Weekly Edition: June 8, 2018
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
By Brianna Labuskes
KHN’s newsletter editor, Brianna Labuskes, wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Administration Challenges ACA’s Preexisting Conditions Protection In Court
By Julie Rovner and Julie Appleby
The Trump administration is arguing that since Congress is repealing the penalty for not having insurance, the federal health law’s protection for people who have illnesses is unconstitutional.
HHS To Allow Insurers’ Workaround On 2019 Prices
By Julie Rovner
Many states instituted the technique known as “silver loading” this year after President Donald Trump cut federal payments to insurers. But some conservatives objected because it meant the cost of premium subsides for the federal government went up.
Verma Unveils State Medicaid Scorecard But Refuses To Judge Efforts
By Phil Galewitz
Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, refused to discuss the findings in any detail or comment on any individual states performing poorly or exceptionally.
Could California Shape The Fate Of The Affordable Care Act In November?
By Chad Terhune and Pauline Bartolone and Ana B. Ibarra and Alex Leeds Matthews
With the primary now over, health care may well emerge as an issue that helps voters distinguish between candidates for governor, attorney general and other offices in the general election.
Outsiders Swoop In Vowing To Rescue Rural Hospitals Short On Hope — And Money
By Heidi de Marco and Barbara Feder Ostrov
The community of Surprise Valley, Calif., wrestled with the idea of selling its tiny, long-cherished hospital to a Denver entrepreneur who sees a big future in lab tests for faraway patients. Last summer, another exec had a similar idea but left town.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Health Care Politics, Midterm Edition
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call discuss how Medicare, Medicaid and the fate of the Affordable Care Act are playing out in the politics of the coming midterm elections. Plus, Rovner interviews Matt Eyles, president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans.
Kate Spade’s Death Ignites Concern About Rising Suicide Rate
By Liz Szabo
At least 45,000 Americans commit suicide every year, often tied to mental health issues or substance abuse.
Price Check On Drug Ads: Would Revealing Costs Help Patients Control Spending?
By Julie Appleby and Sydney Lupkin
As part of his plan to tamp down drug pricing, President Donald Trump wants pharmaceutical companies to provide cost information in drug ads — just like side effects.
Medicare Financial Outlook Worsens
By Phil Galewitz
The Medicare board of trustees said the program's hospital insurance trust fund could run out of money by 2026, three years earlier than previously forecast.
A Hospital ER Charges An ‘After-Hours’ Fee. Who Has To Pay It?
By Michelle Andrews
Tacking on an after-hours surcharge to an emergency department bill strikes some consumers as unfair, since the facilities are open 24 hours a day.
Suspension Of California’s Aid-In-Dying Law Leaves Sick Patients In Limbo
By JoNel Aleccia
Doctors have stopped writing lethal prescriptions and pharmacists have stopped filling them after a court fight over how the law was enacted.
He Started Vaping As A Teen And Now Says Habit Is ‘Impossible To Let Go’
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
Public health officials worry vaping is an emerging disaster that could reverse years of decline in smoking by young people. What's the latest evidence that e-cigarettes are a gateway to tobacco?
Bubble Pop? Brownie Batter? Vapes’ Added Flavors Fuel E-Cig Debate
By Shefali Luthra
Vaping is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, especially among young people. This fact is triggering an unexpected divide within the public health community and complicating efforts to regulate the industry.
With The Rise Of Legal Weed, Drug Education Moves From ‘Don’t’ to ‘Delay’
By Carrie Feibel, KQED
Today's drug prevention messaging is a far cry from the "Just Say No" days. Schools want to give kids the facts to make informed decisions about whether and when to try drugs or alcohol.
Listen: Disrupted Lives, Delayed Care And A Revised Death Toll In Puerto Rico
KHN senior correspondent Sarah Varney, who has seen firsthand how devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria has harmed residents of Puerto Rico, discusses the new statistics on the number who perished in the storm.
Facebook Live: Sorting Out The Truth About Vitamins
From A to zinc and all the dietary supplements in between, KHN senior correspondent Liz Szabo gives you the dope on whether popping vitamins does you any good.
Listen: What You Need To Know About The News On Breast Cancer And Chemo
KHN senior correspondent Liz Szabo joins a panel on WAMU's radio show "1A" to discuss new insight into breast cancer treatment.