Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Your Grandma’s Guide To Grass: Calif. Rolls Out Website To Cut Through Cannabis Haze
Many Californians have been using pot for years, legally and illegally. But newbies, even Grandma, might benefit from a website that contains warnings about the risks.
4 Takeaways As HHS Relaxes Rules On Contraception Coverage At Work
The new rules, announced Friday, will significantly expand the number of employers eligible for exemptions from the requirement that they provide women, at no cost, coverage of any contraception method approved by the FDA.
Association Health Plans: A Favorite GOP Approach To Coverage Poised For Comeback
Both President Donald Trump and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) signaled last week that executive action was in the works that would give these plans a boost.
Eyes Fixed On California As Governor Ponders Inking Drug Price Transparency Bill
“If it gets signed by this governor, it’s going to send shock waves throughout the country,” one legislator says. Pharma has spent $16.8 million lobbying against this bill and other drug laws in California.
Despite Boost In Social Security, Rising Medicare Part B Costs Leave Seniors In Bind
With higher premiums on tap for many Medicare enrollees, here’s help figuring out the particulars of the Part B puzzle and how it affects you.
Moms Of Children With Rare Genetic Illness Push For Wider Newborn Screening
California is one of only a handful of states nationwide that screens babies for the gene mutation that causes a rare brain disease — a test that dramatically increases a sick child’s chances of survival.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Congress CHIPs Away At Health Insurance For Kids
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss Congress’ tardiness in renewing the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), and play the parlor game of who might become the new secretary of Health and Human Services. Also, the pod panel interviews Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) about his new Medicare buy-in bill.
Las Vegas Faced a Massacre. Did It Have Enough Trauma Centers?
Hospitals view adding trauma care as a potential profit tool, but experts say having more centers does not necessarily improve the system’s ability to respond to a mass casualty event.
5 Takeaways From Congress’ Failure To Extend Funding For Children’s Coverage
Federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program expired Sept. 30. Many states still have money in their budgets, but they’ll be worried until Congress renews the program.
Hepatitis C Drug’s Lower Cost Paves Way For Medicaid, Prisons To Expand Treatment
The drug, sold under the name Mavyret, can cure all six genetic types of the liver disease in eight weeks at a cost of $26,400, well below other options.
Flat-Fee Primary Care Helps Fill Niche For Texas’ Uninsured
Doctors offering this care charge a monthly fee for services that can be handled in the office. But patient advocates warn it is not insurance and offers no coverage for hospital or specialist care.
Latest Snag In ACA Sign-Ups: Those Who Guide Consumers Are Hitting Roadblocks
Technical glitches with a mandatory credentialing course are, many say, the latest in a series of complications that could make it harder to help people get coverage.
Do Pharma’s Claims On Drug Prices Pass The Smell Test? We Found 5 Stinkers.
Drug companies are in the midst of a glossy publicity campaign to stop attempts to control rising pharma costs. But the devil is in the details.
Heart Device Failure: Medicare Spent $1.5B Over 10 Years To Replace Defective Implants
The inspector general at Health and Human Services says defective pacemakers or defibrillators had to be replaced from 2005 through 2014, costing Medicare $1.5 billion.
Latest Scandal Too Much For HHS Secretary Tom Price. He’s Out.
Tom Price resigned from running the Department of Health and Human Services after a series of news stories detailing how he tallied more than $400,000 in private plane travel paid for by taxpayers.
Out-Of-Pocket Costs Often Keep Pricey New Cholesterol Drugs Out Of Reach, Study Finds
Research published this week by JAMA Cardiology analyzed pharmacy claims data related to a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Years After Silently Combating Sexual Trauma, Female Veterans Seek Help
Many women who served in the military decades ago were victims of sexual assaults but often felt compelled to keep quiet.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Repeal And Replace Is Dead. What Now?
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss what happens now that Republicans have officially failed in their latest effort to overhaul Obamacare. Plus an interview with Bruce Lesley of First Focus about the fate of the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Why Glaring Quality Gaps Among Nursing Homes Are Likely To Grow If Medicaid Is Cut
Medicaid covers about two-thirds of nursing home residents, but it pays less than other types of insurance.
For Some Refugees, Women’s Health Care Is A Culture Shock
Refugee women from conservative Muslim countries can be shocked by some U.S. medical conventions — like trusting a male doctor to care for them.
