Latest KFF Health News Stories
A KFF Health News database tracks campaign donations from drugmakers over the past 10 years.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Need an Expensive Drug? Here’s What You Need to Know
Even a personal finance expert can get stuck with a huge unexpected bill for a drug. Listen up for what you need to know about “copay accumulators.”
Can Pfizer and Moderna End the Pandemic by Sharing Their Vaccine Designs? It’s Not that Simple
Industry experts say it’s highly unlikely that dozens of pharmaceutical companies that aren’t already producing covid vaccines stand ready to do so.
States Move Ahead With Canada Drug Importation While Awaiting Signal From Biden
As president, Donald Trump encouraged states to bring in drugs from Canada, where prices are cheaper. It’s not clear if the new administration will follow suit.
With U.S. cases skyrocketing, demand for Gilead’s dark horse antiviral is only growing. Biden appointees propose potential legal tactics to tamp down the price for patients.
Many Health Plans Now Must Cover Full Cost of Expensive HIV Prevention Drugs
Most private insurance will be required to cover drugs, like Truvada, that offer protection against HIV infection, without making plan members share the cost.
Seniors Face Crushing Drug Costs as Congress Stalls on Capping Medicare Out-Of-Pockets
While many private insurers cap what members pay in health costs, Medicare does not. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have proposed annual limits ranging from $2,000 to $3,100. But there’s disagreement about how to pay for that cost cap.
Patients Struggle to Find Prescription Opioids After NY Tax Drives Out Suppliers
The tax was touted as a way to generate funding for treatment programs across the state. But to avoid paying, scores of manufacturers and wholesalers stopped selling opioids in New York.
Search for a Snakebite Drug Might Lead to a COVID Treatment, Too
Human clinical trials are scheduled for a drug that could prevent some of the 100,000-plus deaths from snakebites worldwide each year. The same drug may also help people suffering from COVID-related acute respiratory distress.
Florida Fails to Attract Bidders for Canada Drug Importation Program
No private firms bid on the $30 million contract to set up and operate the state’s plan to bring in cheaper drugs. The setback is likely to delay by at least several months Florida’s effort to become the first state to import drugs under new federal regulations.
As Trump Touts His ‘Great’ COVID Drugs, the Pharma Cash Flows to Biden, Not Him
President Donald Trump has been heralding drugmakers as “great companies.” Yet in the final stretch of the presidential campaign, Trump is not feeling the love in pharma contributions. Former Vice President Joe Biden is, even though his proposed policies could dent the industry’s profitability.
Old Drug Turned ‘Cash Cow’ as Company Pumped Price to $40K a Vial, Emails Show
The CEO of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals defended the price hikes of Acthar gel, an orphan drug that treats infantile spasms at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday.
Trump Approves Final Plan to Import Drugs From Canada ‘for a Fraction of the Price’
The announcement clears the way for Florida and other states to implement a program bringing medications across the border to save money. The effort is strongly opposed by drugmakers and the Canadian government.
It’s Not Just Insulin: Lawmakers Focus on Price of One Drug, While Others Rise Too
While insulin is the poster child for outrageous prescription costs, patients are paying ever more to treat depression, asthma, HIV, cholesterol and more. And the pandemic has overtaken efforts to force the issue in Congress.
Signs of an ‘October Vaccine Surprise’ Alarm Career Scientists
President Donald Trump has the legal power to authorize a COVID vaccine over the objections of the Food and Drug Administration and vaccine manufacturers. Such a move could further erode public trust in a vaccine and foist an unsafe shot on Americans.
NIH ‘Very Concerned’ About Serious Side Effect in Coronavirus Vaccine Trial
The AstraZeneca trial is on hold in the U.S. as scientists try to unravel whether a rare neurological condition is linked to the vaccine. But regulators are frustrated by a lack of information from the drugmaker.
A Coronavirus Vaccine: Where Does It Stand?
Under ordinary circumstances, these phases of vaccine development can take years to complete. But now, during the age of coronavirus, the timeline is being shortened. Here’s an inventory of where things stand.
2021 Health Plans Granted Leeway To Limit Consumers’ Benefit From Drug Coupons
A rule finalized this spring by the Trump administration permits employers and insurers not to apply drug company copayment assistance toward enrollees’ deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums for any drug.
A Senator From Arizona Emerges As A Pharma Favorite
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has received almost $100,000 from drug companies in the current election cycle, a KHN analysis shows, one of the largest cash hauls in Congress. And it’s only her first term.
Amid Pandemic, FDA Seizes Cheaper Drugs From Canada
Many Americans order drugs from Canada and other countries because they are cheaper, but U.S. authorities appear to be cracking down on the practice.