Weekly Edition: 7-11, 2017

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ No Vacation For Insurers
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the state of the individual health insurance markets in the wake of the failure (for now) of Congress’s efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Americans Eager For Leaders To Cooperate To Make Health Law Work
By Phil Galewitz Majorities of Democrats and Republicans — and people who say they are supporters of President Donald Trump — say they want the country to make the law successful.

Taking A U-Turn On Benefits, Big Employers Vow To Continue Offering Health Insurance
By Jay Hancock Three years ago, only about a quarter of the nation’s large employers were very confident they would have a health plan in 10 years. That number has now risen to 65 percent.

Why One Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Insurers, Policyholders Across the Country
By Chad Terhune Little-known rules require all health insurance companies to help pay claims when any one of them fails. Penn Treaty failed big — and insurers around the country are likely to pass those costs onto policyholders.

Obesity And Depression Are Entwined, Yet Scientists Don’t Know Why
By Shefali Luthra As the link between obesity and depression becomes increasingly clear, so do the challenges of treating these distinct chronic conditions together.

A Long And Winding Road: Kicking Heroin In An Opioid ‘Treatment Desert’  
By Brian Rinker Heather Menzel thought returning to her rural California hometown was the answer to her addiction problems. Then she discovered the town had no medical treatment options for her — but plenty of heroin.

Asthma, More Deadly With Age, Takes Heavy Toll On Older Adults
By Judith Graham Death rates for older adults with asthma run five times higher than younger people, and serious complications are far more common.

Lag In Brain Donation Hampers Understanding Of Dementia In Blacks
By Anna Gorman A long history of racism and cruel experimentation in health care are among the reasons African-American families oppose donating patients’ brains for study.

Colon Cancer Rates Rising Among Younger White Adults — And Falling Among Blacks
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez Although deaths from colorectal cancer are declining, researchers find rates of the disease among white men and women younger than 55 have spiked since the mid-1990s.

Health Gap Widens Between Appalachia And Rest Of The U.S.
By Vickie Connor In the early 1990s, people in this economically depressed region lagged only slightly behind other parts of the country. Today, rates of infant mortality in Appalachia are significantly higher than elsewhere, and the difference in life expectancy has grown noticeably.

‘Bureaucratic Ninjas’ Slice Red-Tape To Battle Health Disparities
By Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Broadcasting A person's ZIP code can be as important to her health as her genetic code. One large health system has begun to tackle the social challenges that influence a person's health by asking questions and giving extra help to people in need.

Senate Democrats Delay HHS Nominee Over Women’s Health Funding
By Rachel Bluth Sen. Patty Murray questions Dr. Brett Giroir’s willingness to stand up for women’s health programs such as family planning services and teenage pregnancy prevention.

Medi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
By Emily Bazar Advocates say California’s Medicaid program is violating its own rules by overturning decisions that would allow seriously ill patients to stay out of managed care and keep their doctors.

Hospitals Slashed Use Of Two Heart Drugs After Huge Price Hikes
By Sarah Jane Tribble Hospital use of two popular heart medicines, nitroprusside and isoproterenol, dramatically dropped after the prices for both soared.

S.C. Taps Private Donors To Expand In-Home Services For At-Risk Moms
By Michelle Andrews The expansion of the Nurse-Family Partnership, financed initially by the federal government and several philanthropies, must meet specific goals to get state contributions. Officials hope to add 3,200 women to the program.

South Texas Fights Tuberculosis One Blood Test At A Time
By Wendy Rigby, Texas Public Radio A Medicaid-funded effort in San Antonio seeks to test vulnerable populations for latent TB infections.

Congress Revamps Housing Program To Benefit Areas Where HIV Is Spreading
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez The small federal program once based funding on an area’s cumulative number of cases. It will now be more responsive to places where new outbreaks are occurring.