Physicians Are Uneasy as Colorado Collects Providers’ Diversity Data
Colorado is requiring insurers that offer public option plans to collect demographic data on health providers, including race and sexual orientation. The aim is to connect patients with the right provider, but providers are worried about their privacy.
As Eating Disorders Spike During Pandemic, Rural Treatment Options Lag
More people have visited emergency departments for eating disorders during the pandemic. Those living in rural areas have limited pathways to treatment.
A Year In, Montana’s Rolled-Back Public Health Powers Leave Some Areas in Limbo
Montana lawmakers stripped authority from local health boards, leading to power struggles between cities and counties and leaving public health officers to wonder to whom they answer.
Biden Administration Announces Boost for Rural Health Care in Midterm Election Push
President Joe Biden’s Cabinet members are fanning out across the country to promote benefits coming to rural America from covid relief and infrastructure legislation.
Babies Die as Congenital Syphilis Continues a Decade-Long Surge Across the US
Congenital syphilis rates keep climbing, according to newly released federal data. But the primary funding source for most public health departments has been largely stagnant, its purchasing power dragged even lower by inflation.
Colorado Moves Toward Statewide Coverage of Wastewater Surveillance
Colorado was among the first states to embrace wastewater testing to track the coronavirus, an important public heath intervention that can give early warning of outbreaks.
Refurbished Walkers and Wheelchairs Fill Gaps Created by Supply Chain Problems
Loan closets are playing an important role as supply chain issues and the rising price of aluminum have led to shortages in medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and knee scooters.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally, a Fix for the ‘Family Glitch’
President Joe Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama back to the White House this week to announce a new policy for the Affordable Care Act that would make subsidies available to more families with unaffordable employer coverage. Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise for continued federal funding of covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
The Pandemic Exacerbates the ‘Paramedic Paradox’ in Rural America
Emergency medical services are a lifeline in regions with scarce medical care. But paramedics, trained to respond to patients with life-threatening injuries, are in short supply where they’re needed most.
Patients’ Perilous Months-Long Waiting for Medicaid Coverage Is a Sign of What’s to Come
The pandemic crisis has overwhelmed understaffed state Medicaid agencies, already delaying access to the insurance program in Missouri. As the public health emergency ends, low-income people nationwide could find it even harder to have coverage.
‘The Danger Is Still There’ ― As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary of Boosters
Federal data shows that vaccination rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives were some of the highest in the nation, but tribes say resistance has slowed efforts to boost members.
Colorado Doubles Down on Abortion Rights as Other States — And the High Court — Reconsider
The Supreme Court is expected to overturn or weaken “Roe v. Wade.” If that happens, Colorado may become an abortion-access island, nearly surrounded by a sea of anti-abortion states. The state is bracing for impact, and advocates are trying to shore up its abortion defenses.
‘American Diagnosis’: ‘Water Warriors’ Tap Diné Resilience to Increase Access on Navajo Land
Over decades, federal and state policies have left many tribal communities without access to clean, running water. This episode explores what separates some Diné and other Native people in the western United States from this critical resource.
Climate Change May Push the US Toward the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for West Nile Virus
Colorado recently recorded the most West Nile virus deaths and cases of neuroinvasive infections in nearly two decades. Scientists warn that climate change will make conditions ripe for more West Nile transmission.
Journalists Recap Coverage of the Ongoing Pandemic and Lead Risks in Schools’ Drinking Water
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Montana Is Sending Troubled Kids to Out-of-State Programs That Have Been Accused of Abuse
State health officials are using Medicaid funds to send children in their care to treatment programs in states with less stringent regulations, including programs accused of abuse and mistreatment.
The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride
Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.
Patients With Vulnerable Immune Systems Worry Vaccine Exemptions May Put Them in Peril
Montana’s governor pushed the state’s health workers to seek religious exemptions to a federal mandate to be vaccinated against covid, but the number who have done so is unknown.
Long Waits for Montana State Hospital Leave Psychiatric Patients in Jail
A backlog at Montana’s psychiatric hospital for those facing criminal charges has left people with serious mental illness behind bars for months without adequate treatment. In some cases, judges have freed defendants over due-process violations.
Two Years In, Covid Leaves Montana Public Health Officials Feeling ‘Watched’
Montanans engage in plenty of spirited political disagreements. But debates about covid-19, public health, and personal liberties have reached a fever pitch, tugging at tightknit towns and making some residents wonder how their communities will survive.
