Pharmaceuticals

Latest KFF Health News Stories

What the Health? From KFF Health News: Part II: The State of the Abortion Debate 50 Years After ‘Roe’

Podcast

In Part II of this special two-part episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Varney of KHN join KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss how the abortion debate has evolved since the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to abortion in 2022, and what might be the flashpoints for 2023. Also, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their most memorable reproductive health stories from the last year.

Montana Pharmacists May Get More Power to Prescribe

KFF Health News Original

Supporters of a proposed law say it would fill a health provider gap in rural areas, while doctors worry it will give pharmacists power outside the scope of their education.

FDA Experts Are Still Puzzled Over Who Should Get Which Covid Shots and When

KFF Health News Original

A single booster seems to prevent death and hospitalization in most people, but protection from the current vaccines wanes within months. FDA experts say they need to know more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decide the best long-term strategy.

What the Health? From KFF Health News: Part I: The State of the Abortion Debate 50 Years After ‘Roe’

Podcast

In Part I of this special two-part episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Varney of KHN join KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss how the abortion debate has evolved since the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to abortion in 2022, and what might be the flashpoints for 2023. Also in this episode, Rovner interviews Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute, about changing reproductive policies in the states.

Lo que necesitan saber los adultos mayores sobre covid y Paxlovid

KFF Health News Original

Expertos dicen que la terapia de primera elección debe ser Paxlovid, un tratamiento antiviral para personas con covid leve a moderado con alto riesgo de enfermarse gravemente.

What Older Americans Need to Know About Taking Paxlovid

KFF Health News Original

Covid-19 continues to hit seniors with disproportionate severity. Experts say Paxlovid is an effective therapy that is being underprescribed for people 65 and older.

The Biggest, Buzziest Conference for Health Care Investors Convenes Amid Fears the Bubble Will Burst

KFF Health News Original

This year’s JPMorgan confab, the first since covid’s chilling effect on such gatherings, was full of energy and enthusiasm. But it was also marked by questions about the future of health care investment.

California Attorney General Sues Drugmakers Over Inflated Insulin Prices

KFF Health News Original

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is taking three major drugmakers and three distributors to court, alleging the companies illegally raised prices at the expense of diabetes patients.

What the Health? From KFF Health News: GOP House Opens With Abortion Agenda

Podcast

Leaders of the new Republican-led U.S. House kicked off their legislative agenda with two bills supported by anti-abortion groups. While neither is likely to become law, the move demonstrates how abortion will continue to be an issue in Washington. Meanwhile, as open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act nears its end in most states, the number of Americans covered by the plans hits a new high. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Fiscal general de California demanda a farmacéuticas por “inflar” los precios de la insulina

KFF Health News Original

En la demanda, Rob Bonta argumentó que los precios se han disparado y que algunos pacientes se han visto obligados a racionar sus medicamentos o renunciar por completo a comprar insulina.

Behavioral Telehealth Loses Momentum Without a Regulatory Boost

KFF Health News Original

As flexible treatment options spurred by the covid pandemic wane, patients relying on medications classified as controlled substances worry that without action to extend the loosened rules, it’ll be harder to get their meds.

NY requiere que doctores receten naloxona a algunos pacientes que toman analgésicos opioides

KFF Health News Original

Aunque los titulares son por las muertes por sobredosis de drogas ilícitas vendidas en la calle, el riesgo de sufrirlas también es real para los pacientes que toman opioides recetados por sus médicos.

Is Legislation to Safeguard Americans Against Superbugs a Boondoggle or Breakthrough?

KFF Health News Original

While supporters cheer the PASTEUR Act as an essential strategy to stem the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, critics call it a multibillion-dollar giveaway to Big Pharma.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Health Spending? Only Congress Knows

KFF Health News Original

Top negotiators in Congress have agreed to a framework for government spending into next year, but there are details to iron out before a vote — such as the scheduled Medicare payment cuts that have providers worried. Also, the Biden administration reopens its program allowing Americans to request free covid-19 home tests, as hopes for pandemic preparedness measures from Congress dim. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rebecca Adams of KHN join KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Estados desafían a Biden a que baje precios de medicamentos permitiendo importaciones desde Canadá

KFF Health News Original

En Estados Unidos se pagan unos de los precios más altos del mundo por los productos farmacéuticos de marca. Los medicamentos son generalmente menos caros en el vecino Canadá, donde el gobierno controla los precios.

States Challenge Biden to Lower Drug Prices by Allowing Imports From Canada

KFF Health News Original

Colorado has joined Florida, New Hampshire, and New Mexico in seeking federal permission to import prescription drugs from Canada. President Joe Biden endorsed the approach in his 2020 campaign but has yet to approve any state plan.

In Rural America, Deadly Costs of Opioids Outweigh the Dollars Tagged to Address Them

KFF Health News Original

Some people say it’s reasonable for densely populated areas to receive more settlement funds, since they serve more of those affected. But others worry this overlooks rural communities disproportionately harmed by opioid addiction.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Congress Races the Clock

KFF Health News Original

Sen. Raphael Warnock’s re-election in Georgia will give Democrats a clear-cut Senate majority for the first time in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, the current Congress has only days left to tackle major unfinished business on the health agenda, including fending off scheduled pay cuts for doctors and other health providers in the Medicare program. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.