Weekly Edition: January 31, 2020

Appendicitis Is Painful — Add A $41,212 Surgery Bill To The Misery
By Julie Appleby A young man averted medical disaster after a friend took him to the nearest hospital just before his appendix burst. But more than a year later, he’s still facing a $28,000 balance bill for his out-of-network surgery.

Preeminent Hospitals Penalized Over Rates Of Patients’ Injuries
By Jordan Rau Medicare cut payments for 786 hospitals because of high infection and complication rates. They included a third of the hospitals proclaimed as the nation’s best in one prominent ranking.

Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized by Medicare?
By Jordan Rau Each year, Medicare punishes hospitals that have high rates of readmissions and high rates of infections and patient injuries. Check out which hospitals have been penalized.

Masks Reveal Cultural Disconnect As L.A.’s Chinese Community Braces For Coronavirus
By Anna Almendrala Since two cases of the mysterious new coronavirus were reported in Southern California, Chinese immigrants have begun donning face masks. The practice is common in China but goes against official guidance in the U.S., and that’s causing conflict in local schools.

Response To Nation’s 1st Coronavirus Case Draws On Lessons From Measles Outbreak
By Will Stone When the first confirmed U.S. patient was pinpointed in Washington state, health clinic workers there weren't rattled. They were prepped by new statewide protocols on contagion containment, in the wake of last year's measles scare.

No Masking The Best Way To Avoid The Scary Coronavirus: Wash Your Hands
By Elisabeth Rosenthal While covering the SARS outbreak as a reporter in China, KHN's editor-in-chief saw that common sense is the best defense against viral illness.

Call For FDA To Withdraw Preterm Birth Drug Divides Doctors and Insurers
By Emmarie Huetteman A study ordered by the Food and Drug Administration failed to prove that Makena, the only drug approved to prevent premature birth, is effective. While a panel of experts has recommended withdrawing the drug’s approval, many doctors are wary.

Conceived Through ‘Fertility Fraud,’ She Now Needs Fertility Treatment
By Lauren Bavis, Side Effects Public Media and Jake Harper, Side Effects Public Media Years ago, doctors sometimes lied about whose sperm they used for artificial inseminations. Could it happen now? Some argue regulation is weak in the multibillion-dollar fertility treatment industry.

Warren Is Right. Presidents Have The Power To Bypass Congress On Drug Pricing.
By Shefali Luthra and Victoria Knight But like all of health care, it’s complicated.

An Attack Ad That Claims Michigan Sen. Gary Peters Supports ‘Medicare For All’ Doesn’t Hold Up
By Victoria Knight This one is a big stretch.

5 Things To Know About Trump’s Medicaid Block Grant Plan
By Rachana Pradhan and Phil Galewitz Federal officials unveiled guidance for states that want to opt out of some of the current funding program and instead seek a fixed payment to gain more flexibility.

Medi-Cal Benefits Eliminated A Decade Ago, Such As Foot Care And Eyeglasses, Are Back
By John Glionna Budget cuts in 2009, sparked by the Great Recession, eliminated many needed health care services, like regular foot care for people with diabetes to minimize the risk of amputation. The restored benefits also include eyeglasses, speech therapy and hearing exams.

California Reopens The Single-Payer Debate
By Rachel Bluth A high-profile commission created by Gov. Gavin Newsom will convene for the first time Monday to discuss how to get every Californian covered. But don't expect the state to adopt a single-payer system anytime soon.

Terminally Ill, He Wanted Aid-In-Dying. His Catholic Hospital Said No.
By JoNel Aleccia Photos by Heidi de Marco Neil Mahoney had terminal cancer. He also had a legal right to aid-in-dying. But his faith-based hospital called it “morally unacceptable.” So he turned to a network of Colorado doctors to fulfill his last wish.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Remaking Medicaid — Maybe
The Trump administration is proposing to let states have more control of their Medicaid programs in exchange for potentially less money from the federal government. Meanwhile, the dangerous respiratory virus spreading from China is starting to affect trade and transportation along with public health. Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner, Erin Mershon of Stat and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more.

A Guide To Following The Health Debate In The 2020 Elections
By Julie Rovner As the Democratic primary campaign nears pivotal voting, important aspects of health care policy are being overlooked.

Trump’s Latest Health Care Challenge: Gaining Voters’ Trust
By Rachana Pradhan The president, who has repeatedly pledged to improve health care and lower prescription drug prices, faces disapproval from a majority of Americans on his policies regarding drug costs, protecting people with preexisting conditions and the Affordable Care Act.

Bike Fatalities Are On The Rise
By Phillip Reese More than 450 cyclists died in traffic accidents in California from 2016 through 2018, marking the highest three-year death rate in 25 years. Among the factors at play: more cars on roads, distracted driving and a pronounced consumer shift toward SUVs.

Listen: Colorado Ski Area Opts For Novel Effort To Stop Avalanche Of Health Costs
KHN’s Julie Rovner joins WAMU’s “1A” on Wednesday to discuss an innovative plan by Summit County, Colorado, to directly negotiate with doctors and hospitals to lower health costs.