Health care costs 9/2

Opposition to Obamacare Becomes Political Liability for GOP Incumbents
By Markian Hawryluk Control of the U.S. Senate this election hinges on a handful of vulnerable GOP incumbents. Their opposition to the Affordable Care Act could be their undoing.

Trump Again Claims He’s Bringing Down Drug Prices, But Details of How Are Skimpy
By Victoria Knight During his Monday speech at the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump pointed to his two of his recent executive orders as likely to lead to big reductions in prescription drug costs.

Republican Convention, Day 1: A Campaign-Style Trump Speech and More
By the staffs of KHN and PolitiFact Republicans kicked off the first day of their convention with a wide-ranging speech by President Donald Trump in Charlotte, North Carolina.

They Pledged to Donate Rights to Their COVID Vaccine, Then Sold Them to Pharma
By Jay Hancock Advocates of cheap and widely available vaccines thought the pandemic might change business as usual. They were wrong.

Veteran’s Appendectomy Launches Excruciating Months-Long Battle Over Bill
By Elizabeth Lawrence An uninsured Colorado man owed $80,232 after two surgeries — the second to correct a complication from the first. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the surgery he had.

‘Pennie’-Pinching States Take Over Obamacare Exchanges From Feds
By Phil Galewitz Pennsylvania and New Jersey are leaving the federal marketplace this fall to save money and will start their own insurance exchanges. Kentucky, New Mexico, Virginia and Maine are looking to join them in 2021 or beyond.

Inside the Race to Build a Better $500 Emergency Ventilator
By Erin Schulte Inspired to help during the COVID pandemic, a volunteer SWAT team of engineering and medical talent combines old-fashioned problem-solving and advanced 3D printing — but will it actually help?

Primary Care Doctors Look at Payment Overhaul After Pandemic Disruption
By Steven Findlay Many physicians were forced to close their offices — or at least see only emergency cases — when the pandemic struck. Because they are generally paid piecemeal for every service, they suffered big losses, leading to layoffs and pay cuts. Some doctors say they now are looking to overhaul the way they get paid.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Replay: What’s at Stake When High Court Hears ACA Case
We’re off this week, but the Affordable Care Act is in the news, as the GOP holds its virtual convention and the Supreme Court recently scheduled arguments in a case challenging the law. So we’re reposting our ACA 10th anniversary episode from March. For this special episode of “What the Health?” host Julie Rovner interviews Kathleen Sebelius, who was President Barack Obama’s secretary of Health and Human Services when the law was passed. Then Rovner, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN discuss the law’s history, impact and prospects for the future.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: How to Fight Bogus Medical Bills Like a Bulldog
By Dan Weissmann When a colleague brings a medical billing problem to human resources director Steve Benasso — he goes to battle. “I am a bulldog on this stuff,” he said. In this episode, Benasso tells how he does it.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Democrats in Array (For Now)
In a highly produced, made-for-TV political convention, Democrats papered over their differences on a variety of issues, including health care, to show a unified front to defeat President Donald Trump in November. Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to complicate efforts to get students back to school, and a federal judge blocks the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate anti-discrimination protections for transgender people. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Financial Self-Defense School Is Now in Session
By Dan Weissmann Starting in August 2020, a new episode every other week. No time like a pandemic to learn more about how to fight the high cost of health care.