Improve Oversight Of Hospital Discount Drug Program, Watchdogs Say
March 25, 2015
Morning Briefing
As participation in the federal 340B drug discount program has quickly expanded, officials told lawmakers at a House hearing that new legislation may be necessary to make sure that benefits go to eligible providers and patients.
Report: US Pays $125B To Ineligible Recipients
March 6, 2015
Morning Briefing
The Government Accountability Office said the federal government lost ground last year in reducing improper payments from programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and tax credits for the working poor. Meanwhile, a group advising Congress pushes for changes to policies on short hospital stays.
Drug Discount Program Has Drugmakers Crying Foul
By Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Broadcasting
June 23, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Hospitals and drug makers are waging a pitched battle over the program — known as 340B — that requires drug manufacturers to give steep discounts to hospitals that treat a large percentage of poor patients.
Good News For Boomers: Medicare’s Hospital Trust Fund Appears Flush Until 2030
By Julie Rovner
July 28, 2014
KFF Health News Original
But the fund that pays disability benefits needs help fast.
More Scrutiny Coming For Medicare Advantage, Obamacare
By Fred Schulte, The Center For Public Integrity
November 3, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Federal officials are planning a wide range of audits into billing and government spending on managed health care in the new fiscal year, ranging from private Medicare Advantage groups that treat millions of elderly to health plans rapidly expanding under the Affordable Care Act.
State Highlights: State Medicaid Fraud Units Net More Than $2B
March 2, 2015
Morning Briefing
A selection of health policy stories from Connecticut, Georgia, California, Maryland, Texas, Idaho, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Wisconsin, Kansas and Washington.
State Highlights: CDC Official Says Ind. HIV Outbreak Could Be ‘A Model Response’; Minn. House GOP Advances $1B In Cuts To Health And Human Services Spending
April 29, 2015
Morning Briefing
News outlets cover health care issues in Indiana, Minnesota, California, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, Arizona and Texas.
Drug Discount Policy For Hospitals, Clinics Under Scrutiny
By Mary Agnes Carey
June 23, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Critics argue that some facilities using the program should not be eligible and that the money they receive from the sale of the discounted drugs is not always being plowed back into patient care.
Rite Aid Spends $2B To Acquire Pharmacy Benefits Manager
February 12, 2015
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, WellCare earnings report indicates that the severe flu season has taken its toll on profits.
Readers Ask About Contraceptive Coverage And Medicare Enrollment
By Michelle Andrews
July 15, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News’ consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers these questions.
Obamacare Creates Boom For Federal Contractors
By Jay Hancock
December 8, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Surging contracts related to the Affordable Care Act have helped make the Department of Health and Human Services a fount of revenue for private business.
Report: Medicaid Expansion Will Bring Kentucky A Seven-Year, $1B Windfall
February 13, 2015
Morning Briefing
The state’s Democratic governor released the report by Deloitte Consulting and the University of Louisville’s Urban Studies Institute, which projects the expansion brings the state a net gain, including 40,000 new jobs through 2021. News outlets from Vermont, Ohio and Texas also track debates related to expansion.
State Highlights: Blue Shield Of Calif. Spent $1.25B On Care 1st Deal; States Expand Access To Opioid Rescue Drug
March 25, 2015
Morning Briefing
A selection of health policy stories from California, Texas, Minnesota, Connecticut, Louisiana, Ohio, Washington and North Carolina.
High Court Rules Anti-Abortion Group Can Sue Over Election ‘Truth-Telling’ Law
By Julie Rovner
June 16, 2014
KFF Health News Original
A group challenging an Ohio election law that makes it a crime to make “false statements” about a candidate’s record during a campaign has standing to challenge the constitutionality of that law, according to today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision. The opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, did NOT strike down Ohio’s false statement law. But […]
States Prepare No ‘Plan B’ Ahead Of High Court Subsidy Ruling
January 16, 2015
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, California rejects UnitedHealth’s bid to sell exchange policies statewide and an estimated 76,000 Kansans sign up for health law policies.
L.A. County Officials Allegedly Reduced Penalties In 3 Nursing Home Deaths
By Anna Gorman
October 27, 2014
KFF Health News Original
The cases appear to flesh out an auditor’s finding in August that citations recommended by inspectors were downgraded without explanation.
Hospitals See $46B In Unpaid Bills Before Health Law’s Insurance Expansions
January 26, 2015
Morning Briefing
The data comes from a 2013 survey by the American Hospital Association. Other stories look at how hospitals are faring under the law’s new incentive programs to boost quality and at the vice president’s call for renewed focus on patient safety.
Wrestling With A Texas County’s Mental Health System
By Jenny Gold
August 20, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Strong leadership and common-sense budgeting created a model mental health care system in San Antonio.
You’re Being Observed In The Hospital? Patients With Private Insurance Better Off Than Seniors
By Susan Jaffe
September 11, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Among the most significant difference is that patient with their own insurance don’t face the same danger of losing nursing home coverage.
HHS Official: Healthcare.gov Updates Will Be ‘Improvement But Not Perfection’
September 10, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Testifying before a House subcommittee, a key Obama administration official lays out the updates that HHS is making to the online marketplaces before enrollment begins in November. Mary Agnes Carey and Politico Pro’s Jennifer Haberkorn discuss.
