Latest KFF Health News Stories
Molina Healthcare, A Top Obamacare Insurer, Investigates Breach Of Patients’ Data
“It’s unconscionable that such a basic, security 101 flaw could still exist at a major health care provider,” says one cybersecurity expert.
A Busy Week For Health: Budget Cuts, CBO Scores And Mitch McConnell’s Cryptic Signal
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Julie Rovner discuss some of the developments that shook up health news this week.
Influx Of Elderly Patients Forces ER To Practice Comfort Care
Despite a culture clash and lack of time and training, ER doctors see how palliative care averts suffering for elderly patients with serious illnesses.
Putting A Lid On Waste: Needless Medical Tests Not Only Cost $200B — They Can Do Harm
The health care industry thrives on ordering up tests and treatments, but some hospitals are urging restraint.
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.
New York State Wants Its Prescription Drug Money Back — Or Else
A new law gives Medicaid regulators power to threaten drugmakers with cost-effectiveness scrutiny unless they grant additional rebates.
California Bill Addresses Safety Concerns At Dialysis Clinics
Legislation would require minimum staffing levels, longer intervals between patients and more frequent state inspections.
UnitedHealth Doctored Medicare Records, Overbilled U.S. By $1 Billion, Feds Claim
The company, which is the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage operator, denies wrongdoing and argues that the Justice Department “fundamentally misunderstands” how Medicare Advantage works.
Populares antiácidos, ¿podrían causar daño a los riñones?
Una nueva investigación ha vinculado a los PPI, con graves efectos secundarios, incluyendo enfermedad renal crónica, y demandas presentadas recientemente alegan que los que producen la droga deberían haber sabido sobre sus daños potenciales.
Do Best-Selling Drugs That Calm Stomachs Damage Kidneys? The Answer’s Unclear.
With flawed systems for tracking the side effects of prescription drugs, a link between proton pump inhibitors and kidney disease suggested by research cannot be proven. Patients who swear by the drugs hope it won’t be.
Report: Congressional Ethics Office Probing Rep. Chris Collins’ Aussie Investment
The Buffalo News reports the Buffalo, N.Y.-area Republican has drawn inquiries from the Office of Congressional Ethics related to his investment in Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics.
Quiz: Help Us Take The Pulse Of Our Readers
Even the most exalted among us realize health care policy is complicated. Here’s a pop quiz to see what you have learned as a regular reader of Kaiser Health News.
Overwrought Marketing? Ads, Not Research, Create Some Pharma Best-Sellers
A look at how and why strategic, star-studded advertising brought a drug for a little-known neurological condition into your home.
Houston Hospital Checking To See If Patients’ Cupboards Are Bare
Starting in fall 2015, Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System began to examine the food struggles among patients at four medical sites and found that 11 percent to 30 percent said they had run out of food in the prior month or thought that they would.
Grassley, Chaffetz Send Fiery Response To HHS Memo They Say Chills Whistleblowing
The two Republican lawmakers sent a letter to HHS Secretary Tom Price warning him that whistleblowers in HHS could be intimidated into silence by a department memo instructing employees to get clearance before talking with members of Congress and their staffs.
Nearly 1 In 3 Recent FDA Drug Approvals Followed By Major Safety Actions
More than 70 drugs approved from 2001 through 2010 ran into safety concerns later that resulted in withdrawals from the market, “black box” warnings or other actions.
Should Health Care Trainees Be Treated As Paid Employees?
A bill pending in California’s Legislature, sponsored by an influential health care union, would require hospitals and clinics to pay minimum wage to student trainees.
Political Theater: How A Bill That Nearly All Opposed Managed To Pass The House
House Republicans can say they kept their campaign promise to replace Obamacare, but they’re counting on the Senate to backstop them.
Blue Shield CEO Says GOP’s ‘Flawed’ Health Bill Would Harm Sicker Consumers
CEO Paul Markovich said he opposes the Republican plan because it would allow insurers to once again discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. “We are better than that,” he said.
Urgent Care Sites Cater To Cancer Patients, Letting Them Check Some Worries At Door
Hospitals and oncology practices are setting up urgent care services aimed specifically at cancer patients to help keep them out of the hospital.
