KHN Weekly Edition: Dec. 10, 2021
West Virginia Sen. Manchin Takes the Teeth Out of Democrats’ Plan for Seniors’ Dental Care
Phil Galewitz
In West Virginia, older residents often go without dental care, and a quarter of people 65 and older have no natural teeth, the highest rate of any state in the country. But a powerful senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, has rebuffed efforts to add a dental benefit to Medicare.
Suit by Doctors, Hospitals Seeks Change in How Arbitrators Settle Surprise Billing Cases
Julie Appleby
The American Medical Association and American Hospital Association are not arguing to halt the law that protects patients from unexpected bills from providers they didn’t know were outside their insurance network. Instead, they want to change the rules for the mediators who will settle the dispute between insurers and providers.
Sex Apps for Gay Men Join Forces to Fight Online Insults
David Tuller
A San Francisco-area group that pushes for healthier internet behavior aims to show that being mean isn’t sexy and can lead to mental anguish and unsafe sexual encounters.
A Rural Georgia Community Reels After Its Hospital Closes
Andy Miller
A record number of hospitals closed in rural America last year. For the residents of Cuthbert, Georgia, the loss has meant many problems, including delayed care for emergencies that can turn deadly.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Much Ado About (Vaccine) Mandates
The fight over covid vaccines continues to intensify, with Republicans on Capitol Hill pushing — with some success — to cancel President Joe Biden’s “test regularly or vaccinate” requirement for private employers. Meanwhile, abortion is not the only health issue before the Supreme Court this term. Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Rachel Cohrs of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Health Experts Worry CDC’s Covid Vaccination Rates Appear Inflated
Phil Galewitz
Accuracy issues raise red flags because the data is used to plan and direct resources in the nation’s continuing response to the covid-19 pandemic.
Never Mind Toys, It’s Time to Ask Santa for Crutches and Catheters
Rachana Pradhan
As hospitals juggle holiday covid surges and all their other patients, the global supply chain crisis has left them short of critical supplies.
Some Montana Nonprofit Hospitals Fall Short of Peers in Required Charitable Giving
Katheryn Houghton
Montana nonprofit hospitals receive millions of dollars in tax exemptions as charities each year in exchange for giving back to their communities. A KHN review found that some of Montana’s richest medical centers are falling behind most state and national hospitals.
Post-Pandemic, What’s a Phone Call From Your Physician Worth?
Julie Appleby
Medicare billing codes for audio-only follow-up check-ins lead to new reimbursement battles.
Oncology Doctors Say the Build Back Better Act Will Slash Cancer Care Funding — A Skewed Argument
Julie Appleby
The Community Oncology Alliance is targeting the prescription drug provisions of the Build Back Better Act, saying they will trigger deep cuts in oncologists’ pay, causing clinics to close and health care costs to rise. But it leaves out some important details.
From ‘Physician Assistant’ to Medicare, Readers and Tweeters Mince No Words
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Data Science Proved What Pittsburgh’s Black Leaders Knew: Racial Disparities Compound Covid Risk
Christine Spolar
Inside the Black Equity Coalition’s novel effort to share community health intel and scrape government data to understand — and document — the life-threatening differences between white and Black Pittsburgh.
When the Surges Just Keep Coming: A View From the Covid Vortex
Jenny Gold
Fresno County, one of California’s persistent covid-19 hot spots, is experiencing an autumn surge that once again has overwhelmed area hospitals. KHN spoke with Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra about leading the charge in a region where many people remain anti-mask and vaccine-wary.
Texas Toughens Ban on Medication-by-Mail Abortions With Jail Time and Hefty Fine
Ashley Lopez, KUT
Last week, on the same day the Supreme Court heard a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling on abortion rights, Texas enacted a law that creates criminal penalties for anyone who prescribes medication abortions via telehealth or mail.
Is It Time to Change the Definition of ‘Fully Vaccinated’?
Victoria Knight
Experts weigh in as the federal government urges everyone to get boosted amid concerns over omicron, a new covid variant.
Journalists Explore Health Care Disparities and Policy Pitfalls
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.