Covid Summit Leaders Pledge $3B, Urge World Not To Get Distracted
May 13, 2022
Morning Briefing
Also Thursday, President Joe Biden ordered flags to fly at half-staff to honor the 1 million Americans who have died from covid. While NPR reports on a new analysis that looks into how many of those might have lived if vaccine uptake in the U.S. was greater.
What Happened When the Only ER Doctor in a Rural Town Got COVID
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
December 4, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Hospitals across the country are struggling as staffers get infected with the coronavirus. It’s especially tough for small, rural hospitals, where even one doctor out sick can upend patient capacity.
‘No Mercy’ Chapter 7: After a Rural Town Loses Hospital, Is a Health Clinic Enough?
By Sarah Jane Tribble
November 10, 2020
KFF Health News Original
In Fort Scott, Kansas, the Community Health Center’s big green-and-white sign replaced Mercy Hospital’s name on the front of the town’s massive medical building. In the final chapter of Season One: “No Mercy,” we have an appointment to see what’s inside.
Watch: Young Man Faces Medical Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
October 2, 2020
KFF Health News Original
“CBS This Morning” tells the story of Matthew Fentress, a young man who has had serious heart disease for six years. It’s the latest story in the ongoing crowdsourced Bill of the Month investigation.
Biden Moves to Overturn Trump Birth Control Rules
By Julie Rovner
April 14, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Return to pre-Trump policy is second win of the week for abortion-rights backers.
FDA OKs At-Home Combined Test For Covid, Flu, And RSV
May 17, 2022
Morning Briefing
The new tests, made by Labcorp, are the first non-prescription tests permitted to test for covid, influenza A and B, and respiratory syncytial virus. Meanwhile, in a somewhat surprising move, the White House again offered a round of free regular at-home tests for covid.
Lady Gaga and J.Lo Sell ‘Well’ Building Seal, But It’s a Payday, Not a PSA
By Michael McAuliff
May 26, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A company sees the pandemic as an opportunity to push its ‘Well’ seal. It would like the indoor wellness logo to become as ubiquitous as the LEED green building halo — and make a profit, too.
Paying Billions for Controversial Alzheimer’s Drug? How About Funding This Instead?
By Judith Graham
July 6, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Aduhelm, approved by the Food and Drug Administration last month despite questions about its efficacy, could be prescribed to at least 1 million patients a year, for a price tag of about $56 billion. Experts suggest there might be better ways to spend that money.
Watch: Thinking Big in Public Health, Inspired by the End of Smallpox
September 18, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A conversation about how the lessons from the victory over smallpox could be applied to public health challenges today.
Senate Democrats Try Again With Plan To Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices
July 1, 2022
Morning Briefing
The proposal builds on a plan negotiated by moderate Democrats in November, which would have required the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices within certain limits for up to 20 of the highest-cost drugs — plus insulin — in the Part B outpatient program and the Part D drug program, Roll Call reported.
Newly-Approved Diabetes Drug Found To Also Boost Weight Loss
June 7, 2022
Morning Briefing
Tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes but a study shows it can also help with weight loss, quite dramatically. Dramatic remissions of some B-cell lymphomas are also reported in an early study of Adicet Bio’s CAR-T treatment.
Free At-Home Covid Tests Now Available For People On Medicare
April 5, 2022
Morning Briefing
Millions of Medicare “Part B” enrollees will be able to get up to eight free at-home tests per month at participating drug stores — a workaround to Medicare rules that previously didn’t allow coverage of over-the-counter tests.
Centros de órganos a pacientes de trasplantes: vacúnense contra covid o bajarán en la lista de espera
By JoNel Aleccia
October 11, 2021
KFF Health News Original
En todo el país, un número creciente de programas de trasplantes ha optado por excluir a los pacientes que se niegan a recibir las ampliamente disponibles vacunas contra covid, o darles una prioridad menor en las abarrotadas listas de espera de órganos.
¿Qué sabemos realmente sobre la eficacia de las vacunas contra covid?
By Julie Appleby
November 2, 2021
KFF Health News Original
¿Lo esencial? Vacunarse con cualquiera de las tres vacunas disponibles en los Estados Unidos disminuye la posibilidad de infectarse en primer lugar y reduce de manera significativa el riesgo de hospitalización o muerte si se contrae el coronavirus y se desarrolla covid-19.
More Drugmakers Avoid 340B Program
December 2, 2021
Morning Briefing
Among the top health industry news: Amgen curtails discounts through the federal 340B program, Duke, Mayo Clinic and the University of Michigan seek artificial intelligence software that works and barriers to prescription drugs created by insurance companies.
Montana Tribe Welcomes Back Tourists After Risky Shutdown Pays Off
By Aaron Bolton, MTPR
June 21, 2021
KFF Health News Original
When the Blackfeet tribe shut down the roads leading to the eastern side of Glacier National Park, businesses worried for their future. But it worked, and with one of the nation’s highest covid vaccination rates, the reservation has reopened to visitors.
Medicare Open Enrollment Is Complicated. Here’s How to Get Good Advice.
By Bernard J. Wolfson
November 24, 2020
KFF Health News Original
It’s a complex program with many options — as well as confusing rules and nuances. Here’s how to get reliable guidance.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': As US Bumps Against Debt Ceiling, Medicare Becomes a Bargaining Chip
January 19, 2023
Podcast
The debt ceiling crisis facing Washington puts Medicare and other popular entitlement programs squarely on the negotiating table this year as newly empowered Republicans demand spending cuts. Meanwhile, as more Americans than ever have health insurance, the nation’s health care workforce is straining under the load. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Judge Indicates Sacklers Will Pay Another $1.2B In Opioid Settlement
March 10, 2022
Morning Briefing
The family owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, and during a hearing today, victims of the opioid crisis will have an opportunity to confront some family members directly. Other legal and illegal drug-related news comes from Michigan. Ohio, New York, South Dakota and Oregon.
A pesar de sus límites, el plan demócrata sobre el precio de los medicamentos podría ayudar a los consumidores
By Michael McAuliff
November 5, 2021
KFF Health News Original
La nueva legislación bajaría dramáticamente el precio de la insulina, y lograría que el impacto de los precios astronómicos no recaigan en el consumidor.
