Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Tricare Issues Frustrate Service Members, Veterans
The War Horse: ‘Got to Get Fixed:’ Billing Delays, Coverage Issues Still Plague Tricare Patients and Providers
Service members, veterans, and their families say they are exasperated by military's insurance program's hard to navigate bureaucracy. (Sciacca, 4/23)
More health care industry news —
CBS News: Philadelphia Nurses Fear Proposed Pediatric Care Changes Could Limit Access For Low-Income Families
Nurses at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital are raising concerns about proposed changes to pediatric care, warning the move could limit access for some of the city's most vulnerable families. Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals organized a rally on Thursday afternoon in which nurses and elected officials called on Jefferson Health to reconsider its plan. According to the union, the health system intends to close four pediatric practices by June 30 and transfer three others to a for-profit provider, True North Pediatrics. (Wright, 4/23)
WGCU: Florida Gulf Coast University Breaks Ground On New Medical Building
Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers took another step toward preparing future health care workers this week when it broke ground on a $117 million health sciences building. The building will be known as Marieb Hall South and will house simulated intensive care units, labor and delivery suites, and operating rooms. (Barbor, 4/24)
KFF Health News: A ‘Barbaric’ Problem In American Hospitals Is Only Getting Bigger
In the last months, weeks, and days of his life, “I will not go to the emergency room” became my husband’s mantra. Andrej had esophageal cancer that had spread throughout his body (but not to his ever-willful brain), and, having trained as a doctor, I had jury-rigged a hospital at home, aided by specialists who got me pills to boost blood pressure; to dampen the effects of liver failure; to stem his cough; to help him swallow, wake up, fall asleep. (Rosenthal, 4/24)
KFF Health News: Watch: Acknowledging Health Care’s Great Divide
In this “How Would You Fix It?” interview, Julie Rovner, KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent and host of the What the Health? podcast, sat down with David Blumenthal — a physician, health policy expert, former Obama administration official, and author — to explore the dynamics that make fixing the nation’s health care system so difficult. They discussed the pivotal role the president of the United States plays in health policy — whether it is building support for or opposition to new plans and proposals. “Presidents have a level of authority which is often underappreciated, especially in health care,” Blumenthal said. (Rovner, 4/23)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘Letters To The Editor’: Readers Chime In On Reproductive Rights, Therapy Chatbots, Medical Debt, And More
Kate Wells’ report on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula reveals an important gap between constitutional protections and real-world access to care (“Urgent Care Clinics Move To Fill Abortion Care Gaps in Rural Areas,” April 8). But the story leaves a critical question unanswered: Can urgent care centers bear this weight? (4/24)
