Latest KFF Health News Stories
With Drug Costs In Crosshairs, Health Firms Gave Generously To Trump’s Inauguration
Led by Pfizer and Amgen, about 10 health care firms contributed to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which earned them entry into private events with the president and vice president.
Readers: Training Patients To Advocate For Their Illnesses Is ‘A Virtue Not A Sin’
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to respond, react and comment on our stories.
Nonprofit Linked To PhRMA Rolls Out Campaign To Block Drug Imports
The advocacy group behind an expensive media blitz opposing Canadian drug imports has deep ties to the drug industry’s largest trade group.
Kids With Hepatitis C Get New Drugs And Coverage May Prove Easier Than For Adults
The drugs, approved by the FDA for children earlier this month, can run $100,000 for a course of treatment.
Drugmakers Help Turn Patients With Rare Diseases Into D.C. Lobbyists
Amplifying the “patient voice,” those with the rarest afflictions are trained to become powerful advocates for new drugs and legislation that would help the industry.
Another Circle Of Hell: Surviving Opioids In The Fentanyl Era
Unlike heroin, fentanyl routinely shuts down breathing in seconds, and it’s becoming more common.
VPH: nueva versión de la vacuna previene el contagio con solo dos dosis
Defensores de la salud pública esperan que con la nueva recomendación de administrar solo dos dosis de la vacuna contra el VPH a niñas y niños de entre 9 y 14 años las tasas de vacunación mejoren.
New Vaccine Recommendation Cuts Number Of HPV Shots Children Need
The vaccine protects kids against infection and several types of cancer but many parents have been reluctant to use it for their children.
Trump’s Promise To Rein In Drug Prices Could Open Floodgate To Importation Laws
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ bill to allow Americans to buy cheaper medicines from Canada would bypass a requirement that blocked past legislative efforts over two decades.
GAO To Launch Investigation Of FDA’s Orphan Drug Program
The Government Accountability Office said it will investigate potential abuses of the orphan drug program, which offers incentives to drugmakers to develop medicines for rare diseases.
Prescription Drug Costs Are On The Rise; So Are The TV Ads Promoting Them
Spending on consumer advertising by drugmakers has increased 62 percent since 2012.
Nueva droga baja el colesterol en forma drámatica y previene ataques, pero es costosísima
Por primera vez, una investigación muestra que un nuevo, y costoso, medicamento llamado Repatha no sólo baja dramáticamente los niveles de colesterol malo (LDL) sino que también reduce el riesgo de ser hospitalizado y de morir.
Cholesterol Drug Prevents Heart Attacks — But It Doesn’t Come Cheap
A cholesterol-lowering drug called Repatha cuts the risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart-related death by 20 percent, according to a new study.
$89,000 Orphan Drug Gets A New Owner — And Likely A New Price
Marathon, maker of an expensive treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sells the drug for $140 million in cash and stock to PTC Therapeutics.
Sticker Shock Forces Thousands Of Cancer Patients To Skip Drugs, Skimp On Treatment
A growing number of patients fail to fill prescriptions because the cost of cancer drugs is too high.
By The Numbers: Trump’s Choice For FDA Chief Is Versatile, Entrenched In Pharma
The numbers show that President Trump’s choice for FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, has long-standing ties to pharmaceutical companies as a board member or consultant and that he had to recuse himself multiple times while working at the FDA.
HMO Doctors Take Pains To Slash Opioid Prescriptions
A Kaiser Permanente pain management program in Southern California aims to help patients taper off addictive painkillers. Some doctors and patients see it as a godsend; others complain that patients have been cut off medications they need.
Trump, Dems Look For Common Ground On Drug Prices
Two Democratic congressmen met with President Trump to seek his support for a bill to expand the government’s ability to negotiate drug prices, but it’s not clear it would have much impact or will gain support.
Dentists Work To Ease Patients’ Pain With Fewer Opioids
Dentistry is at a crossroads and many in the field are reassessing their narcotics prescribing habits.
Three Key Senators Ask GAO To Investigate Possible Abuses Of The Orphan Drug Act
Amid an uproar over high drug prices, three GOP senators are asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the Orphan Drug Act is being abused.
