Phil Galewitz

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pgalewitz@kff.org
@philgalewitz

Say What? Hearing Aids Available Over-the-Counter for as Low as $199, and Without a Prescription

KFF Health News Original

The cheaper over-the-counter aids are for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss — a market of tens of millions of people, many of whom have until now been priced out because prescription devices can cost thousands of dollars.

Los hospitales derivan pacientes de atención primaria a centros de salud “semejantes” para mejorar las finanzas

KFF Health News Original

Pero, a diferencia de los centros de salud comunitarios, los semejantes no reciben una subvención federal anual para cubrir los costos operativos. Tampoco obtienen la cobertura económica del gobierno federal para casos de negligencia médica.

Community Health Centers’ Big Profits Raise Questions About Federal Oversight

KFF Health News Original

Nonprofit federally funded health centers are a linchpin in the nation’s health care safety net because they treat the medically underserved. The average profit margin is 5%, but some have recorded margins of 20% or more in three of the past four years.

States Have Yet to Spend Hundreds of Millions of Federal Dollars to Tackle Covid Health Disparities

KFF Health News Original

A year ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded states and local health departments $2.25 billion to help people of color and other populations at higher risk from covid. But a KHN review shows public health agencies across the country have been slow to spend it.

Even When IVF Is Covered by Insurance, High Bills and Hassles Abound

KFF Health News Original

Only 15 states require insurance to cover in vitro fertilization, a common path to parenthood for people who have trouble getting pregnant. And even for those whose insurance covers IVF, the expensive procedures and required drugs can lead to unexpected bills.

Who Doesn’t Text in 2022? Most State Medicaid Programs

KFF Health News Original

As states prepare for the end of the covid public health emergency, they are making plans to reevaluate each Medicaid enrollee’s eligibility. They will rely primarily on mail and email because not many states can text enrollees.

As US Nears 1 Million Covid Deaths, One Hard-Hit County Grapples With Unthinkable Loss

KFF Health News Original

The United States is nearing 1 million deaths from covid — an almost incomprehensible number of lives lost that few thought possible when the pandemic began. Pennsylvania’s Mifflin County offers a snapshot into how one hard-hit community, with over 300 dead, is coping.

Medicare Advantage Plans Send Pals to Seniors’ Homes for Companionship — And Profits

KFF Health News Original

Many Medicare Advantage plans send caregivers to the homes of seniors periodically to help with housework and provide companionship. But the workers may also prod seniors into activities that boost the plans’ Medicare ratings and federal reimbursements.

Missouri Takes Months to Process Medicaid Applications — Longer Than Law Allows

KFF Health News Original

Missouri has more people waiting to have their Medicaid applications processed than it has approved since the expansion of the federal-state health insurance program. Although most states process Medicaid applications within a week, Missouri is taking, on average, more than two months. Patient advocates fear that means people will stay uninsured longer, leading them to postpone care or get stuck with high medical bills.

Skirmish Between Biden and Red States Over Medicaid Leaves Enrollees in the Balance

KFF Health News Original

The Biden administration is getting rid of several policies implemented by Trump-era appointees that restricted enrollment. Federal officials now say states can no longer charge premiums to low-income residents enrolled in Medicaid and have ruled out work requirements.

Hospitales enfrentan más casos de covid en personas ya hospitalizadas, con menos personal

KFF Health News Original

Las infecciones están exacerbando algunas condiciones médicas y dificultando la reducción de la propagación de covid dentro de las paredes del hospital, especialmente porque los pacientes se presentan en etapas más tempranas y más infecciosas de la enfermedad.

Incidental Cases and Staff Shortages Make Covid’s Next Act Tough for Hospitals

KFF Health News Original

As omicron sweeps the country, many hospitals are dealing with a flood of people hospitalized with covid — including those primarily admitted for other reasons. While often milder cases, so-called incidental covid infections still drain the beleaguered health care workforce and can put them and other patients at higher risk for contracting covid.

South Dakota Voters to Decide Medicaid Expansion

KFF Health News Original

Despite state Republican leaders’ rigid opposition to expanding the health program designed for low-income residents, advocates successfully gathered enough signatures to get the measure on the fall ballot.