Health Industry Archives - Page 32 of 194

Maybe It’s a Health Care Election After All

Episode 338

March 14, 2024

Health care wasn’t expected to be a major theme for this year’s elections. But as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump secured their respective party nominations this week, the future of both Medicare and the Affordable Care Act appears to be up for debate. Meanwhile, the cyberattack of the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Change Healthcare continues to do damage to the companies’ finances with no quick end in sight. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Kelly Henning of Bloomberg Philanthropies about a new, four-part documentary series on the history of public health, “The Invisible Shield.” Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.

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A photo of Martin O'Malley standing inside a Senate committee hearing room.

KFF Health News / CMG TV Stations Investigation

Exclusive: Social Security Chief Vows to Fix ‘Cruel-Hearted’ Overpayment Clawbacks

New Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley is promising to change how the agency reclaims billions of dollars it wrongly pays to beneficiaries, saying the existing process is “cruel-hearted and mindless.”

By Fred Clasen-Kelly

March 13, 2024

A photo of a female nurse helping an elderly man using a walker down a corridor.

Concerns Grow Over Quality of Care as Investor Groups Buy Not-for-Profit Nursing Homes

For-profit groups own more than 70% of U.S. nursing homes. Industry leaders and researchers wonder whether corporations and investors can succeed where not-for-profit organizations have struggled. Or, will quality of care suffer in the name of making money?

By Harris Meyer

March 13, 2024

Barb Dentz (right), sits beside state representative, Sam Whitson (left), in an office room. The walls are an olive green and are adorned by framed medals. An American flag stands in the corner, behind them.

How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Pits Parental Rights Against Public Health

Framed in the rhetoric of choice, Tennessee’s new law governing childhood vaccinations is among more than a dozen recently passed or pending nationwide that set parental freedom against community and children’s health.

By Amy Maxmen

March 12, 2024

A photo of a mother sitting at a table with her young son.

A New $16,000 Postpartum Depression Drug Is Here. How Will Insurers Handle It?

A pill form of an effective drug for postpartum depression hit the market in December, but most insurers do not yet have a policy on when or whether they will pay for it. The hurdles to obtain its predecessor medication have advocates worried.

By April Dembosky, KQED

March 12, 2024

The Health 202

Colorado Isn’t Giving up on Its Drug Importation Dream

By Phil Galewitz

March 11, 2024

A photo of a helicopter taking off in front of a large hospital building.

VIP Health System for Top US Officials Risked Jeopardizing Care for Soldiers

The historically troubled White House Medical Unit is just one part of a government health system that gives VIP care to top officials, military officers, military retirees, and families. Pentagon investigators say some were prioritized over rank-and-file soldiers.

By David Hilzenrath

March 8, 2024

Biden Team, UnitedHealth Struggle to Restore Paralyzed Billing Systems After Cyberattack

The cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division is the worst on the health care industry in U.S. history, hospitals say. Providers struggling to get paid for care say the response by the insurer and the Biden administration has been inadequate.

By Darius Tahir, Bernard J. Wolfson, and Daniel Chang

March 8, 2024

A jar filled with coins is wrapped with a red stethoscope.

Operating in the Red: Half of Rural Hospitals Lose Money, as Many Cut Services

A recent report finds half of America’s rural hospitals are losing money, and many are struggling to stay open. Researchers and advocates worry the hospitals’ financial spiral will have immediate and long-term health effects on their communities.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

March 7, 2024

The Health 202

Why Hospitals in Many States With Legal Abortion May Refuse To Perform Them

By Rachana Pradhan

March 5, 2024

A photo of a woman seen from behind working in a medical setting on a laptop.

Whistleblower Accuses Aledade, Largest US Independent Primary Care Network, of Medicare Fraud

A recently unsealed lawsuit alleges Aledade Inc. developed billing software that boosted revenues by making patients appear sicker than they were.

By Fred Schulte

March 5, 2024

Stephen Loyd, center, stands in a crowd holding a foam-board check for $500,000.00 for the Helios Alliance.

Payback: Tracking Opioid Cash

Statistical Models vs. Front-Line Workers: Who Knows Best How to Spend Opioid Settlement Cash?

A mathematical model designed to direct spending of opioid settlement funds is at the center of a debate over whether to invest in technology to guide long-term decisions or focus on the immediate needs of people in addiction.

By Aneri Pattani

March 5, 2024

Two female health care providers stand side by side reviewing notes.

California Pushes to Expand the Universe of Abortion Care Providers

A new California law allows trained physician assistants, also called physician associates, to perform first-trimester abortions without the presence of a supervising doctor. The legislation is part of a broader effort by the state to expand access to abortion care, especially in rural areas. Some doctor groups are wary.

By Laurie Udesky

March 4, 2024

A doctor wearing teal scrubs and purple latex gloves prepares an injection of buprenorphine.

California Hospitals, Advocates Seek Stable Funding to Retain Behavioral Health Navigators

California has supported expanded use of medications in the fight against opioid use disorder and overdose deaths. But hospitals and addiction treatment advocates say the state needs to secure ongoing funding if it wants more behavioral health workers to guide patients into long-term treatment.

By Vanessa G. Sánchez

March 1, 2024

A photograph of Rohit Chopra during the senate hearing. He holds his chin in his left hand in a contemplative position.

Diagnosis: Debt

With Medical Debt Burdening Millions, a Financial Regulator Steps In to Help

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created after the Great Recession of 2007-09, has increasingly started policing the health care system.

By Noam N. Levey

March 1, 2024

A photo of a sign that reads, "United States Environmental Protection Agency."

Toxic Gas That Sterilizes Medical Devices Prompts Safety Rule Update

The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening regulation of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic gas used to sterilize medical devices. The agency is trying to balance the interests of the health care industry supply chain with those of communities where the gas creates airborne health risks.

By Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead

Feb. 29, 2024

Letters to the Editor

Readers Call on Congress to Bolster Medicare and Fix Loopholes in Health Policy

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Feb. 29, 2024

Hacking at UnitedHealth Unit Cripples a Swath of the US Health System: What to Know

Change Healthcare, a firm recently bought by insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, reportedly suffered a cyberattack. The company processes 14 billion transactions annually, including payments and requests for insurance authorizations.

By Darius Tahir

Feb. 29, 2024

A photo of a woman holding a picture of her mother indoors.

Bill of the Month

Without Medicare Part B’s Shield, Patient’s Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight

Sky-high bills from air-ambulance providers have sparked complaints and federal action in recent years. But a rural Tennessee resident fell through the cracks of billing protections — and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate's value.

By Tony Leys

Feb. 27, 2024

Samuel Buckles, an older man, sits on the ground outside with his dog in his lap. The small black dog reaches up to lick Buckles' face. Behind them is a green tent, where Buckles resides.

California Gov. Newsom Wants Voters to Approve Billions More to Help the Homeless. Will It Help?

A March 5 ballot initiative seeks $6.4 billion to build thousands of new housing units and provide mental health treatment for homeless people — on top of the billions already being spent to address the public health crisis. Despite significant support from health and law enforcement officials, many front-line workers are skeptical that more money is the answer.

By Angela Hart

Feb. 26, 2024

Trump 2.0

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