Latest KFF Health News Stories
To Circumvent Patent Challenges, This Pharma Company Made A Deal With A Native American Tribe
Now that the deal has been made public, other drugmakers are taking interest. In other pharmaceutical news, the struggle to create a Zika vaccine highlights a broader public health problem, the Food and Drug Administration is changing the way it approves orphan drugs, the House has begun work on a bill that would boost the agency’s oversight of over-the-counter drugs, and more.
Advocates Pressing Medicare To Promote Advance Directives Among Beneficiaries
Some lawmakers and organizations want the government to help get the word out about advance directives and to encourage people to create them. Also, a look at some of the experimental programs being run by Medicare to change how doctors are reimbursed.
Arizona High Court To Hear GOP Lawmakers’ Suit Challenging Expansion Of Medicaid
The legislators filed suit in 2013 seeking to stop then Gov. Jan Brewer’s decision to expand Medicaid under the federal health law. In other Medicaid news, Iowa officials are considering moving people with serious disabilities out of the state’s new managed care plan and a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to move more people out of nursing homes in Washington, D.C.
Reproductive Services May Become Harder To Access As More Hospitals Affiliate With Catholic Church
“This alone represents a substantial cost to women, who must subsequently rely on other, more inconvenient suboptimal forms of contraception,” finds a study of the trend toward hospital consolidation. In other industry news: Tenet considers selling, troubles at a D.C. hospital, an infection pattern at a Wisconsin facility, and more.
8 Dead At Nursing Home Where Air Conditioner Failed In Wake Of Hurricane Irma
Dozens more patients were found in distress, as well. The deaths have prompted a criminal investigation.
Forget Congress — Administration Is Quietly Gutting Health Law By Itself
In rolling back Obama-era regulations, the administration has become the chief weapon against the Affordable Care Act.
Senators May Have Reached Deal On CHIP Funding, But Its Path Forward Is Still Uncertain
It is unlikely, though, that Republicans will hold up the funding for the widely popular program.
Graham-Cassidy Bill Proposes State-By-State Block Grants As Solution To Health Insurance Woes
The measure, crafted by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), is a last-ditch effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. It has long odds of getting anywhere, although President Donald Trump did applaud their efforts.
What Is Single Payer? Why Now? And More Questions About Sanders’ New Bill Answered
Media outlets take a look at the ins and outs of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ new “Medicare for all” plan.
Sanders Releases Single-Payer Proposal: ‘Health Care In America Must Be A Right, Not A Privilege’
Sixteen Democratic senators support Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as he releases the new bill, throwing their weight behind an idea that’s gaining traction with progressive voters.
Unveiled Health Care Bills Show Just How Far Apart Parties Are Despite Ongoing Bipartisan Efforts
As the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee races to find bipartisan fixes to stabilize the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, two groups of senators release controversial health care bills designed to replace the current system in very different ways. It’s unlikely either will pass, but those continued efforts shine a light on how difficult it will be to get lawmakers to agree on a solution.
First Edition: September 14, 2017
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Reporter’s Notebook: In Health Care, A Good Price (Or Any Price) Is Hard To Find
Not only are health prices hidden, industry players are contractually obligated to keep them secret. That’s why answering a simple question — how much does it cost to have a baby in Mountain View, Calif.? — became a journalistic quest.
FDA Moves To Guard Against Abuse Of ‘Orphan Drug’ Program
Following a KHN investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has moved to speed up approvals of “orphan drugs” while closing a loophole that allowed drugmakers to skip pediatric testing.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Health Plans Busting Out All Over
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal discuss Democratic, Republican and bipartisan health proposals all being pursued in Congress, including the latest version of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) “Medicare-for-All” proposal. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Viewpoints: At HHS, ‘Waste Scores A Victory’; Home Care Costs; Misreading The Opioid Crisis
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Talk About Single Payer: What About Workers Who Like Their Plans; ‘Pivotal Moment’ For U.S.
Opinion writers examine the “Medicare for All” movement and other aspects of the national health care debate.
Perspectives: Pharma Regulations Are Filled With Loopholes Nimble Companies Can Profit From
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
When Exciting Breakthrough Treatments Come With Astronomical Price Tags
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Delaware, Washington, Minnesota, California and Ohio.