Health Industry Archives - Page 46 of 200

More Medicaid Messiness

Episode 316

Sept. 27, 2023

At least 30 states are reinstating coverage for children wrongly removed from the rolls under Medicaid redetermination, the federal government reported. It’s just the latest hiccup in the massive effort to review the eligibility of Medicaid beneficiaries now that the program’s pandemic-era expansion has expired. And federal oversight of the so-called unwinding would be further complicated by an impending government shutdown. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Samantha Liss, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a hospital bill that followed a deceased patient’s family for more than a year.

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A photo of an older woman sitting in a nursing home.

As Covid Infections Rise, Nursing Homes Are Still Waiting for Vaccines

“People want covid-19 to be in the rearview mirror,” one nursing home official says. Faced with a slow rollout of the updated covid vaccines, and without state mandates for workers to get vaccinated, most skilled nursing facilities are relying on persuasion to boost vaccination rates among staff and residents.

By Jordan Rau and Tony Leys

Sept. 27, 2023

A digital illustration in colorful gouache shows a child sitting on the ground beside a backpack and a teddy bear in a dark void. She is looking up, with a puzzled expression, at two large, floating pill bottles, which are dropping pills on and around her like snow.

Florida Foster Kids Are Given Powerful Medications, but Feds Find State Oversight Lacking

A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services raises troubling questions about the use of powerful medications within Florida’s child welfare system and the risk of overdoses or dangerous side effects if children are given the wrong combination of drugs.

By Christopher O’Donnell, Tampa Bay Times

Sept. 27, 2023

A photo of protesters holding signs in a crowd.

Massive Kaiser Permanente Strike Looms as Talks Head to the Wire

Both sides, still at loggerheads over pay and staffing, agreed to keep bargaining after unions announced a possible strike Oct. 4-7. If no deal is reached, a walkout by about 75,000 KP workers in five states could disrupt care.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Sept. 25, 2023

A photo of a woman standing by a window.

Diagnosis: Debt

Biden Administration to Ban Medical Debt From Americans’ Credit Scores

The White House said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will develop new regulations that would prevent unpaid medical bills from being counted on credit reports.

By Noam N. Levey

Sept. 21, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Countdown to Shutdown

Episode 315

Sept. 21, 2023

Congress appears to be careening toward a government shutdown, as a small band of House conservatives vow to block any funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 unless they win deeper cuts to health and other domestic programs. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to roil the GOP presidential primary field, this time with comments about abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

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A photograph shows a white pill bottle of Harvoni, a drug to treat hepititis C.

Hep C’s Number Comes Up: Can Biden’s 5-Year Plan Eliminate the Longtime Scourge?

Before covid-19, hepatitis C held the distinction of claiming more American lives each year than any other infectious disease — that’s despite the marketing of several relatively affordable, highly effective treatments.

By Michelle Andrews

Sept. 20, 2023

Save Billions or Stick With Humira? Drug Brokers Steer Americans to the Costly Choice

Thousands of patients with autoimmune diseases who rely on Humira, with a list price of $6,600 a month, could get financial relief from new low-cost rivals. So far, the pharmacy benefit managers that control drug prices in America have not delivered on those savings.

By Arthur Allen

Sept. 19, 2023

A photo of a doctor examining a female patient.

Primary Care Disrupted

With Its Two Doctors Planning to Retire, an Alabama Town Patches Together Health Care Options

LaFayette and other rural areas of the country tend to have high rates of health problems but not enough doctors. Many are adapting by investing in nontraditional prevention and treatment options.

By Arielle Zionts

Sept. 19, 2023

A photo of a lab technician writing a note while wearing a surgical mask and scrubs inside a hospital.

Health Workers Warn Loosening Mask Advice in Hospitals Would Harm Patients and Providers

Clinicians, researchers, and workplace safety officers worry new guidelines on face masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might reduce protection against the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens in hospitals.

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 18, 2023

A photo of a crowd of protesters holding signs and marching down a street in Los Angeles. Their signs have slogans such as "Fair wages for healthcare workers," and "Our patients need more staff."

California Lawmakers Approve Nation-Leading $25 Minimum Wage for Health Workers

A sweeping agreement approved by state lawmakers would gradually raise the minimum wage for hundreds of thousands of health workers to a nation-leading $25 an hour. The pact would also end labor’s years-long battle with dialysis clinics.

By Don Thompson

Sept. 15, 2023

A photo of an older woman and a younger woman greeting one another and holding hands.

Rural Nursing Home Supporters Fear Proposed Staffing Standards Will Trigger More Closures

The Biden administration says a recently proposed minimum staffing standard would help ensure quality care, but nursing home leaders predict many rural facilities would struggle to meet it.

By Tony Leys

Sept. 15, 2023

A photo of a doctor taking notes next to a laptop.

As More Patients Email Doctors, Health Systems Start Charging Fees

Doctors say billing for email consultations reduces message volume and gives them more free time. The increasingly prevalent practice has also raised fears about negative impacts to patient care.

By Harris Meyer

Sept. 14, 2023

COVID-19

Why the CDC Has Recommended New Covid Boosters for All

As covid-19 hospitalizations tick upward with fall approaching, the CDC says it’s time for new boosters — and not only for those at highest risk of serious disease. Here are seven things you need to know.

By Arthur Allen

Sept. 13, 2023

A photo of a woman standing outside next to a stroller.

Despite Successes, Addiction Treatment Programs for Families Struggle to Stay Open

Residential addiction treatment programs that allow parents to bring their children along have been recognized for their success. But a mix of logistical challenges and low reimbursement rates mean they struggle to stay afloat.

By Christina Saint Louis

Sept. 13, 2023

‘Dr. Google’ Meets Its Match: Dr. ChatGPT

With the rise of generative AI, people who once turned to “Dr. Google” to check on medical symptoms are now turning to chatbots. Researchers say the bots are often more accurate, but urge caution in the absence of any regulations.

By Andrew Leonard

Sept. 12, 2023

A photo of a person walking down a blurred hospital corridor.

Perspective

The Shrinking Number of Primary Care Physicians Is Reaching a Tipping Point

The declining share of U.S. doctors in adult primary care is about 25% — a point beyond which many Americans won’t be able to find a family doctor at all.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Sept. 8, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Welcome Back, Congress. Now Get to Work.

Episode 313

Sept. 7, 2023

Congress returns from its summer recess with a long list of tasks and only a few work days to get them done. On top of the annual spending bills needed to keep the government operating, on the list are bills to renew the global HIV/AIDS program, PEPFAR, and the community health centers program. Meanwhile, over the recess, the Biden administration released the names of the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program.

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A close-up photo of an advertisement for the 988 hotline.

Most States Have Yet to Permanently Fund 988. Call Centers Want Certainty.

For rural Americans, who live in areas often short of mental health services and die by suicide at a far higher rate than urbanites, the federally mandated crisis phone line is one of the few options to connect with a crisis counselor.

By Christina Saint Louis

Sept. 7, 2023

A photo of a downtown area with mountains seen in the background.

Even in the Most Depressed County in America, Stigma Around Mental Illness Persists

An estimated 32% of adults in Logan County, West Virginia, have been diagnosed with depression, the highest rate in the United States, according to a recent CDC report.

By Phil Galewitz

Sept. 6, 2023

Trump 2.0

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