Out-Of-Pocket Costs Put HIV Prevention Drug Out Of Reach For Many At Risk
By Shefali Luthra Anna Gorman
July 3, 2018
KFF Health News Original
It’s getting increasingly difficult for patients to afford Truvada, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, because of the drug’s high price and insurance company efforts to restrict the use of coupons that shield patients from it.
Following The Fire: Montana Scientists Seize Chance To Scrutinize Smoke Exposure
By Nora Saks, Montana Public Radio
February 27, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The health effects of extended smoke exposure are largely unknown because it’s difficult to conduct studies. But last summer’s wildfire season has handed scientists a unique opportunity for research.
Si la Corte Suprema revoca Roe vs Wade, 22 estados podrían prohibir el aborto
By Julie Rovner
July 10, 2018
KFF Health News Original
La elección del presidente Donald Trump de un juez conservador como candidato a la Corte Suprema podría cambiar el mapa del aborto en el país.
Impact Of Drug Prices In TV Ads Mitigated If Consumers Think They Could Be Eligible For Free Treatment
January 24, 2019
Morning Briefing
A new study looked at the effectiveness of the Trump administration’s proposal to require drugmakers to state prices in TV commercials. While putting the costs in did affect consumers, the impact was muted if the ad’s language suggests that some people could get the treatment for free. In other pharmaceutical news: foreign drug pricing, the controversial 340B program, negotiating powers for Medicaid, and more.
Bristol-Meyers Announces $74B Merger With Celgene In Deal Primed To Have Sweeping Implications For Drug Industry
January 4, 2019
Morning Briefing
In the first major pharmaceutical deal of 2019, Bristol-Myers Squibb says it will buy Celgene, a maker of cancer-fighting drugs, in a merger valued at $74 billion. According to Stat, Bristol-Myers has been under pressure to set a new course since August 2016, when a big study of its cancer immunotherapy, Opdivo, failed to show a benefit in previously untreated patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Analysts look at what the deal means to the industry at large.
Reversing An Overdose Isn’t Complicated, But Getting The Antidote Can Be
By Jake Harper, Side Effects Public Media
May 16, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged more Americans to carry and learn to use naloxone, which can save someone from an opioid overdose. But the drug, brand-name Narcan, can be difficult to get and expensive.
Despite GOP Losing Control Of The House, Anti-Abortion Advocates Aren’t Worried About Movement’s Momentum
January 9, 2019
Morning Briefing
With Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the court, the anti-abortion movement is eager to see cases move through the judicial branch. “Our agenda is very focused on the executive branch, the coming election, and the courts,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion organization Susan B. Anthony List. Abortion news comes out of Louisiana, as well.
After Opioid Overdose, Only 30 Percent Get Medicine To Treat Addiction
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
June 19, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Patients revived from an opioid overdose who get methadone or Suboxone treatment for addiction afterward are much more likely to be alive a year later, says a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Drug Giant Eli Lilly To Purchase Tiny Startup In $8B Deal To Get Access To Company’s Cancer Treatments
January 8, 2019
Morning Briefing
The purchase could be very lucrative for Eli Lilly. Loxo Oncology’s drug Vitrakvi was approved by the FDA recently based on evidence that it can shrink tumors in 75 percent of patients whose cancer tests positive for a particular kind of genetic mutation.
New Health Industry Giant Emerges With Completion Of CVS’ $70B Acquisition Of Aetna
November 29, 2018
Morning Briefing
CVS faces a heavy lift in uniting two complicated companies with very different business models and approaches, but company leaders are optimistic that the merger will cut health care costs and improve consumers’ experience. The deal has been working its way through state and federal regulators for the past year, and finally gained the last go-ahead needed from New York this week.
KHN On NPR: The Uniquely American Problem Of High Prescription Drug Costs
February 12, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal discusses drug costs with Scott Simon, the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition. Listen to the broadcast and read a transcript of that conversation.
Male OB-GYNs Are Growing Rare. Is That A Problem?
By Alex Olgin, WFAE
April 27, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Nationally, women outnumber men as specialists in obstetrics and gynecology — yet women remain underrepresented in leadership roles. Many OB-GYN patients say they prefer female doctors, as residency programs strive for diversity in race, ethnicity and even gender.
Drugmakers Blamed For Blocking Generics Have Jacked Up Prices And Cost U.S. Billions
By Sydney Lupkin
May 23, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The Trump administration is shaming brand-name drugmakers who refuse to sell samples so generics can be made from their products.
Más recortes a los fondos para programas de navegadores de ACA
By Phil Galewitz
July 12, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Los Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid anunciaron que están reduciendo el dinero para financiar el trabajo de los navegadores, que ayudan a las personas a inscribirse y comprar o cambiar de plan de salud
People Over 65 Who Miss Initial Medicare Part B Enrollment Window Can Face Coverage Gaps
October 29, 2018
Morning Briefing
Unless covered by an employer plan, people should sign up for Part B in the recommended time frame around their 65th birthday, but there are several problems that keep many from doing so. News on Medicare enrollment season comes out of Minnesota and Arizona, as well.
Nurse Calls Cops After New Mom Seeks Help For Depression. Right Call?
By April Dembosky, KQED
February 7, 2018
KFF Health News Original
A package of mental health bills in California aims to ensure that all new moms are screened for postpartum depression and that more support is available for those who struggle with the malady.
Adultos mayores toman muchas vitaminas, aunque no está demostrado que funcionan
By Liz Szabo
April 4, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Decenas de estudios han ofrecido “resultados prometedores”, pero nunca pruebas científicas contundentes que muestren que los suplementos vitamínicos previenen enfermedades.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ VA Secretary Out, Privatization In?
March 29, 2018
KFF Health News Original
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss President Donald Trump’s firing of David Shulkin, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Shulkin’s claim that he was forced out by those who want to privatize VA health care.
Pace Of U.S. Health Spending Slows In 2016
By Phil Galewitz
December 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Dramatic increases in spending that came with the influx of newly insured consumers in 2014 and 2015 appear to be moderating.
Late-Term Abortion Will Play Heavily In Trump’s Reelection Strategy, Activists Report
February 15, 2019
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump and White House officials met with advocates, including Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who reported back on the news from the discussions. “The national conversation about late-term abortion … has the power to start to peel away Democrats, especially in battle grounds,” she said. Trump has made a point in recent weeks to refocus his attention on the contentious debate that helped secure him his presidential victory. Abortion news comes out of Kansas and Ohio, as well.
