President Trump is nominating Heidi Overton, a physician and White House policy adviser, to lead the FDA, which has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since May. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews billionaire businessman Mark Cuban.
Healthcare workers at a Michigan hospital have been on strike since last September. Violence on the job is one reason behind it, with federal data showing hospital workers are seven times as likely to be injured on the job due to violent acts as members of the general working population.
Patients and researchers point to evidence that many cancer drug dosages are excessive, and that reducing the amount and frequency could save billions of dollars and prevent some of the worst side effects.
The Department of Health and Human Services has launched an effort to streamline clinical research, and legislation is pending in Congress. But patients and providers face participation challenges.
More cataract patients, wanting not only restored but improved vision, are paying extra for their doctors to use a laser when a scalpel would do.
These specialized units can help keep older patients out of the hospital, lower their healthcare costs, and more.
California is the first to launch state-branded insulin as Gov. Gavin Newsom tries to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry. But the new CalRx drug label has been slow to reach pharmacies and patients.
Some seriously ill patients improve on hospice. About 1 in 16 patients enrolled in hospice care lose eligibility as a result. Here’s how to get appropriate care after receiving a terminal diagnosis.
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly asking for payment before providing care, collecting more of what patients might owe as rising insurance deductibles add to Americans' financial pressures.
