Latest KFF Health News Stories
Safe Drinking Water Was A Public Health Achievement. Now, Decaying Systems Need Replacement
The Associated Press launches a special report on how failing infrastructure, mismanaged funding and local government troubles have endangered the U.S. water system.
ACOs Produce Mixed Results In Arizona
Sixty percent of the experimental partnerships between doctors and hospitals to coordinate care did not save Medicare money in 2014, the Arizona Republic reports. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal has an interview with the new chief executive of the Geisinger Health System.
Growth In Elderly Population Spurs Concerns About Lack Of Caregivers And Services
The Wall Street Journal and New York Times offer articles analyzing the challenges seniors face.
Paperwork, Insurance, Monitoring Changes Coming In New Medical Coding System
The switch to the new ICD-10 system will mean more than 70,000 classification descriptions that doctors must choose from in order to get paid. In other medical practice news, The Wall Street Journal looks at how doctors may approach end-of-life conversations, and a researcher looks at stopping medical diagnostic errors.
Health Care Stocks Tumble, Lead Overall Market Drop
Among the losses are drugmakers’ stocks, after Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton proposed reining in drug prices. In the meantime, a unit of Johnson & Johnson accuses a company that finances hip surgeries of price gouging.
Can Feds Do A Better Job Negotiating Drug Prices Than Insurers?
CNN Money examines the pros and cons of the government gaining bargaining power with pharmaceutical companies. In other drug industry news, The Boston Globe reports on biotech firms’ adoption of a Hollywood model for developing new medicines while The Associated Press looks into the complicated formulas that drive drug costs.
As John Roberts marks his 10th year on the bench, news outlets examine growing concerns from right-leaning pundits and activists that the chief justice is moving to the left, despite his conservative record. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will decide whether to take up the case challenging Obamacare’s contraception mandate in the upcoming term.
Insurers Escape Paying Penalties That Should Have Been Levied By IRS, Report Finds
Meanwhile, news outlet report on the challenge of reaching the remaining 33 million uninsured, Rep. Elijah Cummings’ speech on universal health care, Alaska lawmakers’ meeting to reconsider their Medicaid-expansion lawsuit and the expected premium announcements in Minnesota.
Regulators Shut Down N.Y. Health Co-Op
Health Republic Insurance of New York, the nation’s largest nonprofit insurer that grew out of a provision of the 2010 health law, lost $52.7 million in the first six months of this year on top of $77.5 million in losses in 2014. It is the fourth such co-op to collapse in recent months.
Boehner Lashes Out At Republican Hardliners, Says The Gov’t Will Stay Open
News outlets report on House Speaker John Boehner’s Sunday morning talk show appearances during which he talked about his decision to resign from Congress and his frustration with others who encourage members to pursue strategies that “are never going to happen.”
GOP Leaders Advance Plan To Avert Government Shutdown
In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will advance a stop-gap spending bill that does not include controversial language to block federal funding for Planned Parenthood. A vote is also being planned in the House. But opposition from Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, could still be a factor in passing the legislation.
Boehner’s Decision: Betrayal Or Sacrifice? Opinions Show Speaker Is Still Embattled
Editorials and op-eds over the weekend analyzed Speaker John Boehner’s surprise resignation announcement.
First Edition: September 28, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Boehner To Leave Congress At The End Of October
News outlets report Friday morning that House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, plans to resign, amidst growing pressure from the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Politico notes that now, free from intra-caucus concerns, he will be free to push a clean stop-gap funding bill through the House to prevent a government shutdown.
Viewpoints: Pinning Blame For A Possible Shutdown; Medicare Should Help On Drug Prices
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Economics Of Chronic Care; State-Run Marketplaces
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Health care stories are reported from Connecticut, California, Florida, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Alabama, District of Columbia, Kansas, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan and Texas.
FDA Needs More Info To Gauge Safety Of Essure Sterilization Device
The agency also wrote in a letter Thursday that a health-care startup’s cancer detection kit, which would be sold directly to healthy individuals, is high-risk and could harm public health.
Premera Faces 38 Class-Action Lawsuits Over Cyberattack
A security breach of the insurance company’s computer system may have compromised the personal information of 11 million customers. Some of them are suing, citing attempts at identify theft. In other Health IT news, a Walgreens database outage delayed prescriptions at thousands of pharmacies.
Fiorina’s Position On Mandated Health Insurance Evolves Over Past Two Years
CNN questions the Republican candidate’s campaign on statements Carly Fiorina made in a 2013 interview, while NPR reports on her abortion stance. Meanwhile, KHN analyzes Hillary Clinton’s proposals to save consumers money on health care.
