Latest KFF Health News Stories
Insys To Pay $150M To Settle Criminal, Civil Investigation Into Marketing Techniques For Its Opioids
The company has figured prominently in the ongoing federal investigation into drugmakers’ role in the opioid epidemic because several former executives and employees have been arrested in connection with allegations of bribing doctors to boost sales of Subsys, its product that contains fentanyl. News on the crisis comes out of New York and Massachusetts, as well.
The national ad campaign includes Alaska and Maine, whose senators have a history of supporting abortion rights and are being watched closely for their votes on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, a panel discusses what would happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
A new study looked at legal immigrants’ health spending just as a federal proposal to penalize them for using Medicaid gains steam with Republicans.
The Associated Press fact checks Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) spin on the report that analyzed the cost of the senator’s “Medicare For All” plan, which is gaining steam in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Subsidies For Health Law Coverage Racing Past Cost Of Medicaid Expansion
Some worry that the spending weight that the subsidies place on the government is not sustainable, but few have any hope for fixes to the system as the law remains a political hot spot.
Would A ‘Netflix’ Subscription Model Work For Pricey Hep C Drugs? Louisiana Wants To Find Out
The state would pay a fixed amount of money for the drugs for a certain amount of time. While some are praising the effort, other experts say that because costs are coming down already, that it’s unclear whether that type of deal would really save the state money.
CVS Wants Pharma To Stop Pointing Fingers At The Middlemen When It Comes To High Drug Prices
“Drug manufacturers want you to believe that increasing drug prices are a result of them happy to pay rebates and that PBMs are retaining these rebates. And this is simply not true,” said Larry Merlo, the CEO of CVS, which owns Caremark, one of the biggest pharmacy-benefit managers. Meanwhile, the American Medical Association speaks out against CVS’ attempts to acquire insurer Aetna. And Rite Aid and Albertsons call off their merger.
Medicare’s Power To Negotiate Drug Prices Will Harm Patients With Chronic Illnesses, Advocates Warn
Medicare Advantage’s negotiating tool — requiring patients to try lower-cost treatments before the more expensive ones — is derided as a “fail first” process to those who oppose the strategy. “Consumers may have to go through one or more drugs before they can get a particular treatment they really need,” said Ellen Albritton, a senior policy analyst at Families USA. Meanwhile, there are already signals that implementing the new rules is going to be complicated.
Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) is alleged to have passed inside information on the failure of an Innate Immunotherapeutics’ drug trial to his son, who then passed it to another alleged conspirator. Collins describes the charges as “merit-less” and says he will stay in office and run for reelection. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan says that Collins would not serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee “until this matter is settled.”
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Rep. Christopher Collins (R-N.Y.) is alleged to have passed inside information on the failure of a Innate Immunotherapeutics’ drug trial to his son, who then passed it to another alleged conspirator. The three avoided about $768,000 in losses as a result of the information, prosecutors allege.
Editorial pages focus on these and other health issues.
Perspectives: Are Recent Pharma Concessions One-Off Victories When Systematic Change Is Needed?
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from Montana, Texas, D.C., Louisiana, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Hampshire and Florida.
Families, Health Care Teams Turn To New Approaches To Help People Caught Up In Opioid Epidemic
Rather than immediately sending newborns dependent on opioids to foster care, Kansas City health officials are working to keep the families together. Other new ideas include not letting a family member hit “rock bottom” and using more medication-assisted treatments to keep people alive.
In other news on how to make schools more safe, few rural districts in South Dakota and Wyoming are arming teachers, and a new survey says 25 percent of students are “very worried” about a school shooting.
“People tend to think about pregnancy as a universally happy experience,” said Daniel Grossman, of the University of California at San Francisco. “But the reality is that pregnancy is inherently risky. … Black women face significantly higher risks during pregnancy, and Beyoncé and Serena Williams help to put a very well-known face to these risks.” In other public health news: the need for men to be tested for BRCA2 gene; the psychological harms of technology on children; drinking water during hot weather; and more.
First Look At How Zika Babies Are Faring As They Grow Up Is Sobering In Breadth Of Health Problems
About one out of every seven babies who were exposed to Zika in the womb have health complications, with some of the problems emerging well after birth. “We are still early in the Zika story, and we still have lot to learn about how these children will grow and develop,” said Margaret Honein, director of the CDC’s Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders.
Carl Icahn is urging fellow shareholders to vote against the deal between the health insurer and the pharmacy-benefits firm.
