Latest KFF Health News Stories
Journalists Delve Into Insulin Costs and Prior Authorization Policy
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Fresh Produce Is an Increasingly Popular Prescription for Chronically Ill Patients
Fresh produce prescription programs are getting a boost in Montana as a way of helping people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The approach may be a model for other rural states to promote healthy eating in food deserts.
California Picks Generic Drug Company Civica to Produce Low-Cost Insulin
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who blasted pharmaceutical companies for gouging Californians, is moving ahead with state-branded insulin. He’s also eyeing other generic drugs.
California eligió a la compañía de genéricos Civica para producir insulina de bajo costo
Civica está desarrollando tres tipos de insulina genérica, conocida como biosimilar, que estarán disponibles tanto en viales como en plumas inyectables, a un costo de entre $30 y $55.
La insulina representa lo perverso del sistema sanitario estadounidense, ya que los precios de venta de este medicamento centenario, del que dependen 8,4 millones de estadounidenses para sobrevivir, se quintuplicaron en dos décadas.
Why Does Insulin Cost So Much? Big Pharma Isn’t the Only Player Driving Prices
Big Pharma may be moving on from squeezing diabetes patients on insulin prices, but it’s the arbitrators that jack up prices for those who can least afford them.
Journalists Discuss Insulin Prices, Gun Violence, Distracted Driving, and More
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Decisión de Eli Lilly de bajar el precio de su insulina logrará cambios históricos en los costos
Expertos en precios de medicamentos celebraron la noticia de Eli Lilly y otros esfuerzos. Y estas otras iniciativas para llevar al mercado insulina de menor costo, a su vez, presionarían a Eli Lilly para que mantuviera sus precios bajos.
Eli Lilly Slashed Insulin Prices. This Starts a Race to the Bottom.
Eli Lilly’s news that it plans to cut insulin costs for patients will help, not hinder, the recent efforts in California and by entrepreneurs such as Mark Cuban to offer lower-cost alternatives, drug pricing experts said.
Armed With Hashtags, These Activists Made Insulin Prices a Presidential Talking Point
Twitter has been a hotbed for the burgeoning insulin access movement and activism surrounding other medical conditions. For people with diabetes, the platform has helped propel concern about insulin prices into policy. Can it continue to win with hashtags?
California Attorney General Sues Drugmakers Over Inflated Insulin Prices
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is taking three major drugmakers and three distributors to court, alleging the companies illegally raised prices at the expense of diabetes patients.
Fiscal general de California demanda a farmacéuticas por “inflar” los precios de la insulina
En la demanda, Rob Bonta argumentó que los precios se han disparado y que algunos pacientes se han visto obligados a racionar sus medicamentos o renunciar por completo a comprar insulina.
A Retiree Returns to Work After a Calamitous Year of Health Emergencies
In 2020, diabetes and covid-19 landed David Zipprich in the hospital three times. Even with insurance, he was inundated with bills, debt notices, and calls from collectors.
Watch: The Politics of Health Care in California
KHN senior correspondent Angela Hart discussed the most pressing health care issues in California with the nonpartisan group Democracy Winters in mid-November, touching on a variety of issues, from the state’s effort to transform its Medicaid program to its plan to produce generic insulin.
Medicare Plan Finder Likely Won’t Note New $35 Cap on Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs
In August, Congress approved a $35 cap on what seniors will pay for insulin, but that change came too late to add to the online tool that helps Medicare beneficiaries compare dozens of drug and medical plans. Federal officials say beneficiaries who use insulin will have the opportunity to switch plans after open enrollment ends Dec. 7.
You may have seen the ads that promise weight loss and better health — phone apps, rings, and other devices — by giving you data on how your body reacts to food, exercise, and sleep. Is this information enough to help consumers achieve their goals?
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Checking Up on California’s DIY Insulin Project
California put up $100 million to produce its own insulin. How did this plan come to be, and what might stand in the state’s way?
Índice de masa corporal: una medida errónea del peso que afecta el tratamiento de la obesidad
Los tratamientos actuales para la obesidad y los trastornos alimentarios, y sus costos, muchas veces se basan en esta medida que no está amparada en la ciencia.
BMI: The Mismeasure of Weight and the Mistreatment of Obesity
The human body mass index — a simple mathematical equation — is tied to a measure of obesity invented almost 200 years ago. On the downside, it can stand between patients and treatment for weight issues. It particularly mismeasures Black women and Asians.
Congressman’s Wife Died After Taking Herbal Remedy Marketed for Diabetes and Weight Loss
Lori McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock of California, died after ingesting white mulberry leaf, according to the Sacramento County coroner. The plant is generally considered safe and is used in herbal remedies that claim to lower blood sugar, boost weight loss, and combat high cholesterol. Her death highlights the potential dangers of dietary supplements.