Weekly Edition: January 24, 2020
In-Home Teeth-Straightening Business Is Booming ― But Better Brace Yourself
By Julie Appleby and Victoria Knight
SmileDirectClub and similar startup companies say they provide these services at what can be thousands of dollars less than office-visit teeth straightening, but proof is lacking and patients can be left with no recourse if problems arise.
Despite New Doubts, ‘Hotspotting’ Help For Heavy Health Care Users Marches On
By Anna Almendrala and Phil Galewitz
A high-profile effort in Camden, New Jersey, to reduce health spending by identifying high-cost patients and giving them more coordinated and preventive medical care has been copied around the country. Many of those groups are pushing forward with the efforts, despite a recent critical study of the Camden initiative.
Diagnosed With Dementia, She Documented Her Wishes. They Said No.
By JoNel Aleccia and Heidi de Marco
Across the U.S., people with early dementia are signing new advance directives to confirm their end-of-life wishes while they still have the ability to do so. But doctors say the documents may offer a false sense of security.
Patients Want A ‘Good Death’ At Home, But Hospice Care Can Badly Strain Families
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Fewer Americans are dying in a hospital, under the close supervision of doctors and nurses. That trend has been boosted by an expanded Medicare benefit that helps people live out their final days at home in hospice care. But as home hospice grows, so has the burden on families left to provide much of the care.
Something Far Deadlier Than The Wuhan Virus Lurks Near You
By Liz Szabo
There is a virus that has already sickened at least 13 million Americans this winter, hospitalizing 120,000 and killing 6,600 people. You may even know of it.
Bloomberg On Health Care: Translating His Mayoral Record To The National Stage
By Shefali Luthra
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg uses health care as a key message in his Democratic presidential primary run. Now that he will be taking the stage in the Feb. 19 debate, the message could take on even more prominence.
How Fast Can A New Internet Standard For Sharing Patient Data Catch Fire?
By Janet Rae-Dupree
The web-based standard FHIR — pronounced “fire” — could hasten the day when we can view our full medical histories on a smartphone screen. Tech giants are hungry for a piece of the pie, but obstacles remain.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: SCOTUS Punts On ACA Case — For Now
The Supreme Court said it won’t hear an expedited case that threatens to overturn the Affordable Care Act. That means the future of the ACA will continue to be a top political issue through the November election. Meanwhile, a major doctors’ group endorses “Medicare for All.” Sort of. And both sides in the abortion debate mark the 47th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Caitlin Owens of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
For 2020, California Goes Big On Health Care
By Ana B. Ibarra
California lawmakers are proposing ambitious health care ideas, from creating a state generic drug label to banning the sale of flavored e-cigarette products. Even though Democrats control state government, they’re likely to face pushback from powerful health care industry groups like hospitals.
Listen: How Vaping Regulations Are Playing Out In The States
KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber joined Wisconsin Public Radio’s Rob Ferrett on “Central Time” to discuss the latest on vaping bans and what they mean for vaping trends among youth.
Readers And Tweeters Fired Up Over Employer’s No-Nicotine Policy
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.