Weekly Edition: July 17-21, 2017
Analysis: GOP Failure To Replace The Health Law Was Years In The Making
Julie Rovner
As postmortems mount regarding the collapse of the Senate Republican health plan, it’s clear how complex political and policy issues worked against the replacement effort.
Cruz Plan Gets Thumbs Up From HHS But Thumbs Down From Most Everyone Else
Julie Appleby and Julie Rovner
During another day of fast-moving developments, Senate Republicans signaled their intent to attempt to bring an updated repeal-and-delay bill to the floor for a vote next week.
Trump Plan Might Cut Expenses For Some Insured Patients With Chronic Needs
Michelle Andrews
High-deductible health insurance plans linked to a health savings account cannot cover some care and drug expenses for chronic health conditions until the patient has met a deductible.
Obamacare Exchanges In Limbo
Chad Terhune and Julie Appleby
The failure this week of the U.S. Senate’s ACA repeal effort was one more twist in the ongoing political drama that has complicated routine rate setting for insurers and state officials.
Unpaid Premiums? Switching Plans? What Changes Are Coming For 2018 Coverage
Michelle Andrews
Readers have a variety of concerns about what’s going to happen with 2018 marketplace coverage.
In Massachusetts, Proposed Medicaid Cuts Put Kids’ Health Care At Risk
Martha Bebinger, WBUR
Doctors, consumers and politicians say big federal cuts to Medicaid funding would jeopardize the treatment a lot of kids rely on. The state would either have to make up lost funding or cut benefits.
Podcast: What The Health? Senate Health Bill, Mostly Dead?
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the ever-changing status of the Senate’s effort to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, and the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the working of the law.
Postcard From Capitol Hill: Lawmakers Put Women’s Health Care In Its Place
Rachel Bluth
Where women prefer to go for health care becomes a proxy for the abortion debate.
Postcard From Capitol Hill: When Health Care Takes a Breather
Rachel Bluth
Sen. John McCain’s surgery impacted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s ambition to push health care bill forward this week.
Watch: 7 Moments That Battered The GOP Health Bills
The debate over whether to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act has been heated — and many of those moments have captured a wide audience on YouTube and Twitter.
Fraud And Billing Mistakes Cost Medicare — And Taxpayers — Tens Of Billions Last Year
Fred Schulte
At a hearing Wednesday, federal health officials pointed to billing errors, fraud and overcharges that led Medicare to overpay by staggering sums.
Congress Squares Off Over Drug Pricing And A Controversial Drug Discount Program
Sarah Jane Tribble
The controversial 340B drug discount program for hospitals came under fire at a congressional hearing.
Health Insurers Try Paying More Upfront To Pay Less Later
Mark Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio
Some health plans are beginning to offer free maintenance care for people with chronic health problems, hoping that spending a little more early on will save a lot of money in the long run.
These Preventive Measures Might Help Delay Dementia Or Cognitive Decline
Judith Graham
Recent research shows that controlling blood pressure, exercising and cognitive training around middle age could help prevent cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease.
Latinos Left Out Of Clinical Trials … And Possible Cures
Paula Andalo
Fewer than 8 percent of enrollees in medical studies are Hispanic. Those who don't participate have less access to cutting-edge treatments, and researchers have less data on how a drug works within the Hispanic population.
Depression Among Heart Attack Survivors Can Be Deadly, Yet Is Often Ignored
Liz Szabo
One in 5 heart attack patients suffers from severe depression, yet many get little or no treatment that could ease their suffering or save their lives.
Has California Hit The Brakes In Regulating Breath-Robbing Big Rigs?
Ngoc Nguyen and Heidi de Marco
The state has made a huge dent in diesel pollution from freight trucks. But critics fear exemptions in a new law will stall progress, especially endangering the health of children and seniors near ports.
Calif. Hits Nerve By Singling Out Cardiac Surgeons With Higher Patient Death Rates
Anna Gorman
The controversial practice — done by just a few other states — recently cast a spotlight on some prominent doctors. Supporters say it improves performance; detractors warn it discourages taking on complex cases.