Q&A: Efforts To Extend Health Coverage To Undocumented Immigrants
By Ana B. Ibarra
February 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
California state Sen. Ricardo Lara talks about progress and setbacks in the Trump era.
Do-It-Yourself Detox Can Be ‘Freddy Krueger’ Scary — And Usually Fails
By Elana Gordon, WHYY
July 7, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Treatment for opioid addiction can be expensive and difficult to coordinate. That might make some people tempted to think they can overcome the addiction on their own. This rarely works.
California Proposes Stringent Cap On Toxic Chemical In Drinking Water
By Stephanie O'Neill
April 28, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Water board officials want to limit TCP, a former pesticide ingredient and human carcinogen that has contaminated water supplies. Groundwater in other states is contaminated as well.
COBRA, Retiree Plans, VA Benefits Don’t Alleviate Need To Sign Up For Medicare
By Susan Jaffe
December 14, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Thousands of people mistakenly think that if they have insurance, they can wait to sign up for Medicare Part B. Generally, insurance other than that provided by a current employer will not exempt them from Medicare’s strict enrollment requirements.
As Social Security Checks Go Up, So Do ‘Part B’ Premiums For Many Medicare Beneficiaries
November 20, 2017
Morning Briefing
Although the standard Part B premium will stay the same next year, many beneficiaries will still have to pay more because their Social Security checks will increase 2 percent after several years of little or no cost-of-living raise. About 42 percent of recipients will see their premium jump to $134 from $109.
Hospitals Threaten Legal Action Over CMS’s Decision To Slash Lucrative Drug Subsidies
November 2, 2017
Morning Briefing
Critics of the 340B program, designed to help hospitals with large numbers of uninsured patients, say the significant margin on the drugs gives hospitals an incentive to overuse certain drugs or choose high-priced options.
Trump’s Promise To Rein In Drug Prices Could Open Floodgate To Importation Laws
By Rachel Bluth
March 22, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ bill to allow Americans to buy cheaper medicines from Canada would bypass a requirement that blocked past legislative efforts over two decades.
6 Lesser-Known Obamacare Provisions That Could Evaporate
January 18, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Some lesser known provisions of the health law — things like calorie counts, lifetime limits and breast-feeding support — could be rolled back by repeal.
Recovery On The Reservation: Montana Sisters Help Peers Stop Using Drugs
By Nora Saks, Montana Public Radio
June 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A grass-roots effort to corral Montana’s meth crisis hinges on the idea that people who are successful in conquering addiction are uniquely qualified to coach others.
Viewpoints: Examining The Proposed $69B CVS-Aetna Merger; Is Medicare Next On GOP Chopping Block?
December 5, 2017
Morning Briefing
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Overwrought Marketing? Ads, Not Research, Create Some Pharma Best-Sellers
By Julie Appleby
May 16, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A look at how and why strategic, star-studded advertising brought a drug for a little-known neurological condition into your home.
Los Angeles Doctor Sues Molina Healthcare Over Medi-Cal Reimbursements
By Ana B. Ibarra
January 12, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A high-profile whistleblower attorney representing the physician is seeking class action status.
In Appalachia, Two Hospital Giants Seek State-Sanctioned Monopoly
By Phil Galewitz
July 24, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Tennessee and Virginia regulators are considering approval of a merger between Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System under their state laws. If they allow it, the Federal Trade Commission would be powerless to stop it.
Potential $66B Deal For CVS To Buy Aetna Would Create Mammoth Health Care Company
December 1, 2017
Morning Briefing
CVS Health Corp. may pay $200 to $205 per share to acquire Aetna Inc., the Wall Street Journal reports, but the deal isn’t final yet. In other industry news, Express Scripts’ CEO says the company isn’t shopping for its own insurer deal but is open to the idea, as well as partnering with Amazon.
California’s Aid-In-Dying Law Turns 1, But Not All Doctors Have Adopted It
By Stephanie O'Neill
June 9, 2017
KFF Health News Original
At least 500 terminally ill Californians have asked for the medicine that allows them to end their lives, and nearly 500 health organizations have signed on to help.
FDA’s Record Year: Agency That Has Long-Promised To Pick Up Drug Approval Pace Reaches Milestone
December 22, 2017
Morning Briefing
The agency just hit its 46th approval of 2017, the most in at least a decade. But more than one year of data is needed to predict a trend. In other pharmaceutical news: a judge will rule on hospitals’ efforts to block cuts to the 340B drug program; Biogen’s Alzheimer’s trial has disappointing results; a look at the most noteworthy drug approval of the years; and more.
Tax Day Is Zero Hour For Health Insurance, Too
By Julie Rovner
April 17, 2017
KFF Health News Original
People who don’t have insurance coverage or get federal assistance to pay their insurance premiums need to take a little extra care when completing their tax forms.
Parents Of Sick Children Fear Trap If States Have Say On ‘Preexisting Conditions’
By Bram Sable-Smith, Side Effects Public Media
May 10, 2017
KFF Health News Original
“I’m not going to risk my son’s health on the political whims of Jefferson City,” says one Missouri father, whose son requires about $20,000 to $30,000 in medical care expenses a year. The new GOP health bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act lets states decide whether or not insurers must cover people with preexisting conditions, such as birth defects.
Drugmaker Kaleo Raises Price Of Lifesaving Drug By Thousands
February 7, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News reporter Shefali Luthra discusses the controversy surrounding Kaleo, a company that makes a life-saving auto-injector for opioid drug overdoses on Weekend Edition.
Senators Ask Leadership To Reverse Trump’s Decision To Slash Funding For Drug Discount Program
December 8, 2017
Morning Briefing
The group of lawmakers looking to save the 340B program is made up of both Democrats and Republicans. In other pharmaceutical news: an analysis shows that many drugmakers are behind on required post-marketing studies; the Supreme Court shows interest in taking up the product liability issue; Sage announces positive results from its depression drug trial; and more.
