KHN Weekly Edition: March 31, 2023
ER’s Error Lands a 4-Year-Old in Collections (For Care He Didn’t Receive)
Daniel Chang
A Florida woman tried to dispute an emergency room bill, but the hospital and collection agency refused to talk to her — because it was her child’s name on the bill, not hers.
In Texas, Medicaid Coverage Ends Soon After Childbirth. Will Lawmakers Allow More Time?
Elena Rivera, KERA
Pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage ends just two months after childbirth in Texas — some advocates and researchers say that cutoff contributes to maternal deaths and illnesses in the state.
A Judicial Body Blow to the ACA
A federal judge in Texas has dealt a big setback to the Affordable Care Act. The same judge who tried in 2018 to declare the entire ACA unconstitutional has now ruled that the law’s main provisions for preventive care are unconstitutional and, therefore, unenforceable nationwide. Also this week, North Carolina became the 40th state to expand Medicaid under the ACA. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Judge’s Decision Would Make Some No-Cost Cancer Screenings a Thing of the Past
Julie Appleby and Michelle Andrews
A U.S. District Court ruling overturned the section of the Affordable Care Act that makes preventive health services — from colonoscopies to diabetes screenings and more — available at no cost to consumers.
A Progress Check on Hospital Price Transparency
Michelle Andrews
Hospitals are facing mixed reviews regarding their efforts to comply with a federal requirement that they post information about prices related to nearly every health care service they provide.
Localize This: Public Reporting of Opioid Settlement Cash
Aneri Pattani
KFF Health News’ recent investigation offers a great opportunity for reporters to investigate an important issue of government accountability from a state or local angle.
$50 Billion in Opioid Settlement Cash Is on the Way. We’re Tracking How It’s Spent.
Aneri Pattani
Spending the money effectively and equitably is a tall order for state and local governments, and a lack of transparency in the process is already leading to fears of misuse.
States Try to Obscure Execution Details as Drugmakers Hinder Lethal Injection
Renuka Rayasam
Pharmaceutical companies have put the brakes on many states’ ability to execute prisoners using lethal injections. Lacking alternatives, states are trying to keep the public from learning details about how they carry out executions.
GOP Lawmaker Calls for Tracking Homeless Spending, Working With Democrats on Mental Health
Angela Hart
Republican state Sen. Roger Niello wants to know whether taxpayers are getting their money’s worth before spending more. Yet the fiscal conservative from the suburbs of Sacramento sees opportunities for bipartisanship on mental health.
Truly Random Drug Testing: ADHD Patients Face Uneven Urine Screens and, Sometimes, Stigma
Arielle Zionts
Doctors have no national standards on when to order urine tests to check whether adult ADHD patients are properly taking their prescription stimulants. Some patients are subjected to much more frequent testing than others.
Congressman Seeks to Plug ‘Shocking Loophole’ Exposed by KHN Investigation
Sarah Jane Tribble
A federal lawmaker has introduced a House bill that would close one of a laundry list of oversight gaps revealed in a recent KHN investigation of the system regulators use to ban fraudsters from billing government health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
When College Athletes Kill Themselves, Healing the Team Becomes the Next Goal
Debby Waldman
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students. Contrary to conventional wisdom, athletes aren’t immune from the risk factors. Players at Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin, and other colleges are learning how to protect their mental health and ask for help after their teammates killed themselves.
Banning Noncompete Contracts for Medical Staff Riles Hospitals
Harris Meyer
It’s about the money — on both sides — as arguments swirl about patient safety, rising prices, and paying back on-the-job training.
As Colorado Reels From Another School Shooting, Study Finds 1 in 4 Teens Have Quick Access to Guns
Markian Hawryluk
The study analyzed Colorado kids’ responses to how quickly they could get their hands on a loaded gun without their parents’ knowledge. More than 1 in 10 said they could do so within 10 minutes.
Readers and Tweeters Are Horrified by Harm Tied to Dental Device
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Journalists Delve Into Insulin Costs and Prior Authorization Policy
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.
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