KHN Weekly Edition: Feb. 3, 2023

A Baby Spent 36 Days in an In-Network NICU. Why Did the Hospital Next Door Send a Bill?
By Harris Meyer A baby spent more than a month in a Chicago NICU. A big bill revealed she was treated by out-of-network doctors from the children’s hospital next door. Her parents were charged despite a state law protecting patients from such out-of-network billing — and sent to collections when they didn’t pay up.

Government Lets Health Plans That Ripped Off Medicare Keep the Money
By Fred Schulte In a surprise decision, U.S. officials yield to insurance industry demands — at least for now.

As Pandemic-Era Medicaid Provisions Lapse, Millions Approach a Coverage Cliff
By Phil Galewitz States are trying to reach millions of Medicaid enrollees to make sure those still eligible remain covered and help others find new health insurance.

Watch: Covid Increases Risk of Heart Problems, New Data Underlines
Céline Gounder, KHN editor-at-large for public health, discusses new data showing an excess of deaths in 2020 related to heart disease.

It’s ‘Telehealth vs. No Care’: Doctors Say Congress Risks Leaving Patients Vulnerable
By Sarah Jane Tribble Congress’ $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package included a two-year extension of pandemic-era funding that helped telehealth services grow nationwide. But that cash bridge, embraced by those delivering services to patients in rural areas, doesn’t provide much certainty for the future of remote medicine.

Nursing Home Owners Drained Cash During Pandemic While Residents Deteriorated
By Jordan Rau As the federal government debates whether to require higher staffing levels at nursing homes, financial records show owners routinely push profits to sister companies while residents are neglected. “A dog would get better care than he did,” one resident’s wife said.

When Gun Violence Ends Young Lives, These Men Prepare the Graves
By Cara Anthony Just outside St. Louis, a cemetery for children sits on a hill. A wooden, weather-worn sign welcomes mourners to “Baby Land.” The gravediggers who made the special spot work quietly in the shadows.

As Long-Term Care Staffing Crisis Worsens, Immigrants Can Bridge the Gaps
By Michelle Andrews The industry has long relied on immigrants to bolster its ranks, and they’ll be critical to meeting future staffing needs, experts say. But as the baby boom generation fills beds, policymakers are slow to open new pathways for foreign workers.

Some Addiction Treatment Centers Turn Big Profits by Scaling Back Care
By Renuka Rayasam and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.

Montana Lawmakers Seek More Information About Governor’s HEART Fund
By Keely Larson Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Healing and Ending Addiction Through Recovery and Treatment fund has spent $5.2 million since 2021. With a proposed increase, providers and lawmakers alike want to tap into the money.

California Author Uses Dark Humor — And a Bear — To Highlight Flawed Health System
By Rachel Scheier A new graphic novel by Kathleen Founds follows an angst-ridden bear on his quest for mental health treatment. Founds drew on her own experience with bipolar disorder.

Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.