Last-Minute Loophole Could Undermine Texas Law Against Surprise Medical Bills
By Ashley Lopez, KUT
November 25, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Texas passed a bipartisan law against surprise medical billing, but advocates warn that a proposed rule could severely weaken it, continuing to allow surprise bills outside of emergencies.
Finding Homeless Patients A Place To Heal
By Ana B. Ibarra
April 3, 2019
KFF Health News Original
California hospitals must comply with a new state law that requires them to try to find a safe place for homeless patients upon discharge. But hospitals say doing so isn’t as easy as calling a shelter and securing a cot.
Bayer To Pay $10.9B To Settle Lawsuits Over Roundup Cancer Claims
June 25, 2020
Morning Briefing
“In short, this is the right action at the right time for Bayer,” CEO Werner Baumann said.
No More Tater Tots? California Schools Put Healthier Lunches To The Test
By Mark Kreidler
October 16, 2019
KFF Health News Original
In the Golden State and elsewhere, school lunches include less meat, fewer processed foods and more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. One of the challenges nutrition advocates face is a new directive from the Trump administration that cuts the other way.
Look-Up: How Nursing Home Staffing Fluctuates Nationwide
May 2, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Use this tool to see staffing levels at skilled nursing homes in the U.S.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Bye-Bye, ACA, And Hello ‘Medicare-For-All’?
May 2, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Erin Mershon of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the latest in news about the Trump administration’s effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act, a historic hearing on “Medicare-for-all” and the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling that the state constitution protects a woman’s right to abortion. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Carmen Heredia Rodriguez about the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
More Vapers Are Making Their Own Juice, But Not Without Risks
By Jenny Gold
Photos by Heidi de Marco
November 13, 2019
KFF Health News Original
It’s easy to buy all the supplies online, and thousands of e-liquid recipes on the internet walk people through all the steps. But experts warn about safety.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ ‘Conscience’ Rules, Rx Prices and Still More Medicare
May 9, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Joanne Kenen of Politico, Jen Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the latest news about the Trump administration’s effort to allow health care practitioners and organizations to refuse to provide care or refer patients for services that violate their conscience or religion. Also this week, the administration orders TV ads for prescription drugs to include list prices. And Tennessee wants free rein from the federal government to run its Medicaid program. Plus, Rovner interviews Joan Biskupic, author of a new book on Chief Justice John Roberts, about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the 2012 ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
Missouri Court Orders Johnson & Johnson To Pay $2.1B In Baby Powder Lawsuit
June 24, 2020
Morning Briefing
The ruling said that “motivated by profits, defendants disregarded the safety of consumers despite their knowledge the talc in their products caused ovarian cancer.” More than 19,000 plaintiffs had talcum-powder lawsuits pending against J&J in U.S. courts as of March 29.
Health Care Workers Excluded From Trump’s New Restrictions For H1-B Visas
June 23, 2020
Morning Briefing
The Trump administration has been using the COVID pandemic to expand restrictions on immigration. The new ban expands earlier limits, adding work visas that many companies use, especially in the technology sector, landscaping services and the forestry industry. It excludes health care workers though.
It’s Not Just You: Picking Health Insurance Is Hard. Here’s How To Be Smart About It.
By Dan Weissmann
December 9, 2019
KFF Health News Original
It’s open enrollment season for health insurance. And choosing the best plan is tricky whether you have to buy insurance on your own or just figure out which plan to sign up for at work. Here’s what you need to know.
Five Things We Found In The FDA’s Hidden Device Database
By Sydney Lupkin
June 27, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The Food and Drug Administration released two decades of previously hidden data containing millions of injuries or malfunctions by medical devices. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
California Tries Again To Make Medication Abortions Available At Its Colleges
By April Dembosky, KQED
September 4, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A proposed state law would require on-campus health centers to provide students with the medicines that allow them to end an unwanted pregnancy. Former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill last year, but Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he would sign it.
A Regulatory Haze: Vape Marketers Are Online, Creating New Headaches For Feds
By Shefali Luthra and Chaseedaw Giles
November 14, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The subculture around vaping has been fueled by social media, and traditional regulations don’t easily address potential pitfalls.
Summer Setbacks: The Long Road To Lower Drug Prices Hits Some Potholes
By Emmarie Huetteman
July 24, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Efforts to control drug prices seemed on a glide path earlier this year after gaining traction at the White House and in Congress. But prospects today look less certain and highly controversial.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
By Brianna Labuskes
November 8, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
They May Owe Nothing — Half-Million-Dollar Dialysis Bill Canceled
By Jenny Gold
July 26, 2019
KFF Health News Original
After reporting by KHN, NPR and CBS, Fresenius has agreed to waive a Montana man’s huge bill for out-of-network dialysis care.
Getting Things From Point A To Point B Used To Be An American Art Form, But Not Anymore
May 22, 2020
Morning Briefing
Leaders said the supply chain was strong. But when the pandemic struck, shortages laid bare all those lofty promises.
Watch: ACA’s Future And ‘Medicare-For-All’ Front And Center As Candidates Line Up For 2020
April 16, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News talks about the court case challenging the Affordable Care Act and Democratic proposals to expand Medicare on C-SPAN and NPR.
Purveyors Of Black-Market Pharmaceuticals Target Immigrants
By John M. Glionna
September 16, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Illegal medications, sold in immigrant communities around the United States, can cause serious harm to consumers, authorities say. Law enforcement officers are cracking down, but some think more must be done.