Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospitals Slashed Use Of Two Heart Drugs After Huge Price Hikes
Hospital use of two popular heart medicines, nitroprusside and isoproterenol, dramatically dropped after the prices for both soared.
Lag In Brain Donation Hampers Understanding Of Dementia In Blacks
A long history of racism and cruel experimentation in health care are among the reasons African-American families oppose donating patients’ brains for study.
Taking A U-Turn On Benefits, Big Employers Vow To Continue Offering Health Insurance
Three years ago, only about a quarter of the nation’s large employers were very confident they would have a health plan in 10 years. That number has now risen to 65 percent.
Colon Cancer Rates Rising Among Younger White Adults — And Falling Among Blacks
Although deaths from colorectal cancer are declining, researchers find rates of the disease among white men and women younger than 55 have spiked since the mid-1990s.
South Texas Fights Tuberculosis One Blood Test At A Time
A Medicaid-funded effort in San Antonio seeks to test vulnerable populations for latent TB infections.
Health Gap Widens Between Appalachia And Rest Of The U.S.
In the early 1990s, people in this economically depressed region lagged only slightly behind other parts of the country. Today, rates of infant mortality in Appalachia are significantly higher than elsewhere, and the difference in life expectancy has grown noticeably.
Why One Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Insurers, Policyholders Across the Country
Little-known rules require all health insurance companies to help pay claims when any one of them fails. Penn Treaty failed big — and insurers around the country are likely to pass those costs onto policyholders.
Congress Revamps Housing Program To Benefit Areas Where HIV Is Spreading
The small federal program once based funding on an area’s cumulative number of cases. It will now be more responsive to places where new outbreaks are occurring.
‘Bureaucratic Ninjas’ Slice Red-Tape To Battle Health Disparities
A person’s ZIP code can be as important to her health as her genetic code. One large health system has begun to tackle the social challenges that influence a person’s health by asking questions and giving extra help to people in need.
Under Trump, Hospitals Face Same Penalties Embraced By Obama
Federal records show that 2,573 hospitals around the country will have their Medicare payments reduced because they have too many patients readmitted.
Despite Insurers’ Tactical Win On ACA’s Cost-Sharing Payments, Uncertainty Lingers
Court allows state attorneys general to join a pending legal challenge to keep billions in subsidies flowing to consumers and insurers, despite the Trump administration’s resistance.
Anthem’s Retreat Leaves Californians With Fewer Choices, More Worries
The nation’s second-largest insurer is shrinking its presence on Obamacare exchanges and in the broader individual market in response to prevailing uncertainty. California is just the latest — and the biggest — example.
Covered California Expects 12.5% Average Rate Rise In 2018
The figure could be higher if President Trump ends an important consumer subsidy, which he has threatened to do. The exchange also announced that Anthem Blue Cross will pull out of Covered California and the overall individual market in 16 of the 19 regions it currently serves.
Denial, Appeal, Approval … An Adult’s Thorny Path To Spinraza Coverage
The FDA granted approval for Spinraza in late December for use on children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy. Insurance coverage is mostly focused on infants and children.
Drug Puts A $750,000 ‘Price Tag On Life’
The high cost of Spinraza, a new and promising treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, highlights how the cost-benefit analysis insurers use to make drug coverage decisions plays out in human terms.
In Strong-Arm Tactic, Trump Puts Congressional Health Benefits Into Play
By taking aim at the subsidies received by some congressional staff members who, under the Affordable Care Act, are mandated to get their health coverage from the Obamacare exchanges, the president reignited an old fight.
Counting On Medicaid To Avoid Life In A Nursing Home? That’s Now Up To Congress.
Tighter Medicaid budgets could jeopardize states’ home-based services that help older adults and disabled people live in their homes instead of more expensive nursing homes.
Even Without Congress, Trump Can Still Cut Medicaid Enrollment
The Trump administration is poised to grant states waivers that some critics say could change the shape of the program.
Analysis: GOP Failure To Replace The Health Law Was Years In The Making
As postmortems mount regarding the collapse of the Senate Republican health plan, it’s clear how complex political and policy issues worked against the replacement effort.
5 Ways White House Can Use Its Muscle To Undercut Obamacare
The Trump administration has a variety of mechanisms at its disposal that could undermine the insurance exchanges.
