Weekly Edition: October 20, 2017
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Whiplash
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the bipartisan plan in the Senate to stabilize the individual insurance exchanges, and President Donald Trump’s mixed messages about his support or lack thereof.
Stunner On Birth Control: Trump’s Moral Exemption Is Geared Toward Just 2 Groups
By Julie Rovner
Trump administration’s rule unveiled last week to allow some employers with “sincerely held moral convictions” to bypass a health law requirement to provide no-cost contraceptives to women would exempt at least two anti-abortion groups: the March for Life and Real Alternatives.
2 Senators Reach Deal On A Health Law Fix, But Bringing Congress Along Is Tricky
By Julie Rovner
The bipartisan accord would restore funding for the cost-sharing reductions that President Donald Trump ended last week and would give states more flexibility to devise alternatives for providing and subsidizing health care.
Medicare
Medicare Vs. Medicare Advantage: How To Choose
By Judith Graham
Despite Medicare Advantage plans’ increasing popularity, several key features remain poorly understood. Here is what you need to know.
A Few Pointers To Help Save Money And Avoid The Strain Of Medicare Enrollment
By Susan Jaffe
Most beneficiaries have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to decide on drug coverage and whether to switch from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
Medicaid
Chasing Millions In Medicaid Dollars, Hospitals Buy Up Nursing Homes
By Phil Galewitz
The strategy has been used mostly in Indiana, where many county-owned hospitals purchased or leased nursing homes to take advantage of a wrinkle in Medicaid payment rules and augment federal reimbursements.
Despite GOP Efforts To Corral Medicaid Spending, States Expand Benefits
By Phil Galewitz
States are adding a variety of services, including expansions of mental health and substance abuse treatments and dental care, according to a 50-state survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Cascade of Costs Could Push New Gene Therapy Above $1 Million Per Patient
By Liz Szabo
The costs of using a new class of cancer treatments include far more than the drug’s sticker price.
Desperate Quest For Herpes Cure Launched ‘Rogue’ Trial
By Marisa Taylor
Patients flocked to researcher who ignored usual patient protections, as university claimed ignorance.
Amid For-Profit Surge, Rural Hospice Has Offered Free Care for 40 Years
By JoNel Aleccia
Tiny Washington state hospice accepts no federal funds, relies on community volunteers and donations to serve the dying.
Hospitals Step In To Help House The Homeless. Will It Make A Difference?
By Pauline Bartolone
They say it will help reduce unnecessary ER visits and ensure better follow-up care. It’s also good P.R., and helps them meet their obligations to provide benefits to the community in exchange for significant tax breaks.
On Back Roads Of Appalachia’s Coal Country, Mental Health Services Are As Rare As Jobs
By Vickie Connor
Long commutes and scarcity of providers make it hard for patients who need counseling or psychiatric care.
Want An IUD? Take Note Of Trump’s New Birth Control Policy.
By Michelle Andrews
Some employers may opt to claim a religious or moral exemption and women could have to pick up some of the cost of this expensive contraception option.
The Storm Has Passed, But Puerto Rico’s Health Faces Prolonged Recovery
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez and Rachel Bluth
From infections linked to the storm to trying to treat people with chronic diseases in damaged clinics, health officials on this American territory struggle to stay ahead of the needs.
Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns
By April Dembosky, KQED
ICU nurse Julayne Smithson had only a few minutes to grab some things from her recently purchased home a block from the Santa Rosa hospital. Then she rushed back to help evacuate patients and has scarcely stopped working since.