KHN Weekly Edition: February 25, 2022
An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills
By Jay Hancock and Heidi de Marco
The insurance company said that the birth of the Bull family’s twins was not an emergency and that NICU care was “not medically necessary.” The family’s experience with a huge bill sent to collections happened in 2020, but it exposes a hole in the new No Surprises law that took effect Jan. 1.
Why Pregnant People Were Left Behind While Vaccines Moved at ‘Warp Speed’ to Help the Masses
By Liz Szabo
Clinical trials of covid-19 vaccines excluded pregnant people, which left many women wondering whether to get vaccinated.
Covid Aid to Protect Montana Prisons and Jails Sits Unused
By Katheryn Houghton
Montana has yet to start spending nearly $2.5 million in federal aid to boost covid detection and mitigation in the state’s prison and jails.
Covid Still Threatens Millions of Americans. Why Are We So Eager to Move On?
By Victoria Knight
Those who are living with disabilities, chronic illnesses or are immunocompromised because of medications or cancer treatment feel that their needs are not being considered as states open back up and lift mask mandates.
Watch: Seniors Share How They’ve Made It Through the Pandemic
Nine seniors from across the country talk frankly about feeling alone and constrained, missing church, and family routines. They also share newfound hope and discoveries that arose from the crisis.
Plan to Fix Postal Service Shifts New Retirees to Medicare — Along With Billions in Costs
By Michael McAuliff
After a years-long bitter partisan fight over reforming the U.S. Postal Service’s finances and service, congressional leaders say they have a compromise. The bill, which has won endorsements from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, would force future Postal Service retirees to use Medicare as their primary source of health coverage.
‘Injections, Injections, Injections’: Troubling Questions Follow Closure of Sprawling Pain Clinic Chain
By Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Jenny Gold
In May 2021, Lags Medical Centers, one of California’s largest chains of pain clinics, abruptly closed its doors amid a cloaked state investigation. Nine months later, patients are still in the dark about what happened with their care and to their bodies.
Health Care Firms Were Pushed to Confront Racism. Now Some Are Investing in Black Startups.
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
A new investment fund launched by one of the few Black venture capitalists in health care is focused on backing Black entrepreneurs. And the investors include some of the biggest names in for-profit health care.
Targeted by Politicians, Trans Youth Struggle With Growing Fear and Mental Health Concerns
By Sandy West
Transgender young people and their parents have stepped up to testify against legislation targeting them. But as rhetoric escalates in the political fray, what does the anti-trans legislative push mean for their mental health?
The Stress of Restaurant Work Is Reaching a Boiling Point. Could a Staff Therapist Help?
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
A Denver restaurant chain has a novel approach to address employees’ stress. It has hired a full-time mental health professional to help with group and one-on-one counseling.
Other States Keep Watchful Eye on Snags in Washington’s Pioneering Public-Option Plan
By Markian Hawryluk
Washington was the first state in the U.S. to introduce a public option for health insurance, but the rollout hasn’t been smooth. Other states with public options in the works are taking notice.
Changes to Medi-Cal’s Troubled Drug Program Reduce Backlog in California, but Problems Persist
By Samantha Young
After a troubled start to the new Medi-Cal prescription drug program, the state’s contractor has hired staffers to reduce wait times for medication approvals and patients seeking help. But some doctors and clinics report that patients continue to face delays.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Contemplating a Post-‘Roe’ World
In anticipation of the Supreme Court rolling back abortion rights this year, both Democrats and Republicans are arguing among themselves over how best to proceed to either protect or restrict the procedure. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance when the federal government declares an end to the current “public health emergency.” Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Jay Hancock, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a couple whose insurance company deemed their twins’ stay in intensive care not an emergency.
Readers and Tweeters Have Mental Health Care on Their Minds
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Journalists Review Hospital Penalties and Problems Riddling Medicaid Rx Program
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.