Latest Morning Briefing Stories
In Stark Contrast To ACA Plans, Premiums For Job-Based Coverage Show Modest Rise
Employers report the sixth consecutive year of small increases, but workers at small firms feel the biggest pinch, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
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.
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.
Meningitis B Vaccine’s High Price Poses A Health Care Conundrum For College-Bound
This immunization may mark a shift among some vaccine makers to higher-priced, “niche” preventives that protect against very specific and sometimes rare illnesses.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Hurricane Harvey And Health Costs
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the potential health impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Texas Gulf Coast, and what impact the relief effort in Washington could have on an already jampacked September agenda. Also this week: an interview with Elisabeth Rosenthal about why medical care costs so much.
Facebook Live: The Prescription Drug Pricing Pipeline
In this Facebook Live, KHN’s Julie Appleby talks with Stephanie Stapleton and answers readers’ questions about the prescription drug pricing pipeline and the industry stakeholders who have a role in what you pay.
Too Few Patients Follow The Adage: You Better Shop Around
Three-quarters of participants in a newly released study said they did not know of resources for comparing health care costs, while half said that if a website were available to provide such information, they would use it.
Pacientes posponen tratamientos críticos por culpa de los deducibles altos
La evidencia está mostrando que los deducibles altos han obligado a la gente a retrasar atención que podría prevenir emergencias de salud más tarde, o mejorar su calidad de vida.
When High Deductibles Hurt: Even Insured Patients Postpone Care
The number of Americans with high-deductible health plans is growing, along with the fear that even insured people won’t get the care they need because it’s too costly.
Medicaid Proves A Lifeline For Clients Of Crisis Pregnancy Centers
For pregnant women in the United States, Medicaid is less a safety net than a building block of the maternity care system.
Price Transparency In Medicine Faces Stiff Opposition — From Hospitals And Doctors
A coalition of health care providers are blocking Ohio’s law requiring health care providers to tell what non-emergency services will cost them.
In Appalachia, Two Hospital Giants Seek State-Sanctioned Monopoly
Tennessee and Virginia regulators are considering approval of a merger between Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System under their state laws. If they allow it, the Federal Trade Commission would be powerless to stop it.
Congress Squares Off Over Drug Pricing And A Controversial Drug Discount Program
The controversial 340B drug discount program for hospitals came under fire at a congressional hearing.
Health Insurers Try Paying More Upfront To Pay Less Later
Some health plans are beginning to offer free maintenance care for people with chronic health problems, hoping that spending a little more early on will save a lot of money in the long run.
Whichever Way ‘Repeal And Replace’ Blows, Pharma Is Due For Windfall
A little-noticed provision in President Donald Trump’s executive order on drug prices may offer a clue to why Big Pharma hasn’t opposed a bill that could bleed their balance sheets of millions of patients.
House Seeks To Cap Malpractice Awards As Part Of Health Care Update
The bill would limit non-economic damages to $250,000, but it faces opposition from across the political spectrum.
Seesawing Family Income Threatens Kids’ Medicaid Coverage In Texas
Critics point to the state’s aggressive eligibility checks as an example of what can go wrong when states have flexibility and add a reason to worry about GOP efforts to overhaul the program.
As Insurance Options Shrink, Families Are ‘Holding Our Breath’
One of two insurers in this tiny state has announced it will not be back in the marketplaces next year, leaving customers concerned about the prices they will pay.
Cuts In Federal Housing Help Would Hurt People’s Health, Research Suggests
A study in Health Affairs shows that people who receive federal housing vouchers and other forms of public housing assistance are more likely to have health insurance and get regular medical care.
GOP’s Health Bill Could Undercut Some Coverage In Job-Based Insurance
In states that take up the bill’s option to change the essential health benefits, the out-of-pocket spending limits and annual and lifetime caps on coverage in large group plans could fray.
