Amazon Adds Behavioral Health To Amazon Care
August 12, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Amazon Care is the medical care service the retail giant sells to employer health plans, and now it will include behavioral health care from specialists. In other news, the general manager of Amazon Care is reportedly taking an extended break.
First Edition: Aug. 12, 2022
August 12, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Inflation Reduction Act Contains Important Cost-Saving Changes for Many Patients — Maybe for You
By Michael McAuliff
August 12, 2022
KHN Original
The legislation, which the House is expected to pass Friday, would allow the federal government, for the first time, to negotiate the price of some drugs that Medicare buys. It also would extend the enhanced subsidies for people who buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
Big Pharma Went All In to Kill Drug Pricing Negotiations
By Arthur Allen
August 12, 2022
KHN Original
For more than a century, the drug industry has issued dire warnings of plunging innovation whenever regulation reared its head. In general, the threat hasn’t materialized.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Big Week for Biden
August 11, 2022
KHN Original
Congress is leaving for its annual summer break having accomplished far more than many expected, including, barring unforeseen snags, a bill to address the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries and extend the enhanced subsidies for insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the abortion issue continues to roil the nation as Indiana becomes the first state to ban the procedure in almost all cases since the Supreme Court overruled the constitutional right to abortion in June. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Nearly 4 Million People Had Data Exposed In July Health Industry Hacks
August 11, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Health care data breaches compromised information on 3.9 million people in July. About half came from just one payment vendor hack, according to Modern Healthcare. Separately, the Department of Justice says UnitedHealth’s data practices mean its Change Healthcare acquisition should be blocked.
Pharma Industry’s Response Monitored To Drug Pricing Measures
August 11, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Roll Call reports on mixed forecasts on whether drugmakers will shift costs to private markets to offset losses from Medicare negotiations. News outlets explore other ways the bill — which is expected to get a House vote Friday — will impact consumers.
First Edition: Aug. 11, 2022
August 11, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
No, the Senate-Passed Reconciliation Bill Won’t Strip $300 Billion From Medicare
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
August 11, 2022
KHN Original
Under the Medicare drug negotiations provisions in the reconciliation bill, the federal government would see its outlays reduced by about $300 billion. That reduction wouldn’t result from cuts in benefits. Instead, Medicare would be empowered to leverage its market power to pay lower prices for certain drugs.
Costs Of Cybersecurity Attack Higher For Health Industry Than Any Other
August 10, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
A new IBM report highlights the deep impact that a cybersecurity breach can have on a health care system, with the cost of a breach rising — and it already has a more expensive impact than on any other sector. Also: new Dallas clinics from One Medical, insurers cracking down on unscheduled procedures, and more.
Fewer Than 1 In 3 Insured Patients With Hepatitis C Get Treatment
August 10, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Media outlets report on a new government study that highlights a failure in the medical insurance system: Though many people infected with hepatitis C can be cured by an expensive treatment, fewer than a third of people whose insurance covers the cure are accessing the drugs.
Dems Work To Quickly Push Health, Climate, And Tax Bill Through House
August 10, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
With a vote targeted for Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would ask members to approve the Inflation Reduction Act as it was passed in the Senate. Congressional Republicans who are physicians voiced concerns over the included drug pricing measures, while the Hill debate quickly bleeds onto the campaign trail. News outlets also examine the bill’s potential impact for many Americans.
HHS Targets Rural Health Care Gaps With $60M Investment
August 10, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
The Department of Health and Human Services will direct $60 million to rural communities with an aim toward increasing the depleted workforce and increasing health care access for people who live far from medical facilities.
First Edition: Aug. 10, 2022
August 10, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California Gov. Newsom Pins Political Rise on Abortion, Guns, and Health Care
By Angela Hart
August 10, 2022
KHN Original
As California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims the role as the national Democratic Party’s political attack dog, he is trolling red-state governors over their positions on guns and abortion. He’s also making a case for himself — with health care front and center.
Rapper Fat Joe Says No One Is Making Sure Hospitals Post Their Prices
By Julie Appleby
August 10, 2022
KHN Original
A TV and social media ad offers a reason to check on the enforcement of a sweeping rule that requires hospitals to post information about what they charge insurers and cash-paying patients.
US Trauma Care Access Improves, But Remains Patchy
August 9, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Though a national system to care for patients with traumatic injuries hasn’t been created, despite expert calls to the White House years ago, a study found access to care has improved since the 2010s. Unevenly, though. Also: medical bill transparency, hospital marketing on social media, and more.
First Edition: Aug. 9, 2022
August 9, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Biden Is Out Of Covid Isolation After Second Negative Test
August 8, 2022
KHN Morning Briefing
President Joe Biden left his prolonged isolation on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, reports on expectations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changing covid guidelines are mixed, with some expecting no change, others expecting relaxations when it comes to schools.