Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Republicans Standing Behind Price
KHN’s Julie Rovner is interviewed on WBUR’s “Here and Now” about the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on the nomination of Rep. Tom Price to head HHS, as well as President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on the health law.
Sleeping Like A Baby Is A $325 Million Industry
Newborn sleep is a valuable commodity.
KHN Video: Orphan Drugs Creating Gold Rush For Pharmaceutical Firms
The designation, which is made by the Food and Drug Administration, allows drugmakers to claim seven years of market exclusivity.
Sky-High Prices For Orphan Drugs Slam American Families And Insurers
Orphan drugs for rare diseases have helped or saved hundreds of thousands of patients like 2-year-old Luke Whitbeck, but families and insurers are picking up the astronomical cost.
Una investigación de Kaiser Health News analiza las acciones de compañias farmacéuticas para manipular los precios de medicamentos huérfanos, utilizados para tratar enfermedades raras.
Drugmakers Manipulate Orphan Drug Rules To Create Prized Monopolies
Drugmakers have brought almost 450 orphan drugs to market and collected rich incentives but nearly a third of those products aren’t new or were repurposed multiple times, an investigation shows.
Follow the twists and turns of the orphan drug industry over the past three decades.
Video: Former U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman Shares Deep Concerns About Orphan Drugs
The former Congressman championed the Orphan Drug Act decades ago but now he fears it’s being manipulated to make money.
Video Highlights: Trump Vows Replacement Will Pass At Same Time As Health Repeal
President-elect Donald Trump says his administration will offer its plan to overhaul the federal health law once Rep. Tom Price is confirmed as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
A Peer Recovery Coach Walks The Frontlines Of The Opioid Epidemic
Charlie Oen was addicted to heroin as a teenager. At 25, he’s now clean and a peer counselor in Lima, Ohio, where he tries to help people who started using drugs before he was born.
769 Hospitals Penalized For Patient Safety In 2017: Data Table
The federal government has cut payments to hospitals with high rates of patient injuries this year. Those hospitals will lose 1 percent of Medicare payments over the federal fiscal year, which runs from October 2016 through next September. Maryland hospitals are exempted from penalties because that state has a separate payment arrangement with Medicare. Below […]
Hospital Surprise: Medicare’s Observation Care
You’re in a hospital and think you’re admitted. Maybe not. Many Medicare beneficiaries are surprised to learn that even after spending a couple of days, they are receiving observation care, which Medicare considers an outpatient service, so the seniors’ costs can be more than expected.
Sounds Like A Good Idea? Regulating Drug Prices
Presidential candidates from both parties have proposals they say would help lower the cost of prescription drugs. But most experts say that efforts to regulate prices might not end up saving much money.
Sounds Like A Good Idea? Selling Insurance Across State Lines
Republicans have long touted a proposal to allow insurers to sell across state lines as a way to help keep coverage costs down. But there are some significant obstacles to making such a system work, as this video points out.
Health Care’s Hard Realities On The Reservation: A Photo Essay
For American Indians on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota, getting health care can be a weeks-long proposition, and it has some moving away from their homes and families seeking better access.
Coping with Autism and Puberty
A family struggles with what to do when an autistic adolescent becomes aggressive.
This model of care is one of the ways created by the Affordable Care Act to reduce health care costs while improving quality of care. You can also watch the accompanying video that explains ACOs.
Why Did The Supreme Court Uphold The Health Law’s Subsidies?
The Supreme Court Thursday upheld a key part of the 2010 health law – tax subsidies for people who buy health insurance on marketplaces run by the federal government. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey discusses the decision with Stuart Taylor Jr., of the Brookings Institution, and KHN’s Julie Appleby.
KHN Video: The Supreme Court Decision In King v. Burwell Could Affect Your Wallet
Confused about the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court? The justices are expected to rule on the King v. Burwell case by the end of the month. Here’s what you need to know about it — in less than 2 minutes.
