KFFHN Weekly: Nov. 1, 2024
Toddler’s Backyard Snakebite Bills Totaled More Than a Quarter Million Dollars
By Jackie Fortiér
For snakebite victims, antivenom is critical — and costly. It took more than $200,000 worth of antivenom to save one toddler’s life after he was bitten by a rattlesnake.
Black Americans Still Suffer Worse Health. Here’s Why There’s So Little Progress.
By Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam
The United States has made almost no progress in closing racial health disparities despite promises, research shows. The government, some critics argue, is often the underlying culprit.
Paid Sick Leave Is Up for a Vote in Three States
By Samantha Liss
The coronavirus pandemic underscored the importance of paid sick leave, a benefit to help workers and their families when they fall ill. Now voters in Missouri, Nebraska, and Alaska are deciding whether employers must provide it.
Can a $10 Billion Climate Bond Address California’s Water Contamination Problem?
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
California voters will decide in November whether to approve a $10 billion climate bond that supporters say is needed to jump-start water system repairs for residents without safe drinking water. Opponents say those repairs should be prioritized in the state budget, not put on a credit card.
Vance Wrongly Blames Rural Hospital Closures on Immigrants in the Country Illegally
By Sam Whitehead
Experts disputed the claim by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, noting that a range of other issues — from low reimbursement rates to declining patient use — combine to cause these facilities to shutter.
The Campaign’s Final Days
It’s the final days of the 2024 campaign, and Republicans are suddenly talking again about making changes to the Affordable Care Act if former President Donald Trump wins. Meanwhile, new reporting uncovers more maternal deaths under state abortion bans — and a case in which a Nevada woman was jailed after a miscarriage. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Irving Washington, a senior vice president at KFF and the executive director of its Health Misinformation and Trust Initiative.
For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises the Stakes
By Kim Krisberg, Public Health Watch and Stephanie Colombini, WUSF
Medications such as methadone can cut the risk of a fatal opioid overdose in half. Medicaid covers the medication. But as state Medicaid programs reevaluated coverage of each enrollee following a pause in disenrollments during the covid-19 pandemic, some patients lost a crucial pillar of their sobriety.
In Montana, Conservative Groups See Chance To Kill Medicaid Expansion
By Katheryn Houghton
Conservative groups are working to undermine support for Montana’s Medicaid expansion ahead of a political fight over whether to keep the program.
‘Dreamers’ Can Enroll in ACA Plans This Year — But a Court Challenge Could Get in the Way
By Julie Appleby
Nineteen states are seeking to stall a Biden administration rule that would allow recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in ACA coverage and qualify for subsidies. DACA provides work authorization and temporary deportation protection to people brought to the U.S. as children without immigration paperwork.
Trump Wants Harris To Pay a Political Price for Generous Immigrant Health Policies
By Joanne Kenen
Several Democratic-led states have expanded public insurance programs to cover immigrants in the U.S. regardless of legal status. Donald Trump is trying to blame Kamala Harris for the policies.
Dentists Are Pulling ‘Healthy’ and Treatable Teeth To Profit From Implants, Experts Warn
By Brett Kelman and Anna Werner, CBS News and Oona Zenda
Americans are getting dental implants more than ever — and at costs reaching tens of thousands of dollars. Experts worry some dentists have lost sight of the soul of dentistry: preserving and fixing teeth.
Florida Medical Device Maker Exactech Declares Bankruptcy
By Fred Schulte
The company faces more than 2,000 lawsuits alleging it sold defective knee and hip implants.
‘A Pressure Campaign’: Beverly Hills Settles After Allegedly Blocking Abortion Clinic
By Christine Mai-Duc
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement with Beverly Hills after finding city officials pressured the landlord to cancel DuPont Clinic’s lease. It’s the state’s first enforcement action under Proposition 1, which enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution.
How a Proposed Federal Heat Rule Might Have Saved These Workers’ Lives
By Amy Maxmen
Laborers have suffered in extreme heat triggered by climate change. Deaths aren’t inevitable, researchers say: Employers can save lives by providing ample water and breaks.
Ghosts, Ghouls, and Ghastly Drug Prices in Winning Halloween Haikus
Entries for our sixth annual Halloween haiku contest gave us shivers. Based on a review by our panel of judges, here’s the winner and runners-up — plus the original artwork they inspired.
Can Racism Make You Sick?
By Dan Weissmann
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann sits down with KFF Health News’ Cara Anthony to talk about the documentary and podcast series she produced about the impact of a 1942 lynching and a 2020 police killing on a rural Missouri community. The project is called “Silence in Sikeston.”
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