Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on insurance denials, seniors who overmedicate, mental health, and more.
NBC News:
A College Student Fights An Insurance Denial To Get A Prosthetic Foot Before Graduation
Experts say it’s not uncommon for patients who need prostheses to be denied by insurance. “It’s not a matter of if, but when,” one advocate said. (Kopf, Llamas and Taylor, 1/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
How To Avoid Being Overmedicated
Here’s a good New Year’s resolution for older patients and their families: Figure out if their prescriptions pose a health risk, because often they can. For Barbara Schmidt, an 83-year-old great-grandmother in Delaware, doing so made a big difference. She had been suffering repeated tumbles, leading to broken bones and bruising. Her doctor told her the problem was probably tied to some of her prescriptions, so she pulled back on taking the painkiller gabapentin and the muscle relaxant methocarbamol. (Wilde Mathews, 1/8)
Undark:
In Scientific Publishing, Who Should Foot The Bill?
In the spring of 2024, Ali Kharrazi, then an editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, or CRSUST, received a routine request to review several papers. Although guest editors had already recommended accepting the work, something unusual stood out. One of the papers included the phrase: “The way to foster love is by cultivating disruption.” Kharrazi did not think the article had any place in a scientific journal, much less one where he was named as an editor. (Andrey Smith, 1/7)
The New York Times:
How One Death Underscores The Suicide Risk For Construction Workers
The death of TJ Kimball was a private tragedy that underscores a widespread risk in the stressful field. (Kaysen, 1/8)
Military.com:
Suicide Prevention For Troops And Veterans: What Exists, What Works, And What Still Falls Short
Suicide remains one of the most serious challenges facing U.S. service members and veterans. Veterans die by suicide at a higher rate than the general population, a disparity that has persisted despite years of federal attention and investment. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 17.6 veterans die by suicide each day, but other sources claim as many as 24-44 die per day, underscoring the scale and urgency of the problem. (Fuller, 1/3)
The War Horse:
A Veteran’s Search for Healing Led to an Ibogaine Trip and an Epiphany: ‘I’ve Got to Let It Go’
Marc Dervaes journeyed to Mexico for a brain-bending, existential jolt from a psychedelic drug that more and more desperate military veterans are hoping will relieve their trauma. Then he went a second time. (Friedheim, 1/8)
If you need help —
Dial 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.
