Hundreds of Hospitals Sue Patients or Threaten Their Credit, a KHN Investigation Finds. Does Yours?
By Noam N. Levey
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
An examination of billing policies and practices at more than 500 hospitals across the country shows widespread reliance on aggressive collection tactics.
A Medical Cost-Sharing Plan Left Pastor With Most Of The Cost
By Bram Sable-Smith
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Jeff and Kareen King joined a medical cost-sharing plan advertised as a “refreshing non-insurance approach” to paying for health care. It had a big proviso: Preexisting conditions like Jeff’s heart condition were not fully covered for the first two years. He needed heart surgery after just 16 months.
From Her View in Knoxville, the Health System Is ‘Not Designed for Poor People’
By Noam N. Levey
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Monica Reed was the first in her family to own a home and has lived “a frugal kind of life.” Cancer treatment left her with almost $10,000 in debt, pushing her to the edge financially.
A Retiree Returns to Work After a Calamitous Year of Health Emergencies
By Noam N. Levey
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
In 2020, diabetes and covid-19 landed David Zipprich in the hospital three times. Even with insurance, he was inundated with bills, debt notices, and calls from collectors.
Her Credit Was Ruined by Medical Debt. She’s Been Turned Away From Doctors, Jobs, and Loans
By Aneri Pattani
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
When Penelope Wingard’s cancer went into remission, she lost her Medicaid coverage in North Carolina. Without insurance, the debts piled up for her follow-up care. She doesn’t think she’ll ever get ahead of it.
An Air Force Career Held up Because of Debt Owed for Medical Bills
By Aneri Pattani
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Emergency room care left Samaria Bradford with $5,000 in medical bills. Now she has to track down and pay that debt before she can hope to enlist in the military.
The Case of the Two Grace Elliotts: A Medical Billing Mystery
By Mark Kreidler
December 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A health system charged a woman for a shoulder replacement at a hospital across the country that she had not visited for years. She didn’t receive the care, but she did receive the bill — and the medical records of a stranger.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, December 20, 2022
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
Tuesday’s roundup covers the omnibus deal, FDA, tripledemic cases, covid vaccines, variant worries, gun injuries, Alzheimer’s, and more.
Bill Related To Accelerated Approvals Reportedly Tweaked To Please Drugmakers
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
Stat reports on how some provisions in a bill designed to make it easier to withdraw drugs previously approved under accelerated timelines were pulled after drugmaker opposition. Also in the news: Truepill, Eli Lilly, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, sickle cell drugs, and more.
Viewpoints: Strep Is The Newest Anxiety For Parents; Misinformation Has Brought Back Measles
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers delve into these public health concerns.
To Beat Shortages, Health Care Systems Turning To Retired Staff
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
Modern Healthcare covers efforts to recruit retired clinicians to deal with Delaware staffing shortages. Other news includes overstretched workers in a children’s hospital, plaudits for a Maine rural hospital, analysis of mental health 911 calls in California, and more.
Once-Skeptical Doctors Gain Confidence In Alzheimer’s Blood Tests
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
“They are simpler than a PET scan, they are simpler than a spinal tap,” says Harvard Medical School neurologist Reisa Sperling, who was unsure about the tests a few years ago but now is convinced they are almost ready for widespread use, Bloomberg reported. Other public health news is on mpox, obesity, mental health, and more.
Mass. High Court Rules Against Allowing Physician-Assisted Deaths
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on legal moves against doctors being allowed to prescribe lethal doses of medication to terminal patients in Massachusetts. The procedure isn’t protected by the state constitution, the state’s highest court ruled, and could lead to a manslaughter prosecution.
California Considers Decriminalizing ‘Magic’ Mushrooms, Other Psychedelics
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
A bill introduced Monday could lead to the decriminalization of certain psychedelics in California, a move that supporters say could lead to treatment options for substance abuse disorders and some mental health issues. Also: anxiety and medical weed, a spike in fentanyl use and more.
Gun Injuries, Deaths Among Kids Rose Precipitously During Pandemic
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on investigations into gun violence during the pandemic: data show that while the number of children who were killed rose sharply in 2020, the number injured and killed by guns also did. The majority of homicides were among Black children.
FDA Panel Will Meet In January To Discuss Modifying Covid Vaccines
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
The committee will consider “whether and how the composition of currently available primary vaccines should be modified” and whether booster shot composition and schedules should be adjusted to attack virus strains, the FDA said in a news release.
Worries Rise Over New Covid Variants Spurred By China’s Outbreak
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
Covid’s impact on the Chinese economy, which will influence the rest of the world, is also in the spotlight. And Reuters focuses on data concerns over the low number of deaths officially reported in the country.
Some Pharmacies Are Limiting Sales Of Children’s Meds As ‘Tripledemic’ Rages
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
CNN reports that CVS is restricting both in-person and online purchases to two children’s pain relief products, while Walgreens has limited its online purchases to six fever reducers per transaction; it doesn’t have an in-store limit.
Report Cites Struggles Hindering Fatigued FDA Tobacco Regulators
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
An independent review by a panel of experts finds that the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products is “overwhelmed and reactive,” in particular around outside pressure and lawsuits from tobacco companies and public health groups related to vaping.
Omnibus Deal Delays Some Medicare Pay Cuts, Moves Up Medicaid Cutoffs
December 20, 2022
Morning Briefing
As congressional lawmakers rush to avert a federal government shutdown, negotiators released a $1.7 trillion deal Tuesday morning that includes major health policy measures related to Medicare, Medicaid, veteran health, pandemic funding, the FDA, and more.