In Fight Over Medicare Payments, the Hospital Lobby Shows Its Strength
By Phil Galewitz and Colleen DeGuzman
February 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Medicare pays hospitals about double what it pays other providers for the same services. The hospital lobby is fighting hard to make sure a switch to “site-neutral payments” doesn’t become law.
‘Behind the Times’: Washington Tries to Catch Up With AI’s Use in Health Care
By Darius Tahir
February 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Lawmakers and regulators are trying to understand how AI is changing health care and how it should be regulated. The industry fears overreach.
¿Ofrecer vivienda gratis es atención médica? Programas de Medicaid dicen que sí
By Angela Hart
February 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Estados están invirtiendo miles de millones de dólares en un experimento de atención médica de alto riesgo: utilizar fondos ya escasos de seguros de salud públicos para proporcionar vivienda a los estadounidenses más pobres y enfermos.
Oversight Of Health Transactions Is Ramping Up As States Monitor Buyouts
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Stat covers increased state scrutiny over industry transactions as more provider groups seek buyers: Oregon is said to be at the forefront of the oversight push. Separately, the FTC is reportedly eager to make “Big Physician” smaller by examining private equity’s role in medical industry consolidations.
Generics Drugmaker Aurobindo Cuts Production Over Safety Problems
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
A key facility in India has seen some of its production cut after U.S. inspectors found manufacturing problems — highlighting drug-quality issues even during an ongoing medicines shortage. Also in the news: Weight loss drug manufacturers are trying to tackle supply issues.
Micro-Hospitals Arrive In Pennsylvania To Fill Coverage Gaps
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on how Southeastern Pennsylvania is getting its first micro-hospitals — small facilities with ER departments and a tiny inpatient offering — to help fill coverage gaps in some areas. Meanwhile, House and Senate committees OK’d a push to create rural emergency hospitals.
More Than Half Of Mental Health Visits Remain Virtual Post-Pandemic
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Also in mental health news: Harvard researchers recruit social media influencers to combat misinformation; data on the effects of ketamine on depression among veterans; and more.
Heat Waves, Wildfires Make It Riskier For Today’s Kids To Play Outside: Study
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
So much for “fresh air”: The effects of climate change are even impacting how dangerous it is for children to play outside, a new study finds. Also in the news, “concerning” levels of plastics found in General Mills food products; a complex debate over when brain death is said to occur; and more.
Viewpoints: Weight Loss Drugs Only Help So Much; Aggression Disorders Must Be Recognized And Treated Early
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss weight-loss drugs, aggression disorders, health care workers, and more.
Morning Briefing for Monday, February 12, 2024
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Prior authorizations, Medicare fraud, RSV shots, flu, drug shortages and costs, micro-hospitals, telehealth, and more are in the news.
FBI Investigating Alleged $2 Billion In Fraudulent Medicare Charges
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post reports that fraudulent insurance claims were submitted to Medicare by seven companies, according to health care groups that have analyzed billing data. And sources say they’ve been approached by FBI investigators.
Moderna’s RSV Shot May Not Protect For As Long As Competitors’ Vaccines
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
An analysis of the company’s late-stage trial data flags a concern that the efficacy of Moderna’s RSV shot may decline more quickly than those of Pfizer or GSK. In a different study, data from Spain shows that nirsevimab is helping to avoid hospitalizations in infants.
GoFundMe, ¿realmente ayuda a pagar facturas médicas?
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
February 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Incluso defensores de pacientes y personal del área de ayuda financiera en hospitales recomiendan iniciar una sesión en GoFundMe como una alternativa a terminar con una cuenta en una agencia de cobros.
First Edition: Feb. 12, 2024
February 12, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
GoFundMe Has Become a Health Care Utility
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
February 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Resorting to crowdfunding to pay medical bills has become so routine, in some cases health professionals recommend it.
States Target Health Insurers’ ‘Prior Authorization’ Red Tape
By Bram Sable-Smith
February 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Doctors, patients, and hospitals have railed for years about the prior authorization processes that health insurers use to decide whether they’ll pay for patients’ drugs or medical procedures. The Biden administration announced a crackdown in January, but some state lawmakers are looking to go further.
Senators Weigh Whether Health Care AI Needs a Leash
By Darius Tahir
February 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The Senate Finance Committee contemplated the future yesterday: artificial intelligence and its potential applications to health care. And it turns out the future looks an awful lot like the past and present: Democrats want regulations. And the industry wants money. “There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic,” Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) […]
Viewpoints: New Blood Test Detects Concussion In Minutes; CTE Is A Real Threat To Football Players
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers discuss concussion testing, CTE in football, President Joe Biden’s age, cancer research, and more.
In Missouri, GOP-Led Abortion Rights Initiative Withdrawn To Avoid Confusion
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The end of this effort allows a competing, more sweeping constitutional amendment to make November’s ballot, AP notes. Meanwhile, USA Today reports that cities are being targeted with local abortion bans in the aftermath of the end of Roe v. Wade.
Liver Transplant System Is Less Accessible To Native Americans: Study
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Native Americans are less likely than other racial groups to earn a place on the liver transplant list, according to an analysis of transplant data by the Markup and The Washington Post. Separately, scrutiny of rising private equity roles in home health care; a cyberattack at Lurie Children’s Hospital; a lawsuit for nurse meal breaks in San Francisco; and more.