Category: Kaiser Health News

Device-Safety Experts To FDA: Make Data Public

For almost two decades, device makers have sent reports of incidents to databases hidden from public view.

Trump Administration Changes Course, Asks Court To Strike Down ACA

The action comes in the lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general and governors challenging Obamacare. The Justice Department had originally argued that the law should stand but that its protections against preexisting conditions be overturned.

New Rules Will Ease Patients’ Access To Electronic Medical Records, Senate Panel Says

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), head of the influential HELP committee, wants to make it easier to share and store detailed medical histories.

States Push For Caregiver Tax Credits

Families often spend thousands of dollars caring for ailing loved ones at home. Lawmakers in California and at least seven other states want to provide some financial relief with state income tax credits.

Must-Reads Of The Week (Some Flying Below The Radar)

Executive editor Damon Darlin takes a spin as host of “The Friday Breeze,” whirling through a week of health care news so you don’t have to.

Aspiring Doctors Seek Advanced Training In Addiction Medicine

Once a tiny specialty that drew mostly psychiatrists, addiction medicine is expanding its accredited training to include primary care residents and “social justice warriors” who see it as a calling.

FDA Chief Calls For Stricter Scrutiny Of Electronic Health Records

In an interview, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb reacts to a KHN/Fortune investigation of the drawbacks and risks of electronic health records.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health’ Surprise! Fixing Surprise Medical Bills Is Harder Than it Looks

Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the efforts to curb “surprise” medical bills to patients who inadvertently get out-of-network care; a look at where the 2020 presidential candidates stand on health; and the Trump administration’s efforts to end HIV in the U.S. Also, Rovner interviews Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who is leaving his job in early April.

Health Plans For State Employees Use Medicare’s Hammer On Hospital Bills

Some plans are experimenting with the idea of closely tying hospital reimbursement rates to what Medicare pays. The approach could be a game changer in their effort to control health costs.

Does It Make Sense To Delay Children’s Vaccines?

The renewed squabble over vaccinations obscures a large group of parents who aren’t anti-vaxxers but spread out their children’s vaccines at a more gradual pace than doctors recommend. Pediatricians warn that could leave small children vulnerable to disease.