Latest KFF Health News Stories
After A Rural Hospital Closes, Delays In Emergency Care Cost Patients Dearly
The loss of the longtime hospital in Fort Scott, Kan., forces trauma patients to deal with changing services and expectations.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: We Answer Your Questions
You asked about drug prices, the “Cadillac tax” on generous insurance plans and why Americans don’t know that most other countries also have combination public-private insurance systems. This week, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Caitlin Owens of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to answer those questions.
Trump Administration Hits Brakes On Law To Curb Unneeded Medicare CT Scans, MRIs
Critics worry the delays come at a steep cost: Medicare paying for millions of unnecessary exams and patients subject to radiation for no medical benefit.
As States Strive To Stabilize Insurance Marketplaces, Insurers Return
States increasingly expect to see insurers enter or re-enter ACA marketplaces next year. That’s a critical sign that these exchanges are growing less risky for insurers despite ongoing political and legal battles over the ACA.
Dramático aumento de la hepatitis A en todo el país
A la sombra de la epidemia de opioides, el virus de la hepatitis A se está abriendo camino en la población general. Más de la mitad de los estados han tenido, o tienen brotes. Y los fondos para frenarlos son insuficientes.
Hepatitis A Races Across The Country
In the wake of the opioid crisis, the highly communicable hepatitis A virus is spreading in more than half the states and making its way into the general public. Underfunded health officials are valiantly trying to fight it with vaccines.
Para ahorrar dinero, pacientes y cirujanos se encuentran en Cancún
El turismo médico no es un fenómeno nuevo. Pero sí lo son las compañías que contratan médicos estadounidenses para que viajen al exterior a operar a pacientes de los Estados Unidos.
Class-Action Lawsuit Seeks To Let Medicare Patients Appeal Gap in Nursing Home Coverage
Medicare beneficiaries under observation care in the hospital can face higher costs for treatment and are not covered for nursing home care when discharged. A federal trial in Hartford, Conn., will determine whether the government’s ban on appeals involving observation care coverage is fair.
To Save Money, American Patients And Surgeons Meet In Cancun
The patient is from Mississippi. The surgeon is from Wisconsin. They meet in a Mexican resort for knee replacement surgery. Because the care costs so much less than in the U.S, the patient’s health plan pays her $5,000.
Unir atención física y mental podría ayudar a Medicaid a salvar vidas y ahorrar dinero
Algo que resulta obvio no se ha estado haciendo en el sistema de atención de salud del país: coordinar tratamientos físicos y mentales, para lograr una mejor evolución de los pacientes.
Where Tourism Brings Pricey Health Care, Locals Fight Back
Residents in Colorado ski resort country found relief from high insurance premiums and high hospital costs by joining forces and negotiating prices directly with the local hospital.
Coordinating Care Of Mind And Body Might Help Medicaid Save Money And Lives
Tennessee’s innovative Medicaid program is offering bonuses to mental health providers who help make sure their Medicaid patients get preventive help and treatment for physical ailments, too.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Gun Violence And The Politics Of Public Health
The recent tragic mass shootings have refocused efforts to treat gun violence as a public health issue rather than strictly a law enforcement problem. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the health implications of the budget deal passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, as well as reaction from Canada to a proposal to allow broader imports of its prescription drugs. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Recomendación sobre la vacuna contra el VPH para adultos puede generar confusión
El virus del papiloma humano es la infección de transmisión sexual más común en los Estados Unidos; casi todas las personas sexualmente activas lo contraerán en algún momento.
Price Of Snakebite Drug Is Sky High, But New Competitor Unlikely To Lower Costs
The drug CroFab, which has been on the market since 2000, now faces competition from a drug called Anavip. But both are expensive.
Federal Experts’ Advice On HPV Vaccine Could Leave Adults Confused
A federal advisory panel says people between ages 27 and 45 may benefit from the vaccine to fight the human papillomavirus. But some public health advocates worry that the advice doesn’t provide doctors and patients clear guidance about who in this large age group are good candidates for the vaccine.
Doctors Argue Plans To Remedy Surprise Medical Bills Will ‘Shred’ The Safety Net
A case of questionable logic.
Watch: What Happened To That $500K Dialysis Bill
After journalists investigate, Fresenius, one of the largest dialysis providers in the U.S., has agreed to waive a half-million-dollar bill. Sovereign Valentine, from Plains, Mont., said it’s a “huge relief.”
The Differences Between ‘Medicare For All’ And A Public Option
KHN’s Julie Rovner appears on CSPAN’s Washington Journal Tuesday and compares two key health programs being touted by Democratic presidential candidates: “Medicare for All” and an optional government health plan, often called a public option.
Drugmakers Master Rolling Out Their Own Generics To Stifle Competition
Known as “authorized generics,” in-house spinoffs of brand-name drugs quietly undermine the competition.
