Latest Kaiser Health News Stories
Drug Industry Patents Go Under Senate Judiciary Committee’s Microscope
During a hearing Tuesday, panel members focused on how drug companies have used patents to allegedly protect their competitive edge and profits.
Feds Want To Show Health Care Costs On Your Phone, But That Could Take Years
Giving consumers more knowledge about the costs of care has long been desired, but administration officials cautioned it could take two years or more for useful data to appear in a phone app.
Putting A Face To Surprise Bills: Among Specialists, Plastic Surgeons Most Often Out-Of-Network
Many plastic surgeons don’t participate in health plans, even when providing emergency care at a hospital. Too often that catches patients off guard.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
Short-Staffed Nursing Homes See Drop In Medicare Ratings
In its latest update to the Nursing Home Compare website, the government gave 1,638 homes its lowest star rating for staffing — one star on its five-star scale. Most were downgraded because payroll records reported no registered-nurse hours at all for at least four days.
For Those With Developmental Disabilities, Dental Needs Are Great, Good Care Elusive
Lack of access means that people with physical and cognitive disabilities have a heavier burden of dental disease.
Even Doctors Can’t Navigate Our ‘Broken Health Care System’
A physician’s frustration navigating a medical emergency with his elderly father reveals a complex, dysfunctional system.
CBO’s Report On Single-Payer Health Care Holds More Questions Than Answers
The Congressional Budget Office report does clearly communicate that shifting to this type of health system would be a complicated process.
Summer Bummer: A Young Camper’s $142,938 Snakebite
The snake struck a 9-year-old hiker at dusk on a nature trail. The outrageous bills struck her parents a few weeks later.
Will Ties To A Catholic Hospital System Tie Doctors’ Hands?
Doctors at the University of California’s flagship San Francisco hospital are sharply divided over a proposal to join forces with a Catholic-run system that restricts care on the basis of religious doctrine — part of a broader public debate as Catholic hospitals expand their reach.
Is Insulin’s High Cost Keeping Diabetes Patients From Taking Their Medicine?
An estimated 1.25 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes and cannot live without insulin. Sen. Kamala Harris’ claim that 1 in 4 diabetes patients cannot afford their insulin is a shockingly high number, so we decided to dig into the sparse data.
Hospitals Chafe Under Medicare’s New Payment Rule For Off-Campus Clinics
Under the rule that took effect this year, Medicare will lower payments for clinic visits performed at hospital-owned facilities to a rate that is equivalent to what it pays an independent doctor. Federal officials expect the move will save the government $380 million this year.
Association Insurance Pushes On Despite Court Ruling
Judge cited an attempted “end-run” around the Affordable Care Act in rejecting large chunks of a new rule expanding access to such plans for small businesses and single proprietors.
Americans Overwhelmingly Want Federal Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
Three-quarters of people urge action to keep patients from facing high medical costs when their insurance doesn’t cover the care, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll.
In 10 Years, Half Of Middle-Income Elders Won’t Be Able To Afford Housing, Medical Care
An eye-opening study of demographics and income finds that the costs of assisted-living care will soon be out of reach for people on fixed incomes — and their children.
Watch: Price of a Brace Brings Soccer Player to His Knees
KHN ethnic media editor Paula Andalo appeared on Telemundo, where she offered advice about how to avoid overpaying for medical equipment you may not need.
As Syphilis Invades Rural America, A Fraying Health Safety Net Is Failing To Stop It
Syphilis is spreading from big cities into rural counties across the Midwest and West. One Missouri clinic has seen more than six times as many cases in the first few months of 2019 compared with the same period last year. Communities grappling with budget cuts and crumbling public health infrastructure also lack experience in fighting the disease.
The Blame Game: Everyone And No One Is Raising Insulin Prices
During Wednesday’s House subcommittee hearing on insulin price hikes, drug makers and benefits managers pointed fingers at each other for the last decade’s 300% price increase, frustrating congressional representatives.
Can Someone Tell Me What A PBM Does?
The Senate Finance Committee’s third drug-pricing hearing focused on pharmacy benefit managers, and was more of a fact-finding mission on how these companies operate than a debate about policy proposals.
Big Soda Pours Big Bucks Into California’s Capitol
The soda industry spent $11.8 million to influence policy statewide in 2017 and 2018. As politicians once again consider bills that would tax and label sugary drinks, more big money is expected to flow.
