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Debt Deal Leaves Health Programs (Mostly) Intact

Episode 301

June 7, 2023

The bipartisan deal to extend the U.S. government’s borrowing authority includes future cuts to federal health agencies, but they are smaller than many expected and do not touch Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, Merck & Co. becomes the first drugmaker to sue Medicare officials over the federal health insurance program’s new authority to negotiate drug prices. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News senior correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble, who reported the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about the perils of visiting the U.S. with European health insurance.

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A photo of cars and a train driving by on a Los Angeles street.

Personal Medical Debt in Los Angeles County Tops $2.6 Billion, Report Finds

Medical debt is a leading public health problem, researchers say. Despite the county’s ongoing expansion of health coverage, the prevalence of medical debt remained unchanged from 2017 to 2021.

By Molly Castle Work

June 7, 2023

KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

A Windfall in Health Insurance Rebates? It’s Not as Crazy as It Sounds

The billion-dollar amount cited by former Sen. Al Franken, while an estimate, is likely very close to what insurers will owe this year under a provision of the Affordable Care Act that compels rebates when insurers spend too little on actual medical care.

By Julie Appleby

June 7, 2023

A photo of Melanie Gray Miller posing for portrait indoors.

Primary Care Disrupted

Burnout Threatens Primary Care Workforce and Doctors’ Mental Health

Burnout is a widespread problem in the health care industry. Although the pandemic made things worse, burnout among doctors is a long-standing concern that health systems have become more focused on as they try to stop doctors from quitting or retiring early.

By Lauren Sausser

June 7, 2023

An Arm and a Leg

A ‘Payday Loan’ From a Health Care Behemoth

Season 9, Episode 7

June 6, 2023

UnitedHealth Group is the largest health insurer in the United States. And it keeps growing. This has led some health care experts to call for antitrust regulation of this “behemoth” company.

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A photo of a doctor examining a male patient with a stethoscope.

Primary Care Disrupted

As Fewer MDs Practice Rural Primary Care, a Different Type of Doctor Helps Take Up the Slack

The number of DOs is surging, and more than half of them practice in primary care, including in rural areas hit hard by doctor shortages.

By Tony Leys

June 6, 2023

A photo of a man working on a laptop indoors.

Asking Never Hurts

Recovery From Addiction Is a Journey. There’s No One-and-Done Solution.

Drug use has become a major public health crisis, but effective treatment remains hard to find. It does exist though. Columnist Bernard J. Wolfson offers advice on finding help and says not to expect a quick solution.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

June 6, 2023

A photo of empty beds in a hospital corridor.

Will a ‘National Patient Safety Board,’ Modeled After the NTSB, Actually Fly?

A push is underway to create a National Patient Safety Board modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates plane crashes and other transportation disasters. But unlike the NTSB, some patient safety advocates say, the current proposal is toothless and wouldn’t provide transparency about the nation’s hospitals.

By Mary Chris Jaklevic

June 5, 2023

A photo of a discarded needle on the sidewalk.

California Confronts the Threat of ‘Tranq’ as Overdose Crisis Rages

California officials are stepping up efforts to combat the spread of xylazine, a powerful animal sedative that’s increasingly being used by people, often with devastating results. It’s mostly been an East Coast phenomenon, but ‘tranq,’ as it is known, is beginning to appear in the Golden State.

By Brian Rinker

June 5, 2023

A photo of Erin Brown posing for a photo by leaning on a brick wall.

The Gun Violence Epidemic Is ‘Locking Us Back in Our Room’

As the leading cause of death for teens, firearm injuries are detrimental to more than just physical health. It takes a major toll on young people’s mental health.

By Owen Racer

June 2, 2023

A photo of an adult daughter having a discussion and taking notes while talking to her aging father.

Navigating Aging

How to Negotiate With Resistant Aging Parents? Borrow These Tips From the Business World

Negotiation techniques can help health care providers and family caregivers find common ground with older adults who resist advice or support.

By Judith Graham

June 2, 2023

A photo of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaking at a podium while gesturing with his hands.

The Debt Ceiling Deal Takes a Bite Out of Health Programs. It Could Have Been Much Worse.

A bipartisan deal to raise the government’s borrowing limit dashed Republican hopes for new Medicaid work requirements and other health spending cuts. Democrats secured the compromise by making relatively modest concessions, including ordering the return of unspent covid funds and limiting other health spending.

By Julie Rovner

June 1, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Our 300th Episode!

Episode 300

June 1, 2023

When KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” podcast launched in 2017, Republicans in Washington were engaged in an (ultimately unsuccessful) campaign to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act. The next six years would see a pandemic, increasingly unaffordable care, and a health care workforce experiencing unprecedented burnout. In the podcast’s 300th episode, host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner explores the past and possible future of the U.S. health care system with three prominent “big thinkers” in health policy: Ezekiel Emanuel of the University of Pennsylvania, Jeff Goldsmith of Health Futures, and Farzad Mostashari of Aledade.

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Payback: Tracking Opioid Cash

Watch: Payback for the Opioid Crisis: How Did the Sackler Family Skirt Liability?

KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani appeared on PBS NewsHour to discuss the ruling surrounding drugmaker Purdue Pharma's role in the opioid crisis and her reporting into the ongoing distribution of opioid settlement funds.

June 1, 2023

A vector illustration of a hand holding papers marked with a white X in a red circle.

As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage

In what’s known as the Medicaid “unwinding,” states are combing through rolls to decide who stays and who goes. But the overwhelming majority of people who have lost coverage so far were dropped because of technicalities, not because officials determined they are no longer eligible.

By Hannah Recht

June 1, 2023

A view from behind of a woman wearing a bra and holding a baby to her cheek.

How a Medical Recoding May Limit Cancer Patients’ Options for Breast Reconstruction

The federal government’s arcane process for medical coding is influencing which reconstructive surgery options are available, creating anxiety for breast cancer patients.

By Rachana Pradhan, Anna Werner, CBS News, and Leigh Ann Winick, CBS News

May 31, 2023

A photo illustration of a ballot in a ballot box next to an image of the state of California.

Health Care Coalition Jockeys Over Medi-Cal Spending, Eyes Ballot Initiative

California Healthline has learned that a coalition of doctors, hospitals, insurers, and community clinics want to lock in a tax on health insurance companies to draw in extra Medicaid funding. It also wants to make the tax permanent.

By Angela Hart and Samantha Young

May 31, 2023

A digital illustration in bright Copic marker and pencil shows a cluster of realistically drawn Amanita muscaria mushrooms in different phases of growth, from the “button” stage to fully mature. These mushrooms have a distinct red cap covered in small, white nubs, which give it a spotted appearance. The gills and stem are a cream-white color. Popping out from the mushrooms in a whimsical style are gummies that variously read “eat me” and “chew me,” as well as capsules. Both ingestible products are colored the same red as the mushroom’s cap to indicate they are mushroom products. A magnifying glass hovers over the mushrooms, symbolizing inspection. The background is a deep blue, which fades to magenta, giving the image a dreamlike feel.

Mood-Altering Mushroom Sales Bloom Despite Safety Concerns

The well-known “Amanita muscaria” mushroom is legal to possess and consume in 49 states. The market for gummies, powders, and capsules containing extracts of the fungus is raising eyebrows, though, amid concerns from the FDA and in the absence of human clinical trials.

By Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times

May 31, 2023