Latest KFF Health News Stories
No More Secrets: Congress Bans Pharmacist ‘Gag Orders’ On Drug Prices
Congress approved two bills last month that prohibit provisions keeping pharmacists from telling patients when they can save money by paying the cash price instead of the price negotiated by their insurance plan.
Black Market For Suboxone Gives Some A Glimpse Of Recovery
Addiction experts argue that buprenorphine, which drug users buy on the street, actually saves lives because it is used in place of more dangerous substances, like heroin and fentanyl.
In The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
Health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers are exploring how two legal provisions — which have been on the books for decades — could bring down the price tags of certain prescription medications.
Congress Targets Misuse Of Hospice Drugs
In the bipartisan opioid bill headed to the president’s desk, hospice workers would be allowed to destroy patients’ unneeded opioids, reducing the risk that families misuse them.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Some Things Old, Some Things New
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner discuss final action on bills in Congress to address the opioid epidemic and fund federal health agencies. They also look at new efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on teen nicotine use.
VA Adding Opioid Antidote To Defibrillator Cabinets For Quicker Overdose Response
A project that started in a Boston Veterans Affairs facility will soon go nationwide. It puts naloxone, also known as Narcan, into emergency supplies cabinets throughout the VA system.
Drugmakers Play The Patent Game To Lock In Prices, Block Competitors
Pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, often win patents for incremental changes with debatable value. Now there’s a twist involving an opioid treatment.
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.
Buried In Congress’ Opioid Bill Is Protection For Personal Drug Imports
The protection is a win for people who get their needed, legitimate drugs from overseas.
Readers And Tweeters Slice And Dice Precision Medicine, Step Therapy
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Sobredosis de opioides en el trabajo, una realidad que empleadores ignoran
En ciertas industrias, como la de la construcción, el consumo de opioides es una constante con la que pocos empleadores están preparados para lidiar.
Workers Overdose On The Job, And Employers Struggle To Respond
Despite the growing epidemic of Americans misusing opioids and overdosing on the job, many employers turn a blind eye to addiction within their workforce — ill-equipped or unwilling to confront an issue they are at a loss to handle.
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 States Try To Rein In Drug Spending, Feds Slap Down One Bold Medicaid Move
Medicaid drug spending doubled in five years in Massachusetts. The state wanted to exclude expensive drugs that weren’t proven to work better than existing alternatives from its Medicaid plan, but the federal government blocked the effort.
New Medicare Advantage Tool To Lower Drug Prices Puts Crimp In Patients’ Choices
Federal officials are allowing the private insurance plans to use “step therapy” for drugs administered by doctors. In step therapy, patients must first use cheaper drugs to see if they work before receiving more expensive options.
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.
Insurer To Purdue Pharma: We Won’t Pay For OxyContin Anymore
Embattled drugmaker Purdue Pharma defends OxyContin as some insurers are dropping the drug in favor of other abuse-deterrent opioid painkillers.
Unwitting Patients, Copycat Comments Play Hidden Role In Federal Rule-Making
As HHS decided to cut $1.6 billion in drug payments to hospitals, it weighed thousands of comments generated by a pharmaceutical-funded advocacy group.
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.
El alto precio de la insulina lleva a que pacientes la racionen, a riesgo de muerte
El precio de la insulina en los Estados Unidos aumentó más del doble desde 2012. Eso pone a la hormona que salva vidas fuera del alcance de algunas personas con diabetes.
