Weekly Edition: April 30, 2021

Mental Health Services Wane as Insurers Appear to Skirt Parity Rules During Pandemic

Emmarie Huetteman

A report from the Government Accountability Office paints a picture of an already strained behavioral health system struggling after the pandemic struck to meet the treatment needs of millions of Americans with conditions like alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Two Unmatched-Doctor Advocacy Groups Are Tied to Anti-Immigrant Organizations

Victoria Knight

The percentage of medical students who can’t find residencies is increasing every year. But as more graduates look for support, they might not realize that two organizations offering it are backed by anti-immigrant groups.

The Vulnerable Homebound Are Left Behind on Vaccination

Jenny Gold

Even as the nation has moved on to vaccinating everyone 16 and older, the vast majority of people homebound due to frailty or age — and among the most vulnerable to covid’s devastation — have not yet been vaccinated. California offers a sharp lens on the challenges.

Addiction Treatment Providers in Pa. Face Little State Scrutiny Despite Harm to Clients

Aneri Pattani and Ed Mahon, Spotlight PA

Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs has allowed providers to continue operating despite repeated violations and harm to clients.

Despite All the Talk, Covid Vaccination Does Not Infect People With Shingles

Julie Appleby

Covid-19 vaccinations do not infect recipients with shingles or any form of herpes virus, despite some misleading headlines.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: 100 Days of Health Policy

It’s 100 days into Joe Biden’s presidency and a surprisingly large number of health policies have been announced. But health is notably absent from the administration’s $1.8 trillion spending plan for American families, making it unclear how much more will get done this year. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosens its mask-wearing recommendations for those who have been vaccinated, but the new rules are confusing. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby, who reported the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode.

A ‘Dose of Hope’? Fact-Checking President Joe Biden’s First Speech to Congress

Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact and Amy Sherman, PolitiFact and Miriam Valverde, PolitiFact and Victoria Knight

In his first speech before a joint session of Congress, President Joe Biden argued it was time to turn the coronavirus pandemic into a historic opportunity to expand government for the benefit of a wider range of Americans, urging investments in jobs, climate change, child care, infrastructure and more.

Covid Forces Cohousing Communities to Examine Shared Values and Relationships

Judith Graham

How do dozens of people living communally decide what to do during a public health crisis when members have varying tolerance for risk and different opinions about safe practices?

What a Difference a Year Makes in Colorado’s Case for a Public Option Plan

Markian Hawryluk

Before the pandemic, Colorado was building momentum to pass what’s known as a “public option” health plan that would lower insurance premiums and force hospitals to accept lower payments. But now with hospitals and health care providers enjoying support as front-line heroes in the pandemic, state legislators have stripped the option from their bill.

In Poisoned Montana Town, Warren Buffett-Owned Railroad Accuses Clinic of Medicare Fraud

Sara Reardon

BNSF Railway accuses the Center for Asbestos Related Disease of Medicare fraud by misdiagnosing and overtreating asbestos-caused illnesses, which the health clinic calls a cynical attempt by the company to limit its own liability.

Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination as Ticket to a Better Life — In the State Pen

Heidi de Marco and Bernard J. Wolfson

In the Los Angeles County Jail system, many inmates hope being vaccinated will get them transferred more quickly to state prison. Some just want to protect themselves against covid, while others are distrustful and refuse vaccination.

You Don’t Have to Suffer to Benefit From Covid Vaccination — But Some Prefer It

Arthur Allen

In the times of smallpox, vaccination was accompanied by blood, sweat, fire and brimstone. Nowadays, a slight fever may make you feel as if you’ve earned the reward of immunity from covid. But you’re protected even without a nasty reaction to the vaccine.

Doctors More Likely to Prescribe Opioids to Covid ‘Long Haulers,’ Raising Addiction Fears

Liz Szabo

Chronic pain from covid can linger for months after patients appear to recover from the disease.

Ohio’s Amish Suffered a Lot From Covid, but Vaccines Are Still a Hard Sell

Anna Huntsman, WCPN-Ideastream

Despite high mortality and infection rates, the counties of northeastern Ohio, where many Amish people live, have the lowest vaccination rates in the state.

Watch: What Happens When Car and Health Insurance Collide

KHN Editor-in-Chief Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal helps accident victims avoid pitfalls in seeking medical care — a conundrum profiled in KHN-NPR's most recent Bill of the Month installment.

Pandemic Imperiled Non-English Speakers More Than Others

Martha Bebinger, WBUR

Covid patients who did not speak English well were 35% more likely to die, data from one Boston hospital shows.

Big Investors Push Nursing Homes to Upgrade Care and Working Conditions

Harris Meyer

Responsible for 34% of the nation’s covid death toll, nursing homes and long-term care facilities get slammed by their investors and are told to change.

Evaluating President Joe Biden’s First 100 Days in Office

Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact

Presidential historians say that Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office — a somewhat arbitrary but frequently cited milestone — have included an above-average number of major accomplishments.

Time to Say Goodbye to Some Insurers’ Waivers for Covid Treatment Fees

Julie Appleby

Insurers voluntarily set the charges aside earlier in the pandemic — but that means those same health plans can decide to reinstate them.

‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws Get Another Look After Indiana, Colorado Shootings

Christie Aschwanden

It’s unclear whether “red flag” laws — which allow the seizure of guns from a person deemed dangerous — help prevent mass shootings or should have been applied to the suspects in recent shootings in Boulder, Colorado, and Indianapolis.

‘We’re Coming for You’: For Public Health Officials, a Year of Threats and Menace

Anna Maria Barry-Jester

Local health officials have become the face of government authority as they work to stem the pandemic. That has made them targets for chilling threats from some of the same militia groups that stormed the U.S. Capitol. Santa Cruz leaders are among those whose daily routines now incorporate security patrols, surveillance cameras and, in some cases, firearms.

From Hospital Profits to Gender Gaps, Journalists Are on the Case

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.