Weekly Edition: January 11, 2019
Federal Shutdown Mostly Spares Health Coverage, But Other Issues Loom
By Julie Appleby
The length of the shutdown will dictate how furloughed and unpaid workers will be affected.
Newsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
By Samantha Young and Ana B. Ibarra
California Gov. Gavin Newsom made health care a priority in his proposed state budget, asking lawmakers to authorize state-funded financial aid for health insurance, impose a penalty on uninsured Californians and expand Medicaid coverage to unauthorized immigrants.
Newsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
By Samantha Young and Anna Gorman and Ana B. Ibarra
Just hours into his tenure as California’s new governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom proposed major plans to insure more Californians, including state-funded financial aid for health insurance and a requirement for Californians to have coverage.
End Of Tax Penalty Could Fall Hardest On Previously Uninsured Californians
By Barbara Feder Ostrov
A new report shows that Hispanics, young people, the healthy and the poor — all groups with high rates of uninsurance before the Affordable Care Act — are the most likely to forgo insurance now that the tax penalty for not having it has been eliminated.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ New Year, New Health Proposals
Democratic governors and mayors are unveiling new ideas to control costs and expand coverage. The federal government shutdown has spared most health agencies, but not all. And learn the latest on that lawsuit out of Texas, which is threatening the Affordable Care Act once again. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and, for “extra credit,” provide their favorite health policy stories of the week. Rovner also interviews KHN’s Jordan Rau about the latest “Bill of the Month.”
Where Abortion Fights Will Play Out In 2019
By Julie Rovner
Expect more aggressive regulatory action from the Trump administration while skirmishes continue in Congress and statehouses across the country. Many of these policies will ultimately be challenged in court.
Health Care Industry Spends $30B A Year Pushing Its Wares, From Drugs To Stem Cell Treatment
By Liz Szabo
Critics say patients are often misled by ads that advocate high-priced drugs or genetic tests.
Emergency Medical Responders Confront Racial Bias
By Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Broadcasting
In a recent study of patients treated by emergency medical responders in Oregon, black patients were 40 percent less likely to get pain medicine than their white peers. Why?
Extreme Temperatures May Pose Risks To Some Mail-Order Meds
By Alex Smith, KCUR
Loretta Boesing is on a mission to make sure prescription drugs delivered by mail are safe and effective. The life of her son — and others who order medicine by mail — could depend on it, she says.
To Get Mental Health Help For A Child, Desperate Parents Relinquish Custody
By Christine Herman, Side Effects Public Media
To get care for their 12-year-old son's severe mental illness, Toni and Jim Hoy had to give up custody of him and allow the state of Illinois to care for him. It happens to hundreds, perhaps thousands of children each year. The exact number is unknown because two-thirds of states do not keep track.
How Helping Patients Get Good Care At Home Helps Rural Hospitals Survive
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Hospitals are now financially rewarded by insurers for safety and efficacy — which often results in patients spending less time as inpatients.
Will I Always Face The Threat Of A Peanut-Laden Kiss Of Death?
By Shefali Luthra
A reporter with a serious peanut allergy explains what it is like to process news reports that tout new pharmaceutical products that might minimize the danger of accidental exposure.
Medicaid Plans Cover Doctors’ Visits, Hospital Care — And Now Your GED
By Phil Galewitz
These private insurers say improving education can help enrollees achieve a healthier lifestyle, so some pay for the tests and find ways to assist people studying for the exams.
After Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
By Charlotte Huff
The 25-bed hospital in Crockett, Texas, abruptly closed its doors in 2017, joining the ranks of nearly 100 rural hospitals that have shut down in the past decade. But the community kept the faith and several doctors reopened the facility this year.
Bills, Bills, Bills: Readers And Tweeters Offer Solace, Solutions And Scoldings
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.