Category Archives: Health policy

Panel hears how drug price reform efforts could work – or not

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About Joseph Burns

Joseph Burns (@jburns18), a Massachusetts-based independent journalist, is AHCJ’s topic leader on health insurance. He welcomes questions and suggestions on insurance resources and tip sheets at joseph@healthjournalism.org.

Photo: Frankieleon via Flickr

One question Julie Appleby posed to a panel she moderated on the high cost of prescription drugs was simple enough: Do drug pricing reform efforts promise consumer relief?

The answer from three experts Appleby assembled for a panel discussion at Health Journalism 2019 this month in Baltimore was that, yes, efforts in Congress could provide some relief and those efforts have bipartisan support. But, as with any pending legislation, the details in the final bills will matter. Also, of course, any bill needs to pass both houses and then President Trump would need to sign it. Continue reading →

New fellowship program compares international health systems

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About Pia Christensen

Pia Christensen (@AHCJ_Pia) is the managing editor/online services for AHCJ. She manages the content and development of healthjournalism.org, coordinates AHCJ's social media efforts and edits and manages production of association guides, programs and newsletters.

The Association of Health Care Journalists has announced a new pilot fellowship program to help veteran U.S.-based journalists compare elements of the U.S. health system with those of other countries. The AHCJ International Health Study Fellowships, supported by The Commonwealth Fund, provides for training as well as international field reporting assistance.

The program for mid-career journalists is intended to give print, broadcast and online reporters an opportunity to study how one element of the U.S. health care system is handled in another country and to report on the differences. Fellows will be able to interview patients, health care providers and policymakers both in the United States and abroad.

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Azar talks about plan to lower prescription drug prices

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About Pia Christensen

Pia Christensen (@AHCJ_Pia) is the managing editor/online services for AHCJ. She manages the content and development of healthjournalism.org, coordinates AHCJ's social media efforts and edits and manages production of association guides, programs and newsletters.

Alex Azar

Last week, President Trump spoke about his plans to lower prescription drug prices by increasing competition and creating incentives for them to lower prices.

His plan includes budget proposals to reform the Medicare Part D program, curbing abuse of FDA safety rules and  continuing generic drug approvals,
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Audio recording of CMS press briefing now available

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About Pia Christensen

Pia Christensen (@AHCJ_Pia) is the managing editor/online services for AHCJ. She manages the content and development of healthjournalism.org, coordinates AHCJ's social media efforts and edits and manages production of association guides, programs and newsletters.

Photo: Jeff Porter/AHCJSeema Verma

Audio of a Tuesday briefing with Seema Verma, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is being made available on the AHCJ website.

The May 1, 2018, briefing, called a “pen and pad” by CMS, allowed for only one reporter from each media outlet and was a chance for Verma to update reporters on Medicaid policy and ask questions. Continue reading →

Medicaid expansion may go to the ballot box in three states

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About Joanne Kenen

Joanne Kenen, (@JoanneKenen) the health editor at Politico, is AHCJ’s topic leader on health reform and curates related material at healthjournalism.org. She welcomes questions and suggestions on health reform resources and tip sheets at joanne@healthjournalism.org. Follow her on Facebook.

Photo: joelip via Flickr

Advocates in three conservative states – Utah, Idaho and Nebraska – are trying to get Medicaid expansion on the ballot in November.

Organizers in Utah already have submitted signatures, which are now being verified. They have surplus signatures so odds are that they will make it. According to an article by Dylan Scott of Vox, a recent poll by the Salt Lake Tribune and the University of Utah found 62 percent of Utah voters support the ballot initiative. Continue reading →

Making a strong case for attending the upcoming AHCJ conference

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About Cynthia Craft

Cynthia Craft (@cynthiahcraft) is the director of engagement for AHCJ, joining the organization after an extensive career in daily journalism, including a decade on the health care beat. Craft most recently worked as a senior writer at The Sacramento Bee, having also worked for the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Times Herald and the California Journal.

Sammy Caiola, a health journalist in Sacramento, is nothing if not prepared. As far back as December, Caiola had delivered a memo to her editor, making the case to approve her attendance at Health Journalism 2018, AHCJ’s annual conference.

The Phoenix training event would be Caiola’s third AHCJ conference, and she figured her best argument was to outline exactly what she’d gotten out of the first two.

Editors can be funny people. Not in the comedic sense, but a bit persnickety. I know. I was an editor for half of my journalism career before joining AHCJ’s staff last fall.

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