California Dabbles With Reining in Health Spending
By Bernard J. Wolfson
California is now among the states trying to keep health-care costs down by setting spending caps — a task that pits public officials against a deeply entrenched and heavily lawyered set of players. It’s uncertain whether the state can get insurers, hospitals and medical groups to collaborate on containing costs even as they jockey for […]
Many Young Adults Who Began Vaping as Teens Can’t Shake the Habit
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
New data on substance use among young adults suggests that many former teen e-cigarette users are continuing the habit.
Watch: California Pays Drug Users To Stay Clean
KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart discusses a state Medicaid experiment for people addicted to methamphetamine, cocaine, and other stimulants. For every clean urine test, they can earn money — up to $599 a year.
Biden Administration Advances Plan To Remove Medical Debt From Credit Scores
By Noam N. Levey
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed federal regulations that would prevent unpaid medical bills from being counted on consumers’ credit reports.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Medicaid coverage, abortion telehealth shield law, best diet for you and planet, hospital watch news, covid vaccines, and more.
Bird Flu Tests Are Hard To Get. So How Will We Know When To Sound the Pandemic Alarm?
By Amy Maxmen and Arthur Allen
If widely used, flu tests could be helpful now. In the meantime, the government needs to clear a path for H5N1 tests, researchers warn, to avoid the early missteps of the covid pandemic.
‘I Try To Stay Strong’: Mom Struggles To Get Diagnosis for Son’s Developmental Problems
By Sejal Parekh
An Alameda County mother has spent 10 months seeking help for her 4-year-old son’s speech and behavior issues from his school district and her Medicaid health insurer. She still doesn’t have an answer.
Biden Plan To Save Medicare Patients Money on Drugs Risks Empty Shelves, Pharmacists Say
By Susan Jaffe
President Joe Biden is campaigning for reelection on his efforts to cut costs for Medicare patients at the pharmacy counter. But independent pharmacists say one strategy makes it unaffordable for them to keep some brand-name medicines in stock.
Las pruebas para la gripe aviar son difíciles de conseguir. ¿Cómo saber si estamos en una pandemia?
By Amy Maxmen and Arthur Allen
Muchos laboratorios de diagnóstico están capacitados para detectar el virus. Sin embargo, la burocracia, los problemas de facturación y la falta de inversión no permiten aumentar rápidamente la disponibilidad generalizada de pruebas.
Daily Edition for Monday, June 10, 2024
Nursing home safety, maternal health, the housing crisis, climate-related disasters, MDMA, toxic stress, covid variants, and more are in the news.
