FRONTLINE CHAT: “How Would You Spend Your Final Days?”
February 12, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold co-hosted a live chat,“How Would You Spend Your Final Days?” with Frontline documentary maker Tom Jennings. They discussed Being Mortal, the film based on the book by Atul Gawande. You can watch the documentary online and check out other KHN stories about end-of-life issues.
Hillary Clinton Targets ‘Quiet Epidemic’ Of Drug Abuse With $10B Plan
September 3, 2015
Morning Briefing
Funding for addiction treatment, prevention programs and criminal justice reforms are part of her proposal. “Plain and simple, drug and alcohol addiction is a disease, not a moral failing,” the Democratic candidate wrote in an op-ed.
Hospital-Acquired Condition Penalties By State
By Jordan Rau
December 19, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Medicare is reducing payments to 721 hospitals with high rates of infections or other medical complications. About 1,400 hospitals, including all in Maryland, are excluded from the program and Medicare did not assess their rates of patient harm.
Report: Ohio’s Medicaid Costs $2B Below Estimates
August 14, 2015
Morning Briefing
The report found that Medicaid costs, even with the state’s expansion and increase in eligible beneficiaries, were 7.6 percent less that projected for the fiscal year ending in June. Meanwhile, Georgia’s health care agency has all but rejected Grady Health System’s proposed waiver to cover more uninsured people. News outlets in Kansas, Maine and Iowa also report on Medicaid-related developments.
Obamacare Ruling Could Kill Coverage For 413,000 In Georgia
By Misty Williams, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
June 17, 2015
KFF Health News Original
No tax credit means no health insurance at all for tens of thousands of Georgians.
Online Doctor Appointment Service ZocDoc Valued At $1.8B
August 21, 2015
Morning Briefing
The company is raising money to expand. Elsewhere in health care technology news, Google Glass finds a place in the doctor’s office and startups aim at giving second opinions on expensive surgery.
Measles Outbreak Sparks Bid To Strengthen Calif. Vaccine Law
By Jenny Gold
February 5, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Two California lawmakers have introduced a bill to eliminate a “personal belief exemption” used by parents to sidestep a school vaccination requirement.
Medicare Itemizes Its $103 Billion Drug Bill
By Jordan Rau
April 30, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Federal officials release data showing prescription histories of hundreds of thousands of doctors and identifying the most common and costly drugs.
Rural Indiana Struggles With Drug-Fueled HIV Epidemic
By Sarah Varney
May 4, 2015
KFF Health News Original
In response to an HIV outbreak of historic proportions, Indiana’s legislature passed a bill permitting drug users in areas with disease outbreaks to trade used needles for clean ones. Sarah Varney reports for KHN and PBS NewsHour from Austin, Indiana.
Teva Agrees To Allergan Purchase; Price Tag Set At $40B
July 28, 2015
Morning Briefing
The Israeli company will acquire Allergan’s generic drug business and, if approved, the deal will place Teva among the largest drug companies in the world.
For Many Patients, Delirium Is A Surprising Side Effect Of Being In The Hospital
By Sandra G. Boodman
June 2, 2015
KFF Health News Original
The problem, which is often preventable, is estimated to cost more than $143 billion annually and disproportionately affects people older than 65. It is often misdiagnosed as dementia.
Medicare Part B Still A Target For Fraud, Federal Watchdog Says
June 24, 2015
Morning Briefing
Two reports from the HHS Office of the Inspector General highlight the program’s questionable billing patterns and urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to do more to protect Medicare Part B.
General Electric Selling Health Care Lending Unit To Capital One For About $9B
August 12, 2015
Morning Briefing
GE Capital’s Healthcare Financial Services business lends to a variety of companies, including hospitals, drug makers and medical device specialists. GE will retain a portion of the business that lends to its medical equipment operations customers.
Patient Safety Advocate Sees ‘Hope And Hype’ In Digital Revolution
By Michelle Andrews
April 14, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Dr. Robert Wachter says medicine’s move to a computer age can improve care but patients still face serious challenges in adapting to the new technology and the prospect of overcoming a fragmented health system.
State Highlights: Geisinger Health Finalizes Deal With N.J.’s AtlantiCare Health System; Diabetes Annual Medicaid Tab Tops $1B In N.Y.
October 5, 2015
Morning Briefing
Health care stories are reported from New Jersey, New York, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Illinois.
Patent Rule Change For Generics Reportedly Could Increase Federal Health Care Costs By $1.3B Over Decade
September 1, 2015
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, as the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs grab attention from lawmakers and government officials, Politico reports that disease advocacy groups have been conspicuously quiet in the debate.
How California Can Improve Oversight of Home Caregivers
January 7, 2015
KFF Health News Original
In California, hundreds of thousands of low-income elderly and disabled people receive daily care in their homes from their children, spouses, relatives and others. And, through a program called In-Home Supportive Services, the state pays many of those caregivers about $10 an hour to do the job.
Pentagon’s $4.3B Electronic Health Records Contract Awarded To Leidos, Cerner And Accenture Team
July 30, 2015
Morning Briefing
The work will include overhauling the Pentagon’s health records for about 9.5 million active military and veteran beneficiaries at about 1,000 sites worldwide. The contract starts at 10 years but could extend to 18 years and $9 billion.
The Extra Cost Of Extra Weight For Older Adults
By Sarah Varney
March 2, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Obese people are far more likely to become disabled as they age, and researchers say this burgeoning demographic will strain hospitals and nursing homes.
Drug And Device Makers Paid $6.5B To Doctors, Hospitals In 2014
July 1, 2015
Morning Briefing
About 80 percent of the dollars went to doctors for consulting, speeches, research and other activities. Nearly 610,000 doctors received payments, as well as some 1,100 teaching hospitals, according to government data. The effort to highlight potential conflicts of interest is mandated by the Affordable Care Act.