Latest KFF Health News Stories
Of ‘Miracles’ And Money: Why Hemophilia Drugs Are So Expensive
The market is flooded with 28 different medications for just 20,000 patients with the hereditary bleeding disorder. Yet intense competition hasn’t worked to bring costs down. Sales amount to $4.6 billion annually in the U.S.
Jury’s In: Opioids Are Not Better Than Other Medicines For Chronic Pain
A new study followed patients with severe chronic pain for a year and found that opioids relieved pain and increased function no better than common drugs like acetaminophen and lidocaine. But the opioids carry the risk of more serious side effects, including addiction and death.
Estudio: los opioides no son mejores que otras medicinas para tratar el dolor crónico
Una nueva investigación revela que estos crontroversiales medicamentos no son eficaces para tratar el dolor de largo plazo.
States Strive To Curb Costs For A Crucial — But Exorbitant — Hemophilia Treatment
Saving the lives of people with the bleeding disorder can require high doses of expensive blood-clotting factor. Taxpayers foot much of the bill as manufacturers profit enormously.
Cartoon Mascot Masks Nasty Health Care Feud
California’s health insurers trotted out a heart-healthy character with an ulterior motive — taking a dig at drugmakers.
Para abaratar el costo de los medicamentos, estados quieren importarlos de Canadá
Algunos estados buscan impulsar al gobierno federal para que allane el camino para comprar stocks de medicamentos en Canadá con el fin de abaratar los costos y ahorrarle dinero a las arcas estatales.
In An Effort To Curb Drug Costs, States Advance Bills To Prod Feds On Importation
Legislatures in blue and red states alike are considering proposals that would allow them to import prescription drugs from Canada.
FDA Head Vows To Tackle High Drug Prices And Drugmakers ‘Gaming The System’
In an exclusive interview, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb describes what he’s doing to spur competition and bring down drug prices.
Trump’s Budget Proposal Swings At Drug Prices With A Glancing Blow
The Trump administration rolled out a list of actions to attack drug prices, but most dance around the edges.
KHN On NPR: The Uniquely American Problem Of High Prescription Drug Costs
Kaiser Health News Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal discusses drug costs with Scott Simon, the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition. Listen to the broadcast and read a transcript of that conversation.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ There’s A Really Big Health Bill In That Budget Deal
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the health policy changes included in the just-concluded bipartisan budget deal on Capitol Hill. The panelists also talk about the final enrollment numbers for individual insurance purchased under the Affordable Care Act, and possible drug price proposals in President Donald Trump’s upcoming budget. Plus, Rovner interviews Andy Slavitt, who this week launched a health care advocacy group called “The United States of Care.”
As States Target High Drug Prices, Pharma Targets State Lawmakers
In Louisiana, the wining and dining of lawmakers by scores of pharma lobbyists proves a valuable lesson on how to win statehouse votes and influence profits.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ The State Of The (Health) Union
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Julie Appleby and Sarah Jane Tribble of Kaiser Health News discuss President Donald Trump’s promises to reduce drug prices in his first State of the Union Address. The panelists also discuss the departure of the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after conflict-of-interest reports and the efforts by some states to flout the Affordable Care Act.
Big Pharma Greets Hundreds Of Ex-Federal Workers At The ‘Revolving Door’
A KHN data analysis finds that the door of opportunities connecting Capitol Hill, the federal government and the drug industry likely spins in Big Pharma’s favor.
University Under Fire For Off-The-Grid Herpes Vaccine Experiments
Southern Illinois University’s medical school has halted all herpes research, one of its most high-profile projects, amid growing controversy over a researcher’s unauthorized methods offshore and in the U.S.
Hospital Honchos Hone New Message In Wake Of Opioid Epidemic: Expect Pain
“We really do have a lot of responsibility and culpability,” says one hospital official who is part of a working group trying to address the opioid epidemic. Patients have to expect more pain after surgery and understand the risk of addiction, says another doctor.
J.P. Morgan Health Conference All About The Deals Amid Uncertainty For Millions
The lofty ideas floated and billion-dollar deals sealed at J.P. Morgan’s elite annual conference stand in stark contrast to the uncertainty that clouds health care outside its confines.
Fallout From ‘Nuclear Button’ Tweets: Sales Of Anti-Radiation Drug Skyrocket
Orders for potassium iodide reportedly jumped after a Jan. 2 war of words between Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.
Facebook Live: It’s 2018, Can Big Pharma Hold The Line Against Pricing Controls?
In this chat, KHN senior correspondent Jay Hancock discusses how drug-pricing battles could play out this year in D.C., state legislatures and beyond. What do we know about the drug industry’s agenda to quiet the drumbeat of cost control and transparency proposals? How will they officials target their efforts? Will the battles take place at the state level? Senior editor Stephanie Stapleton moderates.
HHS Nominee Vows To Tackle High Drug Costs, Despite His Ties To Industry
Alex M. Azar II, the former president of the U.S. division of Eli Lilly, says the U.S. drug system encourages price increases — but he intends to work on that problem.
