Heidi de Marco

Heidi de Marco was a reporter and producer for KFF Health News until March 2023.

@HeidideMarco

No Car, No Care? Medicaid Transportation At Risk In Some States

KFF Health News Original

For more than 50 years, the program for the poor and sick has been required to ferry certain clients to and from medical appointments. But a few states have sought — and received — waivers to that rule.

Frail Patients Losing Access To Dental House Calls

KFF Health News Original

Dental hygienists who treat frail and elderly residents in nursing homes and other facilities are dropping out of California’s publicly funded dental program for the poor because of recent changes that cut their pay and create more administrative hurdles.

Infection Lapses Rampant In Nursing Homes But Punishment Is Rare

KFF Health News Original

A Kaiser Health News analysis of federal inspection records shows that nursing home inspectors labeled mistakes in infection control as serious for only 161 of the 12,056 homes they have cited since 2014.

Taken For A Ride? Ambulances Stick Patients With Surprise Bills

KFF Health News Original

Public outrage over surprise medical bills prompted 21 states to pass consumer protection laws. But these laws largely ignore ambulance rides, which can leave patients stuck with hundreds or even thousands of dollars in bills.

Breathing Fire: Health Is A Casualty Of Climate-Fueled Blazes

KFF Health News Original

As the planet warms, wildfires such as the latest disastrous blazes in Northern California have increased in frequency and scope. Beyond the environmental effects, people suffer health repercussions that can be disabling and even deadly.

Una tendencia que crece, adultos mayores que viven en comunidad

KFF Health News Original

La llamada covivienda está comenzando a ser popular entre los adultos mayores, como una alternativa al aislamiento social. Son hogares que se construyen alrededor de áreas para uso colectivo.

Liquid Gold: Pain Doctors Soak Up Profits By Screening Urine For Drugs

KFF Health News Original

With the nation’s opioid crisis, urine testing has become a booming business and is especially lucrative for doctors who operate their own labs, a Kaiser Health News investigation finds. And dozens of practitioners have earned “the lion’s share” of their Medicare income exclusively from urine drug screens.

‘No One Is Coming’: Hospice Patients Abandoned At Death’s Door

KFF Health News Original

U.S. hospice agencies promise to be available around-the-clock to help patients dying in their homes. But a Kaiser Health News investigation shows that in an alarming number of cases, that promise is broken.

One Nurse Per 4,000 Pupils = Not The Healthiest Arrangement

KFF Health News Original

School districts in California and around the country face a long-standing shortage of nurses, mostly because of tight budgets. But some districts are finding creative ways to reduce the problem.

Training New Doctors Right Where They’re Needed

KFF Health News Original

Eight teaching centers in California aim to train and retain doctors in medically underserved areas such as California’s Central Valley. They are among 57 such institutions across the country that may soon receive a boost in funding from Congress.

Entrenando a nuevos médicos justo en donde se los necesita

KFF Health News Original

En el Valle Central de California, no hay una escuela de medicina, y los nuevos médicos a menudo evitan el área en favor de los centros urbanos más ricos, donde pueden ganar más dinero.

Why One California County Went Surgery Shopping

KFF Health News Original

Fed up with high hospital costs and limited competition, Santa Barbara County sends willing employees out of town for better bargains. Local governments are slowly joining private employers in aggressively seeking out the best care for the lowest price. 

Home Visits Help New Parents Overcome Tough Histories, Raise Healthy Children

KFF Health News Original

A program that provides $400 million in federal funding for the visits expires next month. Advocates and providers hope it will be reauthorized with a higher level of funding — but some worry that might not happen.

Has California Hit The Brakes In Regulating Breath-Robbing Big Rigs?

KFF Health News Original

The state has made a huge dent in diesel pollution from freight trucks. But critics fear exemptions in a new law will stall progress, especially endangering the health of children and seniors near ports.