Latest Morning Briefing Stories
DIY Tech Gives People More Freedom In Managing Diabetes
People with diabetes say they’ve been waiting for years for better technology to manage their chronic condition. Tired of waiting, some tech-savvy, do-it-yourselfers are constructing their own devices using open-source programming instructions.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: We Answer Your Questions
You asked about drug prices, the “Cadillac tax” on generous insurance plans and why Americans don’t know that most other countries also have combination public-private insurance systems. This week, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Caitlin Owens of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to answer those questions.
Watch: Defining The Debate On Health Care Coverage Options
Politicians are throwing around a lot of terms when they talk about their health care plans: universal care, “Medicare for All,” “Medicare Buy-In.” KHN helps explain what they are talking about.
Charity Care Spending By Hospitals Plunges
The proportion of money that California hospitals spent on free and discounted care for low-income people dropped by more than half from 2013 to 2017 — even for nonprofit hospitals. Hospitals say there’s less demand for charity care because more people now have health insurance, but consumer advocates counter that people still need help.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Gun Violence And The Politics Of Public Health
The recent tragic mass shootings have refocused efforts to treat gun violence as a public health issue rather than strictly a law enforcement problem. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the health implications of the budget deal passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, as well as reaction from Canada to a proposal to allow broader imports of its prescription drugs. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Watch: What Happened To That $500K Dialysis Bill
After journalists investigate, Fresenius, one of the largest dialysis providers in the U.S., has agreed to waive a half-million-dollar bill. Sovereign Valentine, from Plains, Mont., said it’s a “huge relief.”
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Deciphering The Democrats’ Health Debate
Health care was a major topic at the Democratic presidential candidate debates in Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the focus on plan minutiae may have left viewers more confused than edified. Alice Ollstein of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Caitlin Owens of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the points made by the candidates plus a series of Trump administration health initiatives on drug prices and hospital shopping.
Tu guía para entender las cuentas médicas
Kaiser Health News te brinda este conjunto de herramientas fáciles de usar, para ayudar a los pacientes a comprender el entretejido de la facturación médica, qué hacer si se recibe una cuenta médica sorpresa y cosas que debes tener en cuenta antes de recibir atención médica.
En Tijuana, madres migrantes esperan dos fechas límite: el parto y la corte
Más mujeres embarazadas deben vivir meses en refugios en la frontera, esperando por sus audiencias de asilo en EE.UU. Reciben poco o ninguna atención prenatal.
Migrant Moms Await Due Dates And Court Dates
A growing number of pregnant women are among the migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Many must wait in Mexico until their cases are heard, spending weeks or months in migrant shelters with limited access to health care.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Cue The Drug Price Debate
Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee unveiled their long-awaited proposal to try to rein in prescription drug costs, even as bipartisan leaders of the other Senate committee that oversees health announced it would not bring its drug price bill to the Senate floor until fall. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus court actions on health issues.
Your Go-To Guide To Decode Medical Bills
Kaiser Health News gives you a user-friendly toolkit to help patients understand some of the ins and outs of medical billing, what to do if you receive a surprise medical bill and things to keep in mind before getting medical care.
First Kidney Failure, Then A $540,842 Bill For Dialysis
He needed the lifesaving treatment — he never expected a half-million-dollar bill for 14 weeks of care.
When A Doctor’s Screen Time Detracts From Face Time With Patients
Electronic health records can help reduce medical errors, but when not used well they can strain the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Wei Wei Lee, an internist with the University of Chicago Medicine, has developed strategies to make sure tech is a tool, not a barrier.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Biden Doubles Down On Obamacare
Presidential candidate Joe Biden unveiled a health plan intended to provide a more moderate alternative to his competitors’ “Medicare for All” plans. It would build on the Affordable Care Act but would go much further. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus Planned Parenthood’s very bad week, the U.S. House vote to repeal the health law’s “Cadillac tax” on generous health plans, and the reduction in deaths from opioids.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Journalist Learns The Hard Way That CPAP Compliance Pays
Check the fine print. When you get a prescription for expensive medical equipment, you may need to follow the doctor’s orders — to the letter — to get your health insurance company to pay up.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Could The ACA Really Go Away?
Is the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional? That was the question before a federal appeals court in New Orleans this week. Two of the three judges on the panel seemed inclined to agree with a lower court that the elimination of the tax penalty for failure to maintain coverage could mean the entire health law should fall. Also this week, President Donald Trump wants to improve care for people with kidney disease. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus courts blocking efforts to require drug prices in TV ads and to kick Planned Parenthood out of the federal family planning program. Plus, Rovner interviews University of Michigan law professor Nicholas Bagley about the latest legal threat to the ACA.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: The Full Story Of Insulin And Its Cost ― No Sugarcoating It
Skipping meals. Rationing medicine to make it last. The high cost of insulin has pushed some people with diabetes to make hard choices. Hear about insulin’s backstory and the hacks that might make it affordable.
Listen: Black Pharmacists Are Helping Close A Cultural Health Care Divide
KHN Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony is interviewed on Illinois Public Media’s “The 21st” by Niala Boodhoo about how black pharmacists are helping fill a void for African American patients seeking culturally competent care.
Medi-Cal Enrollment Among Immigrant Kids Stalls, Then Falls. Is Fear To Blame?
Enrollment among undocumented immigrant children in California’s Medicaid program started strong before stagnating and then falling. Although this decline is similar to an enrollment decline among all children in Medicaid nationwide, experts believe there are different reasons behind it.
