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Health Programs Are at Risk as Debt Ceiling Cave-In Looms

Episode 296

May 4, 2023

A warning from the Treasury Department that the U.S. could default on its debt as soon as June 1 has galvanized lawmakers to intervene. But there is still no obvious way to reconcile Republican demands to slash federal spending with President Joe Biden’s demand to raise the debt ceiling and save the spending fight for a later date. Meanwhile, efforts to pass abortion bans in conservative states are starting to stall as some Republicans rebel against the most severe bans. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

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A photo of the exterior of Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center.

Diagnosis: Debt

Biden Administration Issues New Warning About Medical Credit Cards

Americans paid an estimated $1 billion in deferred interest on medical debt in just three years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports. The agency warns against medical credit cards, which are often pitched right in doctors’ offices.

By Noam N. Levey

May 4, 2023

Gun Assault Rates Doubled for Children in 4 Major Cities During the Pandemic, New Data Shows

A study of roughly 2,700 shootings in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia found that racial disparities in gun injuries and deaths widened during the covid-19 pandemic. Researchers looked only at assaults, excluding accidents or incidents of self-harm.

By Sammy Caiola, WHYY

May 4, 2023

Colorado Becomes the First State to Ban So-Called Abortion Pill Reversals

The controversial practice of administering progesterone to people after they have taken the abortion pill mifepristone may be coming to an end in Colorado. Pills have emerged as the latest front in the war over abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer.

By Claire Cleveland

May 4, 2023

A photo the ChatGPT website seen on a laptop.

Ask a Chatbot: ‘What’s for Dinner?’

The AI program ChatGPT can save time and energy spent meal planning, especially for people with dietary restrictions. But be sure to double-check its work, users say.

By Tarena Lofton

May 3, 2023

A digital illustration in watercolor and pencil shows a hand holding a box of sanitary pads that are used for menstruation. On the cover of the box, a diagram shows different layers of material that make up the pad. The list of ingredients, however, remains a mystery and reads only as a confusing series of the letter “X.”

Federal Rules Don’t Require Period Product Ingredients on Packaging Labels. States Are Stepping In.

New York and California have passed laws requiring disclosure of ingredients on menstrual product packaging. Advocates want more transparency across the U.S.

By Erica Zurek

May 3, 2023

A woman with dark blonde hair wearing glasses and a black shirt sits in a chair and speaks. A lower third reads "Dr. Amelia Huntsberger" and "OB-GYN, Bonner General Health".

Primary Care Disrupted

After Idaho’s Strict Abortion Ban, OB-GYNs Stage a Quick Exodus

At least two Idaho hospitals are ending labor and delivery services, with one citing the state’s “legal and political climate” and noting that “recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult” as doctors leave.

By Sarah Varney

May 2, 2023

A photo of Carolina Reyes posing for a portrait by an ultrasound machine.

Spotlight

The Nation’s Health Secretary Has This Doctor on Call

Carolina Reyes, a physician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, says providers and health systems have a role in tackling systemic racism. She’s also married to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

By Samantha Young

May 2, 2023

A photo of a male paramedic taking a woman's blood pressure in her home.

Primary Care Disrupted

Community Paramedics Don’t Wait for an Emergency to Visit Rural Patients at Home

Community paramedicine is expanding nationwide, including in rural areas, as health care providers, insurers, and state governments recognize its potential to improve health and save money.

By Arielle Zionts

May 2, 2023

An older woman sits in a darkened room and is illuminated by light through a window.

Payback: Tracking Opioid Cash

Listen: How Are States Spending Money From the Opioid Settlements? It’s Not Easy to Know

KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani appeared on NPR’s “1A” on May 1 to discuss issues related to how opioid settlement funds are being distributed.

May 1, 2023

A photo of a teenager posing for a portrait by a window indoors.

Faces of Medi-Cal

For California Teen, Coverage of Early Psychosis Treatment Proved a Lifesaver

A Medi-Cal patient illustrates how early schizophrenia treatments can yield big benefits. Advocates want California to expand such services to more people living with severe mental illness, which they argue will not only improve lives but also save money over time.

By Samantha Young

May 1, 2023

A dentist and dental assistant perform dental work on a patient.

Millions Are Stuck in Dental Deserts, With No Access to Oral Health Care

Vulnerable and marginalized communities are getting left behind in dental deserts, where patient volume exceeds provider capacity or too few dentists are willing to serve the uninsured or those on Medicaid.

By Lauren Peace, Tampa Bay Times

May 1, 2023

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Discuss Enduring Effects of Long Covid and Handling of Opioid Settlement Funds

KFF Health News 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.

April 29, 2023

A photo of a woman sitting for a portrait on a bench indoors.

Montana Considers Requiring Insurance to Cover Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients

Young cancer patients must act quickly to preserve their sperm and eggs once they get their diagnosis, and many can’t afford the cost.

By Keely Larson

April 28, 2023

Two older women work together in a community garden.

Navigating Aging

How to Grow Your Social Network as You Age

As your circle of close friends shrinks, there are ways to rebuild — but not replace — the social network you had when you were younger.

By Judith Graham

April 28, 2023

Letters to the Editor

Readers and Tweeters Defend the Rights of Adults With Disabilities

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

April 28, 2023

A photo of an American flag patch on camoflage.

Some Private Companies Charge Hefty Fees to Help Veterans With Disability Claims

Unaccredited companies promise to help veterans file for disability benefits. But unlike the thousands of service representatives who have been vetted and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide aid, these “medical consultants” or “coaches” operate with no restrictions on how much they can charge.

By Michelle Andrews

April 28, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Dancing Under the Debt Ceiling

Episode 295

April 27, 2023

House Republicans passed their plan to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, along with major cuts to health (and other domestic) programs. Unlikely to become law, it calls for new work requirements for adults on Medicaid. Meanwhile, state efforts targeting trans people bear a striking resemblance to the fight against abortion rights. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Renuka Rayasam, who reported the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a specialist’s demand to be paid as much as $15,000 before treating a woman’s serious pregnancy complication.

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As US Life Expectancy Falls, Experts Cite the Health Impacts of Incarceration

In a nation with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, imprisonment speeds the aging process, research shows. Some experts complain the federal government isn’t collecting or releasing data that could identify disease patterns and prevent deaths.

By Fred Clasen-Kelly

April 27, 2023

A digital illustration in bright copic marker and pencil shows a Black woman back-to-back with a mirror image of herself. On the left side, she wears her hair in a natural afro — the way, she was told, was required for an EEG procedure, allowing no product or protective styles. The version of herself on the right shows her hair in protective braids, which are separated to reveal parts of her scalp where an EEG device would need to be placed. That hairstyle would actually make it easier to get an accurate reading from the procedure, despite the instructions she was given.

How One Patient’s Textured Hair Nearly Kept Her From a Needed EEG

An EEG can help diagnose conditions like epilepsy, sleep disorders, and brain tumors. But a design flaw and outdated Eurocentric practices make the test less effective on thicker, denser, and curly hair types, potentially excluding or deterring some people from getting screened.

By Tarena Lofton

April 27, 2023

Trump 2.0

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