Look-Up: Compare Nursing Homes’ Track Records On Boomerang Hospitalizations
June 12, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Use this tool to see how skilled nursing homes in the U.S. performed on two metrics of quality.
Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
By Anna Gorman Ana B. Ibarra
August 8, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The state battles at least 17 large blazes, with no clear end in sight. Climate change is among the factors that fuel the fires, scientists say.
Trump Administration Loosens Restrictions On Short-Term Health Plans
By Julie Appleby
August 1, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The administration says these plans, which can now last as long as 12 months and be renewed for two years, will give consumers another less-pricey insurance option. Critics say the new rule is yet another swipe at the Affordable Care Act.
Chronically Ill, Traumatically Billed: The $123,000 Medicine For MS
By Jay Hancock
November 28, 2018
KFF Health News Original
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.
Facing The Upcoming Loss Of Blockbuster Drug’s Patent Protections, AbbVie Buys Allergan In Mega $63B Deal
June 26, 2019
Morning Briefing
“This is the age of blockbusters,” said David Maris, an analyst for Wells Fargo who follows the drug industry. “And when blockbusters start to go away, companies don’t have too many things they can do.” AbbVie is under pressure to diversify its portfolio and its shares have lost more than a third of their value since January 2018 over concerns as the patent expiration on Humira, its top-selling drug, approaches.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Much Ado About Drug Prices
May 17, 2018
KFF Health News Original
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call discuss President Donald Trump’s proposals to control prescription drug prices and the efforts to sell the plan to lawmakers and the public. Also, Rovner interviews emeritus law professor Timothy Jost about the state of the Affordable Care Act.
No Gaps In Understanding: Here’s Your Primer On Medigap Coverage
By Judith Graham
July 26, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Seniors often don’t realize that private insurers are required to offer Medigap policies, or supplemental insurance, only when people first sign up for Medicare.
Trump Signs $19.1B Disaster Relief Bill That Will Help Victims Of Devastating Wildfires, Floods And Hurricanes
June 7, 2019
Morning Briefing
The bill had been help up in Congress over squabbles about provisions on Puerto Rico and funding for a border wall.
Immigrants’ Health Premiums Far Exceed What Plans Pay For Their Care
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
October 1, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Immigrants accounted for nearly 13 percent of premiums paid to private plans but only about 9 percent of insurers’ expenditures, according to a new study in Health Affairs. The cost of care for the group of native-born customers, however, exceeded their premiums.
Judge Stops Short Of Permanent Injunction Of 340B Medicare Rate Cuts, But Halts Them For Now
May 8, 2019
Morning Briefing
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras is ordering the government the deficiencies in the rule. HHS Secretary Alex Azar “patently violated the Medicare Act’s text,” the judge wrote. “Unlike cases in which the agency’s decision may have been lawful, but was inadequately explained … no amount of reasoning on remand will allow the secretary to re-implement the 340B rates in the same manner.”
House’s $99.4B HHS Appropriations Bill Includes Amendment Reversing Ban On Developing Unique Patient PINs
June 14, 2019
Morning Briefing
Lawmakers previously argued a program to develop a national patient identifier could violate privacy issues or raise security concerns, while the medical community and insurers claimed the ban kept them from properly matching patients with the correct medical information–a major issue that health systems are struggling with.
Elecciones: la salud es importante para los votantes, pero no es crucial
By Julie Rovner
November 7, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Aunque el tema de la atención de salud pareció no ser crucial para los votantes en las elecciones de medio término, el martes 6 de noviembre fue un buen día para la expansión de Medicaid.
California’s ACA Rates To Rise 8.7% Next Year
By Chad Terhune Pauline Bartolone
July 19, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The average increase in California is smaller than the double-digit hikes expected around the nation, due largely to a healthier mix of enrollees and more competition in its marketplace. Still, health insurance prices keep growing faster than wages and general inflation.
Will Congress Bring Sky-High Air Ambulance Bills Down To Earth?
By Jackie Fortiér, StateImpact Oklahoma
September 27, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Medevac helicopter companies are on the radar of an FAA funding bill likely to pass the House and Senate this week.
Listen: As Puerto Rico Struggles To Rebuild Health System, Changes In Medicaid Loom
May 31, 2018
KFF Health News Original
KHN reporter Carmen Heredia Rodriguez joins in a discussion on WNYC’s “The Takeaway” about health care issues following widespread destruction by Hurricane Maria on the island.
House Approves $4.5B Package To Send Humanitarian Aid To Border To Address ‘Atrocity That Violates Every Value We Have’
June 26, 2019
Morning Briefing
The package faces an uphill battle, though. Democrats will now dive into negotiations with Senate GOP leaders, in a difficult bid to get the long-delayed aid package signed into law before leaving town Thursday for a weeklong recess.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Ask Us Anything!
August 30, 2018
KFF Health News Original
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico answer listeners’ questions about health policy and politics.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Opioids, EpiPens And Health Funding
August 23, 2018
KFF Health News Original
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss Senate action on health funding and opioid legislation, the state of the individual insurance market and consternation over expiration dates on EpiPens, the self-injected allergy remedy. Also, could an otter with asthma signal a potential public health crisis?
The Feds’ Termination Of A Tiny Contract Inflames Bitter Fight Over Fetal Tissue
By Emmarie Huetteman
October 8, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Just weeks before midterm elections, a move by federal health officials spotlights a contentious issue: the use of human fetal tissue in research. Here’s what you need to know to understand the debate.
Senate Rejects House’s Border Aid Bill And Passes Own $4.6B Version, Setting Up Stalemate As Crisis Continues To Worsen
June 27, 2019
Morning Briefing
Lawmakers from both chambers are now facing a ticking clock to make a deal before their scheduled recess, as gruesome reports and heartbreaking photos of conditions from the border continue to capture the nation’s attention. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called President Donald Trump with an appeal to make changes. Trump seemed open, but it’s unclear if the Senate will accept any amendments without assurances from the White House that Trump will sign the measure into law. Meanwhile, the new secretary of Homeland Security faces pressure to resign.
