As Hospital Chains Grow, So Do Their Prices For Care
By Chad Terhune
June 13, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The average patient stay costs $4,000 more at Sutter and Dignity hospitals than at other California medical centers, study shows.
Viejos moteles cobran nueva vida ayudando a las personas sin hogar a sanar
By David Gorn
Photos by Heidi de Marco
July 12, 2016
KFF Health News Original
El uso de moteles deteriorados para cuidar y albergar temporalmente a personas sin hogar recientemente dadas de alta del hospital ayuda a estabilizarlos de manera económica, previniendo retornos innecesarios y costosos a las salas de emergencia y a los hospitales.
Colon Cancer Screening: Five Things To Know
By Julie Appleby
June 24, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The U.S Preventive Services Task Force recently expanded the list of approved colorectal cancer screening tests. Here’s a primer on these various tests and how they might be covered now and in the future by health insurance.
Despite Overdose Epidemic, Georgia Caps The Number Of Opioid Treatment Clinics
By Michell Eloy, WABE
June 20, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Georgia has stopped licensing new clinics that provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. Some call the state’s move irresponsible. Others say the clinics aren’t regulated enough.
FDA Considering Pricey Implant As Treatment For Opioid Addiction
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
May 25, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The FDA could soon approve an implantable form of a drug used to treat opioid addiction. While the approach helped patients avoid relapse in tests, its price may be prohibitive for some, doctors say.
When Adult Children Get Sick, It May Be Hard For Parents To Get Information
By Michelle Andrews
May 31, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Federal law seeks to protect the privacy of patients’ health information, but sometimes leaving parents out of the loop can complicate the patient’s recovery.
California Insurance Marketplace Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
By Ana B. Ibarra and David Gorn
April 8, 2016
KFF Health News Original
In a sweeping overhaul of its contracts, the state’s insurance exchange will require health plans to hold doctors and hospitals accountable for quality and cost.
Delay Of New Health Law Forms May Confuse Some Taxpayers
By Michelle Andrews
February 16, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Employers, insurers and government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are required to send taxpayers a form showing whether they provided health care but the government has pushed back the deadline for the forms.
Las vacunas no son sólo para los niños
By Anna Gorman
July 13, 2016
KFF Health News Original
La palabra “inmunización” evoca a la salud infantil. Ahora, los doctores de California están dirigiendo su atención a los adultos, quienes no han sido tan diligentes a la hora de recibir sus vacunas.
For Substance Abusers, Recovery-Oriented Care May Show The Way To A Productive Life
By Taylor Sisk
May 24, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Advocates emphasize peer support and community reintegration for people with behavioral health problems.
In Prince’s Age Group, Risk Of Opioid Overdose Climbs
By Kristin Espeland Gourlay, RINPR
May 6, 2016
KFF Health News Original
In 2013 and 2014, people ages 45 to 64 accounted for about half of all deaths from drug overdose, according to the CDC.
Covered California Health Plan Rates To Jump 13.2 Percent In 2017
By Chad Terhune and Pauline Bartolone
July 19, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A double-digit increase, which follows two years of moderate rate hikes, is likely to resonate across the country in debate over Obamacare.
Trump’s Claim About Abortions Taking Place Days Before Birth ‘Absurd,’ Expert Says
October 21, 2016
Morning Briefing
If, very late in pregnancy, a fetus was found to be nonviable the woman might continue the pregnancy and deliver a stillborn baby, or she might decide not to continue the pregnancy, says Dr. Aaron B. Caughey. “Would you call that an abortion? I think most of us wouldn’t use that language.”
Medicare Advocates Press Congress To Help Beneficiaries Facing Steep Premium Hike
September 29, 2016
Morning Briefing
The Medicare Trustees have estimated that the deductible for Medicare Part B would grow from $166 to $204 next year for all enrollees and the premiums would grow 22 percent next year for about 30 percent of beneficiaries.
Study Of Birth Defects, Folic Acid In Foods Finds More Questions Than Answers
By Barbara Feder Ostrov
May 20, 2016
KFF Health News Original
But the authors caution against concluding that folic acid is ineffective.
Map: In Poor Baltimore Neighborhoods, Life Expectancy Similar to Developing Countries
February 16, 2016
KFF Health News Original
In Sandtown, where Freddie Gray lived and the median household income is less than a quarter of Roland Park’s, the life expectancy is 70 years. That matches the average life expectancy in North Korea, an impoverished dictatorship where millions suffer from chronic undernourishment, according to the United Nations.
‘Critical Illness’ Insurance Grows As Out-Of-Pocket Health Costs Jump
By Mark Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio
February 2, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A relatively obscure category of health insurance — “critical illness” insurance — is catching on because, increasingly, conventional health plans have consumers paying a lot of out-of-pocket costs. Mark Zdechlik of Minnesota Public Radio explains the pros and cons of critical care insurance in this story that aired on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Politics Makes Abortion Training In Texas Difficult
By Carrie Feibel, Houston Public Media
June 22, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The hostile climate surrounding abortion in Texas has made it hard for doctors-in-training to learn to do abortions. Professors feel intimidated, and there are fewer clinics where residents can train.
Extremely Early Intervention: Scientists Try To Prevent Mental Illness Prenatally
October 24, 2016
Morning Briefing
Researchers gave the B vitamin choline to pregnant women, and found it successful in reducing pre-markers for schizophrenia after the child was born. In other news on children’s health, a mother hunts down the mysterious cause of her son’s paralysis, doctors turn away unvaccinated patients, the American Academy of Pediatrics updates its recommendations on SIDS and a doctor’s drug warning.
Zuckerberg, Chan Invest $3B In Hopes Of Eradicating All Diseases By End Of Century
September 22, 2016
Morning Briefing
“The funding seems to fill a gap,” said Dr. Jonathan Lim. “They’re tackling basic science and prevention, which tend to be relatively less well-funded areas, compared to translational and clinical efforts.”