KHN Weekly Edition: Jan. 7, 2022
Hospitals Recruit International Nurses to Fill Pandemic Shortages
Nick Ehli
Montana’s largest hospital recently signed employment contracts with two dozen foreign nurses. Nationwide, a backlog of 5,000 international nurses await approval to enter the U.S.
As Covid Hits Nursing Homes’ Finances, Town Residents Fight to Save Alzheimer’s Facility
Judith Graham
Fear of covid has kept some adults from moving to nursing homes, and many facilities are in trouble financially. When Nevada, Missouri, officials announced they were planning to close a home specializing in dementia care, members of the community rose up in protest.
Laws Shield Hospitals From Families Who Believe Loved Ones Contracted Covid as Patients
Lauren Weber and Christina Jewett
Families who believe their loved ones contracted covid-19 while hospitalized are finding they have little recourse following a wave of liability shield legislation pushed by business interests.
A New Paradigm Is Needed: Top Experts Question the Value of Advance Care Planning
Judith Graham
Prominent researchers say the nationwide effort to get people to spell out how they want to be treated as they die is not improving patients’ care.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Contagion Confusion
It’s 2022 and the covid-19 pandemic is still with us, as are congressional efforts to pass President Joe Biden’s big health and social spending bill. But other issues seem certain to take center stage on this year’s health agenda, including abortion, the state of the health care workforce, and prescription drug prices. Tami Luhby of CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Victoria Knight, who reported the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode.
California Ballot Will Be Heavy on Health Care
Samantha Young
In the Nov. 8 general election, California voters will consider overturning the state’s flavored tobacco ban and hiking medical malpractice awards. Other proposals to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms, target dialysis clinics and boost public health funding could also be on the ballot, along with a plan to limit business and school closures during public health emergencies.
With Sexually Transmitted Infections Off the Charts, California Pushes At-Home Tests
Rachel Bluth
A new law makes California the first state to require that health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover home STI tests. But some details still need to be worked out.
South Dakota Voters to Decide Medicaid Expansion
Phil Galewitz
Despite state Republican leaders’ rigid opposition to expanding the health program designed for low-income residents, advocates successfully gathered enough signatures to get the measure on the fall ballot.
Listen: How the New ‘No Surprises’ Law Tackles Unexpected Medical Bills
Years in the making, a new federal law against surprise medical bills took effect Jan. 1.
‘Then the Bill Came’: Year 4 of KHN-NPR’s Bill of the Month Is a Wrap
Our crowdsourced investigation of the high, confusing and arbitrary medical bills generated by our health system is set to begin its fifth year in 2022.
A Catch-22 Trips Up Some in Legal Guardianship Who Try to Regain Independence
Carter Barrett, Side Effects Public Media
If a judge decides someone cannot make their own decisions, the person can be placed under a court-appointed guardianship, also known as a conservatorship. Some states are beginning to allow less-restrictive alternatives.
The War on Cancer at 50: The Origin Story Begins With a Socialite Citizen-Lobbyist
Gabrielle Emanuel, WBUR
After the National Cancer Act became law 50 years ago, cancer went from shameful taboo to one of the best-funded areas of medicine. Much of the credit for this transformation goes to one woman, Mary Lasker.
Medical Marijuana Users Brace for Shortages as Montana’s Recreational Market Opens
Justin Franz
Sales of recreational marijuana are underway, and dispensary owners say they’re not ready to meet the demand. That may mean problems for the 55,000 Montanans who hold medical marijuana cards.
Why an HBCU Med School Decided to Put CARES Act Money Into Students’ Pockets
Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
More than most schools, the country’s historically Black colleges and universities are funneling stimulus money directly to students, wiping out loans and past-due fees. But one is going a step further with its financial assistance.