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Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Los hospitales derivan pacientes de atención primaria a centros de salud “semejantes” para mejorar las finanzas

KFF Health News Original

Pero, a diferencia de los centros de salud comunitarios, los semejantes no reciben una subvención federal anual para cubrir los costos operativos. Tampoco obtienen la cobertura económica del gobierno federal para casos de negligencia médica.

Organ Transplants Are Up, but the Agency in Charge Is Under Fire

KFF Health News Original

A two-year congressional investigation has identified troubling lapses in the nation’s organ transplant system. Blood types mismatched, diseased organs transplanted anyway, and — most often — organs lost or damaged before they can save a life.

No, the Senate-Passed Reconciliation Bill Won’t Strip $300 Billion From Medicare

KFF Health News Original

Under the Medicare drug negotiations provisions in the reconciliation bill, the federal government would see its outlays reduced by about $300 billion. That reduction wouldn’t result from cuts in benefits. Instead, Medicare would be empowered to leverage its market power to pay lower prices for certain drugs.

La crisis de deuda que los estadounidenses enfermos no pueden evitar

KFF Health News Original

Poca atención pública se ha centrado en lo que es, al menos estadísticamente, una crisis de deuda más grande: se estima que 100 millones de personas, o el 41% de todos los adultos del país, tienen deudas de atención médica, en comparación con 42 millones con deuda estudiantil.

The Debt Crisis That Sick Americans Can’t Avoid

KFF Health News Original

The federal government is stepping in to assist student loan borrowers. But little public attention has been focused on what is — statistically, at least — a bigger, broader debt crisis in our country: An estimated 100 million people in the U.S., or 41% of all adults, are saddled with pernicious health care debt.

Watch: Explaining the Nitty-Gritty of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations — And Patients’ Potential Savings

KFF Health News Original

KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discusses the Senate Democrats’ plans to let Medicare negotiate some drug prices, cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, and fund enhanced subsides for ACA marketplace health plans.

Nursing Homes Are Suing the Friends and Family of Residents to Collect Debts

KFF Health News Original

Debt lawsuits — long a byproduct of America’s medical debt crisis — can ensnare not only patients but also those who help sick and older people be admitted to nursing homes, a KHN-NPR investigation finds.

‘True Cost of Aging’ Index Shows Many Seniors Can’t Afford Basic Necessities

KFF Health News Original

The Elder Index, developed by researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, shows that nearly 5 million older women living alone, 2 million older men living alone, and more than 2 million older couples have incomes that make them economically insecure.

‘So Rudderless’: A Couple’s Quest for Autism Treatment for Their Son Hits Repeated Obstacles

KFF Health News Original

Amparo and Victor Rios began searching for answers about their son’s development when he didn’t hit some milestones after turning 2. Three years later, they are still trying to get their insurance to pay for expensive therapy to help him.

Parents Become Drug Developers to Save Their Children’s Lives

KFF Health News Original

Families affected by ultra-rare diseases are starting their own companies to speed the development of treatments for their kids, venturing into territory that traditional drugmakers deem too risky.

Biden’s FTC Has Blocked 4 Hospital Mergers and Is Poised to Thwart More Consolidation Attempts

KFF Health News Original

The president has directed the Federal Trade Commission to carefully consider health industry mergers that may stymie competition and drive up prices. The new Democratic majority appears eager to look beyond traditional hospital consolidations to deals that involve products, services, or staffing.

Patients With Epilepsy Navigate Murky Unregulated CBD Industry

KFF Health News Original

The FDA has approved a cannabis-derived drug, Epidiolex, to treat some forms of epilepsy. Now people who have other forms of the condition are using over-the-counter CBD products in hopes of taming their seizures. But doctors and patients worry about the unregulated world of CBD, in which product ingredients can be a mystery.