Weekly Edition: February 14, 2020
How Lifesaving Organs For Transplant Go Missing In Transit
JoNel Aleccia
Scores of organs — mostly kidneys — are trashed each year and many more become critically delayed while being shipped on commercial airliners, a new investigation finds.
Changing Clocks Is Bad For Your Health, But Which Time To Choose?
Roxie Hammill
State legislatures are considering new bills proposing a permanent time standard instead of the spring-forward and fall-back clock changes. Most people want to stop adjusting clocks, but scientists and politicians are at odds over which time is better for society and our health.
No Quick Fix: Missouri Finds Managing Pain Without Opioids Isn’t Fast Or Easy
Lauren Weber
In the first nine months of an alternative pain management program in Missouri, only a small fraction of the state’s Medicaid recipients have accessed the chiropractic care, acupuncture, physical therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy meant to combat the overprescription of opioids.
Facts Vs. Fears: Five Things To Help Weigh Your Coronavirus Risk
Liz Szabo
As the numbers of coronavirus fatalities and infections rise, the threat posed by the outbreak in China can seem frightening. But public health officials say the risk in the United States is low. Experts discuss some important issues that can help U.S. residents understand how the epidemic is unfolding.
Coronavirus Tests Public Health Infrastructure In The Heartland
Lauren Weber
While Missouri has yet to have a confirmed case of coronavirus, the threat of the disease is siphoning resources from an already stretched-thin public health system.
To Fight Chinese Outbreak, Doctors Deploy Drugs Targeting HIV, Malaria And Ebola
Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
Chinese doctors and public health officials are turning to a variety of drugs as they seek an effective treatment for patients sickened by the novel coronavirus. The evidence behind some of these medicines is flimsy, researchers acknowledge, but human trials are the only way to know whether these drugs work.
When It Comes To The New Coronavirus, Just Who Is A ‘Close Contact’?
Anna Maria Barry-Jester
Health officials stress that the new coronavirus devastating mainland China continues to pose minimal risk in the United States. The exception involves people who have had “close contact” with someone infected with the virus. So what exactly is close contact?
When Your Doctor Is Also A Lobbyist: Inside The War Over Surprise Medical Bills
Rachana Pradhan
As lawmakers consider bills to protect patients against surprise medical bills, doctors have waged a stealth on-the-ground campaign to win over members of Congress. Here’s how they did it.
One Defensive Strategy Against Surprise Medical Bills: Set Your Own Terms
Julie Appleby
By writing in payment limits when signing hospital forms, patients might have leverage in negotiations over disputes that arise from surprise medical bills.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: What We’ve Learned And What’s Ahead For The Show
Dan Weissmann
For this bonus episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” Dan Weissmann gives up the host’s chair and answers questions from reporter and colleague Sally Herships.
Would ‘Medicare For All’ Cost More Than U.S. Budget? Biden Says So. Math Says No.
Shefali Luthra
Biden’s statement misses the mark because of messy math.
Better Than Other Plans Or Better Than Nothing? Trump’s Claim About ‘Affordable’ Options
Julie Appleby
Caveat emptor. Some of these health insurance plans might prove helpful for some people, but making that determination is not easy.
In Fierce Debate, Democratic Candidates Expand Health Agenda Arguments
Shefali Luthra and Victoria Knight
A sampling of health policy highlights from the eighth Democratic presidential primary debate in Manchester, N.H.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Live from D.C. With Rep. Donna Shalala
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget includes billions of dollars in health spending cuts, Congress gets back to work on surprise medical bills, and health care remains a top issue for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), a former Health and Human Services secretary, joins the panel at a special taping before a live audience in Washington, D.C. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Finding Connections And Comfort At The Local Cafe
Heidi de Marco
For Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, social and emotional isolation is a threat. But hundreds of “Memory Cafes” around the country offer them a chance to be with others who understand, and to receive social and cognitive stimulation in the process.
Conservative Indiana Adopted Needle Exchanges But Still Faces Local Resistance
Giles Bruce
Indiana was ground zero for shifting ideas about needle exchanges after a small town had an HIV outbreak in 2015 brought on by needle-sharing. But even as other parts of the country start to embrace needle exchanges amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, the sites remain controversial in Indiana. Only nine of the state’s 92 counties have them, after a series of closures and reopenings.
Newsom Touts California’s ‘Public Option.’ Wait — What Public Option?
Ana B. Ibarra
Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state already has a public option: Covered California, the state health insurance exchange. While there is no single definition of a public option, some health care experts say that’s a stretch.
Health Policy Valentines to Warm the Heart
Tweeters lit up our timeline in recent days with Health Policy Valentines about a variety of health topics. Here are some of our favorites.