Category: Health Industry

Hospices Have Become Big Business for Private Equity Firms, Raising Concerns About End-of-Life Care

Private equity firms are seeing opportunities for profit in hospice care, once the domain of nonprofit organizations. The investment companies are transforming the industry — and might be jeopardizing patient care — in the process.

Nursing Homes Are Suing the Friends and Family of Residents to Collect Debts

Debt lawsuits — long a byproduct of America’s medical debt crisis — can ensnare not only patients but also those who help sick and older people be admitted to nursing homes, a KHN-NPR investigation finds.

Health Insurance Price Data: It’s Out There, but It’s Not for the Faint of Heart

Health insurers and self-insured employer plans are now required to post their negotiated rates for almost every type of medical service. But navigating through the trove of information is no easy task.

Even Well-Intended Laws Can’t Protect Us From Inaccurate Provider Directories

State and federal laws require health plans to offer accurate lists of participating doctors and facilities, but consumers still struggle to get timely appointments with providers.

Parents Become Drug Developers to Save Their Children’s Lives

Families affected by ultra-rare diseases are starting their own companies to speed the development of treatments for their kids, venturing into territory that traditional drugmakers deem too risky.

No-Bid Medicaid Contract for Kaiser Permanente Is Now California Law, but Key Details Are Missing

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last month that authorizes a statewide Medicaid contract for HMO giant Kaiser Permanente. But details still need to be worked out in a memorandum of understanding.

No-Bid Medicaid Contract for Kaiser Permanente Is Now California Law, but Key Details Are Missing

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last month that authorizes a statewide Medicaid contract for HMO giant Kaiser Permanente. But details still need to be worked out in a memorandum of understanding.

Biden’s FTC Has Blocked 4 Hospital Mergers and Is Poised to Thwart More Consolidation Attempts

The president has directed the Federal Trade Commission to carefully consider health industry mergers that may stymie competition and drive up prices. The new Democratic majority appears eager to look beyond traditional hospital consolidations to deals that involve products, services, or staffing.

As Big Pharma Loses Interest in New Antibiotics, Infections Are Only Growing Stronger

Existing drugs still treat most infections. But that has discouraged investment in new drugs that will be needed when — not if —the old ones fail.

Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Is Killing Patients. Yet There Is a Simple Way to Stop It.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia not tied to ventilators is one of the most common infections that strike within health care facilities. But few hospitals take steps to prevent it, which can be as simple as dutifully brushing patients’ teeth.