Helen Santoro

Students in Rural Colorado Are Left Without Options as Specialized Schools Close

KFF Health News Original

A new state law aims to keep the doors open at schools that accept students with intensive needs. One preteen in rural Colorado shows how the current system leaves some students bouncing between institutions far from home.

Colorado Bill Would Encourage, But Not Require, CPR Training in High Schools

KFF Health News Original

Colorado is one of 10 states without a law requiring CPR training for high school students, but proposed legislation that recently passed the state House would only strongly urge schools to teach this lifesaving skill.

Medical Coding Creates Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients

KFF Health News Original

The codes used by U.S. medical providers to bill insurers haven’t caught up to the needs of trans patients or even international standards. Consequently, doctors are forced to get creative with what codes they use, or patients spend hours fighting big out-of-pocket bills.

As Hospitals Fill Up, Paramedics Spend More Time Moving Patients, Less on Emergencies

KFF Health News Original

Gunnison paramedics cover the largest response zone in Colorado. Because of covid and the lack of nearby hospital beds, patients increasingly are transported long distances, leaving few ambulances to respond to emergencies.

The Pandemic Forced My Transgender Wife to Fight Our Insurer Over Hormones

KFF Health News Original

The covid pandemic has caused millions of people, particularly LGBTQ adults, to lose their jobs and enroll in Medicaid or insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Yet these plans often don’t fully cover the basics needed by many transgender Americans, such as injectable estrogen, a hormone therapy commonly used by trans women.