Liquid Gold: Pain Doctors Soak Up Profits By Screening Urine For Drugs
With the nation’s opioid crisis, urine testing has become a booming business and is especially lucrative for doctors who operate their own labs, a Kaiser Health News investigation finds. And dozens of practitioners have earned “the lion’s share” of their Medicare income exclusively from urine drug screens.
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. But some insurance companies are reaping spectacular profits off the taxpayer-funded program in California, even when the state finds their patient care is subpar.
‘No One Is Coming’: Hospice Patients Abandoned At Death’s Door
U.S. hospice agencies promise to be available around-the-clock to help patients dying in their homes. But a Kaiser Health News investigation shows that in an alarming number of cases, that promise is broken.
So Much Care It Hurts: Unneeded Scans, Therapy, Surgery Only Add To Patients’ Ills
Overtreatment of breast cancer and other diseases is pervasive, burdening patients and the health care system with enormous costs and needless suffering.
Desperate Quest For Herpes Cure Launched ‘Rogue’ Trial
Patients flocked to researcher who ignored usual patient protections, as university claimed ignorance.
Nowhere To Go: Young People With Severe Autism Languish In Hospitals
Some teens and young adults are spending weeks or even months in retrofitted emergency rooms — even in mesh-covered tents — until specialized care can be found. ‘It’s a huge problem,’ one doctor says.
As Care Shifts From Hospital To Home, Guarding Against Infection Falls To Families
Despite a lack of medical training, relatives increasingly are assigned complex, risky medical tasks at home, such as maintaining catheters. If done incorrectly, blood clots, infections, even death can result.
St. Kitts Launches Probe Of Herpes Vaccine Tests On U.S. Patients
After a Kaiser Health News report on an offshore herpes vaccine trial that skirted FDA regulations, St. Kitts and Nevis officials claim they had no knowledge of the testing. An investigation is underway.
Offshore Human Testing Of Herpes Vaccine Stokes Debate Over U.S. Safety Rules
Prominent businessmen and an American university supported offshore testing of an experimental vaccine.
When Wounds Won’t Heal, Therapies Spread — To The Tune Of $5 Billion
The market for wound care products booms among a growing older and diabetic patient pool, but many treatments are untested and funding for research falls short.
Follow The Money: Drugmakers Deploy Political Cash As Prices And Anger Mount
Embattled opioid seller Mallinckrodt is one of many pharmaceutical companies boosting political contributions and lobbying on Capitol Hill.
Target Of Medicare Insider Trading Case Boasted He Was Unstoppable ‘Beast’
Prosecutors say hedge-fund traders made millions trading on information leaked from Medicare.
With Drug Costs In Crosshairs, Health Firms Gave Generously To Trump’s Inauguration
Led by Pfizer and Amgen, about 10 health care firms contributed to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which earned them entry into private events with the president and vice president.
Sticker Shock Forces Thousands Of Cancer Patients To Skip Drugs, Skimp On Treatment
A growing number of patients fail to fill prescriptions because the cost of cancer drugs is too high.
Grassley Launches Inquiry Into Orphan Drugs After KHN Investigation
Citing a Kaiser Health News investigation, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley vows to examine the orphan drug program and possible fixes.
HHS Pick Price Made ‘Brazen’ Stock Trades While His Committee Was Under Scrutiny
With federal investigators bearing down on his committee, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., who is line to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, showed little restraint in investing in health companies.
Women Fear Drug They Used To Halt Puberty Led To Health Problems
Despite questions about Lupron’s lasting side effects and minimal study into its safety, the FDA sped approval of the drug to market. Years later, some young women are still living with the consequences.
Sky-High Prices For Orphan Drugs Slam American Families And Insurers
Orphan drugs for rare diseases have helped or saved hundreds of thousands of patients like 2-year-old Luke Whitbeck, but families and insurers are picking up the astronomical cost.
Drugmakers Manipulate Orphan Drug Rules To Create Prized Monopolies
Drugmakers have brought almost 450 orphan drugs to market and collected rich incentives but nearly a third of those products aren’t new or were repurposed multiple times, an investigation shows.
Top Price Contributor Allegedly Leaned On Employees To Support PAC
President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet pick Tom Price “assisted” a company and campaign donor who tapped executives with an urgent request to donate.
