Lauren Sausser, Author at KFF Health News

A photo illustration of a doctor filling out a form on a clipboard placed on a blue textured backdrop.

Feds Move to Rein In Prior Authorization, a System That Harms and Frustrates Patients

The federal government wants to change the way health insurers use prior authorization — the requirement that patients get permission before undergoing treatment. Designed to prevent doctors from deploying expensive, ineffectual procedures, prior authorization has become a confusing maze that denies or delays care, burdens physicians with paperwork, and perpetuates racial disparities. New rules may not be enough to solve the problems.

By Lauren Sausser

March 13, 2023

A photo shows a hospital worker standing in a hallway, holding a clipboard.

Hospitals’ Use of Volunteer Staff Runs Risk of Skirting Labor Laws, Experts Say

Hospitals using volunteers is commonplace. But some labor experts argue that deploying unpaid workers to do work that benefits the organization’s bottom line lets for-profit hospitals skirt federal labor laws, deprives employees of work, and potentially exploits the volunteers.

By Lauren Sausser

Jan. 10, 2023

COVID-19

Public Health Agencies Try to Restore Trust as They Fight Misinformation

As public health departments work on improving their message, the skepticism and mistrust often reserved for covid-19 vaccines now threaten other public health priorities, including flu shots and childhood vaccines.

By Lauren Sausser

Jan. 4, 2023

A photo shows John Lites posing for a photo outdoors. He's standing by a fence.

Mass Shootings Reopen the Debate Over Whether Crime Scene Photos Prompt Change or Trauma

After almost every mass shooting, a debate is renewed over whether to publish the photos of the carnage the guns have inflicted.

By Lauren Sausser

Dec. 15, 2022

A photo shows a crushed car and debris, the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Florida.

Hurricane Ian Shows That Coastal Hospitals Aren’t Ready for Climate Change

Hundreds of medical centers along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts face serious risks from even relatively weak storms as climate change accelerates sea-level rise — not to mention big ones like Category 4 Hurricane Ian.

By Daniel Chang and Lauren Sausser

Oct. 7, 2022

COVID-19

Wastewater Surveillance Has Become a Critical Covid Tracking Tool, but Funding Is Inconsistent

Dashboards that rely on positive covid test results reported to local health departments no longer paint a reliable picture of how covid is spreading in an area. Some experts say wastewater surveillance is the most accurate way to measure viral activity. Meanwhile, some wastewater labs face funding shortfalls.

By Lauren Sausser

Aug. 25, 2022

A photo shows Dani Yuengling holding up medical bills in front of her face.

Bill Of The Month

The $18,000 Breast Biopsy: When Having Insurance Costs You a Bundle

An online calculator told a young woman that a procedure to rule out cancer would cost an uninsured person about $1,400. Instead, the hospital initially charged almost $18,000 and, with her high-deductible health insurance, she owed more than $5,000.

By Lauren Sausser

Aug. 23, 2022

a group of young children play in a brightly lit room surrounded by windows at a daycare center

To Retain Nurses and Other Staffers, Hospitals Are Opening Child Care Centers

More than two years into the pandemic, parents face a child care crisis. That’s why some hospitals are considering starting child care centers to address recruitment and retention troubles.

By Lauren Sausser

Aug. 1, 2022

An old brick building with a white sign in front reading "Florence Crittenton Programs of SC" and surrounded by trees.

A Nearly Century-Old Maternity Home for Teens in the South Makes Plans for Expansion

Homes for pregnant girls may seem like a vestige of the past. But they still exist and, in light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion, may become more necessary.

By Lauren Sausser

July 22, 2022

A photo shows nurses and doctors rushing a bed down a hospital corridor. They are blurred by their motion.

Trauma Surgeons Detail the Horror of Mass Shootings in the Wake of Uvalde and Call for Reforms

Trauma surgeons say that the weapons used in mass shootings are not new but that more of these especially deadly guns are on the street, causing injuries that are difficult to survive.

By Andy Miller and Lauren Sausser

June 10, 2022

A close up photo shows a pipette extracting liquid from a petri dish. A colorful printout of DNA profiles is seen underneath the dish.

Addressing the ‘Trust Factor’: South Carolina Researchers Tackle Health Disparities Using Genetics

A new genetic research project underway in South Carolina aims to reduce health disparities between Black and white residents — such as cancer and cardiovascular disease rates — that have long ranked among the nation’s worst. But researchers face the challenge of recruiting 100,000 participants who reflect the diversity of South Carolina. And history isn’t on their side.

By Lauren Sausser

June 6, 2022

‘Almost Like Malpractice’: To Shed Bias, Doctors Get Schooled to Look Beyond Obesity

Research has long shown that doctors are less likely to respect patients who are overweight or obese — terms that now apply to nearly three-quarters of adults in the U.S. The Association of American Medical Colleges plans to roll out new diversity, equity, and inclusion standards aimed at teaching doctors, among other things, how to treat patients who are overweight with respect.

By Lauren Sausser

May 24, 2022

Persistent Problem: High C-Section Rates Plague the South

Some U.S. states have reduced use of the procedure, including by sharing C-section data with doctors and hospitals. But change has proved difficult in the South, where women are generally less healthy heading into their pregnancies and maternal and infant health problems are among the highest in the U.S.

By Lauren Sausser

April 14, 2022

A digital illustration of a child bent over and covering their face beside the shape of South Carolina.

Patients for Profit: How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

Profit Strategy: Psychiatric Facilities Prioritize Out-of-State Kids

Nearly all psychiatric residential treatment centers for children in South Carolina operate as for-profit businesses — some backed by private equity — and many prioritize out-of-state kids because it’s better for the bottom line. The scramble to secure treatment for children and teenagers has become so competitive that South Carolina will spend millions more each year as of April 1 to keep out-of-state patients from flooding the state's treatment facilities.

By Lauren Sausser

April 11, 2022

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Lauren Sausser

Morning Briefing

To Weed Out Fraud, CMS Orders All States To Undergo Medicaid Audit

US Military Halts Flu Shot Mandate In Place Since The 1950s

Adolescent Cannabis Use Linked To Slower Cognitive Development

Morning Briefing

To Weed Out Fraud, CMS Orders All States To Undergo Medicaid Audit

US Military Halts Flu Shot Mandate In Place Since The 1950s

Adolescent Cannabis Use Linked To Slower Cognitive Development

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