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At a Bay Area ‘Test-to-Treat’ Site, Few Takers for Free Antivirals

By Rachel Scheier June 16, 2022 KFF Health News Original

In carrying out the federal covid-19 “test-to-treat” initiative, California is targeting the uninsured by outfitting 138 testing sites with screenings for free antiviral drugs. But as of mid-June, fewer than 800 people had been prescribed the medicines. And two-thirds of those undergoing screenings are insured.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Politics of Science

September 10, 2020 KFF Health News Original

Republicans have all but abandoned the Affordable Care Act as a campaign cudgel, judging from their national convention, at least. Meanwhile, career scientists at the federal government’s preeminent health agencies — the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health — are all coming under increasing political pressure as the pandemic drags on. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Elizabeth Lawrence about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment.

Plan to Fix Postal Service Shifts New Retirees to Medicare — Along With Billions in Costs

By Michael McAuliff February 25, 2022 KFF Health News Original

After a years-long bitter partisan fight over reforming the U.S. Postal Service’s finances and service, congressional leaders say they have a compromise. The bill, which has won endorsements from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, would force future Postal Service retirees to use Medicare as their primary source of health coverage.

Colorado Doubles Down on Abortion Rights as Other States — And the High Court — Reconsider

By Rae Ellen Bichell March 29, 2022 KFF Health News Original

The Supreme Court is expected to overturn or weaken “Roe v. Wade.” If that happens, Colorado may become an abortion-access island, nearly surrounded by a sea of anti-abortion states. The state is bracing for impact, and advocates are trying to shore up its abortion defenses.

College Tuition Sparked a Mental Health Crisis. Then the Hefty Hospital Bill Arrived.

By Jordan Rau February 26, 2021 KFF Health News Original

A student sought counseling help after feeling panicked when she had trouble paying a big tuition bill. A weeklong stay in a psychiatric hospital followed — along with a $3,413 bill. The hospital soft-pedaled its charity care policy.

Montana Health Officials Aim to Boost Oversight of Nonprofit Hospitals’ Giving

By Katheryn Houghton September 28, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Montana is one of the latest states seeking to increase oversight of nonprofit hospitals’ giving to ensure they justify their tax-exempt status.

Nursing Home Owners Drained Cash During Pandemic While Residents Deteriorated

By Jordan Rau February 1, 2023 KFF Health News Original

As the federal government debates whether to require higher staffing levels at nursing homes, financial records show owners routinely push profits to sister companies while residents are neglected. “A dog would get better care than he did,” one resident’s wife said.

Listen: An Unsettling Investigation Into the Closure of a Chain of Pain Clinics

March 14, 2022 KFF Health News Original

KHN senior correspondents Jenny Gold and Anna Maria Barry-Jester joined KVPR’s Kathleen Schock on “Valley Edition” to discuss their investigation into the abrupt closure of one of California’s largest chain of pain clinics — and the patients left behind.

As States Impose Abortion Bans, Young Doctors Struggle — And Travel Far — To Learn the Procedure

By Sarah Varney March 23, 2022 KFF Health News Original

The number of medical schools and residency programs where aspiring physicians can learn to perform abortion procedures continues to shrink, a byproduct of the anti-abortion legislation being enacted in multiple states.

Montana Is Sending Troubled Kids to Out-of-State Programs That Have Been Accused of Abuse

By Cameron Evans March 25, 2022 KFF Health News Original

State health officials are using Medicaid funds to send children in their care to treatment programs in states with less stringent regulations, including programs accused of abuse and mistreatment.

LA’s First Heat Officer Says Helping Vulnerable Communities Is Key to Achieving Climate Goals

By Heidi de Marco July 1, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Los Angeles taps Marta Segura, director of the city’s climate emergency mobilization office, as its first heat officer. Segura, the first Hispanic person to hold such a position in the country, will work across city departments on an early warning system while developing cooling strategies.

ER Doctors Call Private Equity Staffing Practices Illegal and Seek to Ban Them

By Bernard J. Wolfson December 22, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Doctors, consumer advocates, and some lawmakers are looking forward to a California lawsuit against private equity-backed Envision Healthcare. The case is part of a multistate effort to enforce rules banning corporate ownership of physician practices.

An Arm and a Leg: A ‘Payday Loan’ From a Health Care Behemoth

By Dan Weissmann June 6, 2023 Podcast

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.

States Extend Medicaid for New Mothers — Even as They Reject Broader Expansion

By Sam Whitehead June 17, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Most of the dozen states that haven’t fully expanded eligibility for Medicaid have extended or plan to extend the postpartum coverage window for new mothers. That could mean improved maternal health, but it’s only part of the puzzle when it comes to reducing the number of preventable maternal deaths in the U.S.

Some Rural Hospitals Are in Such Bad Shape, Local Governments Are Practically Giving Them Away

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio August 18, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Coming out of the pandemic, many rural hospitals are in even rougher shape than before. So rough that some are now practically being handed to investors for little more than a pledge to keep them open.

Baby Blues: First-Time Parents Blindsided by ‘the Birthday Rule’ and a $207,455 NICU Bill

By Cara Anthony January 27, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Charlie Kjelshus needed neonatal intensive care for the first seven days of her life. The episode generated huge bills, and left her parents in a tangle of red tape that involved two insurers, two hospitals and two states.

Crowdsourced Data on Overdoses Pinpoints Where to Help

By Renuka Rayasam July 5, 2022 KFF Health News Original

University of Texas researchers are testing a program that would allow harm reduction groups to crowdsource data on fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses statewide. While the data relies on word of mouth, they say, it is more comprehensive than anything that exists now and can be used immediately to prevent overdoses.

To Families’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn’t View Them as Essential Caregivers

By Judith Graham March 22, 2022 KFF Health News Original

Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.

Don’t Drill Your Own Teeth! And Quashing Other Rotten Dental Advice on TikTok

By Chaseedaw Giles October 18, 2022 KFF Health News Original

TikTok videos extol doing your own cosmetic dentistry like gluing gems to your front teeth or filing down your teeth. The trouble is social media rarely shows the mistakes or the pain.

What the Federal ‘No Surprises Act’ Means in California

By Bernard J. Wolfson January 26, 2022 KFF Health News Original

The new federal law will provide protection against surprise medical bills for between 6 million and 7 million Californians who are not covered under state law.

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