State Highlights: Study Finds Nearly $2B In Minn. ER Visits Could Have Been Avoided; Georgia Survey Notes Gap In Rural Health
July 23, 2015
Morning Briefing
Health care stories are reported from Minnesota, Georgia, Kansas, California, North Carolina, Washington, Michigan, North Dakota, Virginia and Montana.
FDA Recommends Approval For New Cholesterol Drug
June 10, 2015
Morning Briefing
But, the Food and Drug Administration panel also said more data are needed to examine its longterm viability as a treatment for heart attacks. Elsewhere, stakeholders await proposed rules on the 340B drug discount program, which may limit prices and provide guidance on civil damages for drugmakers.
Still No Plan B From White House If Supreme Court Strikes Down Obamacare Subsidies
June 5, 2015
Morning Briefing
With a decision expected in just a few days from the high court, many wonder why the Obama administration has not offered a backup plan, even as HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell warns that the number of uninsured could spike if the subsidies are struck down. Delaware joins Pennsylvania, however, in moving to save the health coverage subsidies if they are ruled out.
Next Goal For Abortion-Rights Backers: Reducing Stigma
By Julie Rovner
January 21, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Groups urge women to tell their own abortion stories to helps change the public view of abortion.
Teva To Pay $1.2B To Settle Charges That A Subsidiary Blocked Lower-Cost Generics
May 29, 2015
Morning Briefing
The Federal Trade Commission alleged Cephalon paid four competitors to delay marketing generic versions of its money-making sleeping pill, Provigil. The settlement is a victory in the federal government’s efforts against a drug industry practice known as “pay-for-delay.”
Feds Offer To Authorize $1B For Fla. Hospital Funding Tied To Medicaid Stalemate
May 22, 2015
Morning Briefing
The funding has been at the heart of the legislature’s bitter debate on Medicaid expansion. The offer is $1.6 billion lower than the state received this year, but it may provide enough that lawmakers can come to terms on a budget in a special session next month.
Hospitals Struggle To Beat Back Serious Infections
By Jordan Rau
October 22, 2014
KFF Health News Original
KHN reporter Jordan Rau spoke on NPR about data that say about 75,000 patients per year die from infections they got in the hospital. Nearly 700 hospitals around the U.S. have higher than expected infection rates.
1,700 Hospitals Win Quality Bonuses From Medicare, But Most Will Never Collect
By Jordan Rau
January 22, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Penalties for readmissions and patient injuries erase bonuses hospitals earn for meeting stiff quality criteria. Fewer than 800 will end up with higher payments.
State Highlights: Md. Hospitals’ Experiment Generates $100M In Medicare Savings; N.Y. To Invest $7.3B In Delivery System Overhaul
June 30, 2015
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on health care developments in Maryland, Connecticut, New York, Alaska and Kentucky.
Grassley Urges Tighter Scrutiny Of Medicare Advantage Plans; House ‘Cures’ Bill Mark Up Delayed
May 21, 2015
Morning Briefing
In other Capitol Hill happenings, supporters of the 340B Drug Discount program urge lawmakers not to make changes in it as part of the “Cures” bill that would overhaul the FDA’s drug approval process. Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, gives a bleak VA progress report.
Administration Says Hospitals Will Save $5.7B From Unpaid Bills Due To Health Law
By Mary Agnes Carey
September 24, 2014
KFF Health News Original
About three-quarters of the savings will go to hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid.
Many Medicare Outpatients Pay More At Rural Hospitals, Federal Report Says
By Jordan Rau
October 8, 2014
KFF Health News Original
An investigation by the HHS inspector general says beneficiaries getting the treatments at “critical access” hospitals pay between two and six times more than those at other hospitals.
$10B VA Health Care Choice Program Has Disappointing Results
April 24, 2015
Morning Briefing
The program was supposed to shorten waiting lists by allowing patients to switch to private-sector doctors. Meanwhile, a Florida congressman has introduced legislation that would make it easier to fire Veterans Affairs employees.
The Latest In Public Health Funding: Tapping Investors
By Anna Gorman
October 23, 2014
KFF Health News Original
An asthma prevention program in California hopes to offer returns based on savings from reduced hospital visits.
What To Know About Medicare’s Enrollment Period
By Mary Agnes Carey Julie Rovner
November 13, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Though not a part of the health law’s open enrollment period, Medicare’s enrollment period runs during some of the same time period. Changes to Medicare advantage and the so-called Medicare prescription drug “doughnut hole” are taking center stage.
Letters To The Editor: Chronic Care Transitions, Proton Therapy, California’s Caregivers
January 28, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to respond, react and comment on our stories.
North Carolina’s $10B Medicaid Challenge: Pay For Other States Or Take Federal Money?
By Ann Doss Helms and Tony Pugh, Charlotte Observer
September 3, 2014
KFF Health News Original
State taxpayers could spend more than $10 billion by 2022 to provide medical coverage for low-income residents of other states while getting nothing in return.
Overtreatment For Breast Cancer Costs $4B Annually, Study Finds
April 7, 2015
Morning Briefing
The research, published in the journal Health Affairs, examines the costs associated with mammograms that generate false alarms and treatment of tumors unlikely to cause problems.
Turning 65? 9 Tips For Signing Up For Medicare
By Caroline Mayer
October 7, 2014
KFF Health News Original
A consumer reporter shares what she learned when getting ready to join the federal health plan for seniors.
Readmissions Penalties By State: Year 3
October 2, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Medicare evaluated the readmission rates of the nation’s hospitals in determining the third year of penalties in the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. This table lists the average impact on hospitals in each state.
