Trump Vows (Again) To Lower Drug Prices But Skeptics Doubt Much Will Change
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Liz Szabo
May 11, 2018
KFF Health News Original
President Donald Trump’s much-awaited speech about slashing drug costs was long on rhetoric but short on specifics that will reduce prices.
Taken For A Ride: After ATV Crash, Doctor Gets $56,603 Bill For Air Ambulance Trip
By Alison Kodjak, NPR News
September 26, 2018
KFF Health News Original
After an accident in an all-terrain vehicle crushed a doctor’s left arm, he was whisked by air ambulance to the closest trauma center for specialized care. Soon he was fighting over the $56,603 bill.
How A Drug Company Under Pressure For High Prices Ratchets Up Political Activity
By Jay Hancock and Elizabeth Lucas
April 30, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Denmark-based drugmaker Novo Nordisk has invested more in lobbying and doubled political donations since 2015.
Postcard From California: Alzheimer’s ‘Looks Like Me, It Looks Like You’
By Ana B. Ibarra
January 16, 2018
KFF Health News Original
At a panel discussion this week in Sacramento, patients, caregivers and others shared their perspectives on how Alzheimer’s disease affects women, who account for two-thirds of those living with the condition.
Older Americans Are Hooked On Vitamins Despite Scarce Evidence They Work
By Liz Szabo
April 4, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Sixty-eight percent of those 65 and older take vitamin supplements. Much of what we once believed about the benefits is wrong.
Poison Ivy, A ‘Familiar Stranger’ That Could Ruin Your Summer
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
June 11, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Spotting poison ivy is tricky because it can come in several forms. And bad rashes may need to be treated by a doctor. Warning: This story might make you itch.
‘Aggressive’ New Advance Directive Would Let Dementia Patients Refuse Food
By JoNel Aleccia
March 30, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Supporters call it the strongest move yet to document a patient’s advance wishes in cases of severe dementia. Critics say it would deny basic care to society’s most vulnerable.
Trump’s Budget Proposal Swings At Drug Prices With A Glancing Blow
By Sarah Jane Tribble
February 12, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The Trump administration rolled out a list of actions to attack drug prices, but most dance around the edges.
California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
By Chad Terhune and Ana B. Ibarra
April 1, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The lawsuit is a bold move against Northern California’s dominant hospital chain, whose prices have drawn complaints for years. It has disputed such allegations in the past.
One Twin’s Difficult Birth Puts A Project Designed To Reduce C-Sections To The Test
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
November 27, 2018
KFF Health News Original
A woman had twins in a hospital south of Boston, and for doctors aiming to reduce cesarean sections, the second baby’s tricky arrival tested the limits of teamwork.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Medicaid, Privacy And Tom Price’s Return
May 3, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the latest on states’ efforts to reshape their Medicaid programs, the kerfuffle over President Donald Trump’s medical records and comments by former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about Congress’ repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” penalty. Rovner also interviews Harvard professor Robert Blendon about the complex politics of health in the coming midterm elections.
Research Roundup: ‘Public Charge’ Policy; Medicare Part B; And Romaine Lettuce Contamination
January 17, 2019
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Despite Boost In Social Security, Rising Medicare Part B Costs Leave Seniors In Bind
By Judith Graham
October 5, 2017
KFF Health News Original
With higher premiums on tap for many Medicare enrollees, here’s help figuring out the particulars of the Part B puzzle and how it affects you.
In A Puerto Rican Mountain Town, Hope Ebbs And Health Suffers
By Sarah Varney
April 19, 2018
KFF Health News Original
More than six months after Hurricane Maria, daily life in Castañer, Puerto Rico, is nowhere close to normal as residents try to deal with the effects of trauma, chronic stress and the continued lack of electricity.
Heated And Deep-Pocketed Battle Erupts Over 340B Drug Discount Program
By Sarah Jane Tribble
November 28, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Drugmakers, hospitals and lawmakers are taking sides in a showdown over a discount program that covers drug purchases at some hospitals.
Hospitales ponen en marcha mejores planes luego de enfrentar desastres
By Ana B. Ibarra
January 24, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Los hospitales se están preparando para enfrentar mejor los desastres naturales y las tragedias que han puesto a prueba su respuesta a emergencias.
Hospitals’ Best-Laid Plans Upended By Disaster
By Ana B. Ibarra
January 24, 2018
KFF Health News Original
An onslaught of fires, shootings and storms across the country last year tested hospital readiness. Now, leaders are using their experiences to address shortcomings that surfaced amid the chaos.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ The Long Wait Ends For Short-Term Plan Rules
February 22, 2018
KFF Health News Original
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News discuss the Trump administration’s proposed regulation that would allow the expansion of short-term health insurance policies that do not comply with all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The panelists also talk about federal funding (or not) of public health research around guns.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ What’s Next For The VA?
April 26, 2018
KFF Health News Original
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the collapse of the nomination of White House physician Ronny Jackson to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. They also discuss new bipartisan congressional efforts to address the opioid epidemic. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists offer their favorite health policy stories of the week.
Hospitals Score Victory As Judge Rules That Administration’s Cuts To 340B Program Overstepped Authority
January 2, 2019
Morning Briefing
The hospital groups fighting the Trump administration’s change to the 340B drug discount program said that the cuts impeded their ability to provide care for low-income patients. In his opinion, Judge Rudolph Contreras said that, while the HHS secretary does have the authority to make “adjustments” to the program, “he cannot fundamentally rework the statutory scheme.”