Pharmaceuticals

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Pelosi Aims For Feds To Negotiate Drug Prices, Even For Private Insurers

KFF Health News Original

A draft plan spearheaded by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would allow the federal government for the first time to negotiate prices for 250 drugs for Medicare and apply those prices to all payers, including employers and insurers.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Dems Debate Health Care

KFF Health News Original

Democratic presidential candidates disagreed on how to fix health care in their first debate Wednesday, although they all called for boosting insurance coverage and lowering prices. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is keeping health care in the news, too, with a new plan to make medical prices more available to the public. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the latest in news about bipartisan progress on catch-all legislation to address “surprise” medical bills. Plus, Rovner interviews NPR’s Jon Hamilton about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment.

KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Politics Heading Into 2020: Live From Aspen!

KFF Health News Original

How big an issue will health really be in the 2020 election? Will the Republicans find their political footing on the issue? In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times report from the Aspen Ideas: Health festival in Aspen, Colo. Joining them are Chris Jennings, who advised Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama on health policy, and Lanhee Chen, who advised GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio.

Non-English Speakers Face Health Setback If Trump Loosens Language Rules

KFF Health News Original

A rule proposed by the Trump administration would leave patients with limited English proficiency with fewer guarantees of a written notice that free translation services are available. It also would no longer require directions on how patients can report discrimination they experience in a medical setting.

Opioid Operators: How Surgeons Ply Patients With Painkillers

KFF Health News Original

Even as awareness of the opioid crisis grew, prescribing habits of surgeons changed very little from 2011 to 2016, found a data analysis by KHN and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Use this interactive tool to search by doctor or practicing hospital.

Oklahoma’s ‘Precedent-Setting’ Suit Puts Opioid Drugmakers On Trial

KFF Health News Original

As states struggle to respond to the national drug crisis, officials around the country are watching Oklahoma. The state’s attorney general says opioid drugmakers helped ignite a health crisis that has killed thousands of residents.