Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

@flakebarmer

Drug Test Spurs Frank Talk Between Hypertension Patients And Doctors

KFF Health News Original

Roughly half of patients don’t take their high blood pressure medicine as they should, even though heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Now, a drug test can flag whether a patient is taking the prescribed medication and is meant to spark a more truthful conversation between patient and doctor.

Hospital Honchos Hone New Message In Wake Of Opioid Epidemic: Expect Pain

KFF Health News Original

“We really do have a lot of responsibility and culpability,” says one hospital official who is part of a working group trying to address the opioid epidemic. Patients have to expect more pain after surgery and understand the risk of addiction, says another doctor.

Good Deals For Some, Sticker Shock For Others As ACA Enrollment Winds Down

KFF Health News Original

In Tennessee, an Obamacare consumer saw her rate go from $750 to just $5 a month. But a man in Maryland had to buy a less comprehensive plan to keep his costs under $1,000 a month. Income and geography determine prices for health insurance in the fifth year of Affordable Care Act coverage.