KFF Health News Weekly Edition: June 21, 2024
Super Bowl Parade Shooting Survivors Await Promised Donations While Bills Pile Up
By Peggy Lowe, KCUR and Bram Sable-Smith
Families of the people hurt during the Feb. 14 mass shooting are carrying what one expert calls “victimization debt.” In the third story of our series “The Injured,” we learn about the strain of paying small and large medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs.
California Leaders Tussle With Health Industry Over Billions of New Dollars for Medi-Cal
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to pull funds earmarked for new investment in Medi-Cal to help plug California’s $45 billion deficit. A state budget passed June 13 by the legislature largely endorsed Newsom’s plan. Voters could settle the matter in an industry-backed initiative that has qualified for the November ballot.
‘We’re Flying Blind’: CDC Has 1M Bird Flu Tests Ready, but Experts See Repeat of Covid Missteps
By Amy Maxmen
Three months into the U.S. bird flu outbreak, only 45 people have been tested. Laboratories that are the foundation of diagnostic testing have yet to get approval to detect the bird flu virus. They say their path forward has been slowed by miscommunication and uncertainty from the CDC and FDA.
A Tale of Two States: Arizona and Florida Diverge on How To Expand Kids’ Health Insurance
By Daniel Chang
Both Florida and Arizona want to expand eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, but their approaches to charging low-income families premiums for the coverage showcase the nation’s ideological divide on helping the disadvantaged.
Experts: US Hospitals Prone to Cyberattacks Like One That Hurt Patient Care at Ascension
By Rachana Pradhan and Kate Wells, Michigan Public
Clinicians working for Ascension hospitals in multiple states described harrowing lapses, including delayed or lost lab results, medication errors, and an absence of routine safety checks to prevent potentially fatal mistakes.
Older Women Are Different Than Older Men. Their Health Is Woefully Understudied.
By Judith Graham
The White House has launched an initiative on women’s health. Studying the health of older women, a largely neglected group in medical research, should be a priority.
¿Cómo Se Dice? California Loops In AI To Translate Health Care Information
By Paula Andalo and Lydia Zuraw
State officials want to use artificial intelligence to translate public health care and social services documents and websites, which they say will speed up translations, save money, and improve Californians’ access to critical information. But some IT and language experts worry AI may introduce errors in wording and understanding.
Americans With HIV Are Living Longer. Federal Spending Isn’t Keeping Up.
By Sam Whitehead
Advances in medicine mean more people are living longer with HIV. But aging with HIV comes with an increased risk of health complications, and many worry the U.S. health care system isn’t prepared to treat this growing population.
Montana Creates Emergency ‘Drive-Thru’ Blood Pickup Service for Rural Ambulances
By Arielle Zionts
The network is aimed at helping rural patients, who face higher rates of traumatic injuries and death but may not live near a hospital with a stockpile of blood.