Recovery On The Reservation: Montana Sisters Help Peers Stop Using Drugs
By Nora Saks, Montana Public Radio
June 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A grass-roots effort to corral Montana’s meth crisis hinges on the idea that people who are successful in conquering addiction are uniquely qualified to coach others.
Los Angeles Doctor Sues Molina Healthcare Over Medi-Cal Reimbursements
By Ana B. Ibarra
January 12, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A high-profile whistleblower attorney representing the physician is seeking class action status.
Overwrought Marketing? Ads, Not Research, Create Some Pharma Best-Sellers
By Julie Appleby
May 16, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A look at how and why strategic, star-studded advertising brought a drug for a little-known neurological condition into your home.
California’s Aid-In-Dying Law Turns 1, But Not All Doctors Have Adopted It
By Stephanie O'Neill
June 9, 2017
KFF Health News Original
At least 500 terminally ill Californians have asked for the medicine that allows them to end their lives, and nearly 500 health organizations have signed on to help.
In Appalachia, Two Hospital Giants Seek State-Sanctioned Monopoly
By Phil Galewitz
July 24, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Tennessee and Virginia regulators are considering approval of a merger between Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System under their state laws. If they allow it, the Federal Trade Commission would be powerless to stop it.
Viewpoints: Examining The Proposed $69B CVS-Aetna Merger; Is Medicare Next On GOP Chopping Block?
December 5, 2017
Morning Briefing
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Tax Day Is Zero Hour For Health Insurance, Too
By Julie Rovner
April 17, 2017
KFF Health News Original
People who don’t have insurance coverage or get federal assistance to pay their insurance premiums need to take a little extra care when completing their tax forms.
Drugmaker Kaleo Raises Price Of Lifesaving Drug By Thousands
February 7, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News reporter Shefali Luthra discusses the controversy surrounding Kaleo, a company that makes a life-saving auto-injector for opioid drug overdoses on Weekend Edition.
Parents Of Sick Children Fear Trap If States Have Say On ‘Preexisting Conditions’
By Bram Sable-Smith, Side Effects Public Media
May 10, 2017
KFF Health News Original
“I’m not going to risk my son’s health on the political whims of Jefferson City,” says one Missouri father, whose son requires about $20,000 to $30,000 in medical care expenses a year. The new GOP health bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act lets states decide whether or not insurers must cover people with preexisting conditions, such as birth defects.
Potential $66B Deal For CVS To Buy Aetna Would Create Mammoth Health Care Company
December 1, 2017
Morning Briefing
CVS Health Corp. may pay $200 to $205 per share to acquire Aetna Inc., the Wall Street Journal reports, but the deal isn’t final yet. In other industry news, Express Scripts’ CEO says the company isn’t shopping for its own insurer deal but is open to the idea, as well as partnering with Amazon.
FDA’s Record Year: Agency That Has Long-Promised To Pick Up Drug Approval Pace Reaches Milestone
December 22, 2017
Morning Briefing
The agency just hit its 46th approval of 2017, the most in at least a decade. But more than one year of data is needed to predict a trend. In other pharmaceutical news: a judge will rule on hospitals’ efforts to block cuts to the 340B drug program; Biogen’s Alzheimer’s trial has disappointing results; a look at the most noteworthy drug approval of the years; and more.
Companies Behind Health Savings Accounts Could Bank On Big Profits Under GOP Plan
By Chad Terhune and Julie Appleby
March 14, 2017
KFF Health News Original
With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, HSAs — a longtime favorite of conservatives — are likely to get a boost.
By Law, Hospitals Now Must Tell Medicare Patients When Care Is ‘Observation’ Only
By Susan Jaffe
March 13, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Not being officially admitted — a status known as observation care — can have financial consequences for beneficiaries, and patients had often complained they were not informed.
Drugmakers Dramatically Boosted Lobbying Spending In Trump’s First Quarter
By Sydney Lupkin
April 21, 2017
KFF Health News Original
With high drug prices creating widespread controversy, top pharmaceutical companies and their trade group vastly increased their lobbying spending on Capitol Hill.
Marketplace Enrollment Still Important Despite Plans For Health Law Repeal
By Michelle Andrews
December 13, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Republicans’ plans to overhaul the federal health law are not expected to take effect immediately, so consumers can still sign up for 2017 coverage.
Senators Ask Leadership To Reverse Trump’s Decision To Slash Funding For Drug Discount Program
December 8, 2017
Morning Briefing
The group of lawmakers looking to save the 340B program is made up of both Democrats and Republicans. In other pharmaceutical news: an analysis shows that many drugmakers are behind on required post-marketing studies; the Supreme Court shows interest in taking up the product liability issue; Sage announces positive results from its depression drug trial; and more.
Widespread Hype Gives False Hope To Many Cancer Patients
By Liz Szabo
April 27, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Doctors and drug developers have a stake in making cancer treatments seem better than they really are.
If CVS’s $69B Deal To Buy Aetna Holds Up To Federal Scrutiny, It Could Transform Health Care Landscape
December 4, 2017
Morning Briefing
Together, the companies touch most of the basic health services that people regularly use, and the merger could keep the transactions under one roof instead of spread out over multiple industry players.
Putting A Dollar Value On An Epidemic: Opioid Crisis Has Cost Economy $95B In 2016 Alone
November 17, 2017
Morning Briefing
The vast majority of the economic burden — $43.2 billion — came from losses in the workforce due to deaths from opioids, the analysis found. Meanwhile, another study found that about 10 percent of Americans have overcome a drug or alcohol problem in their lives, which might mean there’s good news for treating addiction.
Individual-Mandate Repeal Gains Traction As GOP Scrambles To Close $74B Revenue Hole
November 8, 2017
Morning Briefing
But while the move would give House tax writers an estimated $416 billion in sorely needed offsets for the deep rate cuts they want, it risks alienating GOP senators.