Awake, And Safe, All Night Despite Dementia
By Rachel Gotbaum
March 9, 2015
KFF Health News Original
A special “daycare at night” program in the Bronx cares for Alzheimer’s patients whose internal clocks mistake night for day.
$49B Federal Price Tag For 10 ‘Breakthrough’ Drugs
June 8, 2015
Morning Briefing
The drugs include several to treat hepatitis C and breast cancer. Elsewhere, the Food and Drug Administration is speeding new cholesterol drugs to trial, a closer look at kids drugs in the “Cures” bill and painkiller abuse still worries some officials, despite efforts to stem their abuse.
Rural Hospitals, One Of The Cornerstones Of Small Town Life, Face Increasing Pressure
By Guy Gugliotta
March 17, 2015
KFF Health News Original
For people in Mount Vernon, Texas, the loss of their hospital means longer trips for treatment and uncertainty when a medical crisis hits.
Congress May Act Soon To Shore Up VA Budget With $3B Injection, VA Secretary McDonald Says
July 24, 2015
Morning Briefing
The Department of Veteran Affairs’ $2.5 billion budget shortfall has raised the risk of some VA hospitals closing as well as employee furloughs. The beleaguered agency has also made little progress decreasing vets’ wait times for health care or in hiring for 41,500 open medical positions.
CDC Panel Urges Expanding Pool Of Young People Who Receive Meningitis B Shot
June 29, 2015
Morning Briefing
An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that all 16- to 23-year-olds to consider the vaccine. Previous guidance was limited to those at high risk of exposure to the disease, like lab workers and students at colleges with outbreaks.
What’s At Stake As Health Law Lands At Supreme Court Again
By Sarah Varney
March 3, 2015
KFF Health News Original
With a $400 tax credit, Julia Raye of North Carolina has been able to afford health insurance and keep her diabetes under control. She is one of 8.2 million people who could lose that subsidy in a case that goes before the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday.
Surprises And Standing: Breaking Down Today’s Supreme Court Arguments
March 4, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case challenging some of the health law’s insurance subsidies, but not before considering whether the plaintiffs had standing in the case. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Julie Rovner discuss surprises from the hearing.
Government May Pay $50B For New Breakthrough Drugs, Study Estimates
June 9, 2015
Morning Briefing
According to a report by Avalere Health, a consulting firm, Medicare would bear the majority of the cost, spending $31.3 billion over the next 10 years on improved treatments for diseases like Hepatitis C and breast cancer. Medicaid is estimated to spend $15.8 billion on the drugs. Meanwhile, another report finds that health care costs may go up 6.5 percent next year.
VA Threatens To Shut Down Hospitals Next Month If Congress Doesn’t Help With $2.5B Budget Shortfall
July 17, 2015
Morning Briefing
In other news on military health care, the Pentagon is narrowing the finalists for a multibillion-dollar contract to overhaul the military’s health IT system, and a Florida lawmaker calls for a former naval hospital in Lake Baldwin to be repurposed as housing for elderly and homeless veterans.
Millions Of Medicaid Kids Missing Regular Checkups
By Phil Galewitz
November 13, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Administration improves screening rates, but needs to do more to ensure that poor children get recommended health care, says HHS inspector general.
Advocates Worry That Funding Boost For Kids’ Health May Be Used For Other Things
June 23, 2015
Morning Briefing
States are free to use the $5.6 billion increase for the Children’s Health Insurance Program over the next 11 years as they see fit, reports CQ Healthbeat. Meanwhile, a CDC advisory committee is expected to decide later this week whether to recommend a new vaccine for teenagers to prevent meningitis strain B.
Can I Keep My Marketplace Plan When I’m Enrolled In Medicare?
By Michelle Andrews
December 23, 2014
KFF Health News Original
KHN’s consumer columnist answers a reader’s question about whether coverage from the health law’s online exchanges is compatible with Medicare and another question on Medicare drug coverage options when seniors move.
State Highlights: Study Finds Nearly $2B In Minn. ER Visits Could Have Been Avoided; Georgia Survey Notes Gap In Rural Health
July 23, 2015
Morning Briefing
Health care stories are reported from Minnesota, Georgia, Kansas, California, North Carolina, Washington, Michigan, North Dakota, Virginia and Montana.
FDA Recommends Approval For New Cholesterol Drug
June 10, 2015
Morning Briefing
But, the Food and Drug Administration panel also said more data are needed to examine its longterm viability as a treatment for heart attacks. Elsewhere, stakeholders await proposed rules on the 340B drug discount program, which may limit prices and provide guidance on civil damages for drugmakers.
Still No Plan B From White House If Supreme Court Strikes Down Obamacare Subsidies
June 5, 2015
Morning Briefing
With a decision expected in just a few days from the high court, many wonder why the Obama administration has not offered a backup plan, even as HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell warns that the number of uninsured could spike if the subsidies are struck down. Delaware joins Pennsylvania, however, in moving to save the health coverage subsidies if they are ruled out.
Next Goal For Abortion-Rights Backers: Reducing Stigma
By Julie Rovner
January 21, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Groups urge women to tell their own abortion stories to helps change the public view of abortion.
Teva To Pay $1.2B To Settle Charges That A Subsidiary Blocked Lower-Cost Generics
May 29, 2015
Morning Briefing
The Federal Trade Commission alleged Cephalon paid four competitors to delay marketing generic versions of its money-making sleeping pill, Provigil. The settlement is a victory in the federal government’s efforts against a drug industry practice known as “pay-for-delay.”
Feds Offer To Authorize $1B For Fla. Hospital Funding Tied To Medicaid Stalemate
May 22, 2015
Morning Briefing
The funding has been at the heart of the legislature’s bitter debate on Medicaid expansion. The offer is $1.6 billion lower than the state received this year, but it may provide enough that lawmakers can come to terms on a budget in a special session next month.
Hospitals Struggle To Beat Back Serious Infections
By Jordan Rau
October 22, 2014
KFF Health News Original
KHN reporter Jordan Rau spoke on NPR about data that say about 75,000 patients per year die from infections they got in the hospital. Nearly 700 hospitals around the U.S. have higher than expected infection rates.
1,700 Hospitals Win Quality Bonuses From Medicare, But Most Will Never Collect
By Jordan Rau
January 22, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Penalties for readmissions and patient injuries erase bonuses hospitals earn for meeting stiff quality criteria. Fewer than 800 will end up with higher payments.