KHN Weekly Edition: July 15, 2022
Three Things to Know About Insurance Coverage for Abortion
Julie Appleby
Even before the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion, insurance coverage for the service varied widely. Now it’s become even more complex, with additional changes and court challenges to come.
Self-Managed Abortions Gain Attention, but Helpers Risk Legal Trouble
Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
A network of organizations help women use medication to end early pregnancies safely. But it’s a legal gray area in Tennessee and other states that restrict abortion.
Journalists Explain the Effects of ‘Dobbs’ Decision and New Insurer Price Transparency Rules
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.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Life After ‘Roe’ Is … Confusing
A rapidly changing landscape for abortion has left patients, providers, employers, and lawmakers alike wondering what is and is not legal and what to do next. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have resumed negotiations on legislation to lower drug prices and, potentially, continue expanded insurance subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Nurse Midwives Step Up to Provide Prenatal Care After Two Rural Hospitals Shutter Birthing Centers
Tony Leys
Dozens of Iowa hospitals have closed their birthing units. A team of University of Iowa nurse midwives can’t reopen them, but they’ve found a way to provide prenatal checkups and other crucial services in two towns.
Rural Hospital Rescue Program Is Met With Skepticism From Administrators
Sarah Jane Tribble and Tony Leys
A new federal rescue program that pays rural hospitals to shutter underused inpatient units and focus solely on emergency rooms and outpatient care hasn’t generated much interest yet.
Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Is Killing Patients. Yet There Is a Simple Way to Stop It.
Brett Kelman
Hospital-acquired pneumonia not tied to ventilators is one of the most common infections that strike within health care facilities. But few hospitals take steps to prevent it, which can be as simple as dutifully brushing patients’ teeth.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: One ER Doctor Grapples With the Inequities of American Health Care
Dan Weissmann
This episode is an interview with Dr. Thomas Fisher, author of "The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER."
As Big Pharma Loses Interest in New Antibiotics, Infections Are Only Growing Stronger
Arthur Allen
Existing drugs still treat most infections. But that has discouraged investment in new drugs that will be needed when — not if —the old ones fail.
Patients With Epilepsy Navigate Murky Unregulated CBD Industry
Eric Berger
The FDA has approved a cannabis-derived drug, Epidiolex, to treat some forms of epilepsy. Now people who have other forms of the condition are using over-the-counter CBD products in hopes of taming their seizures. But doctors and patients worry about the unregulated world of CBD, in which product ingredients can be a mystery.
In America, Cancer Patients Endure Debt on Top of Disease
Noam N. Levey
Medical breakthroughs mean cancer is less likely to kill, but survival can come at an extraordinary cost as patients drain savings, declare bankruptcy, or lose their homes, a KHN-NPR investigation finds.
Listen: Why Medical Debt Touches Every Corner of America
KHN senior correspondent Noam N. Levey joined WBEZ and Wisconsin Public Radio to talk about medical debt and health care costs in the U.S.
California’s Public Health Tax Is Dead for the Year
Angela Hart
A ballot measure that would have taxed California millionaires to boost public health funding will not be on the November ballot. But the tech titans who bankrolled the effort say they are negotiating with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration to get more money without imposing new taxes.
As California Welcomes Ukrainian Refugees, Counties Fall Short on Interpreters
Mark Kreidler
As Ukrainians settle in California, many are tapping Medi-Cal. But in some counties, particularly Sacramento, the health department doesn’t have enough interpreters.
Medi-Cal’s Reliance on Prisoners to Make Cheaper Eyeglasses Proves Shortsighted
Colleen DeGuzman
In California, where inmates manufacture glasses for Medi-Cal, enrollees and providers can wait months for their orders. Now, state lawmakers are considering allowing clinics to order from private labs as well.
‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 8: A Tribal Court in California Works to Heal Family Separation
Indigenous people in the United States face disproportionately high rates of incarceration and family separation through the foster care system. Episode 8 explores the Yurok Tribal Court’s efforts to keep families together.
A 63-Year-Old Transgender Woman Is Caught in Montana’s Birth Certificate Dispute
Erica Zurek
Montana is one of a handful of states that bar transgender people from changing the sex on their birth certificates. Health professionals say that gender marker should be erased completely.
Colorado’s Efforts Are Not Enough to Solve Its Ozone Problem
Jim Robbins
Some health experts said measures underway by state and federal officials won’t lower ozone pollution to safe levels across nine counties of Colorado’s Front Range.
Kids Want to Put Montana on Trial for Unhealthy Climate Policies
Nick Ehli
Sixteen children and young adults are suing the state over energy policies they say are hurting their health and environment. The flooding that closed Yellowstone National Park may show they have a point.
A Free-for-All From Readers and Tweeters, From Medical Debt to Homelessness
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.