Jay Hancock

Jay Hancock was a senior correspondent for KFF Health News until he retired in Feburary 2022.

jayhancock@protonmail.com
@jayhancock1

Administration Eases Way For Small Businesses To Buy Insurance In Bulk

The Trump administration issued the final rule on association health plans, which supporters say will make coverage more affordable for some employees but led others to warn about “junk insurance.” Officials in California, aware of the state’s bad experience with such plans, are eager to avert their return.

Boom in Proton Therapy Is A Bust For Some. Blame A Shortage of Patients.

Hospitals and private investors have pumped vast sums of money into an advanced type of radiology that mostly spares healthy tissue while attacking tumors. The spending hasn’t always paid off — leading some facilities to close or, as in the case of a San Diego center last year, file for bankruptcy.  

As States Target High Drug Prices, Pharma Targets State Lawmakers

In Louisiana, the wining and dining of lawmakers by scores of pharma lobbyists proves a valuable lesson on how to win statehouse votes and influence profits, though their efforts fell short in California, which passed a drug transparency bill in 2017 despite massive opposition from drugmakers.