Latest KFF Health News Stories
Tossing Unused Surgical Supplies Wastes Millions Of Dollars, Study Finds
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco estimate that hospitals could lose nearly $1,000 per surgery by throwing away opened but unused supplies, such as gloves and sponges.
Consumer Group Questions Role of Drug Costs In California Premium Hikes
Consumers Union says Anthem Inc. and Blue Shield of California may be exploiting furor over prescription drug prices. State regulators are looking into the issue.
Behind The EpiPen Monopoly: Lobbying Muscle, Flailing Competition, Tragic Deaths
A closer look shows that industry lobbying was just one factor in EpiPen’s sales explosion.
Study Says Concerns About Orphan Drug Spending Are Unjustified
A study in Health Affairs concludes that orphan drugs for rare diseases are not having a widespread or deep impact on health care spending.
EpiPen Controversy Fuels Concerns Over Generic Drug Approval Backlog
Four years after a huge push to speed generics to market, the FDA has more than 4,000 generics waiting for approval.
Taxpayers Foot 70 Percent Of California’s Health Care Tab, Study Finds
The public spending on health care outpaces the nation.
Cardiac Rehab Improves Health, But Cost And Access Issues Complicate Success
Research shows exercise-based cardiac rehab programs help heart patients heal faster and live longer. But fewer than a third take part. Time and cost are the main barriers, doctors and patients say.
FAQ: Hospital Observation Care Can Be Costly For Medicare Patients
A guide to help Medicare patients receiving observation care.
Teaching Medical Teamwork Right From The Start
In a joint project, the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University are banking on a new building to kick start efforts to bring health professionals together by introducing collaboration into medical training.
Report For State Insurance Commissioners Offers Options To Improve Drug Access
The report describes steps that states could take to address a number of drug-coverage issues in the commercial insurance market.
Hidden Stroke Victims: The Young
The number of hospitalizations for stroke is rising quickly among young people, even as it drops across the U.S. population as a whole.
Government-Protected ‘Monopolies’ Drive Drug Prices Higher, Study Says
Researchers at Harvard University examined thousands of studies to determine why drug prices have climbed and what might be done about it.
CMS Identifies Hospitals Paid Nearly $1.5B In 2015 Medicare Billing Settlement
A year after settling billing disputes with 2,022 hospitals for 68 cents on the dollar, the government has revealed who got paid and how much.
Preventive Care, Specialists Key To Controlling Kidney Failure Treatment Costs
These findings in JAMA Internal Medicine also note the importance of coordinating care and, some experts say, could provide a model for other diseases.
Doctors, Hospitals Prepare For Difficult Talks Surrounding Medical Mistakes
MedStar Health is among the hospital systems nationwide that are setting up support systems to help doctors talk openly to patients and their families when treatments go awry.
California Lawmaker Pulls Plug On Drug Price Transparency Bill
The legislation would have required drug companies to notify the state and insurers about expensive new treatments or price hikes.
Genetic Insights About Health Risks Limited By Lack Of Diversity, Study Finds
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine detailed how the diagnoses of risk for a common hereditary heart disease may have been skewed because studies have traditionally had low numbers of black participants.
People With Obamacare Plans Filled More Prescriptions, But Had Lower Costs
A study explores how coverage gains resulting from the federal health law may have changed people’s health care habits and spending.
Should Big Insurance Become Like Walmart To Lower Health Costs?
Evidence shows dominant insurers hold down hospital prices. Big insurers seeking to get bigger want to take that idea to the extreme.
Big Companies Expect Moderate Increases In 2017 Employee Health Care Costs
Two surveys suggest these companies continue to try new ways to control the expense of employees’ coverage.
