Category: Kaiser Health News

Medicare Plan Finder Likely Won’t Note New $35 Cap on Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs

In August, Congress approved a $35 cap on what seniors will pay for insulin, but that change came too late to add to the online tool that helps Medicare beneficiaries compare dozens of drug and medical plans. Federal officials say beneficiaries who use insulin will have the opportunity to switch plans after open enrollment ends Dec. 7.

Patients Complain Some Obesity Care Startups Offer Pills, and Not Much Else

A new wave of obesity care startups offer access to new weight loss medications. But do they offer good health care?

California Stockpiles Penalties From Uninsured Residents Instead of Lowering Care Costs

California is collecting hundreds of millions of dollars a year in tax penalties from uninsured residents. The state was supposed to use the money to help lower costs for Californians who couldn’t afford insurance but hasn’t distributed any of the revenue it has collected — citing uncertain economic times.

Thousands of Experts Hired to Aid Public Health Departments Are Losing Their Jobs

As the covid-19 pandemic raged, an independent nonprofit tied to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hired an army of seasoned professionals to fill the gaps in the country’s public health system. Now, the money has largely run out, and state and local health departments are again without their expertise.

Sick Profit: Investigating Private Equity’s Stealthy Takeover of Health Care Across Cities and Specialties

Private equity firms have shelled out almost $1 trillion to acquire nearly 8,000 health care businesses, in deals almost always hidden from federal regulators. The result: higher prices, lawsuits, and complaints about care.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: No Money, No Job, No Health Care? Not Always.

For many Americans, it’s open enrollment season for 2023 health insurance. One listener asked: If you don’t have a job and are too old to be on your parents’ plan, does it make sense to rely on charity care? This episode breaks it all down.

‘Impending Intergenerational Crisis’: Americans With Disabilities Lack Long-Term Care Plans

Many Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not have long-term plans for when family members can no longer care for them. Families, researchers, and advocates worry that has set the stage for a crisis in which people with disabilities could end up living in institutional settings.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Midterm Shake-Up

Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. The predicted Republican “red wave” was a no-show in this week’s midterm elections, but the margins in both the U.S. House and Senate are so small that […]

Stopping the Churn: Why Some States Want to Guarantee Medicaid Coverage From Birth to Age 6

Oregon has become the first state to allow kids to stay in the government health care program from birth to age 6, no matter if their household income changes. California, Washington, and New Mexico are pursuing similar policies.

Homelessness Among Older People Is on the Rise, Driven by Inflation and the Housing Crunch

In Montana and across the nation, homeless shelters are reporting that people older than 60 are a growing proportion of their populations.