Health Care Costs

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lawmakers in the nation’s capital have yet to grapple with rising drug costs, but Ohio voters are being asked — in a single ballot-box question next week — to figure out how best to lower the tab the state pays for prescriptions. The Drug Price Relief Act, better known as Ohio Issue 2, […]

Laws designed to equalize out-of-pocket costs faced by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy — whether treated intravenously, with pills or liquid doses — are having mixed results, according to new research. The study, published online this week by JAMA Oncology, found these so-called state “parity” laws have not uniformly reduced patients’ out-of-pocket spending. The laws became popular […]

Are parents responsible for adult children’s medical debts? Should people squeeze in appointments and expensive procedures before year’s end because of changes that might come with the GOP tax bill? Should consumers pay a broker to help them enroll in a plan? I answer these questions from readers this week. Q: My 25-year-old brother died […]

This story also ran on USA Today. This story can be republished for free (details). A 25-year-old federal drug discount program has grown so big and controversial that it faces a fight for survival as federal officials and lawmakers furiously debate the program’s reach. The program, known as 340B, requires pharmaceutical companies to give steep […]

This story also ran on USA Today. This story can be republished for free (details). Every November, like clockwork, she gets the same letter, said Dr. Lindsay Irvin, a pediatrician in San Antonio. It’s from the drug company Pfizer Inc., and it informs her that the price tag for the pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13 is […]

This story also ran on NPR. This story can be republished for free (details). As President Donald Trump talked tax reform on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Arkansas patient advocate Andrea Taylor was also meeting with lawmakers and asking them to save a corporate tax credit for rare disease drug companies. Taking the credit away, Taylor said, […]

This story also ran on CNN Money. This story can be republished for free (details). Linda Radach has had six hip replacement operations since 2006, three on each side. Osteoarthritis was the reason she needed surgery in the first place, but replacing her hips in some ways only worsened her troubles. Following two of the […]

The ongoing uncertainty about congressional changes to the health law — and their impact on insurance and the online marketplaces — continues to raise questions among consumers. Here are answers to recent queries. Q: Does the GOP tax bill affect health savings accounts? At this time, there are no changes aimed specifically at HSAs. These […]

Use Our Content This Kaiser Health News story can be republished for free (details). More Stories To Republish Early last winter, Pfizer launched its new rheumatoid arthritis treatment, Inflectra, pricing it 15 percent below the $4,000-a-dose wholesale price of Remicade, the drug for which it is a close copy. Pfizer figured its lower price would […]

Use Our Content This Kaiser Health News story can be republished for free (details). More Stories To Republish The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for businesses to band together in “associations” to buy health insurance. These rules, supporters say, will lead to more affordable […]