Retiree Living the RV Dream Fights $12,387 Nightmare Lab Fee
By Victoria Knight
Photos by Heidi de Marco
December 23, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A gynecologist in Carlsbad, New Mexico, tested the 60-year-old grandmother for various sexually transmitted infections without her knowledge. Her share of the lab fee was more than $3,000.
Covered California Says Health Insurance Just Got Too Cheap to Ignore
By Bernard J. Wolfson
May 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Californians who passed up health coverage in the past may be pleasantly surprised by the lower prices available thanks to the new federal relief act.
Nurses and Docs at Long Beach Center ‘Consider It an Honor’ to Care for Migrant Children
By Stephanie Stephens
June 21, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Health care workers find it easy to empathize with Central American children after their painful journeys to the U.S.
How One Indie Artist Used Her Pandemic Lockdown to Create an Album With Global Collaborators
By Chaseedaw Giles
April 6, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The pandemic-induced lockdowns have only increased the demand for music-streaming services. This independent singer wrote, recorded and produced an album with musicians around the world during the pandemic’s rolling stay-at-home mandates.
The Boom in Out-of-State Telehealth Threatens In-State Providers
By Matt Volz
March 15, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Health provider conflicts, fraud and access disparity temper the covid telehealth revolution.
Think Your Health Care Is Covered? Beware of the ‘Junk’ Insurance Plan
By Michelle Andrews
December 4, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Millions of people are looking for coverage on the federal and state marketplaces right now. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between a comprehensive plan and a “junk” plan with limited benefits and coverage restrictions.
Despite Quick Fixes, Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Care Still Lags
By Jenny Gold
December 17, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Interviews with dozens of Kaiser Permanente therapists, patients and industry experts reveal superficial changes that look good on paper but do not translate into more effective and accessible care.
Patients Went Into the Hospital for Care. After Testing Positive There for Covid, Some Never Came Out.
By Christina Jewett
November 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
About 21% of patients diagnosed with covid during a hospital stay died, according to data analyzed for KHN. In-hospital rates of spread varied widely and patients had no way of checking them.
California’s Reboot of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Health Plans
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Photos by Heidi de Marco
September 21, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The nine commercial insurers in Medi-Cal must reapply by submitting bids for new contracts. The state hopes the process will improve care for low-income residents and tighten accountability, something critics say has been missing.
‘Peer Respites’ Provide an Alternative to Psychiatric Wards During Pandemic
By Sarah Kwon
January 11, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A growing number of “peer respites,” nonclinical settings for psychiatric recovery, can help people in distress who mainly need to talk to people who understand their problems.
Texans Can Appeal Surprise Medical Bills, But The Process Can Be Draining
By Ashley Lopez, KUT
February 13, 2019
KFF Health News Original
In Texas, many people have a right to mediation of medical bills. But the concept can be off-putting, and patients often think they need a lawyer, which isn’t the case.
Upended: How Medical Debt Changed Their Lives
By Noam N. Levey and Aneri Pattani and Yuki Noguchi, NPR News and Bram Sable-Smith
Updated December 21, 2022
Originally Published June 16, 2022
KFF Health News Original
People talk about the sacrifices they made when health care forced them into debt.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: 2020 in Review — It Wasn’t All COVID
December 23, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The coronavirus pandemic colored just about everything in 2020. But there was other health policy news that you either never heard or might have forgotten about: the Affordable Care Act going before the Supreme Court with its survival on the line; ditto for Medicaid work requirements. And a surprise ending to the “surprise bill” saga. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
By Laura Ungar
September 25, 2020
KFF Health News Original
With health insurance that can leave him on the hook for more than a quarter of his salary every year, a Kentucky essential worker who has heart disease is one of millions of Americans who are functionally uninsured. At only 31, he has already been through bankruptcy and being sued by his hospital. This year, he faced a bill for more than $10,000.
Patients Caught In Middle Of Fight Between Health Care Behemoths
By Steven Findlay
April 25, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A legal battle in Pennsylvania is testing the boundaries of health care competition and government action to oversee and regulate it.
Biden’s Straight-Talking CDC Director Has Long Used Data to Save Lives
By Carey Goldberg, WBUR
February 26, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Dr. Rochelle Walensky said scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were “muzzled” and “diminished” by the Trump team, especially during the pandemic. She aims to fix that.
Sen. Alexander Releases Bipartisan Plan To Lower Health Costs, End Surprise Bills
By Rachel Bluth
May 23, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The Republican’s legislation, prepared with Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on Alexander’s health committee, would be an ambitious lift because it also deals with prescription drug patents, health transparency and vaccine messaging.
Landmark Covid Relief Law Pumps More Than $100 Billion Into Public Health
By Steven Findlay
March 18, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The law provides money to enhance coronavirus testing and contact tracing, support federal efforts on vaccine distribution and hire more public health workers. But advocates worry support will wane when the pandemic is over.
Need Amid Plenty: Richest US Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger
By Laura Ungar
March 18, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Hunger among kids is skyrocketing, even in America’s wealthiest counties. But given the nation’s highly uneven charitable food system, affluent communities have been far less ready for the unprecedented crisis than places accustomed to dealing with poverty and hardship.
Crash Course: Injured Patients Who Sign ‘Letters of Protection’ May Face Huge Medical Bills and Risks
By Fred Schulte
December 21, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The letters function as liens that “protect” spine surgery clinics while patients could be left with inflated medical bills and unexpected health risks.