Latest California Healthline Stories
State Lawmakers Tackle Public Smoking And Lead Poisoning, But Punt On Single-Payer
California lawmakers adopted a drug price transparency bill and several other key health care measures as their legislative session ended last week, but they pushed off decisions on some big-name proposals such as single-payer health care.
California Drug Price Bill Sweeping In Scope, Lacking In Muscle
The proposal, which is headed to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown, would impose new reporting requirements on drugmakers and health plans but wouldn’t have the power to bring down prices directly.
FDA Guards Against Abuse Of ‘Orphan Drug’ Program
Following a KHN and NPR investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has moved to speed up approvals of “orphan drugs” while closing a loophole that allowed drugmakers to skip pediatric testing.
Facebook Live: The Prescription Drug Pricing Pipeline
In this Facebook Live, KHN’s Julie Appleby talks with Stephanie Stapleton and answers readers’ questions about the prescription drug pricing pipeline and the industry stakeholders who have a role in what you pay.
Nueva droga contra la leucemia ofrece esperanza, pero a un costo millonario
El tratamiento con una nueva droga del laboratorio Novartis para casos en los que ha fracasado la quimioterapia o el trasplante de médula costaría $649,000.
‘Breakthrough’ Leukemia Drug Also Portends ‘Quantum Leap’ In Cost
A genetically altered cancer drug, based on CAR T-cell therapies, could be a big success with leukemia patients but at a staggering cost.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Counties Coping With Scant Insurance Coverage
In this episode of “What the Health?” Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Karlin-Smith of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News discuss the problems some consumers will face with a lack of exchange-based insurance coverage in their regions. They also talk about the state of play on Capitol Hill and in the states concerning initiatives to lower prescription drug costs.
Hospitals Slashed Use Of Two Heart Drugs After Huge Price Hikes
Hospital use of two popular heart medicines, nitroprusside and isoproterenol, dramatically dropped after the prices for both soared.
Taking A U-Turn On Benefits, Big Employers Vow To Continue Offering Health Insurance
Three years ago, only about a quarter of the nation’s large employers were very confident they would have a health plan in 10 years. That number has now risen to 65 percent.
Denial, Appeal, Approval … An Adult’s Thorny Path To Spinraza Coverage
The FDA granted approval for Spinraza in late December for use on children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy. Insurance coverage is mostly focused on infants and children.