Health Care Costs

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ ‘Conscience’ Rules, Rx Prices and Still More Medicare

KFF Health News Original

Joanne Kenen of Politico, Jen Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the latest news about the Trump administration’s effort to allow health care practitioners and organizations to refuse to provide care or refer patients for services that violate their conscience or religion. Also this week, the administration orders TV ads for prescription drugs to include list prices. And Tennessee wants free rein from the federal government to run its Medicaid program. Plus, Rovner interviews Joan Biskupic, author of a new book on Chief Justice John Roberts, about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the 2012 ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.

A Plan To Cover Immigrants Would Divert Public Health Dollars

KFF Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to provide health coverage to unauthorized immigrants ages 19 to 25 would siphon money that four counties currently use for public health efforts such as battling contagious diseases.

The Long And Winding Road To Mental Health Care For Your Kid

KFF Health News Original

A growing mental health crisis among children is exacerbated by a national shortage of child psychiatrists and therapists. It’s either difficult to get, or to afford, an appointment for your child. Here’s some advice that might help.

A Big Hearing For ‘Medicare-For-All’ — In A Small Room

KFF Health News Original

In an unusual move, the House Rules Committee, instead of one of the panels that typically oversee health policy, held the first House hearing in a decade about converting the U.S. to a government-financed health care system.

Is Insulin’s High Cost Keeping Diabetes Patients From Taking Their Medicine?

KFF Health News Original

An estimated 1.25 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes and cannot live without insulin. Sen. Kamala Harris’ claim that 1 in 4 diabetes patients cannot afford their insulin is a shockingly high number, so we decided to dig into the sparse data.

Newsom: California Leads On Prescription Drugs

KFF Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims that his state is “leading the nation in holding drug companies accountable and fighting prescription drug prices.” Is that really the case?