Latest KFF Health News Stories
Ending Medicare Coverage Of Erection Aids Would Save $444M
Medicare’s prescription-drug benefit doesn’t cover erectile-dysfunction medicines and now Congress is weighing a similar ban on the pump devices some men use as an alternative, reports the CBO. Meanwhile, media coverage continues of a drug maker that uses physicians with troubled pasts to market its painkiller and an Avalere study projects consumers will pay more for specialty drugs next year.
Supreme Court Hears Pregnancy Discrimination Case
Pro-life and pro-choice groups find themselves on the same side of a case being heard by the Supreme Court Wednesday about whether United Parcel Service discriminated against a worker who argues the company violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 by refusing to make accommodations for her while she was pregnant.
McConnell: Pending Court Case Offers GOP Best Hope To Undo Health Law
The incoming Senate majority leader said the upper chamber would hold a series of votes to pick apart the health law, but he also mentioned the possibility of a comprehensive re-write of the Affordable Care Act if the Supreme Court strikes down a key provision of the law.
Sebelius Disputes Gruber’s Role In ACA’s Development
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she never met with MIT economist Jonathan Gruber and downplayed the importance of his controversial comments. Meanwhile, the HHS Inspector General talks about his experiences monitoring an agency that accounted for about $1 trillion in federal spending this year.
Kansas Prepares To Give Many Part-Time State Workers Benefits Under The Health Law
The state used to consider employees “full-time” for health insurance purposes if they worked 36 hours a week, but the federal law sets that standard at 30 hours a week. Also, in news related to the health law, a federal appeals court in New Orleans will hear a case brought by a doctor who opposes the health law.
Wyoming Gov. Changes Course And Urges Legislature To Expand Medicaid
Republican Gov. Matt Mead, who has opposed the federal health law, says officials cannot tell working Wyoming residents without insurance “that we’re not going to do anything.” Also in the news, enrollment opens for Pennsylvania’s expanded Medicaid program and advocates urge expansion in Nebraska.
Most States Take Wait-And-See Approach To Subsidies Challenge
Few states are moving to set up their own online health marketplaces even though the Supreme Court will weigh whether the health law mandates that federal premium subsidies should be withheld in states that still rely on a federal marketplace. Meanwhile, Washington and California residents report problems with their state exchanges and San Francisco’s supervisors look at providing additional subsidies to help low-income residents buy policies.
Report: Hospital-Acquired Infections And Other Medical Errors Reduced By 17 Percent
A report released by the Department of Health and Human Services noted that this reduction took place between 2010 and 2013, and saved an estimated 50,000 lives.
First Edition: December 3, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: ‘Reform’ CBO; Underinsurance Is A Problem Often Overlooked; Calorie Labeling
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets also examine other health policy issues in Vermont, Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, Kansas, Colorado, California and Georgia.
NYC To Spend $130M To Divert People With Mental Illness From Jails
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans are based on the recommendations of a task force he appointed following reports detailing problems at the city’s troubled Rikers Island jail complex, including the deaths of two inmates suffering from serious mental illness.
Texas Pilot Program Seeks To Coordinate Mental Health Care For Veterans
Elsewhere, the Veterans Affairs regional director who will temporarily oversee health care operations in the Southwest has a controversial record, reports the Arizona Republic.
Karen Rohan Named Aetna President
The promotion positions her as a possible successor to Chief Executive Mark T. Bertolini. Meanwhile, Kaiser Health News takes a look at how employer-based wellness programs are under fire by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Health Insurance Increase Is Top Reason Many Americans Feel “Squeezed”
Also: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes a look at how high-deductible plans affect doctors and then consumers.
Republicans Differ On Whether To Re-Appoint Elmendorf As CBO Chief
Other political fault lines continue to emerge among GOP leaders regarding issues such as Medicaid expansion. In addition, Jeb Bush, a possible Republican 2016 presidential candidate, offers the new congressional majority some advice on how to proceed with the Affordable Care Act.
CMS Proposes Delaying ACO Penalties An Extra Three Years
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is also soliciting views on alternative ways of figuring out whether an accountable care organization has saved Medicare money.
MNsure Officials Launch New Effort To Convince Uninsured People To Enroll
Also in the news, reports about health plan offerings in New Jersey, as well as outreach efforts in North Carolina.
Health Law Focus Turns To IRS’s Ability To Identify Those Without Insurance
Individuals will have to report their insurance status on their 2014 taxes. In other health law issues, news outlets examine which insurers are participating in the new marketplaces, efforts to enroll Hispanics, consumers’ difficulties paying for care and the impact of a Supreme Court decision.
U.S. Abortion Rates Drop To ‘Historic Lows’
The abortion rate in the United States has fallen by double digits over the last decade, with the greatest drop among teenagers, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
