Category: drug costs

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ ‘Conscience’ Rules, Rx Prices and Still More Medicare

Joanne Kenen of Politico, Jen Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the latest news about the Trump administration’s effort to allow health care practitioners and organizations to refuse to provide care or refer patients for services that violate their conscience or religion. Also this week, the administration orders TV ads for prescription drugs to include list prices. And Tennessee wants free rein from the federal government to run its Medicaid program. Plus, Rovner interviews Joan Biskupic, author of a new book on Chief Justice John Roberts, about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the 2012 ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.

The Money And Politics Of Prescription Drugs: What You Need To Know

America spends about as much on prescription drugs as all the revenues of the three big car makers combined. Tracking where the money goes is hard. PolitiFact has some charts to help.

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.

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.

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.

Newsom: California Leads On Prescription Drugs

  California regularly portrays itself as a national trendsetter on political issues, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is claiming that title on prescription drugs. Newsom has a plan to take on the drug industry, and at an April 17 news conference in Southern California, he declared that two other governors already want to join his effort. […]

Klobuchar Wants To Stop ‘Pay-For-Delay’ Deals That Keep Drug Prices High

It’s as shady as it sounds.

Mulvaney: Trump Brought Down Drug Prices For The First Time In 50 Years

It’s “within spitting distance of something that’s true,” said one health economist. But our fact check found it wasn’t quite there.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Still More ‘Medicare-For-All’

Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the latest version of a “Medicare-for-all” bill by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a presidential hopeful, and Democratic and Republican reactions to it. They also discuss the latest on congressional efforts to rein in drug prices and another state effort to expand Medicaid — but not exactly in the way voters wanted. Also, Rovner interviews Ceci Connolly of the Alliance of Community Health Plans.

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.