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Based on research conducted at the University of Michigan’s medical center, a group of surgeons developed a strategy to help post-surgical patients from misusing or abusing their prescription painkillers.
Even though consumers don’t expect to pay for faulty service or goods, they are often forced to pay for bad health care. But a small number of hospitals and doctors are seeking to change that practice.
What will the mega-merger mean for consumers and the health care industry? Senior correspondent Chad Terhune offers insight.
An explosive report prepared by a SynerMed executive alleges the California firm, which oversaw care for 1.2 million patients, fabricated documents and violated state and federal regulations for years. The state says it left low-income patients on Medicaid managed care in “imminent danger.”
Behavioral care was four times more likely to be out-of-network than medical or surgical care, an analysis by Milliman shows.
The number of hospitals across the country has plummeted, but many old buildings are being resuscitated as apartments and condos.
The House and Senate want to reduce or eliminate federal tax credits for “orphan drugs” used to treat rare diseases, but patients are fighting against the plan.
Southern Illinois University has concluded its researcher violated university rules and U.S. law.
Medicare and insurers struggle to oversee a booming business in testing urine samples. In some cases, pain doctors’ lack of follow-through can turn fatal.
Drugmakers, hospitals and lawmakers are taking sides in a showdown over a discount program that covers drug purchases at some hospitals.
Public outrage over surprise medical bills prompted 21 states to pass consumer protection laws. But these laws largely ignore ambulance rides, which can leave patients stuck with hundreds or even thousands of dollars in bills.
What to do if you get hit by an exorbitant ambulance bill — and how to avoid them in the first place.
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Sarah Jane Tribble of Kaiser Health News discuss some of the under-covered health stories of the past several weeks, including drug price issues, the opioid epidemic and women’s reproductive health.
Southern Illinois University’s William Halford conducted unregulated human herpes experiments in hotels near university campus, emails show.
Following minor surgery, KHN’s consumer columnist sees how easily doctors offer pain pills, fueling epidemic of opioid addiction.
"'Fingers crossed' that I haven’t authorized something the FTC will hunt me down for,” a staffer wrote after destroying the documents. Sutter, a huge Northern California Health system with 24 hospitals, said it destroyed them by mistake.
What being old and sick in America can mean — and ways to navigate the often treacherous journey through the system.
The Department of Managed Health Care cited one example in which consumers and advocates had to call the insurer 22 times to contest a decision. Still, the complaint still was not resolved until the department became involved.
State regulators and insurers are looking into SynerMed, which medical groups depend upon to handle their finances and business operations. The groups, serving 1 million patients, fear a messy fallout.
Doctors and pharmacists in Northern California are emulating drug company sales reps with a fresh purpose in mind: They visit medical offices in the hardest-hit counties to change their peers' prescribing habits and curtail the use of painkillers.
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