Latest California Healthline Stories
Gastos de bolsillo impiden que más personas reciban la droga que previene el VIH
Funcionarios de salud pública están intensificando esfuerzos para que más personas puedan consumir PrEP. Pero aseguradoras ponen trabas al uso de cupones.
Out-Of-Pocket Costs Put HIV Prevention Drug Out Of Reach For Many At Risk
It’s getting increasingly difficult for patients to afford Truvada, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, because of the drug’s high price and insurance company efforts to restrict the use of coupons that shield patients from it.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
State Prisons Fail To Offer Cure To 144,000 Inmates With Deadly Hepatitis C
A survey of 49 states reveals that an estimated 144,000 inmates with hepatitis C, a curable but potentially fatal disease, can’t get the expensive drugs they need to cure it. California lawmakers allocated $106 million in the state’s new budget to treat more infected prisoners.
Can Insurers Use Genetic Testing Results? A Reader Wants To Know
Other readers ask what can be done to challenge unexpected medical bills — whether the result of an emergency room visit or after a change in prescription drug coverage.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Whither Work Requirements?
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News discuss the latest enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky and President Donald Trump’s proposed government reorganization plan. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Tennessee-Based Pain Management Group To Close Clinics Amid Financial Turmoil
The CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialists was indicted in April. Now the group is closing clinics across several states.
Doling Out Pain Pills Post-Surgery: An Ingrown Toenail Not The Same As A Bypass
As the opioid epidemic rages, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and researcher is leading an effort to curb overprescribing by offering procedure-specific guidelines to ensure that post-surgical patients leave the hospital with enough, but not too much, pain medication.
California Poised To Expand Access To Hepatitis C Drugs
New state rules and funding, which are pending approval from the governor, would make almost all Medi-Cal recipients with hepatitis C eligible for pricey, lifesaving medications, as long as they are at least 13 and have more than one year to live.
Benefit Change Could Raise Costs For Patients Getting Drug Copay Assistance
More health plans are refusing to count the copayment assistance offered by drug makers as part of the patients’ deductibles or out-of-pocket limits.