Latest Kaiser Health News Stories
Choosing Between Death And Deportation
What happens when an undocumented immigrant has a life-threatening diagnosis? Much depends on where the person lives. And even in states with generous care for a dire illness, a patient can face difficult life-and-death choices.
L.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
A judge orders the county to fix problem that harmed low-income seniors and people with disabilities, including those with serious health conditions.
‘Pharma Bro’ Shkreli Is In Prison, But Daraprim’s Price Is Still High
The saga of Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals focused a lot of attention on prescription drug prices, but no reversal of the exponential price increases for the lifesaving drug Daraprim resulted. The story offers an object lesson into the interworkings of the pharmaceutical market.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Medicaid, Privacy And Tom Price’s Return
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the latest on states’ efforts to reshape their Medicaid programs, the kerfuffle over President Donald Trump’s medical records and comments by former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about Congress’ repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” penalty. Rovner also interviews Harvard professor Robert Blendon about the complex politics of health in the coming midterm elections.
Happy Friday! Welcome to the inaugural edition of KHN’s Friday Breeze. As the newsletter editor at Kaiser Health News, I read hundreds of health stories a week, and I’m here each Friday to sum up the more important ones — interesting reads, news that will have lasting impact, unique takes on the big problems in the […]
Ding Dong! The Obamacare Tax Penalty Is(n’t) Dead
When President Donald Trump signed the nation’s new tax law, he also killed the Affordable Care Act’s tax penalty — but not until 2019. Despite widespread confusion, experts caution that consumers still need to pay the tax penalty if they were uninsured last year or will be this year.
Upsurge Of Suburban Poor Discover Health Care’s Nowhere Land
More low-income people now live in suburbs than in cities or rural areas, putting a strain on local health services. Suburbs, which traditionally have had fewer resources or infrastructure, are scrambling to catch up.
Listen: How A ‘Hippie Clinic’ In San Francisco Inspired A Medical Philosophy
The Haight Ashbury Free Clinic still serves people living on the fringes in San Francisco. This radio story recounts its 51-year history.
Running On Empty: CHIP Funding Could Run Out Jan. 19 For Some States
A fiscal patch that Congress approved last month proves not enough to keep coverage for children afloat, CMS says.
From Retirement To The Front Lines Of Hepatitis C Treatment
This doctor came out of retirement with the goal of treating every patient at high risk for hepatitis C he encounters. The problem is finding them.
‘Rock Star’ Navigator On Mission To Clear Health Insurance Hurdles For Vietnamese
In Texas, the uninsured rate among Vietnamese immigrants is nearly double the national rate. Navigators there are working to reverse that.
About A Third Of Americans Unaware Of Obamacare Open Enrollment
Nonetheless, federal officials report sign-ups are robust so far this year.
Big Gains In Latino Health Coverage Poised To Slip During Chaotic Enrollment Season
Efforts in past years have cut uninsured rates among Hispanics from 43 to 25 percent, but navigators say they anticipate a challenging sign-up period.
Flat-Fee Primary Care Helps Fill Niche For Texas’ Uninsured
Doctors offering this care charge a monthly fee for services that can be handled in the office. But patient advocates warn it is not insurance and offers no coverage for hospital or specialist care.
Medicaid Covers All That? It’s The Backstop Of America’s Ailing Health System
Those relying on the federal government’s safety net are grandmothers, the kid next door, your supermarket cashier — maybe even you.
Uninsured Rate Falls To Record Low Of 8.8%
Census Bureau reports that 28.1 million people in the country were without insurance in 2016, down from 29 million the year before.
Read Latest CBO Scores Of Senate Replacement Draft Bills
As Senate Republicans continue to revise its health care legislative drafts to try to reach 50 votes, the Congressional Budget Act estimates the impact of those changes.
Millions More Uninsured Could Impact Health Of Those With Insurance, Too
The return to high rates of uninsurance expected under GOP plans to repeal and replace Obamacare would mean less access to health care for people with insurance too, researchers say.
Senate Revises Health Care Legislation: Read The New Bill
The Senate releases an updated draft of its health care legislation. Read the bill and compare with the original.
Senate And House Take Different Plans To Scrap Individual Mandate
The Republicans’ penalty would affect people buying insurance who had a lapse in coverage of more than 63 days over a year.
