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At a Tennessee Crossroads, Two Pharmacies, a Monkey, and Millions of Pills

By Brett Kelman March 29, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Prosecutors say opioid-seeking patients drove hours to get their prescriptions filled in Celina, Tennessee, where pharmacies ignored signs of substance misuse and paid cash — or “monkey bucks” — to keep customers coming back.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Un-Trumping the ACA

July 1, 2021 KFF Health News Original

The Biden administration is moving to undo many of the changes the Trump administration made to the enrollment process for the Affordable Care Act to encourage more people to sign up for health insurance. Meanwhile, Congress is opening investigations into the controversial approval by the Food and Drug Administration of an expensive drug that might (or might not) slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of Insider and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, Rovner interviews Marshall Allen of ProPublica about his new book, “Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win.”

Women Say California Insurer Makes It Too Hard to Get Drug for Postpartum Depression

By April Dembosky, KQED July 28, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Brexanolone is a promising new treatment for postpartum depression. But one insurer’s requirement that women try four other drugs and electroconvulsive therapy before the infusion means it is out-of-reach for millions of women.

Vaccine-or-Test Requirements Increase Work and Costs for Governments

By Amanda Michelle Gomez and Phil Galewitz November 19, 2021 KFF Health News Original

But state and local officials embrace the requirement because it creates a safer workplace while allowing employees to continue working.

‘Down to My Last Diaper’: The Anxiety of Parenting in Poverty

By Jenny Gold October 22, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Diapers are a baby essential, but no federal program helps families cover their considerable cost. Jennifer Randles, a professor of sociology at Fresno State in California, spoke with KHN about her novel research exploring the outsize role “diaper math” plays in the lives of low-income moms.

Georgia Eyes New Medicaid Contract. But How Is the State Managing Managed Care?

By Rebecca Grapevine and Andy Miller September 13, 2021 KFF Health News Original

More than 40 states have turned to managed-care companies to control costs in their Medicaid programs, which cover low-income residents and people with disabilities. As Georgia prepares to open bidding on a new contract, the question looms: Has this model paid off?

Newsom Wants to Spend Millions on the Health of Low-Income Mothers and Their Babies

By Anna Almendrala June 3, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Democratic legislators back measures that would end the “pink tax” on diapers and menstrual products, provide mental health support, and pilot a guaranteed-income program.

‘Are You Going to Keep Me Safe?’ Hospital Workers Sound Alarm on Rising Violence

By Bram Sable-Smith and Andy Miller October 11, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Health care workers already bore the brunt of workplace violence in the U.S. Now, tensions from an exhausting pandemic are spilling over into hospitals.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Democrats Roll Dice On SCOTUS And The ACA

January 9, 2020 KFF Health News Original

A group of Democratic state attorneys general are betting the Supreme Court will take up the case and overturn a federal appeals court ruling in time for the 2020 elections. In other high-court news, most Republicans in Congress are asking the justices to use a Louisiana law to overturn the landmark abortion-rights ruling, Roe v. Wade. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Rovner also interviews NPR’s Richard Harris, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature.

Biden Pledges Better Nursing Home Care, but He Likely Won’t Fast-Track It

By Rachana Pradhan and Harris Meyer March 3, 2022 KFF Health News Original

CMS chief Chiquita Brooks-LaSure says the agency reserves its power to quickly institute new regulations for “absolute emergencies.” On staffing, nursing home residents might need to wait years to see any real change.

Seeking to Shift Costs to Medicare, More Employers Move Retirees to Advantage Plans

By Susan Jaffe March 3, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Private and public employers are increasingly using the government’s Medicare Advantage program as an alternative to their existing retiree health plan and traditional Medicare coverage. As a result, the federal government is paying the “overwhelming majority” of medical costs, according to an industry analyst.

Essential Worker Shoulders $1,840 Pandemic Debt Due To COVID Cost Loophole

By Sarah Varney June 30, 2020 KFF Health News Original

Carmen Quintero had symptoms of COVID-19, couldn’t get tested and ended up with a huge bill. She also was told to self-isolate and assume she had the coronavirus — which is hard when you live with elders.

California Lawmakers Push Feds to Allow a Therapy That Pays Meth Users to Abstain

By Mark Kreidler July 2, 2021 KFF Health News Original

The approach, known as contingency management, has helped thousands of veterans kick the methedrine habit, but a federal government ruling has limited its use. California hopes to challenge that and make the treatment a Medi-Cal benefit.

Hospital ‘Trauma Centers’ Charge Enormous Fees to Treat Minor Injuries and Send People Home

By Jay Hancock July 16, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Only severely injured patients are supposed to be billed for “trauma team alert” fees that can exceed $50,000.

Medicare Plans’ ‘Free’ Dental, Vision, Hearing Benefits Come at a Cost

By Phil Galewitz October 27, 2021 KFF Health News Original

The ads for supplemental Medicare Advantage plans describe vision and dental benefits, even grocery discounts and food deliveries. But look at the fine print.

$11M for North Carolina Work-Based Rehab Raises Concerns

By Aneri Pattani and Taylor Knopf, NC Health News April 6, 2022 KFF Health News Original

As overdoses surge and opioid settlement dollars flow, funding to North Carolina rehab foreshadows national discussion about the best approaches to treatment.

Local Pharmacists Fill Rx Void as Big Brands Pull Out of Rural Areas

By Markian Hawryluk December 20, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Stores like Walmart and Shopko opened pharmacies in small towns, either buying out the local pharmacy or driving it out of business. What happens when those chains later withdraw, leaving communities with no pharmacy?

An Ad’s Charge That Price Haggling Would ‘Swipe $500 Billion From Medicare’ Is Incorrect

By Victoria Knight September 28, 2021 KFF Health News Original

The ad, advanced by a right-leaning seniors advocacy organization, mischaracterizes proposals to bargain on drug prices, regarding both the effects on the Medicare program and on beneficiaries.

Covered California Says Health Insurance Just Got Too Cheap to Ignore

By Bernard J. Wolfson May 4, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Californians who passed up health coverage in the past may be pleasantly surprised by the lower prices available thanks to the new federal relief act.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: We Spend HOW MUCH On Health Care?

December 5, 2019 KFF Health News Original

The annual accounting of national health spending is out. And the 2018 health bill for the U.S. was $3.6 trillion, consuming nearly a fifth of the nation’s economy. Meanwhile, Congress is nearing the end of the year without having finished either its annual spending bills or several other high-priority health items. Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Markian Hawryluk about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month.”

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