Latest KFF Health News Stories
‘An Arm And A Leg’: A La ‘Hamilton,’ Revue Takes On History Of Health Insurance
Kvetching about the cost of health care is kind of what we do on the podcast “An Arm and a Leg.” This week’s episode features like-minded storytellers — from the musical troupe Heck No Techo — who have turned their frustrations into art and laughter.
Coping With (Power) Loss: California’s Hospitals, Clinics, Patients Face New Reality
How are critical medical services interrupted by the loss of power and what can hospitals and clinics do to minimize the impact? This Q&A will give you some answers.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: How’s That Open Enrollment Going?
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace plans is halfway over and, so far, the number of people signing up is down, but not dramatically. Meanwhile, Congress and President Donald Trump can’t seem to agree on what to do about teen vaping, drug prices or “surprise” medical bills. And Democrats lurch to the left on abortion. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more health news.
Did Joe Biden Overstate Democratic Voters’ Opposition To ‘Medicare For All’?
The term “vast” sets a high bar.
Nothing To Sneeze At: The $2,659 Bill To Pluck Doll’s Shoe From Child’s Nostril
A 3-year-old girl put matching doll shoes up her nose. One came out easily. The second required an emergency department visit ― and generated a bill that is not child’s play.
Joven indocumentado, en más riesgo de deportación por su trastorno mental
Defensores de la salud mental dicen que la situación es particularmente difícil para los indocumentados, tanto para el acceso al tratamiento como con las autoridades de inmigración.
Editorial pages focus on these health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Hampshire, California, Georgia, and Massachusetts.
Former Outcome Health Executives Face Charges Of Allegedly Falsifying Data In $1B Fraud Scheme
The case was sparked by reports that the company—which displays pharmaceutical ads in doctors’ offices—had misled some customers with inflated data and fake reports.
Reports that Brigham Young University-Idaho wouldn’t accept Medicaid as acceptable insurance for students prompted an outcry of criticism. The university had claimed the change was due to the impracticality for the local medical community to provide for the health care needs for the students, but local providers disputed that reasoning.
CMS revamped its system to help beneficiaries navigate Medicare enrollment, but the newly redesigned tool has been causing confusion for many instead. The flawed results being shown include inaccurate premium estimates, incorrect prescription drug costs and inaccurate costs with extra help subsidies.
Lawmakers Optimistic About Breaking Stalemate On Stalled Surprise Billing Negotiations
While many in Congress are agreed that something must be done to address surprise medical bills, the lawmakers have been split over which of a handful of strategies to choose in moving forward. In other health industry and insurance news: record-high debt, gender pay gaps, state health exchanges, and more.
‘Trying To Reduce Anxiety’: Instagram Explores Ways To Take Away Likes, Improve Mental Health
By removing users ability to see how many likes their followers got but allowing them to see likes on their own posts, might make social media less stressful. But marketing agencies say the change would not be beneficial for businesses looking to market through high-profile users. Other news on mental health comes from California, Connecticut, Wisconsin and Illinois.
The Wall Street Journal lifts the curtain on the behind-the-scenes work to build a public health legal challenge against a big company. In other public health news: football and CTE, caregivers, bias in science, dementia fears, screen time for toddlers, foster care, and more.
Even though food experts have been warning people for years, the cultural norm of washing the turkey at Thanksgiving has persisted.
Guards Facing Charges In Epstein’s Suicide Say Blame Lies With Systemic Failures In Prison System
Jeffrey Epstein’s death has thrown a spotlight on the federal prison system, which has been plagued by staff shortages and chronic violence accusations for years.
In Lawsuit, Generic Drug Group Says California’s Ban On Pay-To Delay Deals Would Hurt Competition
The FTC, however, says the deals cost U.S. consumers an estimated $3.5 billion annually. In other pharmaceutical news: anti-trust probes, a billionaire couple’s work to move the House drug pricing bill through, the strategy behind Novartis’ recent acquisition, brain boosting supplements, and more.
FDA Approves New Sickle Cell Drug As Part Of Flood Of New Treatments For The Disease
“Everybody’s been waiting for this moment where the flood gate of new treatments is opening,” said Dr. Biree Andemariam, chief medical officer of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. But the new drug is expensive: Global Blood Therapeutics priced Oxbryta at $125,000 a year.
PhRMA To Yank Millions In Funding From Nonprofit Geared Toward Helping Those Addicted To Opioids
PhRMA, which is responsible for 90 percent of the Addiction Policy Forum’s funding, will walk back and then end its support by 2020. The forum was at the eye of previous controversy, with critics blasting the fact that most of its funding came from the drugmakers who they said were responsible for the crisis in the first place. News on the opioid epidemic comes out of Massachusetts and Ohio, as well.
In the months after Customs and Border Protection rejected the recommendation, at least two children died after being diagnosed with the flu while in custody.