Weekly Edition: October 18, 2019
Health Care Stayed Front And Center At Democratic Debate
By Emmarie Huetteman
The topic, which polls show is top of mind among voters, kept returning throughout the fourth debate of Democratic presidential candidates.
Biden Gets Too Specific On ‘Medicare For All’ Tax Hikes
By Shefali Luthra
It comes down to questionable methodology.
Warren Trots Out Her Own Harvard Law Research
By Shefali Luthra
Warren's claim on health insurance and bankruptcy is narrow enough to hold up.
Refereeing Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren On Public Support For ‘Medicare For All’
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
Polling supports Buttigieg's claim.
Think ‘Medicare For All’ Is The Only Democratic Health Plan? Think Again
By Emmarie Huetteman
The Democratic presidential candidates have hit hard on health care, but generally the debates have centered on what kind of system candidates propose. The candidates’ ideas on many other issues, such as mental health and gun safety, have attracted much less attention.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Democrats Do Drugs (Prices)
House Democrats start legislative work on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s prescription drug pricing bill; health is again a featured player in the Democratic presidential candidate debate; and courts around the country hold up President Donald Trump’s health agenda. This week, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
California’s New Transparency Law Reveals Steep Rise In Wholesale Drug Prices
By Barbara Feder Ostrov and Harriet Blair Rowan
Pharmaceutical companies raised the wholesale cost of their drugs by a median of nearly 26% from 2017 to early 2019, according to California’s first-ever report stemming from a new drug price transparency law. Prices for generic drugs rose nearly 38% during that time.
‘Fear Of Falling’: How Hospitals Do Even More Harm By Keeping Patients In Bed
By Melissa Bailey
In what experts call an "epidemic of immobility," older hospital patients remain stuck in bed, their movements tracked by loud and ineffective bed alarms, losing muscle mass that's key to their health and daily functioning.
Patients Eligible For Charity Care Instead Get Big Bills
By Jordan Rau
Nonprofit hospitals admit they sent $2.7 billion in bills over the course of a year to patients who probably qualified for free or discounted care.
Whistleblower Alleges Medicare Fraud At Iconic Seattle-Based Health Plan
By Fred Schulte
A lawsuit against Group Health surfaces as the White House promotes Medicare Advantage for seniors.
Surprise Settlement In Sutter Health Antitrust Case
By Jenny Gold
Sutter Health has reached a tentative settlement in an antitrust suit brought by the California Attorney General’s Office. Details have not been made public.
Sen. Grassley Questions UVA Health On Findings From KHN Investigation
By Elizabeth Lucas
A letter from the Senate Finance Committee chairman questions the University of Virginia Health System about its financial assistance policies, billing practices and prices.
No More Tater Tots? California Schools Put Healthier Lunches To The Test
By Mark Kreidler
In the Golden State and elsewhere, school lunches include less meat, fewer processed foods and more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. One of the challenges nutrition advocates face is a new directive from the Trump administration that cuts the other way.
California To Provide Financial Boost To Help Buy Health Coverage
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Come Jan. 1, California will be the first state to offer financial aid to middle-class people who make too much money to qualify for federal Obamacare tax credits. And Californians will once again owe a penalty if they are uninsured.
California Governor’s Bill-Signing Marathon Offers Glimpse Of 2020 Issues
By Ana B. Ibarra
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on an array of health care bills that will significantly affect the lives of Californians, including many college students, pregnant women, schoolchildren and dialysis patients.
In Hamburg, ‘Gesundheit’ Means More Than A Wish For Good Health
By Shefali Luthra
Even with Germany’s generous universal coverage, sizable health disparities persist between Hamburg’s wealthier and poorer neighborhoods. Two health centers are among those trying to close the gaps.