Category: Kaiser Health News

Short On Federal Funding, Obamacare Enrollment Navigators Switch Tactics

Enrollment is lagging this year as the Trump administration spends just $10 million on navigators to help individuals enroll in coverage, down from $63 million in 2016.

Sales Reps May Be Wearing Out Their Welcome In The Operating Room

Do sales reps in the operating room lend helpful expertise or inflate already bloated costs? Depends on whom you ask.

Is Trump Pushing Health Insurance Innovation Or An ACA Rollback?

The Trump administration offered states specific examples of how they could change the way they implement the Affordable Care Act. Critics say it could drive up premiums for many.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Reading The Tea Leaves In Blue Wave’s Wake

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Ollstein of Politico and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News discuss the impact of House Democratic leadership elections and their impact on health policy; as well as efforts by the Trump administration to address high drug prices and ensure the safety of medical devices. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Jay Hancock about the latest “Bill of the Month.”

Democrats Taking Key Leadership Jobs Have Pocketed Millions From Pharma

Top House Republican also received more than $1 million from drugmakers since 2007.

Under Trump, Number Of Uninsured Kids Rose For First Time This Decade

About 276,000 more children are among the uninsured, a new report finds. Though the uptick is statistically small, it is striking because uninsured rates usually decrease during periods of economic growth.

Chronically Ill, Traumatically Billed: The $123,000 Medicine For MS

Shereese Hickson’s doctor wanted her to try the infusion drug Ocrevus for her multiple sclerosis. Even though Hickson is trained as a medical billing coder, she was shocked to see two doses of the drug priced at $123,019, with her share set at $3,620.

One Twin’s Difficult Birth Puts A Project Designed To Reduce C-Sections To The Test

A woman had twins in a hospital south of Boston, and for doctors aiming to reduce cesarean sections, the second baby’s tricky arrival tested the limits of teamwork.

One Twin’s Difficult Birth Puts A Project Designed To Reduce C-Sections To The Test

A woman had twins in a hospital south of Boston, and for doctors aiming to reduce cesarean sections, the second baby’s tricky arrival tested the limits of teamwork.

Nonprofit Bets Asian-American Students Can Learn To Avoid Unhealthy Gambling

It’s not clear why Asian-American college students have higher rates of compulsive gambling than their peers, but a nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area arms them with strategies to avoid getting hooked.