- KFF Health News Original Stories 1
- In The Medicare Bonus Round, The Winners Are…Small, Specialty Hospitals!
- Political Cartoon: 'First Things First?'
- Health Law 4
- In Touting Sign-Ups, Official Warns Supreme Court Decision Could Hurt Millions
- Florida Surpasses California In Obamacare Sign-Ups
- Wyoming House To Debate Medicaid Expansion
- Big Business Reports Few Problems From Health Law
- Public Health 2
- Two Die At UCLA Hospital From 'Superbug,' Dozens Potentially Exposed
- Scientists Report Blocking HIV In Animal Studies, Sparking Vaccine Hopes
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
In The Medicare Bonus Round, The Winners Are…Small, Specialty Hospitals!
Some hospital revenue is now going to be tied to how happy you - the patient - are when you stay there. But not all hospitals are going to be capable of winning the Medicare sweepstakes. (Michael Tomsic, WFAE, )
Political Cartoon: 'First Things First?'
KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'First Things First?'" by Bob and Tom Thaves.
Here's today's health policy haiku:
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.
Summaries Of The News:
In Touting Sign-Ups, Official Warns Supreme Court Decision Could Hurt Millions
HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell says many of the 8.6 million people choosing their health plans through the federal exchange could be deprived of coverage if the high court decides to strike down their subsidies in a pending case.
The Wall Street Journal:
Obama Administration Lauds Number Of Health Exchange Sign-Ups
The Obama administration touted the latest sign-up figures for health coverage as proof that the Affordable Care Act is working and shouldn’t be overturned in the face of Republican opposition and a legal challenge before the Supreme Court. ... “The Affordable Care Act is now an important part of everyday lives of millions of Americans. They finally have the financial health and security that comes with affordable health coverage,” [HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews] Burwell told reporters Wednesday. “One thing is sure, Americans don’t want the progress that we’ve made to be taken away from them.” (Radnofsky and Armour, 2/18)
The New York Times:
As Health Exchange Sign-Ups Rise, So Do Stakes For Supreme Court
The Obama administration said Wednesday that 8.6 million people in 37 states had selected or renewed health plans through the federal insurance marketplace, and that most of them would suffer if the Supreme Court blocked premium subsidies for consumers in those states. ... Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the secretary of health and human services, said she did not know how many of the 11.4 million people were previously uninsured. But she said that more than 85 percent of those obtaining insurance in the federal marketplace qualified for premium subsidies in the form of tax credits. It was, she said, inconceivable that Congress meant to deny premium assistance to them — simply because their states did not set up exchanges — while providing it to residents of New York, California and other states that run their own insurance marketplaces. (Pear, 2/18)
McClatchy:
2015 Health Care Enrollment Nears Goal Of 9.1 Million
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said Wednesday that she was optimistic about reaching the Obama administration’s goal of having 9.1 million Americans enrolled in coverage under the health care law by the end of the year. More than 11.4 million people selected private health plans or re-enrolled in coverage through the nation’s health insurance marketplaces during the three-month enrollment period that ended last Sunday for most people. But officials expect that number to dwindle to 9.1 million throughout the year as people drop coverage for a variety of reasons, including nonpayment of premiums, relocation, and changes in employment and marital status. (Pugh, 2/18)
USA Today:
After Obamacare Surge, Officials Consider Special Sign-Ups
State and federal governments saw a huge, last-minute surge in Obamacare sign-ups ahead of last Sunday's deadline, boosting total enrollment that surpassed the administration's expectations. Of the 11.4 million Americans who have newly enrolled or re-enrolled in private health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this year, 8.6 million signed up through the federal marketplace and about 2.8 million through state-based exchanges, federal officials said Wednesday. ... Now many officials are considering a special enrollment period for Americans who discover at tax time they'll face a penalty for not having insurance. Burwell said federal officials will make a decision in the next two weeks. (O'Donnell and Unger, 2/18)
Reuters:
US Deciding Whether To Extend Obamacare Enrollment
Americans who have started enrolling for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act can still sign up, and the U.S. government is weighing whether to open a special enrollment period for those who missed Sunday's deadline, the health secretary said on Wednesday. So far, 11.4 million Americans have enrolled in private health insurance through the health reform law known as Obamacare during the open enrollment period that ended on Sunday, according to the White House. (Heavey, 2/18)
The Hill:
Obama Pressured To Reopen Obamacare
Pressure is building on the Obama administration to give uninsured people a second chance to sign up for ObamaCare before they are slapped with a fine. People without insurance in 2015 will pay a fine of $325 or 2 percent of their income, whichever is greater, during next year’s tax season. (Ferris and Sullivan, 2/19)
Modern Healthcare:
Enrollment Extension Decision Potentially Two Weeks Away, Burwell Says
The Obama administration may take as many as two weeks before deciding whether to extend open enrollment for consumers who realize they'll face a hefty tax penalty for not obtaining health insurance coverage this year, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said during a news briefing Wednesday. (Dickson and Demko, 2/18)
CQ Healthbeat:
Administration Weighs Relief For Taxpayers Who Lacked Coverage In 2014
The federal government and a number of states that enroll people for health insurance are under increasing pressure to give people facing a tax penalty for not buying plans last year another chance to get covered. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell Mathews reiterated at a press conference Wednesday that federal officials will decide in the next two weeks whether to re-open enrollment for such individuals. (Adams, 2/18)
CQ Healthbeat:
Obama Says 11.4M Signed Up During Health Law Enrollment
About 11.4 million people signed up for insurance through the marketplaces created under the health care law during a just-completed open enrollment period, according to a video that the White House released late Tuesday featuring President Barack Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell. (Adams, 2/18)
Florida Surpasses California In Obamacare Sign-Ups
The Sunshine State had more residents buying private health insurance through the online marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act than any other state. Other stories track state-by-state enrollment totals as of Sunday.
The Associated Press:
Florida Has Highest Number Of Enrollees Under Health Law
Florida has eclipsed California to become the state with the highest number of consumers buying health coverage through new insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act, according to federal statistics released Wednesday. Florida's roughly 1.6 million enrollees include both first time enrollees and some of the nearly 1 million Floridians who enrolled last year. California led the country last year with 1.2 million consumers, but lagged behind this year with a total of 1.4 million — 300,000 fewer than the state's goal. The state has struggled to target hard-to reach populations including Latinos. (Kennedy, 2/18)
The Washington Post:
Maryland Health Exchange’s Second Year Much More Successful Than First
The second year of Maryland’s health insurance marketplace was much more successful than its first. During its second enrollment period, which began Nov. 15 and ended Sunday, the Maryland Health Connection enrolled 119,096 people in private insurance plans and 145,149 in Medicaid, the government-funded insurance program for the poor. The Maryland Health Connection is the state-run system that allows residents to shop for health insurance plans made possible by the federal Affordable Care Act. ... The Web site that Maryland built for [2014] was so technically flawed that it barely functioned for several months, making it difficult for Marylanders to sign up for insurance. During that six-month period, about 63,000 people signed up for private plans. (Johnson, 2/18)
The Associated Press:
Maryland Working On Legal Action On Health Exchange Problems
Maryland officials continue to work on recouping money from contractors involved in the state’s badly flawed initial rollout of its health exchange website, the health exchange’s executive director said Wednesday. Carolyn Quattrocki declined to elaborate in a conference call with reporters, saying lawyers have asked her not to go into details. “We are very actively engaged in that effort,” Quattrocki said, adding “we will hear about it at the appropriate time.” (2/18)
California Healthline:
Covered California Will 'Easily' Hit Goal
Covered California came close to its stated goal of 500,000 enrollees for its second open enrollment period -- and Tuesday's extension of the deadline until Feb. 22 for "hundreds of thousands" of potential enrollees will certainly push the exchange past its goal, Covered California officials said Tuesday. (Gorn, 2/18)
Georgia Health News:
Exchange Enrollment Soars Past Half A Million
Powered by a late surge, Georgia’s enrollment in the 2015 health insurance exchange easily surpassed the half-million mark. Federal officials said Wednesday that 536,929 Georgians selected a plan or were automatically re-enrolled in the state exchange. The Affordable Care Act provides for exchanges in all 50 states, and this is their second year of operation. (Miller, 2/18)
Richmond Times-Dispatch:
384,612 In Virginia Sign Up For Obamacare Plans
More than 384,000 people in Virginia signed up for health plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace by last Sunday’s open enrollment deadline, surpassing a target set by state officials and consumer advocates. (Smith, 2/18)
The Associated Press:
US HHS: Nearly 400,000 Enrolled In Va. For Health Care
Nearly 400,000 Virginians have purchased health care through the government’s health insurance marketplace. The 384,612 consumers signed under the second year of open enrollment or were automatically re-enrolled. The numbers were announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2/18)
Arizona Republic:
Affordable Care Act Sign-Ups Jump 70% In Arizona
Arizona health insurance sign-ups surged by 70 percent during the Affordable Care Act's second annual enrollment period that ended Sunday, with more than 204,000 Arizona residents either renewing plans or signing up for new coverage, according to preliminary figures. (Alltucker, 2/18)
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Almost 206,000 Wisconsin Residents Enrolled In Obamacare
Almost 206,0000 people in Wisconsin signed up or were re-enrolled in health plans sold on the marketplace set up under the Affordable Care Act during the second open-enrollment period, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday. (Boulton, 2/18)
Wyoming House To Debate Medicaid Expansion
After a proposal to expand Medicaid died in the Wyoming Senate, a GOP House lawmaker has sponsored an amendment to a budget bill that would opt into federal funding for a broader program. Meanwhile, Medicaid expansion supporters meet with state officials in Montana and North Carolina, and Ohio is one of a small, but growing, number of states enrolling prisoners into Medicaid.
The Associated Press:
Wyoming House Faces Medicaid Expansion Debate On Budget Bill Amendment
The Wyoming House is set to debate Thursday whether the state should move to expand the federal Medicaid program. Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, is sponsoring a Medicaid-expansion amendment to the pending supplemental budget bill in the House. The Wyoming Senate earlier this month rejected a freestanding Medicaid expansion bill. If the House approves Zwonitzer's amendment, it would go to a conference committee where a panel of representatives and senators must work out differences between the positions of both houses on the budget bill. (Neary, 2/18)
Montana Standard:
Medicaid Expansion Supporters Trash GOP Alternative
Supporters of full Medicaid expansion turned out in force Wednesday to oppose a Republican-sponsored alternative, saying it doesn’t go far enough in expanding government coverage for Montana’s poorest citizens. “Put aside ideology; do the right thing,” said Kevin Howlett, director of health care for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. “This bill doesn’t do it. You need to cover Montanans and the Montanans who need care. ... Yet the sponsor of House Bill 455, which would extend Medicaid coverage to about 10,000 additional poor parents, some veterans and the disabled, said opponents are creating a “false choice” between her bill and full expansion. (Dennison, 2/19)
North Carolina Health News:
Hospitals Gear Up For Legislative Push
When Gov. Pat McCrory strode into a packed room at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Cary Wednesday he was met by hundreds of hospital managers and officials who stood and gave him an extended ovation. But by the end of his speech to members of the North Carolina Hospital Association, McCrory had failed to say what many of those hospital officials were hoping to hear; that he was ready to expand North Carolina Medicaid, the combined state and federal program that pays for health care for low income children, some of their parents, pregnant women and many low-income seniors in nursing homes. (Hoban, 2/18)
Cincinnati Enquirer/USA Today:
Ohio Among States Pushing Prisoners On Medicaid
Landing time in an Ohio prison could also soon get you help enrolling into health care coverage under Obamacare. Ohio is among a small but growing number of states working to enroll prisoners into Medicaid when they get sick and as they are being released. The move could save the state nearly $18 million this year alone in costs of providing health care to prisoners — money that would be shifted onto the federal government's tab. (Bernard-Kuhn, 2/18)
Big Business Reports Few Problems From Health Law
A survey by Bloomberg of conference-call transcripts and interviews with major U.S. employers finds the law is raising few concerns among corporate leaders. Also, CBS News reports on tax considerations for the 20 million Americans most directly affected by the law.
Bloomberg:
Obamacare Is Barely Causing A Ripple In Corporate America
The biggest entitlement legislation in a generation is causing barely a ripple in corporate America. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- otherwise known as Obamacare -- is putting such a small dent in the profits of U.S. companies that many refer to its impact as “not material” or “not significant,” according to a Bloomberg review of conference-call transcripts and interviews with major U.S. employers. (Cortez and Wayne, 2/19)
CBS News:
Insured Through Obamacare? Prepare For A Tax Headache
If you're among the roughly 20 million people affected by the Affordable Care Act -- either because you bought insurance through health exchanges or will be subject to penalties or exemptions for failing to get coverage -- filing a tax return just got a lot harder. Indeed, potentially millions of people who never before had to file tax returns will now need to file as the result of the health law. (Kristof, 2/19)
Other reports look at health law effects on providers --
California Healthline:
Narrow Networks Can Limit Patient Choice, But Are They Affecting Provider Behavior?
There's no question that the Affordable Care Act has been transformative for the health care industry. For health care providers, new forms of health insurance available through the exchanges are changing things. Specifically, narrow networks, offered by many of the exchange's health plans, are increasing pressure on providers to reduce costs and provide high-quality care. (Wilson, 2/18)
Kaiser Health News:
In The Medicare Bonus Round, The Winners Are…Small, Specialty Hospitals!
Hospitals take more formal surveys from Medicare very seriously because the Affordable Care Act ties some hospital payments each year to how patients rate the facilities. Medical Park [in Winston-Salem, N.C.] received a $22,000 bonus from Medicare in part because of sterling patient satisfaction surveys. Novant Health is Medical Park’s parent company, and none of their dozen or so other hospitals even come close to rating that high on patient satisfaction. Figuring out why Medical Park did so well is complicated. (Tomsic, 2/19)
Two Die At UCLA Hospital From 'Superbug,' Dozens Potentially Exposed
Five others have been infected after nearly 180 patients at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center may have been exposed to a deadly bacteria known as CRE from contaminated medical scopes.
Los Angeles Times:
Superbug Linked To 2 Deaths At UCLA Hospital; 179 Potentially Exposed
Nearly 180 patients at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center may have been exposed to potentially deadly bacteria from contaminated medical scopes, and two deaths have already been linked to the outbreak. The Times has learned that the two people who died are among seven patients that UCLA found were infected by the drug-resistant superbug known as CRE — a number that may grow as more patients get tested. The outbreak is the latest in a string of similar incidents across the country that has top health officials scrambling for a solution. (Terhune, 2/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
UCLA Says More Than 100 Exposed To ‘Superbug’
The University of California, Los Angeles, Health System said Wednesday that the deaths of two patients might be linked to a superbug known as CRE and that it has notified 179 patients they may have been infected. ... CRE, or carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, can break down antibiotics with a rare enzyme; authorities have called the bug “nightmare bacteria.” Part of a large family of bacteria, it typically lives in the intestines. It can be spread via fecal matter and isn’t typically transmitted by casual contact outside hospitals. (Emshwiller and Porter, 2/18)
The Associated Press:
UCLA Says More Than 100 May Have Encountered 'Superbug'
Similar outbreaks of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have been reported around the nation. They are difficult to treat because some varieties are resistant to most known antibiotics. By one estimate, CRE can contribute to death in up to half of seriously infected patients, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Jablon, 2/19)
Scientists Report Blocking HIV In Animal Studies, Sparking Vaccine Hopes
The study of an engineered molecule may provide an avenue for an HIV vaccine in the future, researchers report.
The New York Times:
New Approach To Blocking H.I.V. Raises Hopes For An AIDS Vaccine
A new compound has blocked H.I.V. infection so well in monkeys that it may be able to function as a vaccine against AIDS, the scientists who designed it reported Wednesday. H.I.V. has defied more than 30 years of conventional efforts to fashion a vaccine. The new method stimulates muscle cells to produce proteins that somewhat resemble normal antibodies, which have Y-shaped heads. These proteins have both a head and a tail, and they use them to simultaneously block two sites on each “spike” that the virus uses to attach itself to a cell. (McNeil, 2/18)
The Washington Post:
A New Twist On HIV Vaccines Shows Results In Monkeys, Study Says
An effective vaccine for HIV has eluded researchers for several decades, because of the pathogen’s infamous shape-shifting abilities. Even though researchers have identified certain broadly neutralizing antibodies that can conquer multiple strains of the human immunodeficiency virus, many strains of rapidly mutating HIV remain resistant to these super antibodies. ... In experiments involving rats and monkeys, the researchers have used non-life-threatening viruses to alter the animals’ genome so that their cells produce designer molecules capable of neutralizing HIV. (Morin, 2/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Molecule Shows Ability To Block AIDS Virus
Scientists have engineered a molecule they say can block infection with the virus that causes AIDS, a discovery that potentially could lead to a new therapy for patients as well as an alternative to a vaccine. Researchers have been trying for three decades to develop an effective vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS. They are also searching for a way to cure infected people. But the ever-evolving virus has eluded them. (McKay, 2/18)
U.S. Health Spending Again Growing Faster, Data Suggest
After five years of historically slow growth, an Altarum Institute analysis based on preliminary government data shows that health spending increased by 5 percent last year. Meanwhile, Modern Healthcare reports that prices paid to acute-care hospitals declined in January compared with the same month a year ago. And The New York Times reports on a study that found three eye drugs, ranging in price from $50 to $1950 a dose, are equally effective in most cases.
Bloomberg:
U.S. Health Care Spending Is On The Rise Again
The national medical bill may be back to growing faster than gross domestic product. After five years of historically slow growth, new data show U.S. health-care spending accelerated significantly in 2014. The analysis, from the Altarum Institute research group and based on preliminary government data, shows health spending increasing by 5 percent last year, compared to 3.6 percent in 2013. If confirmed by the final tally, health-care spending during 2014 would mark the biggest jump since before the recession. (Tozzi, 2/18)
Modern Healthcare:
Here's A First: January Hospital Prices Lower Than Year Ago
The prices that health insurers paid to acute-care hospitals declined in January compared with the same month a year ago, a first since federal officials began to collect such data. Public sector and private payer efforts to push down costs could explain the drop, experts said. (Evans, 2/18)
The New York Times:
3 Drugs For An Eye Disease, With Big Price Gaps, Are Found To Be Equals
At a time of rising concern over the cost of medicines, a government-funded study has found that three drugs, ranging in price from $50 to $1,950 a dose, are equally effective in treating many cases of a common form of vision loss caused by diabetes. But the most expensive drug – Eylea, sold by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals – was more effective for patients who had poorer vision before starting treatment. (Pollack, 2/18)
Ill. Gov. Seeks Billions In Cuts, Including Sharp Reductions In Medicaid, Health Programs
The budget proposal from Bruce Rauner, Illinois' new Republican governor, would trim $1.5 billion from the state's Medicaid program. In Connecticut, Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, also is proposing cuts that would affect hospitals and mental health care providers.
The New York Times:
Illinois Governor Proposes $6 Billion In Cuts And Reducing Pension Benefits
Expecting significant budget shortfalls this year and in the years ahead, Bruce Rauner, Illinois’s new Republican governor, on Wednesday proposed more than $6 billion in cuts in state spending on universities, health care, local governments and other areas and called for sharply reducing pension benefits for state workers. ... the state would spend $400 million less on higher education, $600 million less on local governments, and $1.5 billion less on Medicaid, which handles health care costs for poor residents. University leaders and mayors said they were worried, and advocates for the poor said they feared medical needs would go unmet under deep cuts to Medicaid. (Davey, 2/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Illinois Governor Rauner Proposes Spending Cuts In Budget Speech
Mr. Rauner took over a state that has largely struggled since the recession and now faces the end of a temporary income-tax boost. The governor’s plan steered clear of tax increases, relying on cuts throughout state government in the next fiscal year of $4.2 billion, or nearly 12%, from current levels. The largest reductions would come from changes in pension benefits for government employees, including lowering cost-of-living increases, raising retirement ages and capping pension payouts. Mr. Rauner also proposed cuts in employee medical benefits,nearly $400 million less in spending on public universities, and reductions in mass-transit and health-care funding. (Peters, 2/18)
Chicago Tribune:
Rauner's 'Turnaround Budget' Has Cuts Called 'Reckless,' 'Wrong Priorities'
In addition to pension changes, Rauner said he would negotiate changes to state employee and university employee health care, including higher employee payments and reduced benefits, to save $655 million. Rauner also proposed stopping state subsidies for health care for retired suburban and Downstate teachers and community college staff to save $125 million. Another large target in Rauner’s budget is Medicaid, where he wants to trim $1.5 billion from the agency that oversees the health program for the indigent that’s funded jointly by the state and federal government. The agency will scrub eligibility rolls to kick off those deemed unqualified, reduce how much it pays hospitals and nursing homes, shift people to the Affordable Care Act, and reduce or end optional services for adults such as dental care and podiatry. (Pearson, Garcia and Long, 2/18)
Reuters:
Illinois Governor's Budget Seeks Cuts To End Structural Deficit
Medicaid, the state and federally funded healthcare program for the poor and the biggest single cost item in Illinois' budget, would be cut by $1.5 billion, according to a budget briefing by Rauner's staff. Ironically, the Rauner administration considered opting out of the U.S. Affordable Care Act, despite Illinois' status as home state of the act's leading advocate, President Barack Obama. Rauner also plans to put $700 million in savings in worker healthcare coverage on the table during ongoing union contract negotiations. (Greising and Pierog, 2/18)
The Associated Press:
Illinois' New GOP Governor Calls For Billions In Budget Cuts
Illinois' new Republican governor called Wednesday for deep spending cuts to Medicaid, pensions and other programs to fix the state's budget mess without raising taxes — a pitch met with quick opposition from Democrats who control the Legislature. Delivering his first budget address since winning office last fall, Gov. Bruce Rauner said his plan would end "the irresponsible and reckless practices of the past." He said lawmakers must be willing to make politically unpopular decisions to close a more than $6 billion budget hole next year. (Burnett and Lester, 2/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Malloy Budget Closes Deficit With Spending Cuts, Tax-Credit Reductions
[Conn.] Gov. Dannel Malloy on Wednesday proposed to address a state budget deficit by cutting spending and raising revenue by reducing and delaying some tax credits and exemptions. Business groups said the plan would damage companies, and hospitals and social service providers said it would hurt some of the state’s most vulnerable people. ... Mental-health-care providers, hospitals and higher education were among those who would see the deepest cuts under Mr. Malloy’s proposal. (De Avila, 2/18)
Connecticut Mirror:
Medicaid Clients, Seniors, Health Care Providers Face Cuts Under Governor’s Plan
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposed budget aims to save hundreds of millions of dollars through cuts to health care and social service programs, including reductions in Medicaid eligibility, payments to health care providers and grants for mental health and substance abuse treatment. (Levin Becker, 2/18)
State Highlights: Mandatory Vaccines Not Unprecedented; Miss. Abortion Ruling; Vt. Health Costs
A selection of health policy stories from Mississippi, Connecticut, Vermont and Arizona.
NPR:
Why A Court Once Ordered Kids Vaccinated Against Their Parents' Will
A highly contagious disease was sweeping across the United States. Thousands of children were sick and some were dying. In the midst of this outbreak, health officials did something that experts say had never been done before and hasn't been done since. They forced parents to vaccinate their children. It sounds like something that would have happened a hundred years ago. But this was 1991. And the disease wasn't particularly deadly. It was measles. (Kelto, 2/19)
Reuters:
Mississippi Asks Supreme Court To Review Ruling Blocking Abortion Law
Mississippi asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to review a lower court decision blocking a law that would shut the state's sole abortion clinic. Mississippi is among several states that have passed laws requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinics. Some of the measures are under court review. A federal district court judge issued a temporary injunction in 2012 blocking the Mississippi law because it would have forced women seeking abortions to go out of state. (Kaminsky, 2/18)
The Associated Press:
Vermont Governor Says Health Program Lowering Patient Costs
Federal studies show Vermont's Blueprint for Health — a program aimed at reaching patients with chronic conditions, keeping them in better heath and saving money by reducing hospitalizations and medical procedures — is helping slow the growth of Vermont health care costs, Gov. Peter Shumlin said Wednesday. Shumlin wants to increase spending to $9 million for the pilot program, which began in 2003. (Rathke, 2/19)
Bloomberg:
At Yale, Sick Students Pay Dearly For Time Off
Alexa Little was halfway through the spring semester of her sophomore year at Yale University in 2013, when her health began deteriorating. “I was in near-constant pain, and every day was a struggle,” Little says. She considered leaving school to get medical treatment, but learned if she withdrew mid-semester, she’d have to pay tuition for the full term, borrow money to take courses while she was away, and reapply to Yale when she returned—with no guarantee she’d be readmitted. “I had several panic attacks over spring break,” she says. “The cold logic that saved my life was the thought that my family would rather take on $25,000 in debt than see me die.” (Otani, 2/19)
Bloomberg:
IPC The Hospitalist Must Face Federal Overcharge Lawsuit
IPC The Hospitalist Co., which employs doctors and acute-care specialists for hospitals in 27 states, must face federal claims that it overcharged U.S. health-care programs by millions of dollars. U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow in Chicago on Wednesday refused to dismiss a government lawsuit accusing the North Hollywood, California-based company of pressing doctors to “upcode,” or charge for more costly services than those provided. (Harris, 2/18)
Arizona Republic:
Judge Approves Arizona Inmate Health Care Settlement
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a settlement that will provide improved health-care coverage for about 34,000 Arizona inmates in state-run facilities at a cost to taxpayers of at least $8 million a year. (Harris, 2/18)
The Washington Post:
Is Court-Ordered Outpatient Treatment Of The Mentally Ill Worth The Cost?
Money. State and local governments never seem to have enough to meet the demand for mental health services. For years now, a much-touted solution to that problem has been mandatory outpatient treatment, also known as assisted outpatient treatment, or AOT. Such programs have typically targeted a small portion of the seriously mentally ill — sometimes less than two percent — who are frequent fliers in state hospitals and local jails, and thus responsible for a disproportionate chunk of public spending on those services. ... Only a handful of states, including Maryland, have either not adopted or not implemented mandatory outpatient treatment laws. (Shin, 2/18)
New Prescription Drug Rules Hampering Veterans' Access To Painkillers
DEA regulations sought to cut down abuse of powerful opioids, but they have complicated efforts by veterans with serious war injuries to get relief from pain.
The Washington Post:
New Rules On Narcotic Painkillers Cause Grief For Veterans And VA
New federal rules that make it harder to get narcotic painkillers are taking an unexpected toll on thousands of veterans who depend on these prescription drugs to treat a wide variety of ailments, such as missing limbs and post-traumatic stress. The restrictions, adopted last summer by the Drug Enforcement Administration to curb a national epidemic of opioid abuse, are for the first time, in effect, forcing veterans to return to the doctor every month to renew their medication, although many were already struggling to get appointments at overburdened VA health facilities. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 2/18)
Viewpoints: Health Law And Taxes; Effects Of Medicare's Penalties; Maybe Science Is Fallible
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
The New York Times:
When One Penalty Is Enough
Millions of Americans may be in for a shock when they file tax returns and learn that they have to pay a fine for failing to enroll in health insurance in 2014 and an even bigger fine for failing to enroll in 2015 before the enrollment period ended on Feb. 15. While there is nothing they can do to avoid the 2014 fine, which must be paid this year, they could avoid the 2015 fine, payable next year, if the Obama administration allowed them more time to enroll. (2/19)
Bloomberg:
Will Obamacare Join Tax Season Chaos?
Apparently, there is a movement afoot to get the Barack Obama administration to line up the Affordable Care Act's open-enrollment period with tax season. The reason: Many people are going to find out in March or April that they owe a penalty for not having the minimum essential insurance coverage. ... At first blush, it seems like a no-brainer to just move open enrollment so that people who get hit with the penalty can have an ouchie, then log on to the exchange to sign up. However, it's actually a lot more complicated than that. (Megan McArdle, 2/19)
Los Angeles Times:
Why The Supreme Court's Big Obamacare Case Never Should Have Been Filed
King v Burwell, the lawsuit before the Supreme Court that conservatives regard as their last big hope to destroy the Affordable Care Act, has been coming apart on the merits for months. Now there's evidence that it was never even properly filed. Pressure is growing on the Supreme Court to drop the case because of doubts that its plaintiffs have any standing to sue: "It would be highly improper (and embarrassing) for the Court to decide the merits of such an important case" when there are such doubts, writes Gerard Magliocca of Indiana University school of law. The fraying of the lawsuit's claims and the doubts about its plaintiffs' standing point to the fundamental problem with King v Burwell: it's an ideological attack on Obamacare, ginned up by the Cato Institute among others, masquerading as a rule-of-law case. (Michael Hiltzik, 2/18)
The New York Times:
The Obama Years
The Obama years will also be remembered for his signature legislation — the Affordable Care Act. This week, the president said that 11.4 million people had signed up for insurance or renewed coverage under the plan. Needless to say, the program is reducing the number of people who are uninsured but it also appears to be lowering medical costs. Yet the future of the act is unclear. There is a case (King v. Burwell) before the Supreme Court — a laughable case about a language quibble that may be the most significant linguistic imprecision of a generation — that could spell doom for the law by withholding subsidies from millions of low-income Americans to purchase health insurance. (Charles M. Blow, 2/19)
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Gov. Scott Walker Made An Easy Call Look Hard
Not that it's going to happen, but we'll say it anyway: Gov. Scott Walker should reverse his decision to say "no" to additional federal money to expand the state's health care programs for the needy. It was a costly, shortsighted decision. For the governor, it was about a conservative standing firm against Obamacare. But for taxpayers, it was about losing the chance to save up to $345 million over the next two years. (2/17)
Los Angeles Times:
Healthcare: Where Do Members Of Congress Get Their Coverage?
[T]hanks to Obamacare, which Republican lawmakers have dedicated themselves to repealing, all members of Congress and their staffers have to purchase coverage through an online exchange, just like everyone else who doesn't receive insurance from an employer. Nearly 13,000 members of Congress and staffers are currently enrolled in gold-level Small Business Health Option Program plans on the Washington, D.C., exchange. However, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have introduced bills challenging the federal subsidies received for their coverage. (David Lazarus, 2/18)
The Pioneer Press:
A Frame On Which To Build Health Care Debate In Minnesota
Facing the uncertainties of the complex new world under the Affordable Care Act, Minnesota should be prepared to protect what it's got right when it comes to health care. That's among conclusions we draw from a report ready for release Thursday by the Minnesota Business Partnership, which represents the state's largest employers. (2/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Why Hospital Safety Scores Can Do More Harm Than Good
In health care there is a similar danger of focusing on improving our “test scores” at the expense of real improvement in patient safety—and in this case, the exams have serious flaws. The federal government uses a composite measure of patient safety to help determine whether hospitals are penalized under two programs. One of those programs, the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Program, in December reduced Medicare reimbursements by 1% for 721 hospitals for their rates of preventable harms, such as serious blood clots, pressure ulcers, and accidental punctures and lacerations. Serves them right, you might think. These hospitals are unnecessarily harming patients. That might be true if the test of their patient safety performance was scientifically sound. (Peter Pronovost, 2/18)
The Washington Post:
Science, With A Side Order Of Humility
After 40 years of warning Americans to avoid cholesterol-rich foods, the nation’s top nutrition panel is poised to tell the public, in effect, “never mind.” The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which shapes authoritative federal nutritional recommendations, has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to back up its long-standing 300-milligram-per-day limit on cholesterol intake, The Post reported last week. ... There’s a lesson here for all of us, especially those who urge that this or that public policy be dictated by “the science.” To be sure, that lesson is not that all science is as poor a guide to policy as the cholesterol research that led to such misallocation of scarce resources. ... Still, some science is bound to disappoint, or mislead, at significant social and financial cost, before it gets corrected. Unfortunately, consumers, or voters, including the best-educated ones, are poorly positioned to separate the wheat from the chaff. (Charles Lane, 2/18)
The New York Times:
My Own Life
A month ago, I felt that I was in good health, even robust health. At 81, I still swim a mile a day. But my luck has run out — a few weeks ago I learned that I have multiple metastases in the liver. ... It is up to me now to choose how to live out the months that remain to me. I have to live in the richest, deepest, most productive way I can. ... I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential. I must focus on myself, my work and my friends. (Oliver Sacks, 2/19)
Bloomberg:
Free Trade Makes Cancer Drugs Cheaper
Some parents of children with attention deficit disorder got a welcome surprise last month. If they went to refill a prescription of Intuniv, a popular ADD treatment, they discovered that its monthly cost had dropped by 80 percent. The reason: The patent on the drug had expired at the end of 2014, and the generic was available. The process of using generic substitutes for expensive prescription drugs can be speeded up even more, saving U.S. consumers billions of dollars a year. This opportunity comes from an unusual source: the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty. (Caroline Freund, 2/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Why Are So Many Toddlers Taking Psychiatric Drugs?
Psychiatric drugs are now being given to infants and toddlers in unprecedented numbers. An analysis of 2013 IMS Data, found that over 274,000 infants (0-1 year olds) and some 370,000 toddlers (1-3 years age) in the U.S. were on antianxiety (e.g. Xanax) and antidepressant (e.g. Prozac) drugs. This report also found over 1,400 infants were on ADHD drugs. ... Most use in such young children is “off-label,” posing safety concerns. For example, a 2013 study of 44,000 children found that antipsychotic drugs tripled the risk for developing diabetes–confirming our warning in 2001. Are psychiatric diagnoses reliable in such young children? Why are tens of thousands of children getting drugs outside guidelines? What is the most humane way to manage behavior changes in children? (Murali Doraiswamy, 2/19)
The Washington Post Wonkblog:
How Our Schools Fail Poor Kids Before They Even Arrive For Class
Fortunately, there's a program that tries to make sure low-income children are able to eat breakfast each day: the decades old School Breakfast Program, which helps provide free or near-free morning meals to poor students. Unfortunately, the program is failing to live up to its potential. The School Breakfast Program still isn't feeding nearly as many poor students as it should be. In fact, the program is falling short by at least ten million students, if not more, according to a new study by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). (Ferdman, 2/18)
JAMA:
Stealth Research: Is Biomedical Innovation Happening Outside the Peer-Reviewed Literature?
Information about Theranos, a privately held biotechnology company that has developed novel approaches for laboratory diagnostic testing, has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, San Francisco Business Times, Fortune, Forbes, Medscape, and Silicon Valley Business Journal—but not in the peer-reviewed biomedical literature. ... Moreover, the company has teamed with Walgreens pharmacies in Palo Alto and Arizona to create “Theranos Wellness Centers.” A footnote in the respective Walgreens webpage mentions that the laboratories are Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act–certified. According to the same sources, Theranos has operated in stealth mode for more than a decade, not publishing anything in the literature while preparing to change the entire health system: “One closely guarded secret is… how exactly the technology behind its blood test works.” (Dr. John P. A. Ioannidis, 2/17)