Weekly Edition: April 27, 2018
Best Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads everything on health care to compile our daily Morning Briefing, offers the best and most provocative stories for the weekend.
Dissecting The Rhetoric Vs. Reality Of Trump’s Tough Talk On Drug Prices
Sarah Jane Tribble
President Donald Trump’s upcoming speech on drug prices comes after months of public comments and debate about tackling the issue.
Peak Health Plan Premiums Give Rise To Activism — And Unconventional Solutions
Rachel Bluth
For people who buy their health coverage rather than get it from the government or through work, Charlottesville, Va., has claimed the title of having the country’s highest health insurance costs, and its residents are fighting back.
Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
Chad Terhune
The ‘scary’ findings show a discouraging lack of progress in cleaning the devices, despite more vigorous efforts in the wake of deadly superbug outbreaks, experts say.
‘Rapid Autopsy’ Programs Seek Clues To Cancer Within Hours Of Death
JoNel Aleccia
More than a dozen centers nationwide now ask terminal patients to allow speedy study of the diseases that kill them.
Hospitals Lure Diabetes Patients With Self-Care Courses, But Costs Can Weigh Heavily
Julie Appleby
Self-management classes can help the tens of millions of Americans now diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. But the education can come with a high price tag.
Texas Disability Groups Want A Voice At The Table In Gun Debate
Ashley Lopez, KUT
A disability rights groups in Texas wants to make sure people who've been disabled by gun violence in Texas get a chance to talk to lawmakers.
California Lawmakers Seek Reparations For People Sterilized By The State
Samantha Young
More than 20,000 Californians were sterilized at state homes and hospitals from 1909 to 1979, most of them women, people with disabilities and immigrants. Now, a state lawmaker wants to provide reparations to the roughly 800 living survivors, many of whom never consented to the procedures or did so under pressure.
4 New Ways You Can Avoid Fines For Not Having Health Insurance
Michelle Andrews
Among changes by the Trump administration, new rules protect consumers living in areas with only one marketplace plan as well as those who oppose abortion and can’t find a plan that doesn’t cover the procedure.
Choice Of Bay Area For AIDS Conference Exposes Tension Among Activists
Jocelyn Wiener
Numerous advocacy groups oppose the recent decision to hold the 2020 International AIDS conference in San Francisco and Oakland, and some argue it shouldn’t be in the U.S. at all. Those who support the decision say the predominantly liberal politics of the region make it an ideal venue for sending a message about the Trump administration’s perceived retreat from leadership on AIDS.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ What’s Next For The VA?
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the collapse of the nomination of White House physician Ronny Jackson to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. They also discuss new bipartisan congressional efforts to address the opioid epidemic. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists offer their favorite health policy stories of the week.
Facebook Live: Confronting Opioid Addiction
About 2,000 Californians died of opioid overdoses in 2016, but access to medications that treat addiction is limited in some parts of the state.
Readers Weigh In On Vitamin Use And The Big Pharma-Patient Advocacy Connection
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.