Shift in Child Hospice Care Is a Lifeline for Parents Seeking a Measure of Comfort and Hope
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Photos by Heidi de Marco
September 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Terminally ill children, unlike adults, can get hospice services while continuing to receive life-extending or curative care. More than a decade after the inception of the federal policy, it is widely credited with improving the quality of life for ailing children and their families, even as some parents find themselves in a painful stasis.
Padres con hijos muy enfermos encuentran consuelo y esperanza en la ayuda de hospicio en el hogar
By Bernard J. Wolfson
September 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Si bien el cáncer es una de las principales enfermedades que afectan a los niños en cuidados paliativos, muchos otros tienen defectos congénitos raros, deficiencias neurológicas graves o deficiencias metabólicas poco comunes.
An Arm and a Leg: A $229,000 Medical Bill Goes to Court
By Dan Weissmann
April 20, 2023
Podcast
Lisa French was told her surgery would cost $1,337. But the hospital sent her a bill for $229,000, then sued her. The case went all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court. The court’s ruling could have major implications for determining a “reasonable price” in health care.
Watch: Young Man Faces Medical Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
October 2, 2020
KFF Health News Original
“CBS This Morning” tells the story of Matthew Fentress, a young man who has had serious heart disease for six years. It’s the latest story in the ongoing crowdsourced Bill of the Month investigation.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Alabama’s IVF Ruling Still Making Waves
February 29, 2024
Podcast
Lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures are scrambling to react to the ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization are legally children. Abortion opponents are divided among themselves, with some supporting full “personhood” for fertilized eggs, while others support IVF as a moral way to have children. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Riley Griffin of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews University of Pittsburgh law professor Greer Donley, who explains how a 150-year-old anti-vice law that’s still on the books could be used to ban abortion nationwide. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
House Approves Creation Of Health Innovation Agency
June 23, 2022
Morning Briefing
The bill to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency overwhelmingly passed the House in a 336-85 vote. But there is still a debate over organizational independence and whether ARPA-H should be a branch of NIH.
Now It’s Tragically Official: A Million Americans Have Died From Covid
May 17, 2022
Morning Briefing
The number is hard to imagine: AP says it’s equal to a 9/11 attack every day for 336 days. The Wall Street Journal notes that disproportionately many of the dead are in some nonwhite groups.
Watch: One Father’s Fight Against ‘Predatory’ Drug Price
February 26, 2020
KFF Health News Original
“CBS This Morning” looks at the latest “Bill of the Month” installment. A drug implant for children has a price tag of $37,300, while one used in adults with the same active ingredient goes for $4,400.
Millions Stuck At Home With No Plumbing, Kitchen Or Space To Stay Safe
By Laura Ungar Elizabeth Lucas
May 12, 2020
KFF Health News Original
In 470,000 American homes spread across every state, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 may not be as easy as turning on a faucet. They don’t have showers or toilets or, in some cases, even water piped into their homes. Nearly a million U.S. homes don’t have complete kitchens and millions more are overcrowded, making it much tougher for people to shelter in place and avoid infection.
Republicans’ 336 Delegates Enter Convention Semi-Bubble
August 24, 2020
Morning Briefing
Testing, temperature checks and digital tracking tools are in use at the Republican National Convention physical site in Charlotte, North Carolina, to try to control coronavirus spread. President Donald Trump will make his case for reelection virtually, due to the pandemic.
As ER Wait Times Grow, More Patients Leave Against Medical Advice
By Phillip Reese
May 17, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Crowded emergency rooms are likely to blame. In 2017, the median ER wait time for patients before admission as inpatients to California hospitals was 336 minutes — or more than 5½ hours.
More Vapers Are Making Their Own Juice, But Not Without Risks
By Jenny Gold
Photos by Heidi de Marco
November 13, 2019
KFF Health News Original
It’s easy to buy all the supplies online, and thousands of e-liquid recipes on the internet walk people through all the steps. But experts warn about safety.
Which Was Worse: The Bachelor Party Hangover Or The Hangover From The ER Bill?
By Markian Hawryluk
September 19, 2019
KFF Health News Original
One groom’s bachelor party hangover illustrates how emergency room bills have become major headaches for many Americans.
Más vapeadores hacen su propio líquido, pero no sin riesgos
By Jenny Gold
Photos by Heidi de Marco
November 13, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A medida que más estados, ciudades e incluso el gobierno federal consideran la prohibición de la nicotina con sabores, miles de vapeadores comienzan a elaborar sus propios líquidos.
‘Windy City Is Becoming Bloody City’: Gun Violence Soars In Chicago, Targets Younger Victims
July 6, 2020
Morning Briefing
At least 336 people have been killed in Chicago through July 2 of this year, a homicide rate that is on track to hit the 2016 record of 778 deaths and comes at time when the nation debates policing. Nine children under 18 have been killed since June 20. News on spiking gun violence is also from Atlanta.
¿Qué fue peor: la borrachera de la despedida de soltero o la cuenta por tratar la resaca?
By Markian Hawryluk
September 19, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Recuperarse después de su despedida de soltero resultó en una factura médica que inicialmente fue de $12,460, en total. Más del doble del costo de su boda.
Hartos de esperar: pacientes abandonan las salas de emergencia sin recibir tratamiento
By Phillip Reese
May 17, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Los pacientes que dejan la sala de emergencias demasiado pronto “se exponen a un mayor riesgo de morbilidad e incluso de mortalidad”, dicen médicos.
Medicare Penalizes Group Of 751 Hospitals For Patient Injuries
By Jordan Rau
December 21, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Each hospital will have its payments reduced by 1 percent for the year.
When Nursing Homes Push Out Poor And Disabled Patients
By Jocelyn Wiener
December 20, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Complaints are rising in California and other states about improper evictions and discharges. Advocates say some patients end up in cheap hotels, homeless or back in the hospital.
Parents Of Ill Children Worry About Return Of ‘Lifetime Limits’ In GOP Health Bill
By Alex Olgin, WFAE
July 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Current law requires all health insurance sold on the exchanges to cover 10 essential benefits — with no annual or lifetime limits to reimbursement. But the GOP plan might let states reinstate limits.
