Patients Squeezed in Fight Over Who Gets to Bill for Pricey Infusion Drugs
By Samantha Liss
July 5, 2023
KFF Health News Original
To drive down costs, insurers are bypassing hospital system pharmacies and delivering high-priced infusion drugs, including some used in chemotherapy, via third-party pharmacies. Smarting from losing out on billing for those drugs, hospitals and clinics are trying to convince states to limit this practice, known as “white bagging.”
5 Things to Know About Health Care Changes in Montana
By Matt Volz
May 7, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The covid pandemic drove major changes to Montana health policies, including the permanent expansion of telehealth regulations, a pullback on local public health officials’ authority and the easing of vaccination requirements for workers and students.
Community With High Medical Debt Questions Its Hospitals’ Charity Spending
By Markian Hawryluk
Updated August 29, 2023
Originally Published August 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Pueblo, Colorado, residents have higher-than-average medical debt, while the city’s two tax-exempt hospitals provide relatively low levels of charity care.
Doctors Hesitate to Ask About Patients’ Immigration Status Despite New Florida Law
By Daniel Chang
August 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Florida’s new immigration law requires hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status at admission and in emergency rooms, and report that information plus the cost of care for residents without legal status. Doctors and nurses who oppose the policy seem reluctant to criticize lawmakers for fear of political retribution.
As Nonprofit Hospitals Reap Big Tax Breaks, States Scrutinize Their Required Charity Spending
By Andy Miller and Markian Hawryluk
July 11, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Nonprofit hospitals avoid paying taxes if they provide community benefits such as charity care. More states are examining that trade-off, scrutinizing the extent of hospitals’ spending on their communities.
Biden Pick to Lead NIH Finally Has Her Day, but Still Gets Caught Up in Drug Price Debate
By Colleen DeGuzman
October 19, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Monica Bertagnolli, the president’s choice to head the National Institutes of Health, appeared before a Senate committee this week. Her confirmation has been held up by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has demanded President Joe Biden work more aggressively to lower prescription drug prices.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden Hits the Road to Sell Democrats’ Record
October 20, 2022
KFF Health News Original
With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, President Joe Biden has taken to the road to convince voters that he and congressional Democrats have delivered for them during two years in power. Among the health issues highlighted by the administration this week are pandemic preparedness and the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids. The president also promised to sign a bill codifying the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade if Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate — even though it’s a long shot that there will be enough votes for that. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Spending Deal Punts Annual Health Policy Debates To New Year
November 17, 2023
Morning Briefing
President Joe Biden signed the bill that funds a portion of the government through January and other parts through February. The deal pushes off several funding battles over health programs that have become a regular part of the holiday landscape on Capitol Hill for the past few years.
Will the Doctor See You Now? The Health System’s Changing Landscape
By Julie Appleby and Michelle Andrews
June 28, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The “front door” to the health system is changing, under pressure from increased demand, consolidation, and changing patient expectations.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Closing In on Covid Vaccines for ‘The Littles’
June 16, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The wait is nearly over for parents of kids under 5 as a key advisory committee to the FDA recommends authorizing a covid-19 vaccine for the youngest children. Meanwhile, Congress is struggling to fill in the details of its gun control compromise, and, as the Supreme Court prepares to throw the question of abortion legality back to the states, the number of abortions has been rising. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Compensation Is Key to Fixing Primary Care Shortage
By Michelle Andrews
November 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Many proposals have been floated about how to address the nation’s primary care problem. They range from training slots to medical school debt forgiveness but often sidestep comprehensive payment reform.
Cardiovascular Disease Is Primed to Kill More Older Adults, Especially Blacks and Hispanics
By Judith Graham
May 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of older Americans, with Black and Hispanic people at higher risk. Despite medical advances, researchers say, disparities are expected to worsen in the coming decades.
In Fight Over Medicare Payments, the Hospital Lobby Shows Its Strength
By Phil Galewitz and Colleen DeGuzman
February 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Medicare pays hospitals about double what it pays other providers for the same services. The hospital lobby is fighting hard to make sure a switch to “site-neutral payments” doesn’t become law.
Biden Admin In A Time Crunch Over Health Policy Rules For Medicaid, More
April 16, 2024
Morning Briefing
In order to avoid the risk of key policy rules on Medicaid, tobacco, reproductive health, and more being repealed by the next Congress, the White House has “just weeks” to finalize its decisions, Axios notes. Separately, a new bill aims to repeal mandatory Medicaid estate collections.
California’s Covid Misinformation Law Is Entangled in Lawsuits, Conflicting Rulings
By Bernard J. Wolfson
March 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A state law says giving false information to patients about covid-19 constitutes unprofessional conduct for which regulators can discipline doctors. Vaccine skeptics, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., join civil liberties groups and others in arguing that it violates free speech.
Millions of Dollars Flow From Pharma to Patient Advocacy Groups
By Rachana Pradhan
December 15, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Pharma money is all over the place — in universities, companies doing continuing medical education for doctors and in prominent patient advocacy organizations that are household names across America. Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy nonprofit, reports today that between 2010 and 2022, the drug industry’s main lobbying group and member companies provided at least $6 […]
Judge’s Decision Would Make Some No-Cost Cancer Screenings a Thing of the Past
By Julie Appleby and Michelle Andrews
March 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A U.S. District Court ruling overturned the section of the Affordable Care Act that makes preventive health services — from colonoscopies to diabetes screenings and more — available at no cost to consumers.
A Windfall in Health Insurance Rebates? It’s Not as Crazy as It Sounds
By Julie Appleby
June 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The billion-dollar amount cited by former Sen. Al Franken, while an estimate, is likely very close to what insurers will owe this year under a provision of the Affordable Care Act that compels rebates when insurers spend too little on actual medical care.
California Bill Would Mandate HPV Vaccine for Incoming College Students
By Rachel Scheier
April 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A state lawmaker wants all incoming college students to get an HPV vaccine, as part of a push to drive up vaccination rates and prevent cervical cancer. At least four other states have enacted a similar mandate.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Looking Ahead to the Lame-Duck Session
October 6, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Congress won’t be back in Washington until after Election Day, but lawmakers have left themselves a long list of items to finish up in November and December, including unfinished health care policies. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call; Jessie Hellmann, also of CQ Roll Call; and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Sam Whitehead, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a family who tried to use urgent care to save money, but ended up with a big emergency room bill anyway.