‘An Arm And A Leg’: Why Are Drug Prices So Random? Meet Mr. PBM
By Dan Weissmann
June 26, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Beware at the pharmacy counter: Your insurance company could be in cahoots with a pharmacy benefit manager — and the negotiations that go on between them are trade secrets.
Dramático aumento de la hepatitis A en todo el país
By Laura Ungar
August 13, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A la sombra de la epidemia de opioides, el virus de la hepatitis A se está abriendo camino en la población general. Más de la mitad de los estados han tenido, o tienen brotes. Y los fondos para frenarlos son insuficientes.
Funding Bill Advancing In House Has $24B In COVID Emergency Money
July 14, 2020
Morning Briefing
The emergency funding, that is part of a larger spending bill, was approved by the House Appropriations Committee Monday. Continued pandemic response is expected to be at the center of fierce congressional debate over the next few weeks.
Estados debaten prohibir popular pesticida que afectaría el desarrollo infantil
By Ana B. Ibarra
April 26, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Varios estudios han relacionado la exposición prenatal al clorpirifos con disminución de peso al nacer, bajo coeficiente intelectual, déficit de atención y otros problemas de desarrollo en niños.
States Weigh Banning A Widely Used Pesticide Even Though EPA Won’t
By Ana B. Ibarra
April 25, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The pesticide chlorpyrifos has been linked to developmental problems in children. Some state and federal lawmakers want the chemical banned, but federal regulators are fighting to keep it on the market.
Pfizer Begins Human Trials Testing Of COVID Vaccine
July 28, 2020
Morning Briefing
Pfizer’s developmental vaccine, BNT162b2, encodes a version of the virus’s whole spike protein, which it how the virus enters cells. The choice of vaccine should lead to “more consistent responses across diverse populations and in older adults,” Pfizer said.
Dealing With Hospital Closure, Pioneer Kansas Town Asks: What Comes Next?
By Sarah Jane Tribble
Photos by Christopher Smith
May 14, 2019
KFF Health News Original
After depending on the local hospital for more than a century, Fort Scott residents now are trying to cope with life without it.
Listen: After Its Hospital Closes, A Pioneer Kansas Town Searches For What Comes Next
May 17, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Deep questions underlie what is happening in Fort Scott, Kan.: Do small communities like this one need a traditional hospital at all? And, if not, what health care do they need?
They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users. But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself.
By Will Stone
February 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Sarah and Andy fell in love while working to keep drug users from overdosing. But when his own addiction reemerged, Andy’s fear of returning to prison kept him from the best treatment.
Facebook Live: Inclusive Care at the End of Life: The LGBTQ+ Experience
May 21, 2019
KFF Health News Original
For a generation of LGBTQ+ people who lived through unprecedented social change, getting older poses new challenges. When it comes to seeking elder care, concerns about lack of services, discrimination, neglect and even abuse threaten to reverse recent progress.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Waiting For The Trump Health Plan
September 5, 2019
KFF Health News Original
President Donald Trump keeps promising a new health plan, but so far it’s nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is proposing a plan to cancel billions of dollars in medical debt owed by patients. This week, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Rovner also interviews KHN’s Rachel Bluth about the latest “Bill of the Month” feature. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Forget The Shakedown. To Get Paid, Hospitals Get Creative.
By Dan Weissmann
June 12, 2019
KFF Health News Original
An unexpected hospital bill can bust the family budget. That leaves lots of people with bills they can’t pay. Turns out, that’s a crisis for hospitals too, and some are getting creative about collecting debt.
The Complex Realm Of Cloud Chasers, Coil Builders And Other Vape Modders
By Chaseedaw Giles
November 26, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Vaping has produced a diverse community with all sorts of sub-specialties. Finding your tribe can be more complex than finding your Harry Potter house.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Can You Shop Around For A Lower-Priced MRI?
By Dan Weissmann
June 19, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Doctors routinely order MRIs, but the price patients pay can be unpredictable. Hear how one determined woman scanned her options to find the best deal.
Don’t Toss That E-Cig: Vaping Waste Is A Whole New Headache For Schools And Cities
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
December 18, 2019
KFF Health News Original
E-cigarettes may look sleek, but they create toxic trash, especially at high schools where vaping is widespread. Disposable nicotine pods can be poisonous, and vape pens contain batteries and metals. Safely disposing of them can mean a trip to the local recycling center.
Democrats, White House Hopeful About Small Business Deal That Includes $75B For Hospitals, $25B To Expand Testing
April 20, 2020
Morning Briefing
Democrats and Republicans have been at an impasse at how to supplement the fund to help small businesses, which was depleted last week. The new bill proposes an additional $300 billion for that fund.
Watch: Electronic Medical Records Investigation In Spotlight On C-SPAN
April 30, 2019
KFF Health News Original
KHN’s Fred Schulte talks on C-SPAN with viewers about errors and other problems with computerized health records.
Listen: Trump’s Plan To End ‘Unpleasant Surprise’ Bills
May 10, 2019
KFF Health News Original
President Donald Trump called for an end to the “unpleasant surprise” of certain medical bills on Thursday. NPR reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin covered the White House announcement, which featured two patients from the KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” series.
Hospitals Will Lose $320B This Year From COVID-19, AHA Report Says
July 1, 2020
Morning Briefing
In other news: Hospitals using artificial intelligence in end-of-life care; new doctors; and health centers merge in Boston neighborhood.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Deciphering The Democrats’ Health Debate
August 1, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Health care was a major topic at the Democratic presidential candidate debates in Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the focus on plan minutiae may have left viewers more confused than edified. Alice Ollstein of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Caitlin Owens of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the points made by the candidates plus a series of Trump administration health initiatives on drug prices and hospital shopping.