Weekly Edition: September 11-15, 2017

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Health Plans Busting Out All Over
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal discuss Democratic, Republican and bipartisan health proposals all being pursued in Congress, including the latest version of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) “Medicare-for-All” proposal. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.

Postcard From The Hill: Senators Shelve Histrionics In Search Of Obamacare Fix
By Rachel Bluth The Senate health committee is putting aside partisan bickering this month to seek a legislative remedy to a possible spike in Obamacare premiums this fall.

Uninsured Rate Falls To Record Low Of 8.8%
By Phil Galewitz Census Bureau reports that 28.1 million people in the country were without insurance in 2016, down from 29 million the year before.

This Gift Voucher Might Just Get You A Kidney 
By Fran Kritz A retired California judge came up with the idea of donating his kidney to a stranger now to maximize his grandson’s prospects for such a donation later. The idea caught on.

Prevention Experts Propose Easing Advice On Number Of Cervical Cancer Screenings
By Michelle Andrews A draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says women between ages 30 and 65 should get a Pap test every three years or an HPV screening every five years, but they don’t need to do both.

Reporter’s Notebook: In Health Care, A Good Price (Or Any Price) Is Hard To Find
By Jenny Gold Not only are health prices hidden, industry players are contractually obligated to keep them secret. That’s why answering a simple question — how much does it cost to have a baby in Mountain View, Calif.? — became a journalistic quest.

FDA Moves To Guard Against Abuse Of ‘Orphan Drug’ Program
By Sarah Jane Tribble Following a KHN investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has moved to speed up approvals of “orphan drugs” while closing a loophole that allowed drugmakers to skip pediatric testing.

If You’re Blindsided By Health Plan Changes, Learn The Root Causes — And Your Rights
By Michelle Andrews Insurers can reduce benefits or change cost sharing, but they are generally supposed to tell enrollees about the change beforehand. And although plans must tell patients when they are denied coverage, sometimes treatment is affected for other reasons.

A Rare Dementia Gene Runs In The Family, But He’s Fine — So Far
By JoNel Aleccia A Washington state man inherited the mutated gene that stole his mother’s mind. He doesn’t have the disease, and doctors don’t know why.