Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Billions In ‘Questionable Payments’ Went To California’s Medicaid Insurers And Providers
The money was paid on behalf of more than 400,000 people who may have been ineligible for the public program, a state audit found. One had been dead for four years before payments stopped.
Pricey Precision Medicine Often Financially Toxic For Cancer Patients
Medical treatments targeting the DNA in tumor cells are celebrated, but insurers often won’t cover the skyrocketing cost.
Dialysis Giant DaVita Defends Itself In Court And At The Polls
Although dialysis provider DaVita Inc. has taken major financial hits this year, including a $383.5 million jury award in response to wrongful death lawsuits, it still rakes in profits. The company faces its biggest threat next month, when California voters weigh in on a ballot initiative that could force it to leave the state.
That’s A Lot Of Scratch: The $48,329 Allergy Test
A California college professor never imagined that trying to figure out what was causing her rash could add up to such a huge bill.
In California, Novel Initiatives Test Cities’ Power — And Will — To Tame Health Costs
Union-backed initiatives in Palo Alto and Livermore, Calif., aim to cap charges by hospitals and doctors, seeking to build on national furor over rising medical bills. The measures arise in health care markets that are among the most expensive in the nation.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Readers And Tweeters: Are Millennials Killing The Primary Care Doctor?
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Trump, GOP Fight Back On Health Care
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Ollstein of Politico discuss a flurry of proposals from the Trump administration on prices Medicare pays for drugs and the Affordable Care Act.
In Days Of Data Galore, Patients Have Trouble Getting Own Medical Records
Federal law guarantees that people have the right to see and obtain a copy of their medical records. But, hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and insurance companies often erect obstacles.
Médicos de atención primaria “no hacen lo suficiente” para frenar infecciones sexuales
Los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) han establecido pautas para la evaluación anual de las personas sexualmente activas. Pero no siempre se siguen.
Primary Care Doctors ‘Not Doing Enough’ To Curb STDs
As rates of sexually transmitted diseases surge, public health officials want physicians to step up screening and treatment of patients.
Politicians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
Candidates are charging toward midterm elections on a platform of single-payer and universal coverage rhetoric. Yet “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer mean different things to different people.
Planes privados de Medicaid reciben millones, pero… ¿quién supervisa el negocio?
Las aseguradoras contratistas de Medicaid, que ofrecen servicios llamados de atención administrada, están en el banquillo: expertos cuestionan los servicios que ofrecen.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
As Billions In Tax Dollars Flow To Private Medicaid Plans, Who’s Minding The Store?
Insurance companies profit from government contracts but are subject to little oversight of how they spend the money or care for patients. The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has only exacerbated the problem.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Republicans’ Preexisting Political Problem
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss how protections for people with preexisting conditions have become a top issue in the elections, Trump administration efforts to make prescription drug prices more public and the start of Medicare’s annual open-enrollment period. Plus, Rovner interviews California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
Influential Leapfrog Group Jumps In To Rate 5,600 Surgery Centers
In the wake of a KHN/USA Today Network investigation, Leapfrog will check the safety and quality of outpatient centers.
Drugmakers Funnel Millions To Lawmakers; A Few Dozen Get $100,000-Plus
Drugmakers’ contributions to lawmakers have peaked as surging drug prices emerge as a hot-button political issue. In the past decade, Congress has received nearly $79 million from 68 pharma PACs, run by employees of companies that make drugs treating everything from cancer to erectile dysfunction.
TV Ads Must Trumpet Drug Prices, Trump Administration Says. Pharma Tries A Plan B.
Drug pricing is a top issue in the run-up to the midterm elections.
Medicare Advantage Riding High As New Insurers Flock To Sell To Seniors
The private health plans that are an alternative to government-run Medicare continue to grow despite the Affordable Care Act’s cuts of billions of dollars in funding.
