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Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Montana Seeks to Insulate Nursing Homes From Future Financial Crises

KFF Health News Original

Lawmakers are considering creating standards to set Medicaid reimbursement rates. But industry observers wonder whether the move would be too little, too late to bolster a beleaguered industry.

Armed With Hashtags, These Activists Made Insulin Prices a Presidential Talking Point

KFF Health News Original

Twitter has been a hotbed for the burgeoning insulin access movement and activism surrounding other medical conditions. For people with diabetes, the platform has helped propel concern about insulin prices into policy. Can it continue to win with hashtags?

Nursing Home Owners Drained Cash During Pandemic While Residents Deteriorated

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.

The Decision of Where to Seek Care Is Complicated by the Multitude of Options

KFF Health News Original

The proliferation of care options — particularly urgent care centers and free-standing emergency departments — can make the head spin. Facilities have little incentive to clear up the confusion of where to go. But for patients, the wrong choice can mean big bills and possibly poor health outcomes.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Getting Insurance to Pay for Oral Surgery Is Like Pulling Teeth

KFF Health News Original

A car crash left a woman in need of oral surgery, but her health insurance wouldn’t cover it. Her ongoing fight shows podcast host Dan Weissmann the weird way insurance treats teeth and reveals a big problem in the Obamacare marketplace.

KHN Investigation: The System Feds Rely On to Stop Repeat Health Fraud Is Broken

KFF Health News Original

A months-long KHN examination of the system meant to bar fraudsters from Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health programs found gaping holes and expansive gray areas through which banned individuals slip to repeatedly bilk taxpayer-funded programs.