Weekly Edition: May 28, 2021
Enough to Wreck Their Rest: $10,322 for a Sleep Study
Michelle Andrews
The University of Miami Health System charges a truck driver six times what Medicare would pay for an overnight test.
Caring for an Aging Nation
Lydia Zuraw and Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
The number of Americans 65 and older is expected to nearly double in the next 40 years. Finding a way to provide and pay for the long-term health services they need won't be easy.
Is Your Living Room the Future of Hospital Care?
Julie Appleby
In the latest sign that in-home acute care is catching on, two big players — Kaiser Permanente and the Mayo Clinic — announced plans to collectively invest $100 million into the company Medically Home to help scale up their programs.
‘Better Than the Hospital’: Pandemic Boosts Care for Serious Illnesses at Home
Stephanie O'Neill
Covid-19 and dozens of other illnesses now qualify for home treatment under a new federal effort aimed at freeing up hospital beds during public health emergencies.
No-Cancel Culture: How Telehealth Is Making It Easier to Keep That Therapy Session
Eric Berger
No-shows for behavioral health appointments have been a long-standing problem, with up to 60% skipped. Now telehealth, fueled by the pandemic, makes it easier for people dealing with depression and other mental health issues to make it to their appointments at a time when such care is in high demand. But teletherapy creates other challenges.
In California, Nursing Home Owners Can Operate After They’re Denied a License
Aaron Mendelson, KPCC and Elly Yu, KPCC
Nursing home chain ReNew Health continues to care for hundreds of patients even after the state attempted to crack down. Before and during the pandemic, homes connected to ReNew had safety violations.
Lady Gaga and J.Lo Sell ‘Well’ Building Seal, But It’s a Payday, Not a PSA
Michael McAuliff
A company sees the pandemic as an opportunity to push its ‘Well’ seal. It would like the indoor wellness logo to become as ubiquitous as the LEED green building halo — and make a profit, too.
Pandemic Leads Doctors to Rethink Unnecessary Treatment
Bruce Alpert
Covid-caused delays in medical treatments and surgeries are producing data for health care providers to take another look at what’s needed and what isn’t.
Opioids Like ‘Lean’ Permeate Hip-Hop Culture, but Dangers Are Downplayed
Chaseedaw Giles
In big cities and small towns, opioid use among some young hip-hop fans is about emulating their favorite rap star’s image — while paying little attention to the serious consequences.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Return of the Public Option
Lawmakers are working on fleshing out the concept of a “public option,” a government-run or heavily regulated insurance plan that would compete with private insurance. But the details are complicated, both substantively and politically. Meanwhile, bioethicists are debating whether the U.S. should be vaccinating low-risk adolescents against covid-19 while high-risk adults in other countries are still waiting. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Confronting Our ‘Frailties’: California’s Assembly Leader Reflects on a Year of Covid
Samantha Young
California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon says covid exposed long-standing health care inequities that must be addressed. He told KHN he wants to get more people insured, boost broadband access so more patients can use telehealth and increase funding to local health departments.
Minneapolis Police Injured Protesters With Rubber Bullets. The City Has Taken Little Action.
Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY
A year after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody, there is scant evidence the city has changed how its police officers use less-lethal weapons or strengthened its oversight. Instead, it may be a study in stymied reform, unenforced policies and a lack of transparency.
Corporations Encourage Employee Vaccination but Stop Short of Mandates
Anna Almendrala
Public health officials fear that requiring jabs on the job would create a noisy, counterproductive backlash.
Tips for Older Adults to Regain Their Game After Being Cooped Up for More Than a Year
Judith Graham
Experts offer advice on how seniors struggling with physical, emotional and cognitive challenges following a year of being cooped up can address issues such as muscle weakness, poor nutrition, disrupted sleep, anxiety and social isolation.
Colorado Lawmakers Wage Multifront Assault on High Drug Costs
Markian Hawryluk
Colorado is one of many states resolved not to wait for federal action to reduce drug costs. Its legislature is considering several ways to lower costs for consumers and the state.
KHN Journalists Comment on Abortion Case, Wasted Covid Doses
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.