Latest KFF Health News Stories
Midterm Elections Are Shaping Up To Be A Referendum On Trumpism
Even voters who say they are more enthusiastic about voting in this congressional election than in past ones are not motivated by any specific issue. But, according to a poll out Thursday, health care policies rank high among topics voters want candidates to address.
Use Of Psychiatric Drugs Soars In California Jails
A combination of factors has led to an “astronomical” increase in mentally ill inmates, followed by increased efforts to identify those who need prescriptions. Some say the meds are underprescribed; others, that they are given inappropriately, without the benefit of comprehensive treatment.
‘Pharma Bro’ Shkreli Is In Prison, But Daraprim’s Price Is Still High
The saga of Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals focused a lot of attention on prescription drug prices, but no reversal of the exponential price increases for the lifesaving drug Daraprim resulted. The story offers an object lesson into the interworkings of the pharmaceutical market.
Best Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads everything on health care to compile our daily Morning Briefing, offers the best and most provocative stories for the weekend.
Dissecting The Rhetoric Vs. Reality Of Trump’s Tough Talk On Drug Prices
President Donald Trump’s upcoming speech on drug prices comes after months of public comments and debate about tackling the issue.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
KHN’s newsletter editor, Brianna Labuskes, wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Nothing In Health Care Ever Goes Away
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Sarah Jane Tribble of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post examine how even after Republicans failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the health care debate continues to roil politics. They discuss how Republicans in Congress have shifted their ACA messaging and how the Democrats are looking to Medicare expansion. They also discuss state efforts to expand Medicaid and drug pricing. And they spend a moment talking about Congress’ push to do something about the opioid crisis.
Prueba logra que pacientes sean francos con sus médicos sobre la hipertensión
Los medicamentos contra la hipertensión, que previenen graves ataques, a veces generan efectos secundarios. Por eso muchos pacientes dejan de tomarlos… y le mienten a sus médicos.
Drug Test Spurs Frank Talk Between Hypertension Patients And Doctors
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.
Federal Appeals Court Puts Chill On Maryland Law To Fight Drug Price-Gouging
The decision in Maryland’s case could slow momentum for other states that are attempting to take action to curb high drug costs.
KHN’s newsletter editor, Brianna Labuskes, wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
C-SPAN: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Talks To KHN
Kaiser Health News reporter Sarah Jane Tribble sat down with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” program. The conversation ranged from how the nation should combat the opioid epidemic to reining in drug prices.
‘Nightmare Bacteria’ Stalk U.S. Hospitals
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found antibiotic-resistant bacteria whose spread has “outpaced” efforts to contain them.
Readers Seek Transparency On Surgery Centers, ‘Bill Of The Month’ Investigations
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Poll: Americans Aghast Over Drug Costs But Aren’t Holding Their Breath For A Fix
Almost three-quarters of Americans think the pharmaceutical industry has too much power in the nation’s capital, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Graphic: Opioid Painkiller Is Top Prescription In 10 States
Though opioid prescriptions appear to be on the decline, Vicodin and Norco remain popular, especially in the South. In more than half of states, Synthroid — a drug to treat hypothyroidism — came in at No. 1.
Bill Of The Month: For Toenail Fungus, A $1,500 Prescription
How a prescription wiped out one woman’s health reimbursement account, raising questions about prescription drug price tags and about how health care professionals deal (or don’t) with medical costs.
Lifting Therapy Caps Is A Load Off Medicare Patients’ Shoulders
Last month’s budget deal means Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for physical and occupational therapy indefinitely. Plus, prescription drug costs will fall for more seniors.
Patients Overpay For Prescriptions 23% Of The Time, Analysis Shows
Researchers at the University of Southern California analyzed millions of prescriptions and concluded that close to a quarter paid copays that exceeded the cost of the drugs.
A Battered Doctor, A Slain Patient And A Family’s Quest For Answers
An addiction-treatment physician fatally shot a troubled ex-Marine after the man pummeled him inside his California office, police records show. The tragedy illustrates how the limited number of clinics available to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug that all but erases opioid withdrawal, can become crowded, chaotic and dangerous.
