Weekly Edition: December 14, 2018
Need Health Insurance? The Deadline Is Dec. 15
Michelle Andrews
Enrollment is lagging compared with last year’s pace. But experts say sign-ups tend to accelerate as the deadline nears, and many people will be automatically re-enrolled, so the final numbers could approach last year’s totals.
Health Insurance Costs Crushing Many People Who Don’t Get Federal Subsidies
Steven Findlay
The rising costs of premiums, deductibles and copayments have driven millions who don’t get a subsidy to drop their coverage or turn to cheaper, less comprehensive — and sometimes inadequate — insurance.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Insurance Enrollment Is Lagging — And There Are Lots Of Reasons Why
Sign-ups for insurance under the Affordable Care Act are still well behind last year’s mark with just a week until the end of open enrollment in most states. The Supreme Court declines a case that could have allowed states to defund Planned Parenthood. And the Trump administration gets hundreds of thousands of comments about its proposed changes to immigration rules that could penalize people who use government-funded health care and other social service programs. Alice Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and, for “extra credit,” provide their favorite health policy stories of the week.
For The Asking, A Check Is In The Mail To Help Pay For Costly Drugs
Sarah Jane Tribble
It’s a little-known secret that patients can get thousands of dollars directly from a drugmaker.
‘We’re Fighting For Our Lives’: Patients Protest Sky-High Insulin Prices
Bram Sable-Smith
The price of insulin keeps going up. For people with Type 1 diabetes, high prices can be a life-or-death issue. Now a grass-roots movement is pushing for change.
Nurse Denied Life Insurance Because She Carries Naloxone
Martha Bebinger, WBUR
The U.S. surgeon general has called on "bystanders" to be equipped with the opioid reversal drug to save lives. But when a nurse answered that call, her application for life insurance was denied. Why?
In California, Doctors Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Often Get Second Chances
Barbara Feder Ostrov and Harriet Blair Rowan
The state medical board grants probation in more than a third of cases, a KHN analysis found. Even as other institutions adapt to lessons of the #MeToo movement, the board plans no significant changes, saying it has always prioritized discipline for sexual misconduct.
One Implant, Two Prices. It Depends On Who’s Paying.
Victoria Knight
Breast implants — used for both cancer and cosmetic surgeries — give a glimpse into how hospitals mark up prices of medical devices to increase their bottom lines.