Weekly Edition June 7, 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.

Why Some CEOs Figure ‘Medicare For All’ Is Good For Business
By Phil Galewitz While national business groups fight the single-payer concept, the founder and CEO of a large Pennsylvania picture frame manufacturer tries to convince other employers that it’s the only way to control costs and fix the U.S. health system.

Churches Wipe Out Millions In Medical Debt For Others
By Roxie Hammill In a mission of forgiveness, churches around the country are buying up medical debt for pennies on the dollar then erasing the debts of strangers. Since the start of 2018, at least 18 churches nationwide have abolished more than $34 million burdening America’s most debt-ridden patients.

Watch: A Status Update On Efforts To Address Surprise Medical Bills
KHN correspondent Rachel Bluth appeared on "PBS NewsHour Weekend" to talk with host Megan Thompson about the continuing problem of surprise medical bills and how the issue is playing on Capitol Hill.

Legal Promise Of Equal Mental Health Treatment Often Falls Short
By Graison Dangor The Affordable Care Act and other federal laws sought to put mental health care on an equal footing with physical health. But patients are still finding that’s not the case.

Keeping Kids Healthy And Sane In A Digital World
By Bernard J. Wolfson Children are spending more time on their devices than ever before, despite evidence that excessive screen time puts their minds and bodies at risk. Parents should set limits and stick to them — and also change their own online behavior, experts say.

On Campaign Trail, Joe Biden Highlights Nation’s Lack Of School Psychologists
By Shefali Luthra School psychologists provide the first line of treatment for children with mental health issues. Quantifying the shortage depends on who’s counting.

Payroll Tax Is One State’s Bold Solution To Help Seniors Age At Home
By Donna Gordon Blankinship Under a program enacted in Washington state this spring, workers can get up to $36,500 to help pay for long-term health care and services such as installing grab bars in the shower or respite care for family caregivers.

Social Security Error Jeopardizes Medicare Coverage For 250,000 Seniors
By Susan Jaffe The problem affects private drug policies and Medicare Advantage plans that provide both medical and drug coverage and substitute for traditional government-run Medicare. It could leave plan members without coverage.

Illinois Clamps Down On Nursing Homes In Wake Of KHN-Chicago Tribune Investigation
In reaction to an investigation by Kaiser Health News and the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois legislature has passed a new law to impose fines on nursing homes that fail to meet minimum staffing requirements.

‘An Arm And A Leg’: Expecting A Baby And Unexpectedly Dropped By Insurer
By Dan Weissmann Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But you're not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. "An Arm and a Leg" is a podcast about these issues, and its second season is co-produced by KHN.

Dropped From Health Insurance Without Warning: Was It Legal?
By Julie Appleby People who buy insurance on their own may have little notice when something goes amiss. It’s a quirk in health policy at the heart of the next episode of ‘An Arm and a Leg’ podcast.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Fetal Tissue Research Is Latest Flashpoint In Abortion Debate
Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail federally funded research using fetal tissue, the backlash from former Vice President Joe Biden’s support for the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment and how health policy intersects with both trade and immigration policy.

California Gov. Newsom Proposes Penalty To Fund Health Insurance Subsidies
By Samantha Young and Ana B. Ibarra Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to help an estimated 850,000 Californians pay their health insurance premiums and would fund his plan with a tax penalty on people who don’t have coverage. If he succeeds, California would be the first state to subsidize middle-income people who make too much to qualify for federal financial aid.

Robin Hood To Rescue Of Rural Hospitals? New Math Promised On Medicare Payments
By Sarah Jane Tribble A proposed adjustment to the wage index, used in setting a hospital’s Medicare reimbursement payments, could be a lifeline for some rural facilities.

Analysis: Why Alexa’s Bedside Manner Is Bad For Health Care
By Elisabeth Rosenthal Amazon's personal assistant is gaining medical skills to provide coaching or transmit and monitor patient data. Besides the loss of the human touch, virtual medicine pursued in the name of business efficiency or profit bodes ill.