Weekly Edition: December 13, 2019
It’s Not Just You: Picking Health Insurance Is Hard. Here’s How To Be Smart About It.
Dan Weissmann
It’s open enrollment season for health insurance. And choosing the best plan is tricky whether you have to buy insurance on your own or just figure out which plan to sign up for at work. Here’s what you need to know.
Obamacare Back At The High Court — With Billions For Insurers On The Line
Phil Galewitz
The case revolves around a health law provision designed to help insurers recover some losses because they had an unusually high number of sick and expensive customers. Insurers complain that when Republican lawmakers discontinued funding the program, it was like “Lucy Van Pelt pulling the football away from Charlie Brown.”
Supreme Court Seems Sympathetic To Insurers In Obamacare Case
Phil Galewitz
Justices from the right and left ask whether Congress needs to keep its promises.
Some Rejoice Over New California Health Insurance Subsidies. Others Get Shut Out.
Ana B. Ibarra
There’s something new in this year’s Covered California open-enrollment period: Consumers are learning whether they will qualify for new state-funded financial aid. The results are mixed, with some scoring hundreds of dollars per month and others nothing.
Californians Without Health Insurance Will Pay A Penalty — Or Not
Bernard J. Wolfson
Californians must have health insurance starting next year or face a hefty tax penalty. But, as with the now-defunct federal tax penalty for being uninsured, some people will be exempt.
In The Fight For Money For The Opioid Crisis, Will The Youngest Victims Be Left Out?
Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
The opioid epidemic is intergenerational, with tens of thousands of babies born every year dependent on opioids. Advocates worry that settlement dollars resulting from lawsuits against the drug industry might not benefit these children.
‘Food Pharmacies’ In Clinics: When The Diagnosis Is Chronic Hunger
Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
It's hard to manage chronic conditions without a steady source of healthy food. That's why more health care providers are setting up food pantries — right inside hospitals and clinics.
In Campaign To Stop Teen Vaping, States Turn To Tried-And-True Remedy: Taxes
Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
Historically, taxation has been an effective tool in reducing the number of people who smoke. So 20 states and the District of Columbia have begun implementing taxes on vaping products as they seek to stop young people from getting addicted.
Wildfire, Floods, Extreme Heat: California Prepares For Climate Change
Anna Maria Barry-Jester
Kate Gordon, director of Gov. Gavin Newsom's Office of Planning and Research, is tasked with identifying and mitigating the risks of climate change in California. She spoke to KHN about how that work intersects with health, and how residents can get involved.
San Francisco Hopes To Improve Care For People With Mental Illness Living On Streets
Brian Krans
Dr. Anton Nigusse Bland, a veteran of public health psychiatry, was appointed by San Francisco’s mayor earlier this year to a newly created job: director of mental health reform. His main task is to improve mental health and addiction treatment for people experiencing homelessness.
Battling The Bullets From The Operating Room To The Community
Laura Ungar
St. Louis trauma surgeon Dr. Laurie Punch is on a mission to stop the bleeding of her patients and the violence-plagued communities around her. But the single mom worries she and her 7-year-old will have to move from their home, where bullets buzz in her backyard.
Books, Binders, Bleed-Control Kits: How School Shootings Are Changing Classroom Basics
Sandy West
School districts around the country, including in Texas, Indiana, Illinois and Arkansas, now require bleeding-control kits and training at their public schools in this era of mass shootings.
When Teens Abuse Parents, Shame And Secrecy Make It Hard To Seek Help
Christine Herman, Side Effects Public Media
Most domestic assault offenders are adults, but about 1 in 12 who come to the attention of law enforcement are minors, according to a 2008 study by the U.S. Justice Department. In half of those cases, the victim was a parent, most often the mother.
‘Warm’ Hotlines Deliver Help Before Mental Health Crisis Heats Up
Stephanie Stephens
“Warmlines” are phone lines or electronic chat options for people who are not having a full-blown mental health crisis but who could use support to stave off one. They are a growing trend in mental health outreach to supplement existing hotlines, with one successful warmline in the Bay Area recently expanding to cover all of California.
Among U.S. States, New York’s Suicide Rate Is The Lowest. How’s That?
Michelle Andrews
Suicide rates across the country have been rising for 20 years. That’s true in New York, too, but even so, its rate is about half that of the country as a whole.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Legislate-A-Palooza
The House passed legislation that would give federal workers 12 weeks of paid parental leave. The measure appears headed for passage in the Senate, and President Donald Trump has promised to sign the measure into law. Meanwhile, House and Senate lawmakers have a tentative deal on surprise medical bills, but don’t count on a compromise just yet. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Emmarie Huetteman of Kaiser Health News join guest host Mary Agnes Carey of KHN to discuss this and more. And for “extra credit,” the panelists offer their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Watch: The House Approved H.R. 3, The Pelosi Drug Bill. What Does That Mean?
KHN's Emmarie Huetteman appeared on PBS NewsHour to discuss efforts on Capitol Hill to curb the cost of prescription drugs.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Can They Freaking Do That?!?
Dan Weissmann
Introducing a new segment on “An Arm and a Leg” podcast: “Can They Freaking Do That?!?” We take your most vexing medical bill questions and hunt down information and experts who can help.
The Health Care Promises We Cannot Keep
Judith Graham
Family caregivers pledge to fulfill their loved ones’ end-of-life wishes. But too often circumstances change, and they must break their word and guard against breaking hearts ― including their own.