Category: Kaiser Health News

Pharmacy-Made Pain Creams Flagged On Fears Of Medicare Fraud And Risk

Inspector general identifies possible problems in nearly 23 percent of pharmacies that bill Medicare for blended creams, gels and lotions.

Pharmacy-Made Pain Creams Flagged On Fears Of Medicare Fraud And Risk

Inspector general identifies possible problems in nearly 23 percent of pharmacies that bill Medicare for blended creams, gels and lotions.

As Opioid Crisis Rages, Some Trade ‘Tough Love’ For Empathy

An approach known as Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or CRAFT, coaches families to deal with a loved one’s substance abuse with compassion.

Once Its Greatest Foes, Doctors Are Embracing Single-Payer

Young physicians are pushing the medical establishment to rethink its long-held opposition. The political fallout could be substantial.

Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows

The number of diabetes drug prescriptions filled for low-income people enrolled in Medicaid rose sharply in states that expanded eligibility for the program under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study.

Stanford’s Chief Wellness Officer Aims To Prevent Physician Burnout

Tait Shanafelt focuses on helping doctors cope with such problems as long hours and copious record-keeping, seeking to prevent burnout and reduce the rate of physician suicide. As doctors’ well-being improves, he says, so does patient care.

Doctors Reckon With High Rate Of Suicide In Their Ranks

The devastating loss of a promising young doctor prompts soul-searching and action at one of the nation’s largest emergency room staffing companies.

Trying To Pinpoint Hurricane’s True Toll, Researchers Say 1,139 Died In Puerto Rico

The estimate, published in the journal JAMA, dwarfs the government’s toll of 64 but is far lower than another highly touted analysis.

How Rival Opioid Makers Sought To Cash In On Alarm Over OxyContin’s Dangers

Fentanyl and other painkillers marketed as safer than Purdue Pharma’s blockbuster drug left their own trail of overdose deaths.

Patients With Chronic Pain Feel Caught In An Opioid-Prescribing Debate

States are passing laws that limit a doctor’s ability to prescribe opioids. Doctors and patients alike are wrestling with what that means in cases of chronic pain.