Latest California Healthline Stories
Drug-Pricing Policies Find New Momentum As ‘A 2020 Thing’
Emboldened by midterm election results and interest in possible presidential runs, Democrats are advancing a slew of new and old legislative proposals. It’s not yet clear, though, which if any could go the distance.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ ‘Medicare-For-All’? More? Some?
“Medicare-for-all” has become the rallying cry for Democrats in the new Congress. But there is a long list of other ways to increase insurance coverage. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to chip away at the Medicaid program for the poor, and new rules could mean higher costs for individual health insurance in 2020. Alice Ollstein of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and, for “extra credit,” provide their favorite health policy stories of the week.
Transparent Hospital Pricing Exposes Wild Fluctuation, Even Within Miles
A new federal rule requires hospitals to post their prices online. These lists reveal the wildly different charges for basic procedures and services, but consumers will have a hard time putting this information to use.
Trump Zeroes In On Surprise Medical Bills In White House Chat With Patients, Experts
Patients and doctors got a chance to share their nightmarish experiences with medical bills with President Donald Trump and other top White House officials.
Alcohol-Linked Disease Overtakes Hep C As Top Reason For Liver Transplant
New research suggests that attitudes toward liver transplant candidates who have a history of alcohol abuse are softening.
New House Democrats’ Focus On Abortion Rights Could Stymie Work With Senate
Members of the new Democratic majority in the House are vowing to reverse restrictions that Republicans have imposed on abortions. But the efforts could lead to titanic fights that imperil other legislation.
Analysis: Can States Fix The Disaster Of American Health Care?
The governor of California has proposed some big ideas. Who knows whether he can pull them off, but there’s reason for hope.
Doctors Call California’s Probe Of Opioid Deaths A ‘Witch Hunt’
In a unique crackdown on what it sees as “excessive prescribing,” the state medical board is investigating hundreds of doctors whose patients ultimately died of opioid overdoses — whether or not the doctors prescribed the fatal medications.
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.
County By County, Researchers Link Opioid Deaths To Drugmakers’ Marketing
A JAMA study looking at county-specific federal data finds that the more opioid-related marketing dollars spent in a county, the higher rates of doctors who prescribed those drugs, and ultimately, more overdose deaths.