Latest California Healthline Stories
Lawsuit Details How The Sackler Family Allegedly Built An OxyContin Fortune
WBUR and other media organizations sued Purdue Pharma to force the release of previously redacted information in a case brought by the Massachusetts attorney general.
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.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Live From D.C.: A Look Ahead At Health Policy In 2019
Congress and President Donald Trump are starting to wrestle with health policy issues, and health is already a key debate point in the early run-up to the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. Might any major health policy legislation be passed and signed this year? Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Kimberly Leonard of The Washington Examiner, along with special guest Tom Miller of the American Enterprise Institute, join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and take questions from a live studio audience.
Patients Suffer When Health Care Behemoths Quarrel Over Contracts
The latest example is Sutter Health and Anthem Blue Cross, whose failure to seal a deal is causing Anthem members to worry they may not have access to one of the dominant hospital chains in Northern California. Across the U.S., the stakes in such contract fights have risen, as health systems and insurers battle to increase their market share.
Nonprofit Dental Insurer Under Scrutiny For ‘Flagrant’ Spending
Delta Dental of California, with more than 36 million enrollees across the country, is looking to buy a stake in a for-profit insurance company based in Oregon. Consumer advocates are calling on regulators to scrutinize the transaction, arguing that it is just the latest questionable move by the nonprofit dental insurer whose corporate practices may be out of step with its tax-exempt status.
Congress Wades Into Emotional Debate Over High-Cost Prescription Drugs
Key House and Senate committees kick off hearings on drug prices, and patients’ families weigh in with tragic stories.
Community Hospitals Link Arms With Prestigious Facilities To Raise Their Profiles
A growing number of community hospitals are forming alliances with some of the nation’s biggest and most prestigious institutions. But for prospective patients, it can be hard to assess what these relationships actually mean.
Hope You’re Sitting Down: Hospital Charges $4,700 For A Fainting Spell
A 39-year-old man fainted after getting a flu shot at work, and a colleague called 911. He turned out to be fine, but the trip to the ER cost him his whole deductible.
Espero que estés sentado: Le cobran $4,700… por desmayarse
Se cayó al piso luego de recibir la vacuna contra la gripe en el trabajo. Y un colega llamó al 911. Lo que siguió fue un espanto de cuenta médica.
Hospitals Check To See If Patients Are Donor-Worthy — Not Their Organs, But Pockets
Hospitals often contract with market data firms to screen patients’ wealth. That software allows the hospitals to gauge patients’ propensity to donate based on public records, including property and stock ownership and campaign donations.