Missouri Archives

KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Who Will Pay To Fix Problem Of Surprise Medical Bills?

Lawmakers and patients want to eliminate “surprise” out-of-network medical bills. Hospitals, doctors and insurers say they want to eliminate them, too, but their opposition to one another’s proposals could complicate legislative efforts. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the latest in news about reproductive health and health care sharing ministries.

June 13, 2019

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Fetal Tissue Research Is Latest Flashpoint In Abortion Debate

Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail federally funded research using fetal tissue, the backlash from former Vice President Joe Biden’s support for the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment and how health policy intersects with both trade and immigration policy.

June 6, 2019

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ The State Of The Abortion Debate — A Deep Dive

For our 100th episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jen Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Sandhya Ramen of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to take a deep dive into the abortion debate, discussing everything from the latest news to the history of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence as well as how states are trying to further expand or restrict abortion rights and access. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Lauren Weber about the latest “Bill of the Month” installment.

May 30, 2019

What The Possible End Of Abortions In Missouri Means For Neighboring States

While Missouri’s final abortion clinic may stop providing the procedure this week, women in the state had already been seeking care in neighboring states as regulations increasingly limited abortion access.

By Lauren Weber

May 28, 2019

Listen: Answering Questions About New Abortion Laws

KHN’s Julie Rovner is among a panel of experts who take questions about the future of abortion restrictions from listeners on WAMU’s “1A.”

May 21, 2019

Why Missouri’s The Last Holdout On A Statewide Rx Monitoring Program

For the seventh year in a row, Missouri will retain its lonely title as the only state without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. Fears about privacy violations and gun control scuttled the bill yet again, leaving a pastiche of half-step measures in place to fill the void in the fight against prescription drug abuse.

By Lauren Weber

May 20, 2019

Listen: Syphilis Spreads Into Rural America

Lauren Weber, one of Kaiser Health News’ new Midwest correspondents, joined St. Louis Public Radio reporter Jeremy Goodwin on “St. Louis on the Air” Friday to discuss how syphilis is making inroads into rural counties across the Midwest and West.

April 19, 2019

As Syphilis Invades Rural America, A Fraying Health Safety Net Is Failing To Stop It

Syphilis is spreading from big cities into rural counties across the Midwest and West. One Missouri clinic has seen more than six times as many cases in the first few months of 2019 compared with the same period last year. Communities grappling with budget cuts and crumbling public health infrastructure also lack experience in fighting the disease.

By Lauren Weber

April 18, 2019

Suicide Risk Grew After Missouri Medicaid Kids Shifted To Managed Care, Hospitals Say

Psychiatric treatment for children in Medicaid managed-care plans in Missouri has declined and suicide risks are up, reveals a study sponsored by the state hospital association.

By Phil Galewitz

April 1, 2019

Shrinking Medicaid Rolls In Missouri And Tennessee Raise Flag On Vetting Process

State health officials say several factors, including the improved economy, are behind the 7 percent drop last year in Missouri and 9 percent reduction in Tennessee of Medicaid recipients. But advocates for the poor are worried the states’ efforts to weed out residents who are improperly enrolled has led to people mistakenly forced off the rolls.

By Phil Galewitz

Feb. 8, 2019

Jury’s In: Opioids Are Not Better Than Other Medicines For Chronic Pain

A new study followed patients with severe chronic pain for a year and found that opioids relieved pain and increased function no better than common drugs like acetaminophen and lidocaine. But the opioids carry the risk of more serious side effects, including addiction and death.

By Alex Smith, KCUR

March 6, 2018

States Face Costly Conundrum: How To Treat Inmates With Hepatitis C

Although the potentially fatal disease is common among the incarcerated, treatment with the latest hepatitis drugs isn't.

By Alex Smith, KCUR

Jan. 23, 2018

Medicaid Expansion Takes A Bite Out Of Medical Debt

Medical debt is down across the country. In states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the reduction is sharper.

By Alex Smith, KCUR

Nov. 17, 2017

Repeal & Replace Watch

Deep Cuts To Medicaid Put Rural Hospitals In The Crosshairs

Since 2010, at least 79 rural hospitals have closed across the country, and nearly 700 more are at risk of closing. The Republican repeal of the health law could hasten their demise.

By Bram Sable-Smith, Side Effects Public Media

June 23, 2017

Long Waits And Long Odds For Those Who Need Social Security Disability

The U.S. government has been struggling to balance a surge in applicants for disability benefits with shrinking funds. An updated application process could make getting benefits even harder.

By Alex Smith, KCUR

June 15, 2017

Repeal & Replace Watch

Parents Of Sick Children Fear Trap If States Have Say On ‘Preexisting Conditions’

"I'm not going to risk my son's health on the political whims of Jefferson City," says one Missouri father, whose son requires about $20,000 to $30,000 in medical care expenses a year. The new GOP health bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act lets states decide whether or not insurers must cover people with preexisting conditions, such as birth defects.

By Bram Sable-Smith, Side Effects Public Media

May 10, 2017

Missouri Rejects Federal Money In Order To Set Up Its Own Abortion Restrictions

Abortion is already heavily restricted in Missouri, but now the state is cutting more funding to organizations that provide abortions, even though it means rejecting millions of dollars from the federal government.

By Durrie Bouscaren, St. Louis Public Radio

April 4, 2017

Why Tobacco Companies Are Spending Millions To Boost A Cigarette Tax

R.J. Reynolds has put $12 million into an effort to raise tobacco taxes in Missouri. But the proposed 60-cents per pack tax, still among the lowest in the nation, is not likely to make many smokers quit.

By Alex Smith, KCUR

Nov. 3, 2016

Missouri Hospitals Seek To Focus Readmission Penalties On Patient Poverty

The Missouri Hospital Association objects to the formula for setting the federal penalties because it does not factor in the number of patients who are poor or in bad health. It is seeking to generate consumer interest in the penalties.

By Lisa Gillespie

May 26, 2016