Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Drug Prices, Not The Health Law, Top Voters’ Health Priorities For 2017
Majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents support making sure high-cost drugs for chronic conditions are affordable.
West Virginia Grapples With High Drug Costs
Climbing drug prices are taking a toll on West Virginia’s budget, some state legislators say. Expensive drugs fuel an increase in Medicaid spending, which leaves less money for schools and roads.
7 Insurers Alleged To Use Skimpy Drug Coverage To Discourage HIV Patients
The plans sought to discourage costly HIV patients by not including their drug needs in formularies or requiring high cost sharing, a Harvard Law School group says in a complaint filed with HHS.
Hospitals Say They’re Being Slammed By Drug Price Hikes
In a report out Tuesday, hospital groups said drug prices have skyrocketed since 2013, triggering a huge increase in what hospitals spend on pharmaceuticals.
Tracking Who Makes Money On A Brand-Name Drug
KHN’s Julie Appleby joined forces with USA Today to create this chart, which details the various industry players and how they contribute to a prescription drug’s cost.
Young Boy’s Struggle To Survive Sparked Push For Drugs For Terminally Ill
Ten-year-old Josh Hardy died last month. His struggle to survive helped to spur laws to get unapproved drugs to the terminally ill.
A Golden Ticket That Fast-Tracks A Drug Through The FDA
A voucher awarded to companies that find treatments for rare childhood diseases can be sold to the highest bidder — and then used to speed up approvals for much more common drugs.
Large Danish Study Links Contraceptive Use To Risk Of Depression
The research, published in JAMA Psychiatry, finds significant increases in the use of anti-depressants and depression diagnoses for women using hormonal forms of contraceptives, such as the pill.
Specialty Drug Costs Soar 30% For California Pension Fund
Such medications account for more than a quarter of the state agency’s $2.1 billion in pharmacy costs.
It’s Not Just For Kids: Medicare EpiPen Spending Up 1,100 Percent
The number of prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries is on the rise, too.
Veterans Courted In California’s Ballot Fight Over Curbing Drug Prices
The initiative would prohibit California state agencies from paying more for a prescription drug than what the Department of Veterans Affairs pays. Both sides are deploying veterans’ sympathetic and trusted image to win over voters.
FDA Approves First Drug To Treat Rare Form Of Muscular Dystrophy
The FDA, reacting to lobbying by patients and families, has approved a drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and lethal disease.
Candidates Decry High Drug Prices, But They Have Few Options For Voters
Drug prices rise for a variety of reasons but opportunities for the government to control them is limited.
The Ads Say ‘Get Your Flu Shot Today,’ But It May Be Wiser To Wait
The flu vaccine is available for longer windows of time. Experts say to weigh convenience and science in deciding when to roll up your sleeve.
Geographic, Racial Disparities In Stroke Treatment Tracked In New Study
Patients living in the Northeast are more than twice as likely to get a powerful drug than those in the Midwest or South and African-Americans were 26 percent less likely to get the medicine, a study in the journal Neurology finds.
Study: Health Spending Related To Opioid Treatment Rose More Than 1,300 Percent
Based on an analysis of insurance company payments, emergency room visits and lab tests were responsible for much of the overall spending.
Consumer Group Questions Role of Drug Costs In California Premium Hikes
Consumers Union says Anthem Inc. and Blue Shield of California may be exploiting furor over prescription drug prices. State regulators are looking into the issue.
Study Says Concerns About Orphan Drug Spending Are Unjustified
A study in Health Affairs concludes that orphan drugs for rare diseases are not having a widespread or deep impact on health care spending.
EpiPen Controversy Fuels Concerns Over Generic Drug Approval Backlog
Four years after a huge push to speed generics to market, the FDA has more than 4,000 generics waiting for approval.
Mylan’s Generic EpiPen — A Price Break Or Marketing Maneuver?
As news that Mylan will make available a generic version of its own brand-name product, KHN answers key questions about how this development could affect consumers.
