KFF Health News Weekly Edition: Jan. 19, 2024
America’s Health System Isn’t Ready for the Surge of Seniors With Disabilities
By Judith Graham
More than a third of older adults have a disability. Many find it difficult to get the medical care they need. New federal regulations would address that problem.
‘I’m Not Safe Here’: Schools Ignore Federal Rules on Restraint and Seclusion
By Fred Clasen-Kelly
Federal officials have long warned that restraint and seclusion in schools can be dangerous and traumatizing for children, but school districts often fail to report incidents as required by law.
Women and Minorities Bear the Brunt of Medical Misdiagnosis
By Liz Szabo
Hundreds of thousands of Americans become disabled or die each year because of a diagnostic error. But some patients are at higher risk than others.
‘Emergency’ or Not, Covid Is Still Killing People. Here’s What Doctors Advise to Stay Safe.
By Amy Maxmen
Thousands of people are still dying of covid, but government has mostly handed over responsibility to the people to weather the seasonal surges with their own strategies.
Federal Program to Save Rural Hospitals Feels ‘Growing Pains’
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Tony Leys
Fewer than two dozen rural hospitals were converted into Rural Emergency Hospitals in the program’s first year. Now, advocates and lawmakers say tweaks to the law are necessary to lure more takers and keep health care in rural communities.
Biden Cracks Down on Prior Authorization — But There Are Limits
By Lauren Sausser
What Would a Second Trump Presidency Look Like for Health Care?
By Julie Rovner
Health policy during Donald Trump’s tenure was dominated by covid-19 and a failed effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. His appointments to the Supreme Court led to the end of national abortion rights, and he took steps to increase hospital price transparency and improve care for veterans.
The Supreme Court vs. the Bureaucracy
The Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in a case that could radically alter the way federal agencies — including the Department of Health and Human Services — administer laws passed by Congress. A decision in the case is expected this spring or summer. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is struggling over whether to ban menthol cigarettes — a move that could improve public health but also alienate Black voters, the biggest menthol users. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Darius Tahir, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a lengthy fight over a bill for a quick telehealth visit.
Insurance Doesn’t Always Cover Hearing Aids for Kids
By Colleen DeGuzman
California’s governor vetoed a bill extending insurance coverage for kids with hearing loss, but most states now require it.
Michigan Disbands Racial Equity Group as Tension Mounts Over Opioid Settlement Money
By Robin Erb and Ron French, Bridge Michigan
An advisory group formed to help Michigan tackle high rates of opioid overdoses in communities of color has been disbanded by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, leading to hard feelings.
In This Oklahoma Town, Most Everyone Knows Someone Who’s Been Sued by the Hospital
By Mitchell Black and Noam N. Levey
Hospitals nationwide face growing scrutiny over how they secure payment from patients, but at one community hospital, the debt collection machine has been quietly humming along for decades.
Climate Change Raises Pressure on Biden To Keep Workers Cooler
By Samantha Young
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