Latest KFF Health News Stories
Patients Eligible For Charity Care Instead Get Big Bills
Nonprofit hospitals admit they sent $2.7 billion in bills over the course of a year to patients who probably qualified for free or discounted care.
California’s New Transparency Law Reveals Steep Rise In Wholesale Drug Prices
Pharmaceutical companies raised the wholesale cost of their drugs by a median of nearly 26% from 2017 to early 2019, according to California’s first-ever report stemming from a new drug price transparency law. Prices for generic drugs rose nearly 38% during that time.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
Rescates del 911 relacionados con la salud mental, sin policías
Denver es una de al menos ocho ciudades que está considerando implementar un programa que busca despenalizar y mejorar el tratamiento de las personas con enfermedades mentales graves.
Aumentan las líneas de ayuda para dejar de vapear
Funcionarios de salud están investigando 1.299 casos en 49 estados y el Distrito de Columbia, incluyendo al menos 26 muertes, de enfermedad pulmonar vinculada al vapeo.
Age-Old Health Care Debate Shifts From Insuring More People To Cutting Costs
U.S. political parties for years have argued about the role of government in providing health care and expanding coverage to more people. But as the cost of medical services continues to grow faster than most Americans’ incomes, even people with private insurance coverage are finding the cost of care becoming unaffordable, KHN’s Julie Rovner writes in a new article in BMJ.
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Americans Are Internalizing Political Rhetoric About Link Between Mental Health And Violence
New research reveals that Americans’ fear about the dangers of those suffering with mental health problems is increasing as leaders and politicians continue to emphasize those myths. On World Mental Health Day, media outlets examined this and other topics relevant to the global conversation.
Letting Your Child Smoke And Letting Him Play Tackle Football Are Similar Dangers, Advocates Warn
Why does a new public service announcement warning about the dangers concussions have on young brains spotlight smoking? “The younger I start, the longer I’m exposed to danger,” a voiceover says. Public health news looks at men’s breast cancer, research on koala viruses, and warnings about an STD epidemic, as well.
“For people with disabilities it can be life or death,” said Sunday Parker, who uses a wheelchair and lives in Oakland, parts of which were affected by the historic, sweeping shutdowns. Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed PG&E for the decision, calling the outages “unacceptable.”
Some Experts Optimistic As Obesity Levels In Children Hold Steady Instead Of Increasing
A new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report found that nearly 5 million American kids could fall into the obese category. But not everyone is discouraged by the numbers. “It’s definitely positive. You have to stop [obesity] first in order to reverse it,” said Laina Fullum, director of nutrition services for Columbia Public Schools. “Since we’ve been on an uptick, for it to just halt is amazing.”
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America CEO Steve Ubl is treating House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing bill like a threat despite doubts that it could make it through the GOP-controlled Senate. “We would like to see a balanced package emerge from the legislative process this year and we’re working both sides of the aisle towards that end,” Ubl said.
While the annual cost-of-living increase is based on the Consumer Price Index for working-age residents of urban areas, it’s widely accepted that this figure fails to account for seniors’ higher spending on health care and housing.
Health officials want to help doctors catch any early symptoms of the disease in their patients. The CDC reported Thursday that 1,299 people have confirmed or probable cases of lung injuries linked to vaping, and 26 have died.
HHS Warns Doctors To Not Swing Too Far On Pendulum Away From Opioids For Chronic Pain Patients
As the country grapples with the opioid epidemic, there’s been a broad crackdown on opioids in general. Now, HHS is urging doctors not to go too far in cutting off prescriptions. Other news on the crisis focuses on the court challenges to Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers.
The new proposal extends the timetable for replacing lead pipes, but it also includes new requirements that schools and day care centers be tested for lead. And, if elevated lead levels are found, customers must be told within 24 hours, not the current standard of 30 days. Environmental activists, however, say the moves would not make up for the relaxation of standards in other areas.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spoke with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta about ignoring the warning signs of his heart attack and about what he was feeling when it occurred. He also promised “full disclosure” of his medical records, saying, “The people do have a right to know about the health of a senator, somebody who’s running for president of the United States.”