KHN Weekly Edition: March 20-24, 2017
Late Move To Dump ‘Essential’ Benefits Could Strand Chronically Ill
Jay Hancock
Republicans seek lower cost and more choice for health insurance sold to individuals, but cutting coverage standards could leave fewer comprehensive plans, analysts say.
Insurers May Notch Bigger Profits From Fewer Customers In ‘Trumpcare’
Phil Galewitz
As Congress and the White House try to strike a bargain on an Obamacare repeal plan, the insurance industry likes what it’s seeing.
Popular Guarantee For Young Adults’ Coverage May Be Health Law’s Achilles’ Heel
Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on much these days, but both parties want to keep the health law’s provision to allow adults to stay on their parents’ plan until age 26. But that could be hurting the marketplace’s insurance pools.
Medicaid Caps Pitched By GOP Could Shrink Seniors’ Benefits
Stephanie O'Neill
Advocates for the elderly worry that GOP plans to end Medicaid’s open-ended spending and replace it with per-capita limits could pose a risk for low-income older people who rely on the federal-state program for nursing and other long-term care.
Senate And House Take Different Plans To Scrap Individual Mandate
Jordan Rau and Anna Gorman
The Republicans' penalty would affect people buying insurance who had a lapse in coverage of more than 63 days over a year.
On The Air With KHN
As health care issues hit center stage in Washington again, Kaiser Health News reporters hold forth on a number of radio and television shows.
GOP Health Plan Aims To Curb Medicaid, Expand State Options
Phil Galewitz
House Republicans’ latest plan to repeal Obamacare would give states flexibility in managing their Medicaid programs, but also some difficult decisions to make.
On Medicaid Money, GOP Has Win-Or-Lose Proposition For States
Phil Galewitz
The House Republicans’ bill to repeal Obamacare would change how the federal government allocates matching funds to state Medicaid programs — and could cost some states billions of dollars a year in federal aid.
GOP Bill’s Unheralded Changes In Rules Could Undermine Health Of Neediest
Emily Bazar
Lesser-known provisions in the Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would push some Medicaid enrollees out of coverage and cause financial pain for others.
KHN On Call: Answers To Questions On Tax Credits, Penalties And Age Ratings
Alison Kodjak, NPR News and Julie Rovner
KHN and NPR answer your questions on the GOP health bill.
A Fact Check Finds Many Misleading Letters From Lawmakers On Health Care
Charles Ornstein, ProPublica
Four news organizations read through letters sent by 51 senators and 134 members of the House dealing with the health care debate.
By Decade’s End, Calif. Estimates It Would Lose $24B Annually Under GOP Health Plan
Anna Gorman
“It’s challenging to see how it would not … jeopardize the entire [Medicaid] program,” a top health official said.
In Deep-Blue State, Millions in Reddish Heartland Are Counting On Medicaid
Ana B. Ibarra and Heidi de Marco
The prospect of cutbacks has led to agitation and activism in California's largely agricultural Central Valley, with relatively high poverty rates and a significant number of Trump voters.
Texas Braces For Medicaid Cuts Under GOP Health Plan
Ashley Lopez, KUT
Texans on both sides of the political spectrum say the Lone Star State is not going to fare well under GOP plans to replace the Affordable Care Act.
In Deep-Red Western N.C., Revered Congressman Leads Charge Against GOP Bill
Phil Galewitz
Is Republican Rep. Mark Meadows the man who would kill "Trumpcare"? He enjoys strong support in his gerrymandered western North Carolina district as he leads conservative opposition to the GOP’s plan for repealing and replacing Obamacare.
Low-Income AIDS Patients Fear Coverage Gains May Slip Away
Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
The federal health law made it feasible for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program to expand its efforts and help patients buy marketplace insurance plans to cover drugs and other health care.
How Millennials Win And Lose Under The GOP Health Bill
Kristin Espeland Gourlay, RINPR
The cost of insurance could go down for people ages 26 to 29 under the GOP plan. But will they buy it without a mandate?
I Do … Take You To Be My Lawfully Covered Health Care Dependent
Fred Mogul, WNYC
They are in love. They also are worried about the uncertainty of the health law. So, they have a modest wedding during a blizzard so she can get his job-based insurance as soon as possible.
A Young Man With Parkinson’s Frets Over The Affordability Of GOP Health Plan
Alex Smith, KCUR
Ford Inbody has a degenerative disease and is carefully watching the GOP replacement health care bill. Though it covers preexisting conditions, it could still mean he'll get less care for more money.
Repeal Of Health Law Could Force Tough Decisions For Arizona Republicans
Will Stone, KJZZ
It is unclear what will happen to the 400,000 people who signed up for Arizona's expanded Medicaid program if the GOP health law replacement succeeds.
Trump’s Promise To Rein In Drug Prices Could Open Floodgate To Importation Laws
Rachel Bluth
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ bill to allow Americans to buy cheaper medicines from Canada would bypass a requirement that blocked past legislative efforts over two decades.
GAO To Launch Investigation Of FDA’s Orphan Drug Program
Sarah Jane Tribble
The Government Accountability Office said it will investigate potential abuses of the orphan drug program, which offers incentives to drugmakers to develop medicines for rare diseases.
Prescription Drug Costs Are On The Rise; So Are The TV Ads Promoting Them
Bruce Horovitz and Julie Appleby
Spending on consumer advertising by drugmakers has increased 62 percent since 2012.
Researchers Call Trump’s Proposed NIH Cuts ‘Shocking’
Elaine Korry
Among the institutions that stand to lose most are those in California, especially the University of California and Stanford University.
News
Video Help Is On Way For Family Caregivers Who Must Draw Blood Or Give Injections
Judith Graham
Medical experts around the country are rolling out instructional videos for family caregivers who need help with challenging medical tasks.
House Republicans Recycle Controversial 2003 Bill To Boost Small-Business Insurance
Michelle Andrews
The legislation, passed by the House, would allow nationwide “association health plans.” But consumer advocates have raised serious concerns about such options in the past.
Travel Ban Adds Stress To ‘Match Week’ For Some Doctors
Elana Gordon, WHYY
Matching with a residency program had an added layer of stress this year for doctors-in-training from the countries affected by President Donald Trump's travel ban.
Report: Fired U.S. Attorney Was Probing Tom Price’s Stock Trades
Emily Kopp and Rachel Bluth
The HHS Secretary bought stock in companies that stood to benefit from legislation he voted for and sponsored as a Georgia congressman.