Latest KFF Health News Stories
Roundup: Calif. Hospitals Fined Over Serious Errors; Mass. Pharmacy Waiting Period Continues
A selection of health policy stories from California, Massachusetts, Idaho, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Georgia.
‘Doc Fix’ Unlikely Without Fiscal Deal
Lawmakers have assumed that whatever deal is negotiated by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner would include a patch to avoid the 26.5 percent cut to physicians who treat Medicare patients, which takes effect next month. Without a deal, however, providers face a double whammy, since they would also see a 2 percent pay cut under sequestration.
Feds OK Health Insurance Exchange Plans For Three More States
The Obama administration gave conditional approvals to Delaware, Minnesota and Rhode Island, saying they will be ready to open new insurance markets in 2014, as required under the health care law. Meanwhile, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper indicates he’s likely to push for a Medicaid expansion.
GAO Raises Concerns About Spending On New Medicare Programs
The government may be duplicating efforts under several programs and paying for the same services to test new payment and treatment delivery models, a study finds.
Medical Marijuana Lawsuit In Calif. Hinges On Federal Inaction, Science
The fight over marijuana — for medical purposes or not — simmers in California, where the drug is treated casually and where a large medical marijuana dispensary is challenging the federal government’s closure of its business.
Viewpoints: Playing Chicken On Entitlements; ‘Getting Serious’ About Mental Illness
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Post-Newtown: Parents, Politicians, Health Officials Press For More Mental Health Funding
News outlets covered the continuing reaction to the shooting in Newtown, Conn. Some groups are calling for better research on how gun laws affect health.
Health policy studies and analyses this week come from Health Affairs, the Archives of Surgery, the Urban Institute, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the journal Academic Medicine.
First Edition: December 21, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the House Republicans’ failure to pass Speaker John Boehner’s tax and federal debt plan.
House Passes Bio-Threat Vaccines, Medicare Coverage Bills
The House passed several health measures Wednesday including bills on developing vaccines to thwart bio-threats and on Medicare coverage for immune deficiency care.
A selection of health policy stories from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Florida and North Carolina.
CMS Awards $306M To States For Enrolling More Kids In Medicaid
The Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday awarded $306 million in bonuses to 23 states for enrolling more children in Medicaid. The move is meant to help offset the expense of covering more kids in the state-federal health care program.
FDA Seeks Input From States On Drug Compounders
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg convened a meeting that included federal officials and representatives from state boards of pharmacy and governors’ offices. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports on “rogue pharmacists.”
Report: States Underprepared To Meet Public Health Needs During A Crisis
The report by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that although some states have improved their preparedness, gaps persist largely because of state budget cuts.
Surgeons Make Thousands Of Errors Every Year
So-called ‘never events’ happen more than 4,000 times a year, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers. Another report finds health care workers just as likely as the people they treat to be overweight, avoid the dentist, get sunburned and not wear seatbelts.
Access To Mental Health Care, Increased Funding Key In Emerging Strategies To Curb Gun Violence
As President Barack Obama vowed to restart the “national conversation” on gun issues, he included the need to improve access to mental health services among the central elements of this discussion. Meanwhile, a new Gallup poll concluded that Americans believe that increasing federal spending on mental health screenings and services is among the steps more likely to deter mass shootings than banning the sale of assault weapons.
Teen Smoking Falls To Record Low, Study Finds
Cigarette smoking among U.S. teenagers dropped to a record low in 2012, a decline that may have been partly driven by an increase in the federal tobacco tax, researchers said.
The New York Times examines efforts by a nonprofit group to explain the overhaul’s provisions to the uninsured. And the Wall Street Journal looks at an employer’s efforts to keep the number of workers low so he can avoid the law.
As Clock Runs Down, ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Negotiations Stall
Speaker John Boehner pledged to bring his alternative option to a House vote as early as today. Meanwhile, the issue of savings in the Medicare program continue to be examined.
Medicare ‘Doc Fix’ Hostage To Fiscal Cliff Negotiations
The Obama administration notified more than 1 million physicians Wednesday that their Medicare payment rate would be cut by 27 percent next month if Congress doesn’t act to stop it. But proposals for a one-year patch and even a repeal of the flawed payment formula are now caught up in the “fiscal cliff” talks.
