Cost and Quality

Latest California Healthline Stories

‘Pharma Bro’ Shkreli Is In Prison, But Daraprim’s Price Is Still High

The saga of Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals focused a lot of attention on prescription drug prices, but no reversal of the exponential price increases for the lifesaving drug Daraprim resulted. The story offers an object lesson into the interworkings of the pharmaceutical market.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Medicaid, Privacy And Tom Price’s Return

Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the latest on states’ efforts to reshape their Medicaid programs, the kerfuffle over President Donald Trump’s medical records and comments by former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about Congress’ repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” penalty. Rovner also interviews Harvard professor Robert Blendon about the complex politics of health in the coming midterm elections.

Boom in Proton Therapy Is A Bust For Some. Blame A Shortage of Patients.

Hospitals and private investors have pumped vast sums of money into an advanced type of radiology that mostly spares healthy tissue while attacking tumors. The spending hasn’t always paid off — leading some facilities to close or, as in the case of a San Diego center last year, file for bankruptcy.