KHN Weekly Edition: Oct. 21, 2022
Kids’ Mental Health Care Leaves Parents in Debt and in the Shadows
Yuki Noguchi, NPR News
A youth mental health crisis and a shortage of therapists and other care providers who take insurance are pushing many families into financial ruin. But it's rarely acknowledged as medical debt.
After Congress Fails to Add Dental Coverage, Medicare Weighs Limited Benefit Expansion
Susan Jaffe
Medicare can pay for some dental care if it is medically necessary to safely treat another covered medical condition, and federal officials have asked for suggestions on whether that list of conditions should be expanded.
Campaigning Ramps Up as South Dakota Voters Decide on Medicaid Expansion
Arielle Zionts
A broad coalition of Medicaid expansion supporters faces off against a smaller group of opponents as early voting begins on a constitutional amendment that would increase coverage under South Dakota’s program.
5 Things to Know About Montana’s ‘Born Alive’ Ballot Initiative
Matt Volz
A ballot measure that seeks to protect infants following failed abortions would impose stiff penalties on health care providers in Montana.
Listen: Why Childbirth Is So Dangerous for Many Young Teens
Sarah Varney
KHN senior correspondent Sarah Varney talks with NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday” about how the abortion bans proliferating in many U.S. states will affect teenage birth rates and the physical risks that trend poses for girls.
Say What? Hearing Aids Available Over-the-Counter for as Low as $199, and Without a Prescription
Phil Galewitz
The cheaper over-the-counter aids are for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss — a market of tens of millions of people, many of whom have until now been priced out because prescription devices can cost thousands of dollars.
Blind to Problems: How VA’s Electronic Record System Shuts Out Visually Impaired Patients
Darius Tahir
Veterans Affairs’ electronic health records aren’t friendly to blind- and low-vision users, whether they’re patients or employees. It’s a microcosm of America’s health care system.
As Links to MS Deepen, Researchers Accelerate Efforts to Develop an Epstein-Barr Vaccine
Liz Szabo
Recent leaps in medical research have lent urgency to the quest to develop a vaccine against Epstein-Barr, a ubiquitous virus that has been linked to a range of illnesses, from mononucleosis to multiple sclerosis and several cancers.
Centene Gave Thousands to Georgia Leaders’ Campaigns While Facing Medicaid Overbilling Questions
Maya T. Prabhu, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Andy Miller
Centene is trying to settle accusations of Medicaid pharmaceutical overcharging in Georgia, and the St. Louis-based company has been giving thousands of dollars to the campaigns of the state attorney general and the governor.
Don’t Drill Your Own Teeth! And Quashing Other Rotten Dental Advice on TikTok
Chaseedaw Giles
TikTok videos extol doing your own cosmetic dentistry like gluing gems to your front teeth or filing down your teeth. The trouble is social media rarely shows the mistakes or the pain.
Family Caregivers Find Support on #dementia TikTok
Kate Wells, Michigan Public
The TikTok hashtag "dementia" has billions of views. Caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias have been using the site to swap tips and share the burdens of life with dementia.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden Hits the Road to Sell Democrats’ Record
With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, President Joe Biden has taken to the road to convince voters that he and congressional Democrats have delivered for them during two years in power. Among the health issues highlighted by the administration this week are pandemic preparedness and the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids. The president also promised to sign a bill codifying the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade if Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate — even though it’s a long shot that there will be enough votes for that. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Texas Revamps ‘Active-Shooter’ Drills at K-12 Schools to Minimize Trauma
Renuka Rayasam and Colleen DeGuzman
School lockdown drills are designed to prepare students for violent threats. But for some students, especially those with special needs, the drills can trigger or exacerbate mental health problems. Texas is taking a step toward balancing safety and mental health with new regulations around how the drills are conducted. “If some kids are coming away traumatized or we’re magnifying existing trauma, we’re not moving in the right direction,” one expert says.
Awaiting Voters’ Decision on Abortion, When Medicine and Politics Collide
Andrea King Collier
As Michigan and several other states await voters’ verdicts on ballot measures about abortion, the providers, patients, and activists on both sides strategize their next steps.
Labor Tries City-by-City Push in California for $25 Minimum Wage at Private Medical Facilities
Rachel Bluth
Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West is testing the waters on a $25 minimum wage for support staff at health care facilities in Southern California. Opposition from hospitals and health facilities is driving an expensive battle.