Weekly Edition: August 10, 2018
Medicare To Overhaul ACOs But Critics Fear Less Participation
Phil Galewitz
The moves could lead to a dramatic decrease in hospitals and doctors participating in the program, industry officials said.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Coming Soon: ‘Long-Term Short-Term’ Plans
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner talk about the latest Trump administration efforts to address high drug prices, what’s next for short-term health insurance plans and insider trading charges against a New York GOP congressman.
As An Investor In Biotech Stock, Republican Chris Collins May Have Overshared
Jay Hancock and Emily Kopp and Rachel Bluth
Rep. Chris Collins talked one time too many, according to federal prosecutors who on Wednesday charged him with violating insider trading laws.
Trump Administration Sinks Teeth Into Paring Down Drug Prices, On 5 Key Points
Sarah Jane Tribble
Instead of waiting for congressional action, federal regulators are looking at a series of actions to spur competition and drive down the cost of medicines.
Pharmacy-Made Pain Creams Flagged On Fears Of Medicare Fraud And Risk
Julie Appleby
Inspector general identifies possible problems in nearly 23 percent of pharmacies that bill Medicare for blended creams, gels and lotions.
Clinicians Who Learn Of A Patient’s Opioid Death Modestly Cut Back On Prescriptions
Anna Gorman
A study published Thursday shows that doctors, dentists and other medical providers cut overall opioid dosages by nearly 10 percent after receiving notification of a death from a medical examiner and information on safe prescribing.
As Opioid Crisis Rages, Some Trade ‘Tough Love’ For Empathy
Martha Bebinger, WBUR
An approach known as Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or CRAFT, coaches families to deal with a loved one's substance abuse with compassion.
In Weary Post-Storm Puerto Rico, Medicaid Cutbacks Bode New Ills
Sarah Varney and Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
The island’s government must squeeze $840.2 million in annual savings from Medicaid by 2023, part of the U.S. territory’s agreement with the federal government as Puerto Rico claws its way back from fiscal oblivion. Experts warn such drastic cuts defy actuarial science.
Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Pauline Bartolone
The number of diabetes drug prescriptions filled for low-income people enrolled in Medicaid rose sharply in states that expanded eligibility for the program under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study.
Lax Oversight Leaves Surgery Center Regulators And Patients In The Dark
Christina Jewett and Mark Alesia, USA Today Network
A Kaiser Health News and USA Today Network investigation finds that a hodgepodge of state rules governing outpatient centers allow some deaths and serious injuries to go unexamined. And no rule stops a doctor exiled by a hospital for misconduct from opening a surgery center down the street.
Learning To Live Well With Dementia
Judith Graham
Two leading experts on caring for people with Alzheimer’s offer ways to make life better for patients and their caregivers.
Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Anna Gorman and Ana B. Ibarra
The state battles at least 17 large blazes, with no clear end in sight. Climate change is among the factors that fuel the fires, scientists say.
How Genetic Tests Muddy Your Odds Of Getting A Long-Term-Care Policy
Michelle Andrews
Federal law bars insurers from using these test results for health coverage, but they can influence whether you get a plan covering long-term care.
Once Its Greatest Foes, Some Doctors Are Now Embracing Single-Payer
Shefali Luthra
Young physicians are pushing the medical establishment to rethink its long-held opposition. The political fallout could be substantial.