Charlotte Huff

Small-Town Patients Face Big Hurdles as Rural Hospitals Cut Cancer Care

KFF Health News Original

For rural patients, getting cancer treatment close to home has always been difficult. And now chemotherapy deserts are expanding across the United States as hospitals winnow services to save money, creating financial and logistical hurdles for people seeking lifesaving care.

Para pacientes de cáncer sin seguro, conseguir atención médica es una lotería

KFF Health News Original

Los estudios demuestran que, a veces, los adultos sin seguro retrasan la atención, lo que puede perjudicar las probabilidades de supervivencia. Pero que los pacientes obtengan un seguro para cubrir el tratamiento se parece un poco al juego de la ruleta, es decir, depende de dónde vivan y del tipo de cáncer que padezcan.

For Uninsured People With Cancer, Securing Care Can Be Like Spinning a Roulette Wheel

KFF Health News Original

When uninsured people are diagnosed with cancer, accessing resources and paying for treatment can be daunting. The safety nets meant to help often fall short, say cancer physicians and health policy experts who study access to care. Some patients find it easier to play the odds.

New Abortion Laws Jeopardize Cancer Treatment for Pregnant Patients

KFF Health News Original

As abortion restrictions take effect across the South in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, cancer doctors are trying to decipher the laws. They’re grappling with how to discuss options with pregnant patients, who may be forced to choose whether to proceed or forgo lifesaving cancer treatments that can prove toxic for the fetus.

Ripple Effects of Abortion Restrictions Confuse Care for Miscarriages

KFF Health News Original

In Texas, where anyone can face a hefty fine of at least $10,000 if they abet an abortion, medical professionals on the front lines face tough quandaries when treating patients who have a miscarriage, a scenario that could soon play out around the country if abortion restrictions tighten.

How Low Can They Go? Rural Hospitals Weigh Keeping Obstetric Units When Births Decline

KFF Health News Original

Many small hospitals have shuttered their labor and delivery units as births decline. For those who resist the trend, some studies suggest that hospitals with low deliveries are more likely to see complications for patients. Doctors and public health experts say there is no magic number to determine when it is best to close an obstetrics unit.

12,000 Square Miles Without Obstetrics? It’s a Possibility in West Texas

KFF Health News Original

Big Bend Regional Medical Center, the only hospital in a sparsely populated region of West Texas, announced that because of a nursing shortage its labor and delivery unit must close for days at a time and patients must go instead to a hospital an hour away.

For Each Critically Ill COVID Patient, a Family Is Suffering, Too

KFF Health News Original

Because loved ones are often kept apart from critically ill COVID-19 patients, the families may be especially vulnerable to symptoms including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that can be debilitating.

NIH Spearheads Study To Test At-Home Screening For HPV And Cervical Cancer

KFF Health News Original

The National Cancer Institute plans to launch a multisite study next year involving roughly 5,000 women to assess whether self-sampling at home for the human papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer is comparable to screening in a doctor’s office.

Texas Law Highlights Dilemma Over Care For Patients With No Hope Of Survival

KFF Health News Original

The Texas Advance Directives Act gives hospitals the authority to stop life-sustaining support if another hospital won’t accept the patient. The family of Tinslee Lewis, a 10-month-old with serious medical problems, is fighting to keep her in hospital care.

After Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens

KFF Health News Original

The 25-bed hospital in Crockett, Texas, abruptly closed its doors in 2017, joining the ranks of nearly 100 rural hospitals that have shut down in the past decade. But the community kept the faith and several doctors reopened the facility this year.