Latest California Healthline Stories
In The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
Health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers are exploring how two legal provisions — which have been on the books for decades — could bring down the price tags of certain prescription medications.
Managing Your Mental Health While Managing A Newsroom’s Social Media
Reflections on coping with a new high-stress profession.
Congress Targets Misuse Of Hospice Drugs
In the bipartisan opioid bill headed to the president’s desk, hospice workers would be allowed to destroy patients’ unneeded opioids, reducing the risk that families misuse them.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Some Things Old, Some Things New
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner discuss final action on bills in Congress to address the opioid epidemic and fund federal health agencies. They also look at new efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on teen nicotine use.
Dirty Air And Disasters Sending Kids To The ER For Asthma
Children in some California counties visit emergency rooms for asthma at nearly double the statewide rate, which experts attribute largely to air pollution that is likely to worsen as wildfires and other environmental disasters increase in severity.
Without Safety Net Of Kids Or Spouse, ‘Elder Orphans’ Need Fearless Fallback Plan
Older adults who lack a conventional support system should plan ahead to deal with life’s predictable challenges as they age.
High-Deductible Health Plans Fall From Grace In Employer-Based Coverage
Once viewed as a promising cost-control tool, such insurance faces new competition on benefits menus from more traditional insurance. But, according to new research, none of those choices is getting less expensive.
VA Adding Opioid Antidote To Defibrillator Cabinets For Quicker Overdose Response
A project that started in a Boston Veterans Affairs facility will soon go nationwide. It puts naloxone, also known as Narcan, into emergency supplies cabinets throughout the VA system.
Eat, Toke Or Vape: Teens Not Too Picky When It Comes To Pot’s Potpourri
State legalization efforts, as well as the introduction of edible or vaporized cannabis- infused products, may be contributing to experimentation by teens.
Drugmakers Play The Patent Game To Lock In Prices, Block Competitors
Pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, often win patents for incremental changes with debatable value. Now there’s a twist involving an opioid treatment.