Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

High Court Won’t Hear Maine’s Appeal Over Medicaid Cuts

Morning Briefing

Gov. Paul LePage’s effort to cut more than 6,000 low-income young adults from the state’s Medicaid rolls died Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his administration’s appeal of a lower court ruling. The justices’ refusal means LePage must continue providing health coverage to poor 19- and 20-year-olds until at least 2019 to maintain federal funding for the state’s Medicaid program.

New Tech Offers Possible Benefits — Like Predicting Who Will Get Sick — But Also Poses Risks

Morning Briefing

Independence Blue Cross, a Philadelphia-based insurance firm, is trying to identify discharged hospital patients likely to be readmitted to the hospital using an algorithm that examines records like billing claims, labs, medications, height, weight and family history. But the practice raises some privacy concerns. In other news, NPR reports on the level of confidentiality for online health searches. And a security researcher warns that drug pumps are at risk to be hacked.

Judge Orders Federal Officials To Respond Today To Fla. Gov.’s Request On Hospital Funds

Morning Briefing

Gov. Rick Scott is seeking to have the dispute over a reduction in funding for hospitals serving large numbers of uninsured patients sent to mediation. The federal government says those hospitals would be better off if Florida expanded its Medicaid program. Also in Medicaid news, Arkansas quietly changes its program and Connecticut residents worry about cuts to come.

Government May Pay $50B For New Breakthrough Drugs, Study Estimates

Morning Briefing

According to a report by Avalere Health, a consulting firm, Medicare would bear the majority of the cost, spending $31.3 billion over the next 10 years on improved treatments for diseases like Hepatitis C and breast cancer. Medicaid is estimated to spend $15.8 billion on the drugs. Meanwhile, another report finds that health care costs may go up 6.5 percent next year.

State Budgets Struggle Even As Recovery Continues

Morning Briefing

Rising health care costs are one factor cited in the budget woes of some states — along with slow recoveries and growing pension obligations. The Washington Post parses some of the differences by looking at the budget fortunes — and Medicaid spending — of neighboring, GOP-led states, Arizona and Nevada. And Connecticut’s hospitals take a hit in that state’s budget.

Accountable Care Organizations Mull Walking Away From Medicare Shared Savings Program

Morning Briefing

Concerns for those coordinating patient care in the programs include whether or not to risk penalties when they offer services that could result in a financial loss — like homebound health care. Elsewhere, Medicare data reveals spending habits in Minnesota, and presidential-hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders makes a “Medicare-for-all” proposal a part of his campaign.

Massive Breach Of Government System Linked To Health Data Thefts

Morning Briefing

Personal information on as many as 4 million current and former federal employees may have been compromised in the latest cyberattack, believed to have been carried out by hackers based in China. An earlier government computer break-in was linked to attacks on insurer Anthem Inc. and health care services provider Premera Blue Cross.