Latest KFF Health News Stories
Benefit Change Could Raise Costs For Patients Getting Drug Copay Assistance
More health plans are refusing to count the copayment assistance offered by drug makers as part of the patients’ deductibles or out-of-pocket limits.
Health Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has made a name for himself opposing Trump administration policies on health care and other matters, is running against opponents who say they wouldn’t make such resistance their primary focus.
California Hospitals Urge Moms To Favor Breast Milk Over Formula
Exclusively breastfeeding babies for at least six months is widely viewed as a significant health benefit. White moms are more likely to do so than blacks, Asians or Latinas.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Campaign Promises Kept, Plus ‘Nerd Reports’
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Sarah Kliff of Vox and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss a proposed administration regulation that seeks to separate Planned Parenthood from federal family planning funds, the final congressional passage of legislation aimed at helping those with terminal illnesses obtain experimental medications, and new government reports on the uninsured and federal health spending. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Liz Szabo about the May “Bill of the Month.”
Pfizer Settles Kickback Case Related To Copay Assistance For $24M
The drugmaker agreed to a settlement with the Justice Department over allegations that it funneled copay assistance money through a foundation to Medicare patients.
‘Time’s Up’: Covered California Takes Aim At Hospital C-Section Rates
Starting in less than two years, if state hospitals haven’t met targets for safety and quality, they’ll risk being excluded from the “in-network” designation of health plans sold on the state’s insurance exchange.
Dodging Dementia: More Of Us Get At Least A Dozen Good, Happy Years After 65
With longer lives and lower rates of dementia, most seniors are enjoying more years of life with good cognition — a welcome trend.
Drugmakers Blamed For Blocking Generics Have Jacked Up Prices And Cost U.S. Billions
The Trump administration is shaming brand-name drugmakers who refuse to sell samples so generics can be made from their products.
Insurer Slashes Breast Pump Payments, Stoking Fears Fewer Moms Will Breastfeed
Anthem, one of the country’s largest insurers, has cut the reimbursement rate it pays for breast pumps by nearly half, fueling concerns that new moms — especially ones with lower incomes — will not be able to afford the pumps they need.
Are You And Your Primary Care Doc Ready To Talk About Your DNA?
The Pennsylvania-based health chain Geisinger plans to offer DNA sequencing as part of regular patient care.
When Is Insurance Not Really Insurance? When You Need Pricey Dental Care.
Even under a decent plan, you’ll have to dig deep in your pocket for crowns, bridges and implants. The mouth isn’t covered by insurance the same way as the rest of the body, and this division has deep roots in history and tradition.
Trump Proposes Cutting Planned Parenthood Funds. What Does That Mean?
The Trump administration is pulling out an old regulation that it believes will be able to meet a key conservative goal: withholding some federal funding for Planned Parenthood in the government’s family planning program.
Choosing Between Death And Deportation
What happens when an undocumented immigrant has a life-threatening diagnosis? Much depends on where the person lives. And even in states with generous care for a dire illness, a patient can face difficult life-and-death choices.
Vermont Legislators Pass A Drug Importation Law. So What?
The first-in-the-nation measure would empower Vermont to set up a wholesale program to import prescription drugs from Canada. But it still will have to get federal buy-in before it is operational.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Much Ado About Drug Prices
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call discuss President Donald Trump’s proposals to control prescription drug prices and the efforts to sell the plan to lawmakers and the public. Also, Rovner interviews emeritus law professor Timothy Jost about the state of the Affordable Care Act.
What Explains The Rising Overdose Rate Among Latinos?
Opioid addiction is often portrayed as a white problem, but overdose rates are now rising faster among Latinos and blacks. Cultural and linguistic barriers may put Latinos at greater risk.
California’s Deadly STD Epidemic Sets Record
Rates of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia in California have shot up 45 percent over five years, resulting in 30 syphilis-related stillbirths in 2017 alone, new state data show.
Reversing An Overdose Isn’t Complicated, But Getting The Antidote Can Be
Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged more Americans to carry and learn to use naloxone, which can save someone from an opioid overdose. But the drug, brand-name Narcan, can be difficult to get and expensive.
California Hospital Giant Sutter Health Faces Heavy Backlash On Prices
In a case with possible national repercussions, the state’s attorney general has sued over alleged price gouging, and other legal and legislative challenges are afoot. Sutter is pushing back hard, denying anticompetitive behavior.
Lack Of Insurance Exposes Blind Spots In Vision Care
As many as 16 million people in the United States have undiagnosed or uncorrected vision problems that could be fixed with eyeglasses, contact lenses or surgery.
