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Readers and Tweeters Shed Light on Vaccine Trials and Bias in Health Care
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KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: All Coronavirus All The Time
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing changes to the U.S. health system that were previously unthinkable. Yet some fights ― including over the Affordable Care Act and abortion — persist even in this time of national emergency. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Liz Szabo about the latest installment of KHN-NPR’s “Bill of the Month.”
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A Million-Dollar Marketing Juggernaut Pushes 3D Mammograms
Companies are aggressively touting 3D mammograms, although there’s no evidence they save lives.
By Liz Szabo -
Millions Of Older Americans Live In Counties With No ICU Beds As Pandemic Intensifies
A Kaiser Health News analysis shows that counties with ICUs average one ICU bed for every 1,300 older residents, those most at risk for needing hospitalization.
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In The Line Of Fire
Fractured Skulls, Lost Eyes: Police Often Break Own Rules Using ‘Rubber Bullets’
Around the country, police responded to protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death by shooting “less lethal” projectiles, which can seriously hurt and kill. In a joint investigation, KHN and USA TODAY found some officers appear to have violated their department’s own rules when they fired.
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Trump Wants To Take Guns Away From People In Crisis. Will That Work?
So-called red flag laws that let police take guns away from people with mental illness have support from both advocates and opponents of gun control. But it won’t alleviate gun violence.
By Liz Szabo -
Superstar Athletes Popularize Unproven Stem Cell Procedures
Treatments for baseball pitcher Max Scherzer and other pros may mislead fans about costly, controversial, unapproved stem cell shots.
By Liz Szabo -
Stem Cell Company Persuades Employers To Steer Workers Toward Controversial Therapy
Regenexx, which runs a string of clinics, says stem cell injections can save employers a lot of money, but critics say there’s no proof.
By Liz Szabo -
In The Line Of Fire
Less-Lethal Weapons Blind, Maim and Kill. Victims Say Enough Is Enough.
Time and again over the past two decades, peace officers have targeted demonstrators with munitions designed only to stun and stop. Protests this year in reaction to George Floyd’s death in police custody have reignited a controversy surrounding their use.
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Elite Hospitals Plunge Into Unproven Stem Cell Treatments
Critics are concerned about the explosion in controversial stem cell procedures offered by clinics — and, increasingly, respected hospitals.
By Liz Szabo -
Health Care Industry Spends $30B A Year Pushing Its Wares, From Drugs To Stem Cell Treatment
Critics say patients are often misled by ads that advocate high-priced drugs or genetic tests.
By Liz Szabo -
Up To A Third Of Knee Replacements Pack Pain And Regret
Many patients face lingering pain and disappointment after undergoing knee replacement surgery, which costs an average $31,000. And doctors are increasingly concerned that the procedure is overused and that its benefits have been oversold.
By Liz Szabo -
Fish Oil And Vitamin D Pills No Guard Against Cancer Or Serious Heart Trouble
And new study finds no reason to get routine vitamin D tests, researchers say.
By Liz Szabo -
Soda Industry Steals Page From Tobacco To Combat Taxes On Sugary Drinks
Voters in Oregon and Washington will decide whether to strip cities of the ability to tax sugary drinks.
By Liz Szabo -
Pricey Precision Medicine Often Financially Toxic For Cancer Patients
Medical treatments targeting the DNA in tumor cells are celebrated, but insurers often won’t cover the skyrocketing cost.
By Liz Szabo -
Analysis
Much Touted For Cancer, ‘Precision Medicine’ Often Misses The Target
Doctors and hospitals love to talk about the patients they’ve saved with precision medicine, and reporters love to write about them. But the people who die still vastly outnumber the rare successes.
By Liz Szabo -
For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good
A new study of 6,000 older patients shows little gain from surgeries for breast cancer.
By Liz Szabo -
The Man Who Sold America On Vitamin D — And Profited In The Process
The doctor most responsible for turning the sunshine supplement into a billion-dollar juggernaut has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the vitamin D industry, according to government records and interviews.
By Liz Szabo -
KHN Conversation On Overtreatment
Physicians estimate that 21 percent of medical care is unnecessary — a problem that costs the health care system at least $210 billion a year. KHN hosted a forum on how too much medicine can cause harm.
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Fish Oil Drug Looks Heart-Healthy. Just Don’t Swallow It Hook, Line And Sinker.
The complete findings of a recent study show the FDA-approved drug Vascepa reduced the likelihood of cardiovascular death, stroke and other heart conditions in some patients. But science didn’t find the same promise for over-the-counter fish oil supplements when tested in healthy people.