Back Pain? Bum Knee? Be Prepared to Wait for a Physical Therapist
By Mark Kreidler
November 28, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Physical therapists left the field en masse during the covid-19 pandemic, even as demand from aging baby boomers skyrocketed. While universities try to boost their training programs to increase the number of graduates, patients seeking relief from often debilitating pain are left to wait.
A Mom Owed Nearly $102,000 for Hospital Care. Her State Attorney General Said to Pay Up.
By Fred Clasen-Kelly
July 20, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As politicians bash privately run hospitals for their aggressive debt collection tactics, consumer advocates say one North Carolina family’s six-figure medical bill is an example of how state attorneys general and state-operated hospitals also can harm patients financially.
‘Financial Ruin Is Baked Into the System’: Readers on the Costs of Long-Term Care
By Jordan Rau Reed Abelson, The New York Times
December 15, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Thousands of people shared their experiences and related to the financial drain on families portrayed in the “Dying Broke” series, a joint project by KFF Health News and The New York Times that examined the costs of long-term care.
Sick Profit: Investigating Private Equity’s Stealthy Takeover of Health Care Across Cities and Specialties
By Fred Schulte
November 14, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Private equity firms have shelled out almost $1 trillion to acquire nearly 8,000 health care businesses, in deals almost always hidden from federal regulators. The result: higher prices, lawsuits, and complaints about care.
Under Pressure, Montana Hospital Considers Adding Psych Beds Amid a Shortage
By Katheryn Houghton
September 14, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A hospital in Bozeman, Montana, is considering whether to add inpatient psychiatric care after a concerted push from mental health advocates. But even if it adds beds, hospitals across Montana provide a cautionary tale: finding enough workers to staff such beds is its own challenge, and some behavioral health units routinely reach capacity.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Au Revoir, Public Health Emergency
February 2, 2023
Podcast
The Biden administration this week announced it would let the covid-19 public health emergency lapse on May 11, even as the Republican-led House was voting to immediately eliminate the special authorities of the so-called PHE. Meanwhile, anti-abortion forces are pressuring legislators to both tighten abortion restrictions and pay for every birth in the nation. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Hannah Wesolowski of the National Alliance on Mental Illness about the rollout of the national 988 suicide prevention hotline.
It’s Not Just You: Picking Health Insurance Is Hard. Here’s How To Be Smart About It.
By Dan Weissmann
December 9, 2019
KFF Health News Original
It’s open enrollment season for health insurance. And choosing the best plan is tricky whether you have to buy insurance on your own or just figure out which plan to sign up for at work. Here’s what you need to know.
Missed Visits, Uncontrolled Pain And Fraud: Report Says Hospice Lacks Oversight
By Melissa Bailey
July 31, 2018
KFF Health News Original
A new government watchdog report outlines vulnerabilities in Medicare’s $17 billion hospice program, pointing to inadequate services, inappropriate billing and outright fraud.
Death By 1,000 Clicks: Where Electronic Health Records Went Wrong
By Fred Schulte Erika Fry, Fortune
March 18, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts into electronic records would make health care better, safer and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the system is an unholy mess. Inside a digital revolution that took a bad turn.
Indiana Medicaid Drops 25K From Coverage For Failing To Pay Premiums
By Phil Galewitz
February 1, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The state branded its Medicaid expansion with some key conservative policies, and officials and advocates across the country are keenly watching the results.
‘Pre-Hospice’ Saves Money By Keeping People At Home Near The End Of Life
By Anna Gorman
Photos by Heidi de Marco
March 27, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A San Diego program helps chronically ill people avoid the hospital by teaching them how to better manage their diseases and telling them what to expect in their final years. Other health providers and insurers around the country are trying similar approaches.
Paying On Faith: Ministries Offer Alternative To Health Insurance
By Ann Doss Helms, Charlotte Observer
November 17, 2014
KFF Health News Original
The ACA’s coverage mandate spurs growth in health-care sharing ministries, in which members agree to abide by Christian principles and contribute to each other’s medical expenses.
Monthly Premiums For A ‘Benchmark’ Silver Plan In Federally Run Insurance Marketplaces
September 29, 2013
KFF Health News Original
This chart lists sample premiums in the 36 states where the federal government is running the online insurance marketplaces.
HHS Cuts Premiums For Some High Risk Pools
By Phil Galewitz
November 5, 2010
KFF Health News Original
Trying to spur enrollment in a new health insurance program for uninsured people with pre-existing medical conditions, the federal government is doing something private insurers almost never do: slashing rates.
