Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Data Highlight Variations In Hospital Charges, Increased Costs For Common Ailments
The data, released Monday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, include 2012 prices for the most common inpatient stays at 3,376 hospitals.
Some Insurers Plan Double-Digit Health Exchange Premium Increases
The filings in Arizona and Connecticut are shedding light on what insurers might do elsewhere. News outlets also report on developments in Nevada and Maryland related to health exchange costs and coverage issues.
Senate Democrats, House Republicans Spar Over VA Health System Fixes
In the meantime, younger veterans groups call for swift action and new priorities in the revamping of the agency, and Americans’ confidence in the VA plummets, according to a new poll.
Big Differences In VA Care Quality
Sloan Gibson, the acting head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, pledged to end delays in care for veterans Monday. And, as the VA begins to address its problems, McClatchy looks back on what it might have done well.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Study: Based On Political Donations, Doctors Are Favoring The Left
These donor physicians have also become more generous, and the shift of these medical professionals from their historic preference for Republican candidates to their recent affinity for Democrats is attributed to the increase in women doctors and the decline in the number who run their own practice or work in small practices.
Insurer Sues Medtronic Over Bone-Growth Drug
Humana Inc. alleges the device maker violated federal racketeering statutes by conspiring with prominent physicians to promote unapproved uses of the drug, reports The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, Ventas, the nation’s biggest health care real estate investment trust, said Monday it had agreed to acquire the American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust for $2.6 billion.
State Highlights: NYC Mental Health Task Force
A selection of health policy stories from New York, Delaware, Minnesota, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, Maryland, Wisconsin and Georgia.
Nearly 3 Million Medicaid Enrollees Still Waiting To Get Applications Processed
Technological snags and bureaucratic tangles have slowed the health law’s promise of coverage to many low-income Americans, CQ Healthbeat reports. In other news on the law’s Medicaid provisions, the Chicago Tribune examines the demographics of new local beneficiaries.
Medicare To Pay For Hep C Screenings For Baby Boomers
The decision comes amid controversy surrounding the costs of new drugs to treat the blood-borne virus. Meanwhile, two studies find that Medicare could save billions if doctors switched from an expensive eye medication to a similar, much cheaper one and, also, if Part D plans were selected based on the actual drugs patients take. The Fiscal Times looks at how spending on new specialty drugs is forecast to skyrocket.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories about Medicare data released Monday indicating that 2012 charges for some common inpatient hospital procedures dramatically increased over the previous year.
State Highlights: NYC Plan For Treating Mentally Ill
A selection of health policy stories from New York, Kansas, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina and California.
After Shinseki Resigns, A Scramble To Fix VA
Warnings about long wait times go back at least to 2005, raising questions about how to overhaul a sprawling system that has been chronically understaffed.
Sanders Details Plan To Overhaul Veterans Health Care
On Sunday, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., unveiled legislation, called the Restoring Veterans’ Trust Act, which is designed to smooth out the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs by — among other changes — making it easier for veterans to see outside providers if care isn’t available within 30 days.
After Controversies, Medicare Reimbursement For End-Of-Life Planning Again Getting Consideration
Stateline reports on this development.
New Editor Takes Reins At Health Affairs
In breaking precedent, journal turns to a lawyer for leadership.
Media outlets offer opinions on Gen. Eric Shinseki’s departure from the Department of Veterans Affairs and efforts to fix problems in that system.
Oncologists Urged To Consider Financial Impact Of Treatments
The American Society of Clinical Oncology is developing a system to rate drugs for advanced cancer based on their likely benefits and side effects, as well as on their price. Meanwhile, better long-term care is urged for the millions who survive the disease, and a report details how drugmakers are tailoring treatments to individuals’ genetic makeups even though that may affect only small numbers of people.
Viewpoints: GOP Needs To Refine Its Message On Health Law; Battle Over School Lunches
A selection of editorials and opinions from around the country.
GOP Candidates Expand Campaign-Trail Message Beyond The Health Law
Increasingly, it appears that Republican candidates are focusing their assaults on more than just the Affordable Care Act. News outlets examine how the overhaul is playing on the campaign trail.
