Battleground Wisconsin: Voters Feel Nickel-and-Dimed by Health Care Costs

In the swing state of Wisconsin, the cost and availability of health care have emerged as key issues. Voters there say prescriptions, procedures, and health insurance policies are too expensive, and must be addressed by the next president, whether Republican or Democrat.

Therapists Learn How To Help Farmers Cope With Stress Before It’s Too Late

Many farmers have traditionally handled their own problems, whether it’s a busted tractor or debilitating anxiety. “With the older generation, it’s still, ‘Suck it up and get over it,’” says an Iowa mental health advocate and farmer.

An Arm and a Leg: Meet the Middleman’s Middleman

Why are patients facing bigger bills than they expect for out-of-network care? In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” the show explains the hidden mechanics of MultiPlan, a data firm that helps health insurers set these rates and make bigger returns.

Super Bowl Parade Shooting Survivors Await Promised Donations While Bills Pile Up

Families of the people hurt during the Feb. 14 mass shooting are carrying what one expert calls “victimization debt.” In the third story of our series “The Injured,” we learn about the strain of paying small and large medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs.

Indiana Weighs Hospital Monopoly as Officials Elsewhere Scrutinize Similar Deals

If Indiana officials approve a proposed hospital merger in western Indiana in the coming months, the state will have its first hospital monopoly created by a “Certificate of Public Advantage.” Other such deals have resulted in government reports documenting diminished care in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Farmworkers Face High-Risk Exposures to Bird Flu, but Testing Isn’t Reaching Them

Federal officials are offering $75 to dairy workers who agree to be tested for bird flu. Advocates say the payments aren’t enough to protect workers from lost wages and health care costs if they test positive.

Federal Panel Prescribes New Mental Health Strategy To Curb Maternal Deaths

The leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States — including suicides and fatalities linked to substance use disorders — stem from mental health conditions. Now a federal task force has recommended strategies to help women who are at risk during or after pregnancy.

FDA Said It Never Inspected Dental Lab That Made Controversial AGGA Device

Johns Dental Laboratories stopped making the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance last year after a KFF Health News-CBS News investigation into allegations of patient harm. The company had “never” reported any complaints about its products to the FDA, according to the agency.

Democrats Seek To Make GOP Pay for Threats to Reproductive Rights

Democrats running for office are using abortion rollbacks to galvanize voters, with abortion rights ballot initiatives amplifying their lines of attack. In Missouri, the leading Democratic candidate for the Senate also blames Republican Sen. Josh Hawley for threatening access to IVF.