KHN Weekly Edition: Oct. 22, 2021

‘Down to My Last Diaper’: The Anxiety of Parenting in Poverty
By Jenny Gold Diapers are a baby essential, but no federal program helps families cover their considerable cost. Jennifer Randles, a professor of sociology at Fresno State in California, spoke with KHN about her novel research exploring the outsize role “diaper math” plays in the lives of low-income moms.

Montana Tribes Want to Stop Jailing People for Suicide Attempts but Lack a Safer Alternative
By Sara Reardon The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes are working with academics and policy experts on possible solutions. Their challenge is how to attract the needed mental health personnel to the remote reservation.

‘No Mercy’ Bonus Episodes: More From Fort Scott, Kansas
By Sarah Jane Tribble Check out the latest bonus episodes from the award-winning "Where It Hurts" podcast.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Dems Agree to Agree, But Not on What to Agree On
Negotiations on the health parts of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda are getting serious but have yet to produce a deal every Democrat can support. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration remains without a nominated leader but manages to take the first steps toward approving over-the-counter hearing aids. Joanne Kenen of Politico and Johns Hopkins, Tami Luhby of CNN and Rachel Cohrs of Stat 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.

The Yelp of Covid: Vigilantes Crowdsource Pandemic Safety Tips for Consumers
By Morgan Gonzales Using a local approach, everyday people in cities without strict mask mandates take covid-19 safety into their own hands to protect themselves and their neighbors.

DC’s Harllee Harper Is Using Public Health Tools to Prevent Gun Violence. Will It Work?
By Amanda Michelle Gomez Expectations are high for the city’s first-ever gun violence prevention director to curb the surging murder rate with interventions outside of traditional law enforcement.

Worn-Out Nurses Hit the Road for Better Pay, Stressing Hospital Budgets — And Morale
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio Managers are trapped in a pricey hiring cycle, competing for critical care nurses who can monitor covid patients on life support. Some hospitals are looking abroad to replace staffers who quit to become travel nurses or leave the profession.

‘They Treat Me Like I’m Old and Stupid’: Seniors Decry Health Providers’ Age Bias
By Judith Graham Ageism in health care settings, which can result in inappropriate or dangerous treatment, is getting new attention during the covid pandemic, which has killed more than half a million Americans age 65 and older.

California’s Mental Health Crisis: What Went Wrong? And Can We Fix It?
KHN’s Angela Hart leads a lively discussion on the challenges facing California’s mental health care system and potential solutions. The panel was part of a broader symposium on mental health and addiction hosted by the Sacramento-based publication Capitol Weekly.

Scientists Search for Cause of Mysterious Covid-Related Inflammation in Children
By Liz Szabo Scientists treating kids for MIS-C point to rare genes, leaky guts and a “superantigen.”

Children With Disabilities Face Special Back-to-School Challenges
By Heidi de Marco For children with special needs returning to an L.A. classroom, mask-wearing is the least of their troubles.

Hygienists Brace for Pitched Battles With Dentists in Fights Over Practice Laws
By Giles Bruce In a battle reflecting turf wars around the country, Illinois dentists defeated legislation that would have allowed hygienists to practice in nursing homes and prisons where dental care can be scarce.

What Will It Take to Boost Vaccinations? The Scene From Kentucky’s Back Roads
By Sarah Varney With Kentucky in the grip of a covid surge, public health workers are taking their vaccination campaign house to house and church to church, trying to outmaneuver the fantastical tales spread on social media and everyday hurdles of hardship and isolation.

Watch: Going Beyond the Script of ‘Dopesick’ and America’s Real-Life Opioid Crisis
KHN teamed up with Hulu for a discussion of America's opioid crisis, following the Oct. 13 premiere of the online streaming service’s new series “Dopesick.”

Journalists Tell How Covid Complicates Organ Transplants and the Health of Rural America
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.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Hello? We Spend 12 Million Hours a Week on the Phone With Insurers
By Dan Weissmann In this episode, we get our bearings on self-funded insurance plans, and how they affect the average — sometimes burned-out — American worker trying to get answers about insurance.