KFF Health News Weekly Edition: Friday, Nov. 15, 2024
Pay First, Deliver Later: Some Women Are Being Asked To Prepay for Their Baby
Renuka Rayasam
Pregnant women are being asked to make large cash payments months before they deliver their babies. Some patient advocates worry this billing practice allows providers to hold treatment hostage.
Watch: Why the US Has Made Little Progress Improving Black Americans’ Health
Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam
KFF Health News senior correspondents Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam discuss how government decisions undermine Black health.
Readying for Republican Rule
With Republicans now set to control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives starting in January, their health agenda remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that just about anything could be on the table, from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, to drug prices and public health. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups are preparing to fight the implementation of abortion rights ballot measures just passed by voters in seven states. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Scientists Fear What’s Next for Public Health if RFK Jr. Is Allowed To ‘Go Wild’
Arthur Allen
As federal health scientists await a potential takeover by RFK Jr. and other medical skeptics in the second Trump administration, some are preparing résumés or retirement papers.
After Congress Ended Extra Cash Aid for Families, Communities Tackle Child Poverty Alone
Kate Wells, Michigan Public
The child tax credit passed by Congress at the height of covid has expired, but states and localities are trying to fill the gap with their own programs and funding. In Michigan, Rx Kids already covers every family with a new baby in Flint. Now, other communities aim to follow.
As California Taps Pandemic Stockpile for Bird Flu, Officials Keep Close Eye on Spending
Don Thompson
California health officials began providing protective clothing to farmworkers months before the state’s first bird flu transmission to humans was announced in October. It’s a reminder of the state’s struggle to remain prepared for health threats amid multibillion-dollar deficits.
Fight Health Insurance — With Help From AI
Dan Weissmann
Meet the tech worker on a quest to use artificial intelligence to combat denials for coverage from patients’ health plans.
Maryland Is Training More Health Workers To Offer Abortion Care
Sarah Varney
After the fall of “Roe v. Wade,” thousands of out-of-state patients traveled to Maryland for abortion care. The state is trying to diversify who can offer that care. Providers in the first training class say their new skills are especially needed in rural areas.
KFF Health News Sues To Force Disclosure of Medicare Advantage Audit Records
Fred Schulte
Freedom of Information Act case targets HHS inspector general’s reviews of billions of dollars in health plan overpayments.
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“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.
California Dengue Cases Prompt Swift Response From Public Health Officials
Claudia Boyd-Barrett
With the arrival in California of dengue, a dangerous mosquito-borne disease present mainly in more tropical climates, public health authorities are deploying a range of strategies to beat back the Aedes mosquitoes that spread the virus.
Older Americans Living Alone Often Rely on Neighbors or Others Willing To Help
Judith Graham
Diverse networks of friends, former co-workers, neighbors, and extended family are often essential sources of support for older adults living alone. Often it is the elderly caring for the elderly.