Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Cities, Counties and Schools Sidestep FDA Canadian Drug Crackdown, Saving Millions
Medicines are up to 80 percent cheaper north of the border and overseas, so U.S. localities are greasing a pharmaceutical pipeline that the feds warn is illegal and possibly unsafe.
Your Plumber Offers A Money-Back Guarantee. Should Your Doctor?
Even though consumers don’t expect to pay for faulty service or goods, they are often forced to pay for bad health care. But a small number of hospitals and doctors are seeking to change that practice.
Patients With Rare Diseases And Congress Square Off Over Orphan Drug Tax Credits
The House and Senate want to reduce or eliminate federal tax credits for “orphan drugs” used to treat rare diseases, but patients are fighting against the plan.
The Ratcheting Price Of The Pneumococcal Vaccine: What Gives?
The price for Pfizer’s Prevnar 13 has increased 5 to 6 percent each year since its 2010 approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
Heated And Deep-Pocketed Battle Erupts Over 340B Drug Discount Program
Drugmakers, hospitals and lawmakers are taking sides in a showdown over a discount program that covers drug purchases at some hospitals.
Parents Are Not Liable For Medical Debts Of Adult Children On Shared Insurance
Even though the federal health law allows young adults to stay on their parents’ plan, those children are generally responsible for their own debts.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Meanwhile, In Other Health News…
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Sarah Jane Tribble of Kaiser Health News discuss some of the under-covered health stories of the past several weeks, including drug price issues, the opioid epidemic and women’s reproductive health.
FDA Raids Florida Stores That Consumers Use To Buy Drugs From Canada
The federal agents warned store owners that importing drugs from foreign countries is illegal and that those helping “administer” such medicines could face penalties.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Tax Bill Or Health Bill?
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the inclusion of health policies into the current tax cut debate, including a possible repeal of the fines for people who fail to maintain health insurance.
Study Gives Mixed Reviews On Laws To Equalize Cancer Patients’ Out-Of-Pocket Costs
Most states have laws that require that cancer patients who get their treatment orally rather than by infusion in a doctor’s office not pay more out-of-pocket. A new study finds that the impact of those laws is mixed.
Ohio’s Drug-Pricing Ballot Question Triggers Voter Confusion
Millions of dollars in campaign spending and a media blitz of advertisements muddy public understanding of Issue 2, the Drug Price Relief Act.
Health Companies Race To Catch UnitedHealth As Amazon Laces Up
UnitedHealth, a health industry goliath, has its hand in doctors’ offices, surgery centers, technology services and prescription drugs. It is the industry model, and CVS and Aetna, says one expert, are ‘wannabes.’
House Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
About 9 million people claimed about $87 billion in medical deductions in 2015.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ How Confused Are We?
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the start of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, legislative efforts on Capitol Hill on taxes and children’s health insurance, and recommendations of the president’s opioid commission.
Trump Acting Solo: What You Need To Know About Changes To The Health Law
A quick guide to revisions to the cost-sharing subsidies for lower-income marketplace customers and the proposal to add different plans to the market.
While Trump Moves To Dismantle Health Law, Public Favors Repair
Nearly three-quarters of Americans would like to see the administration focus on efforts on making the Affordable Care Act work, rather than trying to make it fail.
Overlooked By ACA: Many People Paying Full Price For Insurance ‘Getting Slammed’
For several million consumers who buy their own insurance but earn too much to qualify for subsidies, the ever-growing price of premiums takes a big toll.
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.
¿Medicaid cubre todo eso? Cómo es el programa de salud más grande del país
El programa federal de salud gerenciado por los estados cubre al 39% de los niños y paga por casi la mitad de los nacimientos. Pero su aporte va mucho más allá: también ayuda a personas con discapacidades, a programas especiales en escuelas y a pacientes con VIH, entre otros.
Medicaid Covers All That? It’s The Backstop Of America’s Ailing Health System
Those relying on the federal government’s safety net are grandmothers, the kid next door, your supermarket cashier — maybe even you.
