Latest KFF Health News Stories
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ No Vacation For Insurers
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the state of the individual health insurance markets in the wake of the failure (for now) of Congress’s efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
Senate Democrats Delay HHS Nominee Over Women’s Health Funding
Sen. Patty Murray questions Dr. Brett Giroir’s willingness to stand up for women’s health programs such as family planning services and teenage pregnancy prevention.
Florida Law Will Let Patients Get All Their Drug Renewals At The Same Time
The new law will help people with chronic conditions that require multiple prescriptions cut down on their shuttles to the drug store and could improve adherence to their drugs.
Under Trump, Hospitals Face Same Penalties Embraced By Obama
Federal records show that 2,573 hospitals around the country will have their Medicare payments reduced because they have too many patients readmitted.
Despite Insurers’ Tactical Win On ACA’s Cost-Sharing Payments, Uncertainty Lingers
Court allows state attorneys general to join a pending legal challenge to keep billions in subsidies flowing to consumers and insurers, despite the Trump administration’s resistance.
Covered California Expects 12.5% Average Rate Rise In 2018
The figure could be higher if President Trump ends an important consumer subsidy, which he has threatened to do. The exchange also announced that Anthem Blue Cross will pull out of Covered California and the overall individual market in 16 of the 19 regions it currently serves.
Denial, Appeal, Approval … An Adult’s Thorny Path To Spinraza Coverage
The FDA granted approval for Spinraza in late December for use on children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy. Insurance coverage is mostly focused on infants and children.
Drug Puts A $750,000 ‘Price Tag On Life’
The high cost of Spinraza, a new and promising treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, highlights how the cost-benefit analysis insurers use to make drug coverage decisions plays out in human terms.
Whistleblowers: United Healthcare Hid Complaints About Medicare Advantage
A Wisconsin lawsuit alleges United Healthcare downplayed abusive sales tactics to avoid losing government bonuses.
Seema Verma Runs Medicaid. Her Husband’s Practice Won’t Accept It.
Dr. Sanjay Mishra, the husband of CMS Administrator Seema Verma, is part of a group practice in Indiana that does not accept Medicaid payments.
Scope Maker Olympus Hit With $6.6 Million Verdict In Superbug Outbreak Case
In the first case of its kind in the U.S., the company was ordered to pay damages to the hospital where a patient died of an infection linked to a contaminated scope. But jurors also found the hospital negligent, and it was ordered to pay the patients’ family $1 million.
Over-The-Counter Devices Hold Their Own Against Costly Hearing Aids
In a head-to-head comparison, several of the cheaper devices performed nearly as well as the expensive hearing aids. The study lends credence to lawmakers’ efforts to get the FDA to set standards for over-the-counter versions.
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.
Follow The Money: Drugmakers Deploy Political Cash As Prices And Anger Mount
Embattled opioid seller Mallinckrodt is one of many pharmaceutical companies boosting political contributions and lobbying on Capitol Hill.
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.
Podcast: What The Health? Senate Health Bill, Mostly Dead?
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the ever-changing status of the Senate’s effort to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, and the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the working of the law.
Postcard From Capitol Hill: Lawmakers Put Women’s Health Care In Its Place
Where women prefer to go for health care becomes a proxy for the abortion debate.
Fraud And Billing Mistakes Cost Medicare — And Taxpayers — Tens Of Billions Last Year
At a hearing Wednesday, federal health officials pointed to billing errors, fraud and overcharges that led Medicare to overpay by staggering sums.
Latinos Left Out Of Clinical Trials … And Possible Cures
Fewer than 8 percent of enrollees in medical studies are Hispanic. Those who don’t participate have less access to cutting-edge treatments, and researchers have less data on how a drug works within the Hispanic population.
Latinos quedan fuera de estudios médicos… y posibles curas
Menos del 8% de los que pacientes en estudios médicos son hispanos. Esto significa que tienen menos acceso a tratamientos de avanzada, y los investigadores tienen menos información sobre cómo funciona una droga o terapia en esa población.
