Weekly Edition May 31, 2019

Not Funny: Midwife Slapped With $4,836 Bill For Laughing Gas During Her Labor
By Lauren Weber As nitrous oxide makes a comeback for pain relief during childbirth, one medical professional fights back over an overblown charge for using it.

Lawmakers Push To Stop Surprise ER Billing
By Ana B. Ibarra Millions of Californians are vulnerable to hefty surprise medical bills from their trips to the emergency room. Now, state lawmakers are considering a measure to cap how much out-of-network hospitals can charge privately insured patients for emergency care, which could serve as a model for other states.

Mired In Medical Debt? Federal Plan Would Update Overdue-Bill Collection Methods
By Michelle Andrews More than half of Americans contacted about an overdue bill said it related to medical debt. A federal agency has proposed new guidance for what debt collectors are allowed to do when pursuing many types of overdue consumer bills, including medical debt. But some consumer advocates have panned the effort.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ The State Of The Abortion Debate — A Deep Dive
For our 100th episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jen Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Sandhya Ramen of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to take a deep dive into the abortion debate, discussing everything from the latest news to the history of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence as well as how states are trying to further expand or restrict abortion rights and access. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Lauren Weber about the latest “Bill of the Month” installment.

What The Possible End Of Abortions In Missouri Means For Neighboring States
By Lauren Weber While Missouri’s final abortion clinic may stop providing the procedure this week, women in the state had already been seeking care in neighboring states as regulations increasingly limited abortion access.

More Than Half Of Surgical Stapler Malfunctions Went To Hidden FDA Database
By Sydney Lupkin and Christina Jewett The FDA reveals that 56,000 malfunctions associated with surgical staplers weren’t reported through its traditional public reporting system.

Hospitals Accused Of Paying Doctors Large Kickbacks In Quest For Patients
By Jordan Rau Hospitals are eager to get particular specialists on staff because they bring in business that can be highly profitable. But those efforts, if they involve unusually high salaries or other enticements, can violate federal anti-kickback laws.

UCSF Medical Center Backs Off Plan To Deepen Ties With Dignity Health
By Jenny Gold The University of California’s flagship San Francisco hospital system cut off negotiations with the Catholic-run health care system in the face of heated opposition from UCSF faculty and staff.

A Final Comfort: ‘Palliative Transport’ Brings Dying Children Home
By Melissa Bailey Photos by Kayana Szymczak In a rare but growing practice, some hospitals offer parents the choice to transport their dying children out of the intensive care unit, with life support in tow, so that they can die at home.

Your Wake-Up Call On Data-Collecting Smart Beds And Sleep Apps
By Julie Appleby An array of products — from mattresses and sensors to sleep trackers and apps — are catching consumers’ attention. But privacy experts are concerned about what becomes of all the personal information these products collect.

Oklahoma’s ‘Precedent-Setting’ Suit Puts Opioid Drugmakers On Trial
By Jackie Fortiér, StateImpact Oklahoma As states struggle to respond to the national drug crisis, officials around the country are watching Oklahoma. The state's attorney general says opioid drugmakers helped ignite a health crisis that has killed thousands of residents.

The Unexpected Perk Of My Group Pregnancy Care: New Friends
By Jenny Gold Group prenatal visits are catching on — they save money and reduce the risk of premature births. It turned out to be the best decision one couple made during their pregnancy.

A Doctor Speaks Out About Ageism In Medicine
By Judith Graham A frank conversation with geriatrician and author Dr. Louise Aronson about medicine’s biased treatment of older adults and what needs to change.