Latest KFF Health News Stories
FDA Chief Says He’s Open To Rethinking Incentives On Orphan Drugs
The FDA’s Scott Gottlieb says the agency is focused on the big picture, and he wants to know why pharma churns out drugs for some rare diseases but not for others.
First Edition: December 22, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Arthritis Drugs Show How U.S. Drug Prices Defy Economics
Drugs that treat rheumatoid arthritis started out costing about $10,000 a year. Ten years later, they list for more than $40,000.
Infection Lapses Rampant In Nursing Homes But Punishment Is Rare
A Kaiser Health News analysis of federal inspection records shows that nursing home inspectors labeled mistakes in infection control as serious for only 161 of the 12,056 homes they have cited since 2014.
Bonus Tucked Into GOP Tax Bill For Those Aiming To Deduct Medical Expenses
The House sought to eliminate the tax deduction, generally used by people with serious illnesses or those who need long-term care services but it was eventually restored in the final bill — and expanded.
Biosimilars, Biologics And New Legal Challenges For RA Treatments
As biosimilar products reach the market and rival more established RA treatments, the players are exploring legal challenges involving antitrust and anti-competitive behavior.
751 Hospitals Hit With Safety Penalties For 2018: Data Table
The federal government has cut payments to hospitals with high rates of patient injuries this year. Those hospitals will lose 1 percent of Medicare payments over the federal fiscal year, which runs from October through September. Maryland hospitals are exempted from penalties because that state has a separate payment arrangement with Medicare. Below are the […]
Medicare Penalizes Group Of 751 Hospitals For Patient Injuries
Each hospital will have its payments reduced by 1 percent for the year.
Despite Compressed Sign-Up Period, ACA Enrollment Nearly Matches Last Year’s
HHS announces that 8.8 million people signed up for coverage through the federal insurance marketplace.
El largo adiós: cómo enfrentar la enfermedad prolongada de un ser querido
Una enfermedad prolongada puede generar el duelo de un ser querido, mucho antes del fallecimiento. Consejos para sobrellevar esta etapa con menos dolor.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ 2017: The Year In Health Policy
In this episode of “What The Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss this week’s news, including health issues in the just-passed tax bill and a look back on the year in health policy.
Viewpoints: CHIP Needs Congressional Support Now; Gun Supporters Torpedo VA Nominee
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Parsing The Tax Bill’s Health Impact: Is The ACA Dead?; Also The Health Law’s Failed Cost Controls
Opinion writers analyze how the tax bill will affect a variety of health issues.
Longer Looks: The Tax Bill; Medical Device Corruption; And Bariatric Surgery
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, New York, Missouri, California and Kansas.
Arizona Submits Request To Add Work Requirements To Medicaid Program
The state made a similar request last year and was denied, but officials are hopeful the new administration will be more receptive to the idea. Outlets report on Medicaid news out of Mississippi and Oregon, as well.
ProPublica offers a look at waste in the industry and talks to health care leaders or policymakers about how it could be reduced.
The Latest Target In Series Of Gene-Editing Breakthroughs: Hearing Loss
The field is breaking down barriers with startling frequency. In other public health news: sitting and heart health; hot tea and eyesight; the rain and pain; salad and the brain; and more.
‘We Should Be Really Alarmed’: U.S. Life Expectancy Drops Due To Staggering Rate Of Overdose Deaths
The United States has not seen two years of declining life expectancy since 1962 and 1963, and the numbers paint a grim picture if the opioid epidemic is not brought under control.
This Drug Used To Be $50 A Bottle, Now It Goes For $15,000. Lawmakers Want Answers.
The drug, Keveyis, received orphan status in 2015, which triggered a huge price spike. Now lawmakers are seeking an analysis from the company about why it went up so much. In other pharmaceutical news: a report finds that drugmakers have avoided more than $1.3 billion in Medicaid drug rebates between 2012 and 2016; the president’s desire to cut regulations could actually backfire at the FDA; and a settlement over drug coupons could be the start of a broader crackdown.