Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

House OKs Bill To Make It Easier To Fire VA Employees

Morning Briefing

The measure is part of lawmakers’ ongoing frustration about the slow pace of change at the agency, which bill backers say hasn’t responded quickly enough to the scandal over long waits for veterans seeking medical care. It faces a White House veto threat.

GOP Senators Tout Measure To Defund Planned Parenthood, Expect Vote Before August Recess

Morning Briefing

Republican women lawmakers are taking point position in this legislative effort. But news outlets also note the tricky politics in play — for Democrats, and for presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton — as well as the high stakes that could threaten to shut down the government.

Health Law’s Co-Ops Tinged In Red Ink, Govt. Audit Finds

Morning Briefing

The Associated Press reports that a new government audit finds these health insurance co-ops in many cases have failed to reach sign-up goals. And in Arizona, another hurdle for Medicaid expansion.

Gilead’s Blockbuster Hepatitis C Drug Propelled Second-Quarter Profits

Morning Briefing

The Associated Press reports that the company’s hepatitis C franchise was responsible for 59 percent of the revenue. Meanwhile, Merck reported better-than-expected financial news because of increased demand for its diabetes and cancer drugs.

Burwell: No Evidence Of Fraudulent Obamacare Enrollments

Morning Briefing

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell testified on Capitol Hill to respond to a preliminary report by the Government Accountability Office that detailed how investigators were able to sign up for coverage and qualify for subsidies with phony information. Also in the news, Wheaton College will take a stand against the health law’s contraception mandate by ceasing to provide health insurance to students.

Pending Highway Bill Includes Emergency Funding For Veterans Affairs

Morning Briefing

Without congressional intervention, the agency faced a budget hole that it says would force the closure of hospitals and clinics across the country. In related health news, the Pentagon is set to award a $10.5 billion electronic health records contract.

GOP Senators Introduce Legislation To Defund Planned Parenthood

Morning Briefing

The goal of this bill is to stop federal funding for the abortion rights organization, which is in the hot seat after covert videos were released about the group’s role in supplying fetal tissue for medical research. A vote is planned in the next few days and Republicans are looking to some of the women in their caucus to lead the charge.

Take Note — Medicare And Medicaid Mark A Big Birthday

Morning Briefing

Both federal programs were signed into law on July 30, 1965. News outlets are examining these programs, as well as their accomplishments and the growing pains they will face going forward.

Forecast: National Health Care Spending To Accelerate

Morning Briefing

Federal actuaries issued a report Tuesday detailing a reversal in the slower spending trends of recent years. Among the reasons for this change, they said, is the health law’s expanded health insurance coverage, the improving economy and the aging of baby boomers.

FDA Says Doctors Should Consider Limiting MRIs As Agency Investigates Risks To Brain

Morning Briefing

The Food and Drug Administration issued the safety announcement as it looks into whether contrast-imaging drugs that contain the heavy metal gadolinium leave brain deposits after repeated MRIs. Meanwhile, a new report suggests that drug makers delay filing reports with the FDA in cases of a drug-related illness or death.

Patients With Chronic Illnesses Are Benefitting From Coordinated Care At Home

Morning Briefing

News outlets also examine other trends in medical care, including the expanded roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, how some new mothers are missing out on advice regarding breastfeeding and SIDS, new guidance about depression screenings and continued efforts to destigmatize mental illness.