Weekly Edition: November 30, 2018
Democrats Winning Key Leadership Jobs Have Taken Millions From Pharma
By Emmarie Huetteman
Top House Republican also received more than $1 million from drugmakers since 2007.
Pharma Cash to Congress
By Elizabeth Lucas and KFF Health News Staff
A KFF Health News database tracks campaign donations from drugmakers over the past 10 years.
Is Trump Pushing Health Insurance Innovation Or An ACA Rollback?
By Julie Appleby
The Trump administration offered states specific examples of how they could change the way they implement the Affordable Care Act. Critics say it could drive up premiums for many.
Short On Federal Funding, Obamacare Enrollment Navigators Switch Tactics
By Phil Galewitz
Enrollment is lagging this year as the Trump administration spends just $10 million on navigators to help individuals enroll in coverage, down from $63 million in 2016.
Under Trump, Number Of Uninsured Kids Rose For First Time This Decade
By Phil Galewitz
About 276,000 more children are among the uninsured, a new report finds. Though the uptick is statistically small, it is striking because uninsured rates usually decrease during periods of economic growth.
In Health Insurance Wastelands, Rosier Options Crop Up For 2019
By Jordan Rau
Premiums are lower as choices increase in many parts of the country. But the financial relief is not enough to erase the price hikes that have been imposed in recent years.
Listen: Paying More For Your Health Insurance? Depends On Where You Live
As consumers weigh health insurance options during open enrollment, location matters. Some parts of the country are seeing drops in premiums while others are experiencing another year of sticker shock.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Reading The Tea Leaves In Blue Wave’s Wake
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Ollstein of Politico and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News discuss the impact of House Democratic leadership elections and their impact on health policy; as well as efforts by the Trump administration to address high drug prices and ensure the safety of medical devices. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Jay Hancock about the latest “Bill of the Month.”
Chronically Ill, Traumatically Billed: The $123,000 Medicine For MS
By Jay Hancock
Shereese Hickson’s doctor wanted her to try the infusion drug Ocrevus for her multiple sclerosis. Even though Hickson is trained as a medical billing coder, she was shocked to see two doses of the drug priced at $123,019, with her share set at $3,620.
Watch: Why Infusion Drugs Come With Sticker Shock
The story of an Ohio mom who faced an outrageous bill for a new medicine for multiple sclerosis is the latest installment in the "Bill of the Month" series, an ongoing crowdsourced investigation by KHN and NPR.
Sales Reps May Be Wearing Out Their Welcome In The Operating Room
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Do sales reps in the operating room lend helpful expertise or inflate already bloated costs? Depends on whom you ask.
One Twin’s Difficult Birth Puts A Project Designed To Reduce C-Sections To The Test
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
A woman had twins in a hospital south of Boston, and for doctors aiming to reduce cesarean sections, the second baby's tricky arrival tested the limits of teamwork.
Overshadowed By Opioids, Meth Is Back And Hospitalizations Surge
By Anna Gorman
Hospital visits related to amphetamine use have spiked, with the biggest jumps in the West, new research shows. Experts say more attention needs be paid to the resurgence of methamphetamine.
Nonprofit Bets Asian-American Students Can Learn To Avoid Unhealthy Gambling
By Katherine Kam
It’s not clear why Asian-American college students have higher rates of compulsive gambling than their peers, but a nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area arms them with strategies to avoid getting hooked.