Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Latest Scandal Too Much For HHS Secretary Tom Price. He’s Out.
Tom Price resigned from running the Department of Health and Human Services after a series of news stories detailing how he tallied more than $400,000 in private plane travel paid for by taxpayers.
Pocos se benefician con las nuevas drogas anti colesterol por el gran gasto de bolsillo
Una nueva generación de drogas podría ayudar a millones a bajar los niveles de colesterol malo. Pero el proceso para lograr una receta y el alto costo para el paciente están limitando su uso.
Absent Federal Action, States Take The Lead On Curbing Drug Costs
Congress has yet to take substantive action on this growing consumer concern, but a number of states are flexing their cost-control muscle.
Out-Of-Pocket Costs Often Keep Pricey New Cholesterol Drugs Out Of Reach, Study Finds
Research published this week by JAMA Cardiology analyzed pharmacy claims data related to a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Why Glaring Quality Gaps Among Nursing Homes Are Likely To Grow If Medicaid Is Cut
Medicaid covers about two-thirds of nursing home residents, but it pays less than other types of insurance.
Right After Trump Blamed High Drug Prices On Campaign Cash, Drugmakers Gave More
At a political rally in March, President Donald Trump said drug prices are “outrageous” and blamed campaign contributions. Drugmakers funneled nearly $280,000 to Congress the very next day.
Congress’ Cold Shoulder Sends Shivers Through Community Health Centers
The clinics, which serve many poor people, are tightening spending in case Congress doesn’t approve new funding for them before the government’s 2018 fiscal year starts Sunday.
Need An MRI? Anthem Directs Most Outpatients To Independent Centers
The insurer says hospital-based imaging services are too expensive and the independent facilities provide high-quality care.
Sen. Collins Announces Opposition To GOP Bill To Replace Obamacare
The statement from the Maine senator came after the Congressional Budget Office said the bill would cause millions of people to become uninsured.
Everyone Says We Must Control Exorbitant Drug Prices. So, Why Don’t We?
Any momentum to address prescription drug costs has been lost amid rancorous debates over replacing Obamacare and stalled by roadblocks erected via lobbying and industry cash.
Money-Saving Offer For Medicare’s Late Enrollees Is Expiring. Can They Buy Time?
Sept. 30 marks the end of Medicare’s temporary offer to waive penalties for certain late Medicare enrollees with Affordable Care Act insurance coverage.
To Wage War On Superbugs, FDA Clears Way For Scope With A Disposable Piece
Agency says a removable cap will lower the risk of antibiotic resistant infections but some experts see it as a modest step in curbing the sort of deadly outbreaks that occurred a few years ago.
High On Drugs? Anthem Cites Soaring Drug Costs To Justify 35% Rate Hike in California
The company’s drug spending prediction, far above other insurers in the individual market, has experts scratching their heads. Anthem cites market volatility.
Abre la boca y di “ahhh”: los dentistas tratan cada vez a niños más pequeños
Asociaciones de odontólogos recomiendan que los niños pequeños vayan al dentista antes de cumplir el año, o cuando se asoma el primer diente, para evitar un futuro lleno de caries.
Open Your Mouth And Say Goo-Goo: Dentists Treating Ever-Younger Patients
A shift in dental guidelines encourages first dental visits for infants as young as 6 months, or when the first baby teeth emerge. That makes some dentists uncomfortable.
Without Price Breaks, Rural Hospitals Struggle To Stock Costly, Lifesaving Drugs
A federal drug program blocks rural hospitals from getting discounts on rare-disease drugs, forcing staff to cut back on supplies of lifesaving medicines.
Reporter’s Notebook: In Health Care, A Good Price (Or Any Price) Is Hard To Find
Not only are health prices hidden, industry players are contractually obligated to keep them secret. That’s why answering a simple question — how much does it cost to have a baby in Mountain View, Calif.? — became a journalistic quest.
FDA Moves To Guard Against Abuse Of ‘Orphan Drug’ Program
Following a KHN investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has moved to speed up approvals of “orphan drugs” while closing a loophole that allowed drugmakers to skip pediatric testing.
Cuestionan la necesidad de una vacuna contra la meningitis B para universitarios
Expertos dicen que farmacéuticas están apelando al miedo de los padres para promover dos vacunas contra le meningitis B entre estudiantes universitarios, luego de dos brotes en campus.
Guess Who Pays The Price When Hospital Giants Hire Your Private Practitioner?
Gobbling up doctors’ independent practices is lucrative for hospital systems — but not necessarily a good deal for the physicians or consumers, critics say. Northern California is a case in point.
