Weekly Edition July 26, 2019
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
By Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don't have to.
First Kidney Failure, Then A $540,842 Bill For Dialysis
By Jenny Gold
He needed the lifesaving treatment — he never expected a half-million-dollar bill for 14 weeks of care.
They May Owe Nothing — Half-Million-Dollar Dialysis Bill Canceled
By Jenny Gold
After reporting by KHN, NPR and CBS, Fresenius has agreed to waive a Montana man’s huge bill for out-of-network dialysis care.
Watch: Out-Of-Network Outrage After A $540K Charge For Dialysis
CBS This Morning covers the highest KHN-NPR Bill of the Month yet: more than half a million dollars for just 14 weeks of kidney dialysis in Montana.
Your Go-To Guide To Decode Medical Bills
Kaiser Health News gives you a user-friendly toolkit to help patients understand some of the ins and outs of medical billing, what to do if you receive a surprise medical bill and things to keep in mind before getting medical care.
GOP Senators Distance Themselves From Grassley And Trump’s Efforts To Cut Drug Prices
By Emmarie Huetteman
Even some Republicans who supported a sweeping bipartisan bill to rein in drug costs may not back it in the Senate vote.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Cue The Drug Price Debate
Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee unveiled their long-awaited proposal to try to rein in prescription drug costs, even as bipartisan leaders of the other Senate committee that oversees health announced it would not bring its drug price bill to the Senate floor until fall. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus court actions on health issues.
Summer Setbacks: The Long Road To Lower Drug Prices Hits Some Potholes
By Emmarie Huetteman
Efforts to control drug prices seemed on a glide path earlier this year after gaining traction at the White House and in Congress. But prospects today look less certain and highly controversial.
A Conservative Group Paints Trump’s Drug-Pricing Experiment As ‘Socialist.’ Is It?
By Shefali Luthra
The Americans for Tax Reform commercial takes too broad a brush against an initiative under consideration by the administration that would be part of the president’s promise to curb high drug prices.
Robotic Surgical Tool, Not Medical Evidence, Drives Free Hernia Screenings
By Mary Chris Jaklevic
Hospitals around the country are promoting free hernia screenings that tout their robotic surgery tools. But some experts warn such screenings could lead people to get potentially harmful operations that they don’t need.
How The Eastern Cherokee Took Control Of Their Health Care
By Katja Ridderbusch
An innovative hospital run by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina showcases an alternative model of health care that could have lessons for other tribal communities and beyond.
Federal Suit Alleges ‘Staggering’ Urine Drug Testing Fraud At Tennessee Pain Clinics
By Fred Schulte
Tennessee company’s Medicare billings for urine tests were examined by Kaiser Health News in 2017.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Real Lessons Doctors Can Learn From Fake Patients
By Dan Weissmann
Are physicians asking patients the right questions in order to provide good care? Laser-focused on biomedical symptoms, some doctors miss the psychosocial factors that can be a barrier to good health. In Episode 7 of the podcast, we hear about a creative study that uncovers how some medical errors happen.
When A Doctor’s Screen Time Detracts From Face Time With Patients
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
Electronic health records can help reduce medical errors, but when not used well they can strain the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Wei Wei Lee, an internist with the University of Chicago Medicine, has developed strategies to make sure tech is a tool, not a barrier.
Migrant Moms Await Due Dates And Court Dates
By Heidi de Marco
A growing number of pregnant women are among the migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Many must wait in Mexico until their cases are heard, spending weeks or months in migrant shelters with limited access to health care.
On A Mission To Help People Control Diabetes — And Save Money On Insulin
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Patients with Type 2 diabetes are often steered toward medicine or insulin treatment. But with additional support, it’s possible to use diet and exercise to control blood sugar. The rising price of insulin drives patients to lower their dependence on the medicine.
Why It’s So Hard To Predict How Much Funding 9/11 First Responders Need
By Michael McAuliff
Eighteen years ago, most first responders were not thinking about their future health when they spent hours searching “The Pile” for the remains of terror victims. Today, their illnesses are a slow-moving epidemiological nightmare that has been as difficult for scientists to study as it has been easy for politicians to overlook.
Child Drowning Rates Drop As Communities Adopt Stricter Building Codes
By Phillip Reese
Children are far less likely to drown than they were in the 1980s, in California and across the nation. Experts say state and local laws that require more fencing and security features around family swimming pools have made a difference and should be expanded nationwide.
Dream Of Retiring Abroad? The Reality: Medicare Doesn’t Travel Well
By Michelle Andrews
More than 400,000 U.S. workers have retired in foreign countries and their ranks are rising. But Medicare doesn’t cover most expenses overseas, so these expats will need to confront the cost of finding alternative insurance.
Missouri Firm With Silicon Valley Ties Faces Medicare Billing Scrutiny
By Lauren Weber and Fred Schulte
Amid an overall crackdown on private insurers’ Medicare billing practices, a new government audit and a whistleblower suit allege St. Louis-based Essence Group Holdings Corp.'s Medicare Advantage plans overcharged taxpayers.
Klobuchar Says D.C. Has Enough Drug Lobbyists To Double-Team Lawmakers
By Julie Appleby
The drug industry has the biggest lobbying war chest.
Biden’s ‘Incremental’ Health Plan Still Would Be A Heavy Lift
By Julie Rovner
The proposal is far from minimal and includes several provisions that Congress has failed repeatedly to enact, including some that were part of the original Affordable Care Act debate.