Insurance

Latest California Healthline Stories

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Reading The Tea Leaves In Blue Wave’s Wake

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Ollstein of Politico and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News discuss the impact of House Democratic leadership elections and their impact on health policy; as well as efforts by the Trump administration to address high drug prices and ensure the safety of medical devices. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Jay Hancock about the latest “Bill of the Month.”

Under Trump, Number Of Uninsured Kids Rose For First Time This Decade

About 276,000 more children are among the country’s uninsured, a new report finds. Though the uptick is statistically small, it is striking because uninsured rates usually decrease during periods of economic growth.

Watch: Why Infusion Drugs Come With Sticker Shock

The story of an Ohio mom who faced an outrageous bill for a new medicine for multiple sclerosis is the latest installment in the “Bill of the Month” series, an ongoing crowdsourced investigation by KHN and NPR.

Chronically Ill, Traumatically Billed: The $123,000 Medicine For MS

Shereese Hickson’s doctor wanted her to try the infusion drug Ocrevus for her multiple sclerosis. Even though Hickson is trained as a medical billing coder, she was shocked to see two doses of the drug priced at $123,019, with her share set at $3,620.

Buyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?

Policyholders reason that their health is good — for now — and they don’t see the need for costly comprehensive coverage. Detractors say the plans undermine the Affordable Care Act, and agents advise reading the fine print. “You basically have to be in perfect health,” says one.