Feds Hope to Cut Sepsis Deaths by Hitching Medicare Payments to Treatment Stats
By Julie Appleby
A new rule sets specific treatment metrics for suspected sepsis cases in an effort to reduce deaths, but some experts say the measures could add to antibiotic overuse and need to be more flexible.
Timing and Cost of New Vaccines Vary by Virus and Health Insurance Status
By Julie Appleby
Flu. Covid. RSV. When and how to get vaccinated against them can be confusing. Here are some of the most important things to know.
Proposed Rule Would Make Hospital Prices Even More Transparent
By Julie Appleby
A Biden administration proposal would help standardize the data on prices that hospitals provide to patients, increase its usefulness to consumers, and boost enforcement. Previous rules gave hospitals too many loopholes.
Survey: Americans Want Weight Loss Drugs Despite High Cost
By Julie Appleby
A new poll reveals enthusiasm for a pricey new generation of weight loss drugs, but interest drops if users potentially have to deal with weekly injections, lack of insurance coverage, or a need to continue the medications indefinitely to avoid regaining weight.
Everything Old Is New Again? The Latest Round of Health Policy Proposals Reprises Existing Ideas
By Julie Appleby
House Republican legislation promises more health insurance options but fewer protections, even as the Biden administration seeks to rein in short-term plans, which were expanded in the Trump era.
A Windfall in Health Insurance Rebates? It’s Not as Crazy as It Sounds
By Julie Appleby
The billion-dollar amount cited by former Sen. Al Franken, while an estimate, is likely very close to what insurers will owe this year under a provision of the Affordable Care Act that compels rebates when insurers spend too little on actual medical care.
Readers Weigh Downsides of Medicare Advantage and Stick Up for Mary Lou Retton
California Healthline gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Very Good Night for Abortion Rights Backers
Abortion rights backers won major victories in at least five states in the 2023 off-year elections Nov. 7, proving the staying power of abortion as a political issue in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health finally has a new director, after Democrats temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s nominee over a mostly unrelated fight about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
Trump’s Early Health Moves Signal Intent To Erase Biden’s Legacy. What’s Next Is Unclear.
By Julie Appleby and Stephanie Armour
President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and other actions on health care soon after reentering office. Other than signaling he intends to reverse many of Joe Biden’s moves, the orders will have little immediate impact.
No-Cost Preventive Services Are Now in Jeopardy. Here’s What You Need to Know.
By Julie Appleby
A federal judge’s recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act is by no means the final word. Even parsing its impact is complicated. Here are key issues to watch as the case works its way through the legal system.
