This policy watch examines the implications of new proposed regulations that would allow Medicare and require Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity, including a relatively new class of highly effective but costly drugs known as GLP-1s.
Category: Public Health
ACA fraud crackdown could slow signups: 4 things to know
Federal efforts to prevent fraud in the ACA marketplace are yielding positive results, but new restrictions aimed at curbing fraud may complicate the 2024 open enrollment period, KFF Health News reported Nov. 25.
HHS expands transplant access for people with HIV
HHS has issued a final rule that removes clinical research requirements for kidney and liver transplants from donors with HIV to recipients with HIV.
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Public Health and the Dairy Cow in the Room
Public health, one of the more misunderstood concepts in the health world, is about the health of entire populations, rather than individuals. As a result, public health is closely tied to things like the environment, nutrition, and safety. With major concerns such as bird flu looming, President-elect Donald Trump’s priorities could translate into efforts that undermine those of public health workers. In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?”, chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner is joined by Healthbeat editor-in-chief Charlene Pacenti, KFF Health News public health correspondent Amy Maxmen, and Healthbeat New York City reporter Eliza Fawcett.
US flu activity: 5 things to know
Flu activity is showing a slight increase across the U.S. as seasonal influenza begins to circulate more widely, according to the CDC.
Immigration Detention Center Contractor Sues Over California Health Inspections
A private immigration detention center contractor has sued to block a California law allowing local public health officials to inspect facilities in response to allegations of medical neglect or unsanitary conditions.
The Role Health Care Issues Played in the 2024 Election: An Analysis of AP VoteCast
KFF’s analysis of KFF/AP VoteCast supplemental questions shows how abortion, abortion-related ballot measures, and other health care issues influenced the 2024 election.
Readers Embrace ‘Going It Alone’ Series on Aging and Chastise Makers of Pulse Oximeters
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Trump’s Nontraditional Health Picks
Not only has President-elect Donald Trump chosen prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Trump also has said he will nominate controversial TV host Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees coverage for nearly half of Americans. Meanwhile, the lame-duck Congress is back in Washington with just a few weeks to figure out how to wrap up work for the year. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Riley Ray Griffin of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sarah Varney, who has been covering a trial in Idaho challenging the lack of medical exceptions in that state’s abortion ban.
CDC warns about trench fever in homeless population, organ transplants
The CDC released three papers warning about a rare bacterial disease that primarily poses a danger to people experiencing homelessness and organ transplant recipients who have received infected organs, The Washington Post reported Nov. 20.
