Sex Abuse Survivors Reject Boy Scouts’ $2.7B Payout Offer
January 5, 2022
Morning Briefing
Seventy-five percent of the nearly 54,000 claimants in the case needed to approve the payout, but just 73% did. Meanwhile, as the surprise medical billing law comes into effect, some lawmakers are already pushing for changes to the process, to “line up” with what they say was Congress’ intent.
Oklahoma House Passes Anti-Abortion Bill Like Texas’, Only Stricter
May 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
Under the new law, “fertilization” is defined as the moment egg and sperm meet, and it also prohibits medicine-induced abortions (beyond when Plan B pills work). The bill moved to the desk of Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it. For more longer-read stories about abortion and the current threat to reproductive health in the U.S., scroll down to our Weekend Reading section.
Listen: Which Is The Greater Threat — The Coronavirus Or The Flu?
February 4, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News reporter Liz Szabo talked to Connecticut Public Radio about the risks of the novel coronavirus compared with influenza.
B.1.1.7 Is Now ‘Alpha’: WHO To Rename Covid Variants
June 1, 2021
Morning Briefing
The current series of complex numbers and letters makes it hard to keep B.1.351 straight from B.1.671.2. So the World Health Organization is set to unveil a new naming convention that uses the Greek alphabet instead. Experts also hope that the change will alleviate location stigmas associated with virus variants.
Less-Lethal Weapons Blind, Maim and Kill. Victims Say Enough Is Enough.
By Donovan Slack, USA TODAY and Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY and Jay Hancock, KHN and Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY
July 24, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Time and again over the past two decades, peace officers have targeted demonstrators with munitions designed only to stun and stop. Protests this year in reaction to George Floyd’s death in police custody have reignited a controversy surrounding their use.
Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
By Laura Ungar
September 25, 2020
KFF Health News Original
With health insurance that can leave him on the hook for more than a quarter of his salary every year, a Kentucky essential worker who has heart disease is one of millions of Americans who are functionally uninsured. At only 31, he has already been through bankruptcy and being sued by his hospital. This year, he faced a bill for more than $10,000.
Adults Under 60 Should Get Hepatitis B Vaccine, CDC Panel Recommends
November 4, 2021
Morning Briefing
Tens of millions of people, mainly in the 30 to 59 age group, may be advised to get hepatitis B shots (with people below 30 largely covered, after a 1991 decision to vaccinate kids). Separately, scientists uncover why some people have Alzheimer’s-risk brain chemistry, but no dementia.
Proposed 340B Rule Retracted That Would Have Jolted Community Clinics
October 1, 2021
Morning Briefing
The Health Resources and Services Administration pulled back a rule proposed by the Trump administration that would have required community health clinics to pass savings from reduced 340B pricing on insulin and Epi-Pens directly to patients instead of reinvesting in local services.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': As US Bumps Against Debt Ceiling, Medicare Becomes a Bargaining Chip
January 19, 2023
Podcast
The debt ceiling crisis facing Washington puts Medicare and other popular entitlement programs squarely on the negotiating table this year as newly empowered Republicans demand spending cuts. Meanwhile, as more Americans than ever have health insurance, the nation’s health care workforce is straining under the load. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
2022 Medicare Advantage Sign Ups Jump 9% On Last Year
January 18, 2022
Morning Briefing
Reports say that there’s been an 8.8% rise in Medicare Advantage enrollments, as of Jan. 1, over the same period last year. But while most beneficiaries in Parts A and B are expected to join Advantage plans by next year, the spending may still outpace traditional paid health costs.
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Plans To Add $3.4B For Health Care Research
December 8, 2021
Morning Briefing
The Facebook founder and his wife are adding the money to their charitable foundation over 15 years. In other health industry news, United Healthcare loses a $60 million lawsuit, and Centene settles with the state of Kansas with a $28 million payment.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Election Preview: What’s Next for Health?
October 1, 2020
KFF Health News Original
How will health issues affect voter choices? What will happen if President Donald Trump is reelected or the White House goes to Joe Biden? In this special election preview episode, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
A Battle-Weary Seattle Hospital Fights the Latest COVID Surge
By Will Stone
December 10, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Harborview Medical Center was at the epicenter of the first wave of coronavirus in the U.S. Staffers have a better understanding of the disease as cases surge, but fatigue and a lack of backup staff are big challenges.
HHS Enforcement Of 340B Program Up In Air With Conflicting Court Rulings
November 8, 2021
Morning Briefing
As hospitals and pharmaceutical companies fight in court over the prescription drug discount program, the oversight power of the Health Resources and Services Administration is also at issue.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Struggle Over Who Gets the Last Word
February 1, 2024
Podcast
As science skepticism pervades politics, the Supreme Court will soon consider two cases that seek to define the power of “experts.” Meanwhile, abortion opponents are laying out plans for how Donald Trump, if reelected as president, could effectively curtail abortion even in states where it remains legal. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Samantha Liss, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a husband and wife who got billed for preventive care that should have been fully covered.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: ACA in Peril With Ginsburg’s Seat in Play
September 24, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is giving new life to the latest constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act. It also places anti-abortion activists on the cusp of a court majority large enough to ensure the rollback of the right to abortion and, possibly, some types of birth control. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar tries to centralize power at the sprawling department plagued by miscommunications and scandals. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Sarah Jane Tribble about her new podcast, “Where It Hurts,” debuting Sept. 29.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': All About the (Government) Funding
January 11, 2024
Podcast
With days to go until a large chunk of the federal government runs out of money needed to keep it operating, Congress is still struggling to find a compromise spending plan. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to hear — this year — a case that pits federal requirements for emergency treatment against state abortion bans. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews American Medical Association President Jesse Ehrenfeld about the choppy waters facing the nation’s physicians in 2024.
With Vaccine Delivery Imminent, Nursing Homes Must Make a Strong Pitch to Residents
By Judith Graham
December 17, 2020
KFF Health News Original
More than half of long-term care residents have cognitive impairment or dementia, raising questions about whether they will understand the details about the fastest and most extensive vaccination effort in U.S. history.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Who Will Pay For COVID-19 Care?
April 9, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The spread of COVID-19 is prompting changes in pricing, coverage and other health care issues that have been subjects of political debate for years. But the politics remain polarized. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week that they think you should read, too.
LA County Authorities Cautious Despite Declining COVID Numbers
By Bernard J. Wolfson
September 3, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The county, a hotbed of coronavirus infection in California, has seen a steady reduction in positive test results, new cases, hospitalizations and deaths over the past few weeks. But officials are concerned about public behavior over the Labor Day holiday weekend and wary of relaxing strictures too soon.