Latest KFF Health News Stories
Grassley Launches Inquiry Into Orphan Drugs After KHN Investigation
Citing a Kaiser Health News investigation, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley vows to examine the orphan drug program and possible fixes.
Pharmacies Thrive Selling Opioids For Depressed Small Town Pain
Prescription pain pills are strong sellers in this southeastern Kentucky region that’s long struggled with high rates of joblessness and poor health.
Luke Whitbeck’s life was saved by a rare disease drug, but it costs $300,000 a year.
Women Fear Drug They Used To Halt Puberty Led To Health Problems
Despite questions about Lupron’s lasting side effects and minimal study into its safety, the FDA sped approval of the drug to market. Years later, some young women are still living with the consequences.
Prescribing Opioids To Seniors: It’s A Balancing Act
An expert geriatrician says the benefits for the patient, such as alleviating pain and maintaining independence, must be weighed against the possible risks. Her motto: ‘start low and go slow.’
Drug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
Wood, who chairs the Assembly Health Committee, lays out his priorities for 2017.
Spreading The Word About HIV Prevention For African-American Women
African-American women are more likely to be infected with HIV than other women. So the District of Columbia is launching an effort to inform them about PrEP, medication that can reduce their risk.
KHN Video: Orphan Drugs Creating Gold Rush For Pharmaceutical Firms
The designation, which is made by the Food and Drug Administration, allows drugmakers to claim seven years of market exclusivity.
Sky-High Prices For Orphan Drugs Slam American Families And Insurers
Orphan drugs for rare diseases have helped or saved hundreds of thousands of patients like 2-year-old Luke Whitbeck, but families and insurers are picking up the astronomical cost.
Una investigación de Kaiser Health News analiza las acciones de compañias farmacéuticas para manipular los precios de medicamentos huérfanos, utilizados para tratar enfermedades raras.
Drugmakers Manipulate Orphan Drug Rules To Create Prized Monopolies
Drugmakers have brought almost 450 orphan drugs to market and collected rich incentives but nearly a third of those products aren’t new or were repurposed multiple times, an investigation shows.
Follow the twists and turns of the orphan drug industry over the past three decades.
Millones de personas buscan medicamentos más baratos fuera de EE.UU.
Por los altos precios de los medicamentos, millones de personas, en general respetuosas de la ley, han reaccionado cometiendo un acto ilegal: comprándolos fuera de los Estados Unidos.
Faced With Unaffordable Drug Prices, Tens Of Millions Buy Medicine Outside U.S.
Eight percent of those polled by the Kaiser Family Foundation say they have purchased medications outside of the U.S. to save money.
A Frenzy Of Lobbying On 21st Century Cures
Three lobbyists for every member of Congress in a push to pass a bill that increases research funding and speeds up approvals.
Long-Stalled FDA Reform Sits On Senate’s Lame-Duck Calendar
The legislation would give federal officials more flexibility in evaluating the effectiveness and safety of drugs and devices and add billions of dollars to NIH funding. But critics say it could endanger patients’ safety and doesn’t do enough to stop spiraling drug prices.
California’s Drug Price Initiative: Will Voters ‘Send A Signal To Washington’?
Despite heavy opposition from the pharmaceutical industry and skepticism from policy experts, many voters see Proposition 61 as a way to protest the nation’s mounting drug prices.
Hospitals Say They’re Being Slammed By Drug Price Hikes
In a report out Tuesday, hospital groups said drug prices have skyrocketed since 2013, triggering a huge increase in what hospitals spend on pharmaceuticals.
Tracking Who Makes Money On A Brand-Name Drug
KHN’s Julie Appleby joined forces with USA Today to create this chart, which details the various industry players and how they contribute to a prescription drug’s cost.
Many Doctors Treating Alcohol Problems Overlook Successful Drugs
Two prescription medications have been found to be successful in helping many patients with alcohol cravings. Yet they are rarely used and many patients don’t know they exist.
