KHN Weekly: Nov. 5, 2021

Democrats Plan to Expand Medicare Hearing Benefits. What Can Consumers Expect?
By Rachana Pradhan KHN answers questions for seniors about how this new benefit might work.

Despite Restraints, Democrats’ Drug Pricing Plan Could Still Aid Consumers
By Michael McAuliff A last-minute agreement among lawmakers restored a provision seeking to hold down rising costs of prescription medicines. Although details on which drugs will be targeted remain sketchy, the legislation would help patients buying insulin and cap Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year.

Uninsured in South Would Win Big in Democrats’ Plan, but Hospitals Fear Funding Loss
By Phil Galewitz and Andy Miller The latest iteration of President Joe Biden's social-spending package would close the health insurance gap for at least 2.2 million people, making a huge difference especially in the South, where political opposition has blocked Medicaid expansion.

If Congress Adds Dental Coverage to Medicare, Should All Seniors Get It?
By Bram Sable-Smith Health equity advocates see a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide a dental benefit to millions of older Americans as Congress considers expanding Medicare services. But complicating that push is a debate over how many of the more than 60 million Medicare recipients should receive dental coverage.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Compromise Is Coming — Maybe
Democratic negotiators on Capitol Hill appear to be nearing a compromise on President Joe Biden’s social spending agenda, spurred partly by Democratic losses on Election Day in Virginia. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court hints it might allow abortion providers to sue Texas over its restrictive new ban. But the relief, if it comes, could be short-lived if the court uses a second case, challenging a law in Mississippi, to weaken or overturn Roe v. Wade. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Rae Ellen Bichell, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about an emergency bill for a nonemergency birth.

Patients Went Into the Hospital for Care. After Testing Positive There for Covid, Some Never Came Out.
By Christina Jewett About 21% of patients diagnosed with covid during a hospital stay died, according to data analyzed for KHN. In-hospital rates of spread varied widely and patients had no way of checking them.

Nursing Home Residents Overlooked in Scramble for Covid Antibody Treatments
By JoNel Aleccia A federal allocation plan meant to ensure equitable distribution of powerful monoclonal antibody treatments for high-risk patients fails to prioritize nursing home residents, a population that remains particularly vulnerable even after vaccination.

‘Covid Hit Us Over the Head With a Two-by-Four’: Addressing Ageism With Urgency
By Judith Graham In light of the pandemic’s shocking death toll among seniors, organizations are trying new strategies to help older Americans get better care.

Journalists Explore Shadow Pandemics of Hospital Violence and Grieving Children
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.

Unvaccinated? Don’t Count on Leaving Your Family Death Benefits
By Michelle Andrews Some front-line workers who die of covid-19 have been considered eligible for accidental death benefits because it is presumed their infection was contracted on the job. But some employers now suggest that if the workers didn’t follow established safety protocols, such as getting vaccinated, those benefits may be denied.

What Do We Really Know About Vaccine Effectiveness?
By Julie Appleby Reports of waning effectiveness and mixed messages about booster shots fuel the politicization of vaccination.

‘Not Quite on Board’: Parents Proving a Tough Sell on Covid Vax for Teens
By Jenny Gold and Samantha Young California offers a lens on the challenges officials face in persuading parents to embrace covid shots for young children. While the state has a strong showing in overall vaccination rates, just 59% of kids 12 to 17 — eligible for a shot since May — are fully vaccinated.

Montana’s Governor Nixed a Kids’ Vaccine Campaign, So Health Officials Plan Their Own
By Aaron Bolton, MTPR A former Montana health department leader said Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration killed a public service campaign planned for last summer that promoted covid vaccines for teens. Health organizations want to fill the void with information on vaccines for children 5 and up.

New Health Plans Offer Twists on Existing Options, With a Dose of ‘Buyer Beware’
By Julie Appleby Fueled by consumer frustration with high premiums and deductibles, two new offerings promise a means for consumers to take control of their health care costs. But experts say they pose risks.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Need Surgery to Save Your Life? Tips for Getting Insurance to Pay
By Dan Weissmann Laurie Todd calls herself the “Insurance Warrior” and is sharing her strategies for getting health insurance companies to bend to her will.

Few Acute Care Hospitals Escaped Readmissions Penalties
By Jordan Rau More than 9 in 10 general acute-care hospitals have been penalized at least once in the past decade.

Labs With No One to Run Them: Why Public Health Workers Are Fleeing the Field
By Anna Maria Barry-Jester Across California, public health departments are losing experienced staffers to exhaustion, partisan politics and jobs that pay more for less work. The public health nurses, epidemiologists and microbiologists who work to keep our communities healthy are abandoning the field.

High Court Hears Cases on Novel Texas Law, but Outcome May Not Affect Abortion Access
By Julie Rovner The arguments before the justices did not deal directly with the state’s ban on abortions after six weeks. Instead, they centered on the unique mechanism in the law that gives state officials no role in enforcing the ban.

California Law Aims to Strengthen Access to Mental Health Services
By Bernard J. Wolfson The law doesn’t take effect until July, but its passage should force insurers to expand their rosters of therapists. Here’s how you can challenge your health plan’s mental health services until then.