterium that causes Lyme disease and victims of the Flint, Michigan, water crisis are filing lawsuits against the state and other officials.
First Edition: February 9, 2016
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Is Sanders’ Single-Payer Plan The Cure All?; The Problem With Deductibles
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
New outlets report on health care developments in Maryland, Ohio, D.C., Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
New York Bans Insurers From Covering ‘Gay Conversion’ Therapy For Minors
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced that the state’s Medicaid will not cover the treatment for residents of any age, calling the practice “fundamentally flawed.”
Experts Alarmed By Severity Of Malformations In Babies Affected By Zika Virus
As concerns about birth defects linked to Zika increase, medical analysis is intensifying. In other Zika news, U.S. health experts warn about jumping to conclusions on how the virus is transmitted, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be willing to consider a quarantine on people coming home from Brazil after the Olympics.
Amicus Brief Urges High Court To Learn From History Of Laws Written To Protect Women
Professors from around the U.S. filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the upcoming arguments over a Texas abortion law, saying that any regulation written by men that claims to protect women deserves extra scrutiny. On the other side of the case, briefs will flood the Supreme Court this week from women who have regretted their abortions.
In Midst Of Furor Over High Drug Prices, Pharma Industry Aims To Flip Script With New Ads
Many of the ads, aimed at lawmakers and other influencers, feature patients who have been helped by new medicines, and company scientists working on drug development.
Lupin’s Diabetes Drug Sales Leads Company To Meet Profit Estimates
Also in the news, the health and safety device maker Halma buys a company known for making sensors in an effort to expand its U.S. footprint.
High Deductibles May Be Dissuading Consumers From Seeking Care
Although the theory behind deductibles is that if patients have more skin in the game they’ll spend less by shopping around, researchers are finding that they are just cutting back on getting care at all. In other news, narrower networks are causing families to lose access to therapists and providers for autism treatment.
How The ‘Instant Gratification Generation’ Could Help Revolutionize Health Care
As millennials become a larger percentage of the health care consumer base, everything could change from how doctors see patients to how much costs play into medical decisions.
