Sounds Like A Good Idea? Regulating Drug Prices
By Julie Rovner and Francis Ying
July 11, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Presidential candidates from both parties have proposals they say would help lower the cost of prescription drugs. But most experts say that efforts to regulate prices might not end up saving much money.
California’s Glaring Shortage Of School Nurses
By Ana B. Ibarra
May 31, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A new national pediatric guideline proposes that every school have a nurse on staff. In California, 57 percent of school districts do not employ nurses.
Uninsured In Coal Country: Desperate Americans Still Turn To Volunteer Clinics
By Sarah Varney
November 7, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Dire dental needs and other health problems keep Remote Area Medical’s pop-up free clinics busy in states like Virginia that haven’t expanded Medicaid.
Trump Suggests Surprise $1.2B Cut To NIH, But GOP Lawmaker Says It’s A Nonstarter
March 29, 2017
Morning Briefing
“You can’t come in at the last minute in a budget, to be fair, you weren’t a part of, and negotiate these kinds of changes,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said in response to the proposal. “I just don’t think it’s doable.
Would California’s Proposed Tobacco Tax Hike Reduce Smoking?
By April Dembosky, KQED
October 5, 2016
KFF Health News Original
When New York increased its cigarette tax, smoking rates declined. California’s proposed increase of $2 a pack may, too, say researchers. The higher the tax, the more likely people are to quit.
Calif. Senate Nixes Bill Requiring Disclosures From Disciplined Doctors
By Ana B. Ibarra
June 7, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The proposal would have required physicians and other medical clinicians to tell their patients if they were on probation for serious offenses.
Suspension Of Accelerated H-1B Visa Program Leaves Hospitals Scrambling To Secure Entry For Foreign Residents
April 3, 2017
Morning Briefing
In other Trump administration news, as deep budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health are floated, one lawmaker says the move would strengthen the agency. And financial disclosure forms reveal that White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway consulted for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers Of Clues To Opioid Epidemic
By Jeff Cohen, WNPR
June 3, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Deaths from opioid overdoses are on the rise, and we know that because of data on death certificates. States determine who fills them out and what information they record. And that can vary widely.
Psychotherapists Gravitate Toward Those Who Can Pay
By April Dembosky, KQED
July 15, 2016
KFF Health News Original
It goes back to the byzantine way health care — and health insurance — developed in the U.S. in the wake of World War II.
California Aims To Limit Surprise Medical Bills
By Stephanie O'Neill, KPCC
September 16, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The problem, known as balance billing, happens when patients are treated by an out-of-network professional at an in-network facility. Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign the legislation.
Medicare Releases Draft Proposal For Patient Observation Notice
By Susan Jaffe
June 15, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Although there is widespread agreement on the need to let people know if they haven’t been admitted, the language proposed by federal officials hasn’t satisfied everyone.
The Ads Say ‘Get Your Flu Shot Today,’ But It May Be Wiser To Wait
By Julie Appleby
September 15, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The flu vaccine is available for longer windows of time. Experts say to weigh convenience and science in deciding when to roll up your sleeve.
Long-Term, Reversible Contraception Gains Traction With Young Women
By Michael Tomsic, WFAE
October 21, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Implants and intrauterine devices are endorsed by pediatricians, OB-GYNs and health officials as a way to help girls and women space their pregnancies and reduce the risk of having a premature baby.
Medicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
By Julie Appleby
May 25, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A proposal to change the way Medicare pays for some drugs has set off intense reaction and lobbying — all tied to a common theme: How far should the government go in setting prices for prescription drugs?
Another Reason To Diet: Experts Find Additional Evidence Of Obesity-Cancer Link
By Zhai Yun Tan
August 24, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer reaffirms earlier findings that excess body fat increases the risks for certain cancers.
In Philadelphia, Neighbors Learn How To Help Save Shooting Victims
By Taunya English, WHYY
September 7, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A first-aid class in Philadelphia is designed to help people learn how to keep shooting victims alive until the paramedics arrive. It teaches skills such as applying tourniquets to stop bleeding.
Candidates Decry High Drug Prices, But They Have Few Options For Voters
By Julie Rovner
September 16, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Drug prices rise for a variety of reasons but opportunities for the government to control them is limited.
Advance Planning For Your End-Of-Life Care
By Emily Bazar
July 7, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A new health benefit available to millions of Californians encourages people to discuss end-of-life care options with their doctors.
Doctors Get Creative To Distract Tech-Savvy Kids Before Surgery
By Jenny Gold
Photos by Heidi de Marco
July 12, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Anxiety before surgery can be dangerous for kids. Medication can help calm them down. But an anesthesiologist in California has come up with a safer, cheaper and much more entertaining alternative.
Researchers Identify A Key Weapon of Zika Virus
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
August 11, 2016
KFF Health News Original
University of Southern California scientists determined the virus uses certain types of protein to interrupt the brain development of fetuses. The finding is a step toward the possible development of an intervention that could prevent the infection from leading to microcephaly.