KHN Weekly Edition: July 1, 2022
His-and-Hers Cataract Surgeries, But His Bill Was 20 Times as Much
Angela Hart and Heidi de Marco
Whether a simple operation is performed under the auspices of a hospital or at an independent surgery center can make a huge difference in cost.
Listen: He Was Denied Care Because He Owed His Doctor Less Than $100
NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" interview KHN's Noam N. Levey about the problem of crippling medical debt in America.
‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 7: Indigenous Advocates Work for Better Reproductive Care
From forced sterilizations in the 1960s to scant access to abortion care today, barriers to health care threaten Native people’s reproductive autonomy. Episode 7 explores efforts to protect and expand Native Americans’ access to comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care.
Big Employers Are Offering Abortion Benefits. Will the Information Stay Safe?
Darius Tahir
Work-based benefits may expand access to abortion for people who live in areas where the service is unavailable, but experts warn that claiming benefits could create a paper trail for law enforcement officials to follow.
Three-Year Abortion Trends Vary Dramatically by State
Phillip Reese
About 930,000 abortions occurred in the U.S. in 2020, an 8% increase from 2017. But that nationwide figure belies dramatic variation among states — disparities expected to magnify in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade.
Genetic Screening Results Just Got Harder to Handle Under New Abortion Rules
Sara Reardon
Most prenatal genetic tests aren’t performed until after 11 weeks’ gestation, and the time between drawing a sample and getting results may be additional weeks. But new abortion restrictions prevent parents from choosing an abortion when they find out their child has a genetic disease, and make the already difficult decision for them.
Watch: Crossing State Lines for Abortion Care
Sarah Varney
Illinois is one of the few states in the middle of the country where people can still legally access abortion care.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A World Without ‘Roe’
The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade has created far more questions than it has answered about the continued legality and availability of abortion, as both abortion rights supporters and anti-abortion activists scramble to put their marks on policy. Meanwhile, Congress completes work on its gun bill and the FDA takes up the problem of the next covid-19 booster. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Victoria Knight of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Angela Hart, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about two identical eye surgeries with very different price tags.
Government Watchdogs Attack Medicare Advantage for Denying Care and Overcharging
Fred Schulte
The Government Accountability Office and the Health and Human Services inspector general’s office say seniors enrolled in the program are suffering and taxpayers are getting bilked for billions of dollars a year.
How Much Health Insurers Pay for Almost Everything Is About to Go Public
Julie Appleby
New government rules force health insurers to publicly disclose what they pay for just about every service. That information could help consumers and employers know whether they’re getting a fair deal.
How to Get Rid of Medical Debt — Or Avoid It in the First Place
Yuki Noguchi, NPR News
Medical bills can add stress to the already stressful experience of dealing with a medical crisis. And if you can’t pay those bills, they can linger, wreaking havoc on your financial goals and credit. Here’s how to protect yourself.
Journalists Investigate Private Equity, Medical Debt, and Mental Health Care
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.
What You Need to Know About Monkeypox
Céline Gounder
For now, monkeypox poses a low risk to the U.S. public, but it could become a problem if the spread is left unchecked. Here’s what everyone should know about it.
Sheriffs Who Denounced Colorado’s Red Flag Law Are Now Using It
Markian Hawryluk
Petitions for protective orders under Colorado’s red flag law have been filed in more than half the counties that opposed it and declared themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries.”
Overdose Deaths Behind Bars Rise as Drug Crisis Swells
LJ Dawson
Drug-related mortality rates have increased in prisons and jails even as the number of people incarcerated for drug offenses has dropped. The pandemic lockdowns on visitors didn't eliminate the problem, showcasing that guards have been a source of the contraband.
Montana’s Blackfeet Tribe to Use Dogs to Sniff Out Disease and Contaminants
Aaron Bolton, MTPR
The Blackfeet Nation is experimenting with a new way to detect chronic wasting disease in animals used by tribal members for food and cultural practices.
LA’s First Heat Officer Says Helping Vulnerable Communities Is Key to Achieving Climate Goals
Heidi de Marco
Los Angeles taps Marta Segura, director of the city’s climate emergency mobilization office, as its first heat officer. Segura, the first Hispanic person to hold such a position in the country, will work across city departments on an early warning system while developing cooling strategies.
California May Require Labels on Pot Products to Warn of Mental Health Risks
April Dembosky, KQED
Doctors and lawmakers in California want cannabis products labeled to warn consumers of the increased risk of schizophrenia and other disorders associated with heavy use.