5 Things To Know About The Subsidies At The Heart Of A Capitol Hill Battle
Julie Rovner
Democrats want a bill to fund the government for the rest of the year to include funding for the health law’s cost-sharing reductions for low-income marketplace customers, but Republicans want to keep the issues separate.
2 Health Care Issues Collide On Capitol Hill And The Result Is Confusion
KHN’s Julie Rovner talks to WBUR’s Robin Young about the new Republican proposal for the health law replacement bill and the controversy over continuing federal funding for cost-sharing subsidies for low-income marketplace customers.
Health Care Worries Pull Crowd To Conservative Ohio Rep’s Town Hall
Rachel Bluth
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sparked discord at his meeting with his district's voters Monday when he suggested churches, schools and families are best able to handle the opioid epidemic rather than the federal government.
Pre-Obamacare, Preexisting Conditions Long Vexed States And Insurers
Elana Gordon, WHYY
Before the federal health law guarantee that consumers cannot be turned down because of their medical history, it was difficult to balance insurers’ needs to make a profit and individuals’ needs for coverage.
HHS, States Move To Help Insurers Defray Costs Of Sickest Patients
Steven Findlay
In a letter to all governors, HHS Secretary Tom Price invited them to consider seeking federal help to set up reinsurance funds that would help cover losses that insurers have because of high numbers of sick patients.
CHIP Offers Families With Seriously Ill Kids More Financial Protection Than ACA Plans
Michelle Andrews
Out-of-pocket costs can rise dramatically for children with chronic health issues if a family changes marketplace coverage, according to a new study.
Widespread Hype Gives False Hope To Many Cancer Patients
Liz Szabo
Doctors and drug developers have a stake in making cancer treatments seem better than they really are.
A Spoonful Of Kids’ Medicine Makes The Profits Go Up
Shefali Luthra
Even as drug pricing issues continue to draw scrutiny, federal safety regulations and incentives offer drug companies a new avenue to get a sweet return on their development costs.
Negotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Pauline Bartolone
A California lawmaker wants to strengthen collaboration among public agencies to bring down costs to taxpayers.
Health Industry
Health Care In America: An Employment Bonanza And A Runaway-Cost Crisis
Chad Terhune
The Trump administration has pledged to create jobs and shrink health care spending — almost a contradiction in a country where health care is a roaring engine of the economy.
Severe Shortage Of Home Health Workers Robs Thousands Of Proper Care
Judith Graham
A critical shortage of home health care workers across the U.S. is denying care for senior citizens and people with disabilities.
Rural Doctors’ Training May Be In Jeopardy
Michael Ollove, Stateline
A program designed to address the shortage of doctors in rural and poor urban areas could be in peril unless Congress acts.
Public Health
Going For $1 An Ounce: The Burgeoning Trade In Mothers’ Milk
Eryn Brown and Heidi de Marco
As a fountain of nonprofit milk banks emerge, one woman's abundant supply can fill another's yawning demand. But critics fear that poor women will sell start selling their milk for survival, depriving their own babies of vital nutrients.
‘Center Of Excellence’ Designation Doesn’t Rule Out Complications Of Bariatric Surgery
Michelle Andrews
The risk of serious problems varies widely among bariatric surgery centers, a new study finds.
Reluctant Patients, Hispanic Men Pose A Costly Challenge To The Health System
Michael Anft
Many Hispanic men don't seek medical care soon enough and as the Hispanic population grows, some health care professionals are sounding an alarm.
California Proposes Stringent Cap On Toxic Chemical In Drinking Water
Stephanie O'Neill
Water board officials want to limit TCP, a former pesticide ingredient and human carcinogen that has contaminated water supplies. Groundwater in other states is contaminated as well.
Try This At Home: Program Brings Drug Addiction Treatment To Patients
Jack Rodolico, New Hampshire Public Radio
Kicking addiction can be expensive and patients often relapse. A new company offers clients a different route to getting clean — without leaving home.