Weekly Edition: August 31, 2018
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
By Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
The $109K Heart Attack Bill Is Down To $332. What About Other Surprise Bills?
By Chad Terhune
“I don’t feel any consumer should have to go through this,” says Drew Calver, who faced a life-changing surprise bill from an Austin hospital after a heart attack last year. After attention as a "Bill of the Month" patient, he paid the hospital $332. But he worries about other patients with surprise bills.
A Jolt To The Jugular! You’re Insured But Still Owe $109K For Your Heart Attack
By Chad Terhune
A Texas teacher, 44, faces a “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary for a heart attack he never expected to have.
Watch: What Happened To That $109,000 Heart Attack
The story of a Texas teacher who faced a surprise “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary gets a surprise happy ending.
Wisconsin Reinstates Coverage Of Transgender Treatment For State Workers
By Emmarie Huetteman
The Group Insurance Board reversed a decision made last year to bar coverage of transgender hormone therapy and surgery for public workers.
HHS Watchdog To Probe Enforcement Of Nursing Home Staffing Standards
By Jordan Rau
The study follows a Kaiser Health News and New York Times investigation that found nearly 1,400 nursing homes have reported fewer registered nurses on duty than Medicare requires or failed to provide reliable staffing information to the government.
For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good
By Liz Szabo
A new study of 6,000 older patients shows little gain from surgeries for breast cancer.
Earwax, Of All Things, Poses Unrecognized Risk In Long-Term Care
By JoNel Aleccia
Up to two-thirds of residents in nursing homes may have impacted earwax, which can worsen hearing loss, falls and cognitive decline.
The Doctors Want In: Democratic Docs Talk Health Care On The Campaign Trail
By Shefali Luthra
Among candidates running for Congress in upcoming elections are a smattering of left-leaning physicians who present a stark contrast to the predominantly Republican physicians currently in office.
McCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
By Emmarie Huetteman
The six-term Arizona senator, who died Saturday, took on some of health care’s goliaths, such as the tobacco industry and insurance companies, in addition to the health law.
Shifting Gears: Insuring Your Health Column — Born With The ACA — Draws To A Close
By Michelle Andrews
The column, which began in 2010 shortly after the federal health law was signed, helps explain how that law affected Americans. Michelle Andrews, the author, will continue to report for KHN.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Ask Us Anything!
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico answer listeners’ questions about health policy and politics.
Over Past 20 Years, The Percentage Of Children With ADHD Nearly Doubles
By Rachel Bluth
Researchers, using federal survey data, note a significant increase in diagnosis and also find a rise in the rates among girls and minorities.
Hurricane Maria’s Official Death Toll In Puerto Rico Now Stands At Nearly 3,000
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
A report, commissioned by officials in the American territory, finds initial estimates were far too low, and mortality rates in the six months after the storm were 20 percent higher than normal.
The Pluses And Minuses Of Allowing Medical Marijuana At School
By Samantha Young
As more parents turn to medical marijuana to treat their sick children, a handful of states have changed the rules to allow them to administer the drug on campus. California is considering it — at the possible risk of losing federal funding.
Parent Alert! Your Kid May Be Vaping More Than Nicotine
By Ana B. Ibarra
Educators and researchers say that as vaping becomes more common among young people, some are putting pot in their pods.
Pediatricians Put It Bluntly: Motherhood And Marijuana Don’t Mix
By Jenny Gold
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use marijuana because of serious concerns about neurological consequences for children, the American Academy of Pediatrics said on Monday.
Suicide By Opioid: New Research Suggests Overdoses Should Be Classified As Self-Harm
By Rachel Bluth
Researchers combined the number of suicide deaths with those associated with drug overdoses in an effort to better grasp the overlap between these two public health epidemics.
Californians Living Longer With Cancer — Some Longer Than Others
By Anna Gorman
A new study from the University of California-Davis shows a significant increase in five-year survival rates for more than 20 types of cancer, but with significant disparities by race, ethnicity and economic status. That is in line with the national trend.