Weekly Edition April 12, 2019
Lethal Plans: When Seniors Turn To Suicide In Long-Term Care
By Melissa Bailey and JoNel Aleccia
In a nation where the suicide rate continues to climb, such deaths among older adults are often overlooked. A six-month investigation by KHN and PBS NewsHour finds that older Americans are quietly killing themselves in nursing homes, assisted living centers and adult care homes.
Mourning Paradise: Collective Trauma In A Town Destroyed
By Stephanie O'Neill
The depth of psychological damage after the fire in Paradise, Calif., may depend on how much help residents are getting now.
The Blame Game: Everyone And No One Is Raising Insulin Prices
By Rachel Bluth
During Wednesday’s House subcommittee hearing on insulin price hikes, drug makers and benefits managers pointed fingers at each other for the last decade’s 300% price increase, frustrating congressional representatives.
Consumers Rejected Drug Plan That Mirrors Trump Administration Proposal
By Sydney Lupkin
What to know about PBMs and rebates ahead of the Senate drug price hearing on — you guessed it — PBMs.
Can Someone Tell Me What A PBM Does?
By Rachel Bluth
The Senate Finance Committee’s third drug-pricing hearing focused on pharmacy benefit managers, and was more of a fact-finding mission on how these companies operate than a debate about policy proposals.
As Sanders Officially Revives Medicare-For-All, Plan B For Democrats Gains Traction
By Shefali Luthra
“Medicare for America” seeks to avoid some of the predictable obstacles of a full-blown expansion of Medicare. Can it survive the politics of health reform?
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Still More ‘Medicare-For-All’
Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the latest version of a “Medicare-for-all” bill by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a presidential hopeful, and Democratic and Republican reactions to it. They also discuss the latest on congressional efforts to rein in drug prices and another state effort to expand Medicaid — but not exactly in the way voters wanted. Also, Rovner interviews Ceci Connolly of the Alliance of Community Health Plans.
How To Fight ‘Scary’ Superbugs? Cooperation — And A Special Soap
By Anna Gorman and Heidi de Marco
Hospitals and nursing homes in California and Illinois hope that regional cooperation — and a special soap — will help them gain the upper hand against deadly antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
Economic Ripples: Hospital Closure Hurts A Town’s Ability To Attract Retirees
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Celina, Tenn., has long lured retirees, with its scenic hills and affordability. These newcomers help fuel the local economy. But a recent hospital closure makes the town a harder sell.
Making Smarter Decisions About Where To Recover After Hospitalization
By Judith Graham
Older adults — and their families — often find it challenging and stressful to find the best facility. And they often end up in the wrong spot, new research shows.
Heavy Rains, End Of Drought Could Help Keep West Nile Virus Subdued — For Now
By Harriet Blair Rowan
Scientists say drought can spur transmission of the disease and that wetter winters since 2015 have helped reduce the number of infections in California. In the long term, however, climate change could mean more drought — and more infections.
Big Soda Pours Big Bucks Into California’s Capitol
By Samantha Young
The soda industry spent $11.8 million to influence policy statewide in 2017 and 2018. As politicians once again consider bills that would tax and label sugary drinks, more big money is expected to flow.