In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, near a storefront advertising “free” cellphones, J.R. sat in an empty back stairwell and showed a reporter how he tries to avoid overdosing when he smokes crack cocaine. KFF Health News is identifying him by his initials because he fears being arrested for using illegal drugs. It had been several hours…
by MIKE MAGEE THCB is back from its end of year break, but we are starting with a little catchup from December from Mike Magee. As my wife often reminds me, “Comparisons are toxic.” And, in general, I agree and try to respect this cardinal rule. But these are extraordinary times. So grant me this…
The Host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to…
China has been transitioning from a fee-for-service (FFS) payment system to a Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) payment system for hospitals in various cities. Under the FFS model, hospitals were reimbursed for each individual healthcare service provided, which created incentives to increase the number of services during a patient’s hospitalization. In June 2019, the National Healthcare Security…
BAKER CITY, Ore. — In what has become a routine event in rural America, a hospital maternity ward closed in 2023 in this small Oregon town about an hour from the Idaho border. For Shyanne McCoy, 23, that meant the closest hospital with an obstetrician on staff when she was pregnant was a 45-mile drive…
To answer this question, I of course asked different AIs what the answer would be. Their responses: ChatGPT. In 2025, AI will significantly enhance healthcare by improving diagnostic accuracy, such as detecting early-stage cancers through tools like AI-enhanced mammograms and identifying retinal diseases via AI-analyzed optical scans. Personalized medicine will advance as AI tools like…
What were the most popular posts on Healthcare Economist this year? Here are the top 10 in descending order: Valuing the Societal Impact of Medicines and Other Health Technologies: A User Guide to Current Best PracticesThe world is relying on the United States to get value-based drug pricing rightWhy is the market design for innovative…
In the US, opioid abuse has become and epidemic. However, in the past year, there is some hope that this epidemic is starting to reverse. Opioid deaths have fallen by 16.9% in the past year. Why have deaths fallen? According to The Economist, no one is sure: One possibility is a supply shock…the amount of…
In 2024, our nationwide team of gumshoes set out to answer your most pressing questions about medical bills, such as: Can free preventive care really come with add-on bills for items like surgical trays? Or, why does it cost so much to treat a rattlesnake bite? Or, if it’s called an urgent care emergency center,…
Bill Hall, 71, has been fighting for his life for 38 years. These days, he’s feeling worn out. Hall contracted HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, in 1986. Since then, he’s battled depression, heart disease, diabetes, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer, and prostate cancer. This past year, Hall has been hospitalized five times with dangerous…