Category: Kaiser Health News

FDA Weighs Approval of a Lucrative Alzheimer’s Drug but Benefits Are Iffy

The agency is to decide by June 7 whether to greenlight Biogen’s drug aducanumab, despite a near-unanimous rejection of the product by an FDA advisory committee of outside experts in November. Some scientists at the agency have endorsed the drug, though.

Analysis: Mounting Pressure on China About Covid ‘Lab Leak’ Could Backfire

Where the coronavirus originated remains a mystery and the Chinese are bucking demands to let investigators see more.

In Missouri and Other States, Flawed Data Makes It Hard to Track Vaccine Equity

Racial and ethnic categories for vaccination data vary widely from one state to another, complicating efforts to distribute shots where they are needed most. In Missouri, some red flags in the data surfaced, making health officials question its usefulness.

Expanding Insurance Coverage Is Top Priority for New Medicare-Medicaid Chief

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the new head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the administration will focus on getting more people insured and is interested in finding a way to alleviate the gap keeping low-income families in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid from enrolling in Affordable Care Act health plans.

Newsom Wants to Spend Millions on the Health of Low-Income Mothers and Their Babies

Democratic legislators back measures that would end the “pink tax” on diapers and menstrual products, provide mental health support, and pilot a guaranteed-income program.

Many New Moms Get Kicked Off Medicaid 2 Months After Giving Birth. Illinois Will Change That.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of new mothers lose Medicaid coverage after 60 days when their income exceeds limits. But deadly childbirth complications persist months longer.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Drug Price Dilemma

Republicans, Democrats and the public at large agree that prices for prescription drugs are too high. But no one seems to know how to fix it. Vanderbilt University drug price researcher Stacie Dusetzina explains the basics of why drugs cost so much and why it’s hard to do something about it. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the prospects for policy changes.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Drug Price Dilemma

Republicans, Democrats and the public at large agree that prices for prescription drugs are too high. But no one seems to know how to fix it. Vanderbilt University drug price researcher Stacie Dusetzina explains the basics of why drugs cost so much and why it’s hard to do something about it. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the prospects for policy changes.

From Racial Justice to Dirty Air, California’s New AG Plots a Progressive Health Care Agenda

In a candid interview, California’s newly appointed attorney general, Rob Bonta, reflects on his progressive roots and says he will pursue a health care agenda centered on the principle that quality medical care is a right, not a privilege.

Doctors Tell How to Make the Most of Your Telehealth Visits

Public health restrictions put in place during the pandemic are loosening, meaning it’s OK to go back to your doctor’s office. But will virtual visits remain an option?