‘Stonewall Generation’ Confronts Old Age, Sickness — And Discrimination
For a generation of LGBTQ people who lived through unprecedented social change, getting older poses new challenges — lack of services, discrimination, neglect and even abuse.
JoNel Aleccia
JoNel Aleccia was a senior correspondent for KFF Health News until October 2022.
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Supreme Court Declines To Hear Military Medical Malpractice Case
Justices won’t alter the rule that prevents active-duty military members from suing the government for negligence. The challenge came from the family of Navy nurse Lt. Rebekah “Moani” Daniel, who died in 2014 after bleeding to death following childbirth.
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‘Sham’ Sharing Ministries Test Faith Of Patients And Insurance Regulators
Officials in Washington and other states are cracking down on companies that avoid health insurance regulations by masquerading as faith-based care.
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‘Living Their Values’: Palliative Care Power Couple Faces Cancer At Home
Kathy Brandt and Kim Acquaviva are both leaders in the world of hospice and palliative care. When Brandt learned she was dying of ovarian cancer, the couple decided it could be a teachable moment.
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Lethal Plans: When Seniors Turn To Suicide In Long-Term Care
In a nation where the suicide rate continues to climb, such deaths among older adults are often overlooked. A six-month investigation by KHN and PBS NewsHour finds that older Americans are quietly killing themselves in nursing homes, assisted living centers and adult care homes.
By Melissa Bailey and JoNel Aleccia -
How Easy Are Vaccine Exemptions? Take A Look At The Oregon Model
About 95% of parents in Oregon who skip vaccines opt to use the state’s online education tool to print their own exemption certificates.
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State Laws Ban Surprise Medical Bills. She Got One for $227K And Fought Back.
No one told a Washington state woman she was racking up massive out-of-pocket charges during a month-long emergency stay in an Oregon hospital. For six months, she and her husband were haunted by looming debt — and bill collectors.
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Measles Outbreak Sends Vaccine Demand Soaring, Even Among The Hesitant
The number of health clinic orders and shots administered rose sharply in January compared with last year, Washington county officials say.
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Insured But Still In Debt: 5 Jobs Pulling In $100K A Year No Match For Medical Bills
An Arizona couple played by the rules and bought employer-provided health insurance. But after they had a baby this year, their out-of-pocket hospital costs and doctors’ bills climbed to more than $12,000 — and medical debt now threatens their new family.
By JoNel Aleccia Photos by Heidi de Marco -
No Cash, No Heart. Transplant Centers Require Proof Of Payment.
The case of a Michigan woman told to fundraise $10,000 for a heart transplant sparked viral outrage, but experts say “wallet biopsies” are common.
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In Throes Of Turkey Salmonella Outbreak, Don’t Invite Illness To Your Table
There’s no federal requirement that your holiday bird be free of salmonella, so consumers bear the burden of keeping food safe.
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FDA Allows Food Makers To Fortify Corn Masa To Halt Birth Defects, But Few Do
The decision aimed at adding folic acid — a vitamin that can prevent devastating defects of the brain, spine or spinal cord — to flours, chips and tortillas hasn’t caught on with many makers of widely used corn products.
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‘Grossly Unfair’? Widower Takes Ban On Military Injury Claims To Supreme Court
When a young Navy lieutenant died following low-risk childbirth, her husband claimed military doctors botched her care. But his wrongful death claim was dismissed because of a 1950 ruling that bars active-duty service members from suing the U.S. government — for any reason.
By JoNel Aleccia Photos by Heidi de Marco -
Trying To Protect Seniors, The Most Vulnerable, From Formidable Foe Florence
With Hurricane Florence predicted to slam the Southeast's coastline Friday, health officials scramble to dodge the storm and keep older residents safe.
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Earwax, Of All Things, Poses Unrecognized Risk In Long-Term Care
Up to two-thirds of residents in nursing homes may have impacted earwax, which can worsen hearing loss, falls and cognitive decline.
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‘No One Is Ever Really Ready’: Aid-In-Dying Patient Chooses His Last Day
With its expansion to Hawaii this year, medical aid-in-dying is now approved in eight U.S. jurisdictions. Even when legal, the controversial practice of choosing to die after a terminal diagnosis is difficult, said one Seattle man who shared his final deliberations.
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Unlocked And Loaded: Families Confront Dementia And Guns
As more Americans are diagnosed with dementia, families who have firearms struggle with ways to stay safe. A KHN investigation uncovered dozens of cases of deaths and injuries.
By JoNel Aleccia and Melissa Bailey Photos by Heidi de Marco, Frank Carlson, PBS NewsHour, and Randall Hill -
Worried About Grandpa’s Guns? Here’s What You Can Do.
When a loved one gets dementia, many families get no guidance on what to do about that person's guns. Here are legal and practical steps to stay safe.
By JoNel Aleccia and Melissa Bailey -
Suspension Of California’s Aid-In-Dying Law Leaves Sick Patients In Limbo
Doctors have stopped writing lethal prescriptions and pharmacists have stopped filling them after a court fight over how the law was enacted.
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‘Rapid Autopsy’ Programs Seek Clues To Cancer Within Hours Of Death
More than a dozen centers nationwide now ask terminal patients to allow speedy study of the diseases that kill them.
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