Health Insurers Try Paying More Upfront To Pay Less Later
By Mark Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio
July 17, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Some health plans are beginning to offer free maintenance care for people with chronic health problems, hoping that spending a little more early on will save a lot of money in the long run.
The Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
By Ana B. Ibarra
March 31, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Exchange enrollees and insurers fret over a lawsuit that could end federal help with copays and deductibles.
Move To End DACA Leaves Some Young Immigrants Fearing For Their Health
By Barbara Feder Ostrov and Anna Gorman
September 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program made it possible for young adults who came into the country illegally as children to get jobs with insurance and, in some states including California, Medicaid. Now that coverage is in peril.
La próxima batalla del Obamacare: subsidios para gastos de bolsillo
By Ana B. Ibarra
March 31, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Los subsidios que ayudan a las personas con sus copagos y deducibles, distintos a los créditos impositivos para pagar las primas, están en medio de una batalla legal luego de una demanda republicana.
A Community Seeks Answers, Assurances About Health Care — In 10 Languages
By Ana B. Ibarra and Kellen Browning
June 5, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A forum for Asian immigrants in Oakland draws a crowd so large some attendees had to be seated in an overflow room. Many immigrants are eager for information relevant to them as changes to the health care system are debated in Washington.
Hospitals Find Asthma Hot Spots More Profitable To Neglect Than Fix
By Jay Hancock and Rachel Bluth and Daniel Trielli
December 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Months of reporting and rich hospital data portray life in the worst asthma hot spot in one of the worst asthma cities: Baltimore. The medical system knows how to help. But there’s no money in it.
Without Price Breaks, Rural Hospitals Struggle To Stock Costly, Lifesaving Drugs
By Sarah Jane Tribble
September 18, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A federal drug program blocks rural hospitals from getting discounts on rare-disease drugs, forcing staff to cut back on supplies of lifesaving medicines.
Tension Heats Up On Capitol Hill Over Drug Discount Program As Cuts Go Into Effect
January 3, 2018
Morning Briefing
Hospitals and big pharma are waging a war over the 340B program, which requires pharmaceutical companies to give steep discounts to hospitals and clinics that serve high volumes of low-income patients.
Obamacare’s History Littered With Near-Death Experiences
By Julie Rovner
July 28, 2017
KFF Health News Original
The Affordable Care Act has repeatedly faced opposition in Congress and the courts, but it has continued to survive.
To Help Ward Off Alzheimer’s, Think Before You Eat
By Judith Graham
April 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Good nutrition has been linked to a boost in senior citizens’ cognitive skills.
By Decade’s End, Calif. Estimates It Would Lose $24B Annually Under GOP Health Plan
By Anna Gorman
March 23, 2017
KFF Health News Original
“It’s challenging to see how it would not … jeopardize the entire [Medicaid] program,” a top health official said.
Many COPD Patients Struggle To Pay For Each Medicinal Breath
By Sarah Jane Tribble
June 5, 2017
KFF Health News Original
One in 9 Medicare enrollees have COPD and many of them can’t afford the inhalers that keep them out of the emergency room.
Senate Bipartisan Bill To Curb Opioid Crisis Includes 3-Day Prescription Limit, $1B In Additional Funding
February 28, 2018
Morning Briefing
Lawmakers are aggressively ramping up their efforts to fight the nation’s drug epidemic. In addition to the new measure, chairs of the two primary health committees in Congress pledged to push more legislation within the next months.
On The Air With KHN: What’s Next For The Affordable Care Act?
March 28, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Reporters with Kaiser Health News and California Healthline have appeared on numerous radio and television shows in recent days to assess what’s next for the health law.
Senate Democrats Push For Additional $25B In Opioid Funding In Federal Budget
January 10, 2018
Morning Briefing
“Make no mistake: This is a national public health emergency, and we still don’t see a robust federal response. The current federal budget negotiations give us an opportunity to right this wrong,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who is working with Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) to get more money. In related news, journalist Sam Quinones testified as a rare single witness during a Senate hearing on the drug epidemic. And opioids emerge as a campaign issue in the primary election battle of onetime drug czar nominee Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.)
Planned Parenthood Funding Could Thwart GOP Efforts On Health Bill
By Julie Rovner
May 12, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A provision in the House bill to strip funding from organizations that provide abortions may not meet the strict rules needed to bypass the filibuster in the Senate.
Many Californians Could Be Priced Out Of Exchange Coverage, Analysis Finds
By Ana B. Ibarra
March 16, 2017
KFF Health News Original
California’s health insurance exchange released an analysis showing that Republicans’ plan to trim subsidies, on average, by 40% would fall hard on elderly and very low-income people, especially in expensive areas like San Francisco.
In Massachusetts, Proposed Medicaid Cuts Put Kids’ Health Care At Risk
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
July 18, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Doctors, consumers and politicians say big federal cuts to Medicaid funding would jeopardize the treatment a lot of kids rely on. The state would either have to make up lost funding or cut benefits.
Proposed Law Would Require All California Children To Be Screened For Lead
By Ana B. Ibarra
March 14, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Under the current statute, kids are tested for lead only if they’re on certain government programs or live in older buildings. That leaves many other California children at risk, lawmaker says.
CVS To Use $1.5B Windfall From GOP Tax Plan To Raise Hourly Wages For Workers
February 9, 2018
Morning Briefing
The company also said it will invest in technology that can help it track prescription drug use or monitor data like blood tests to determine if a patient’s health or a condition grows worse.