Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Rural Communities Left Hurting Without a Hospital, Ambulance or Doctors Nearby

KFF Health News Original

Rural areas such as Echols County, Georgia, have high levels of uninsured people and profound physician shortages that compound the lack of health care options, especially in the 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid.

Record Number of Americans Sign Up for ACA Health Insurance

KFF Health News Original

Nearly 14 million Americans have enrolled in Affordable Care Act marketplace health plans for next year — a record since the health law’s coverage expansion took effect in 2014. A boost in subsidies marketing and assistance in navigating the process increased the rolls of the insured.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Manchin Blows Up Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’

KFF Health News Original

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) dealt a blow to congressional efforts to pass President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda bill, forcing Democrats to regroup starting in 2022. Meanwhile, the omicron covid variant spreads rapidly in the U.S., threatening the stability of the nation’s health care system. Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Rachel Cohrs of Stat and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more, plus a look back at the year in health policy. Also this week, Rovner interviews Ceci Connolly, president and CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans.

As Pandemic Wears Down Hospital Staff, One Town Offers Groceries to Say Thanks

KFF Health News Original

To help relieve the stress and time strains on employees at a Park City, Utah, hospital, community leaders created a pop-up grocery store, where workers can get complimentary meals and staples to take home.

Layers of Subcontracted Services Confuse and Frustrate Medi-Cal Patients

KFF Health News Original

Many of the 14 million patients in Medi-Cal are in managed care health plans that outsource their care to subcontractors or sub-subcontractors. For patients with difficult health care needs, it can be hard to know where to turn.

NICU Bill Installment Plan: That’ll Be $45,843 a Month for 12 Months, Please

KFF Health News Original

After baby Dorian Bennett arrived two months early and spent more than 50 days in the neonatal ICU, his parents received a bill of more than $550,000 — despite having insurance. The Florida hospital had a not-so-helpful suggestion: monthly payments of more than $45,000 for a year.

Covered California’s Insurance Deals Range From ‘No-Brainer’ to Sticker Shock

KFF Health News Original

Families of four with incomes of less than about $40,000 a year can pay no premiums and have low deductibles. For some others, health insurance in 2022 will cost more than in 2021 — in some cases, significantly more.

Some Groups Are Left Out of Montana Covid Test Giveaway Program

KFF Health News Original

Public health officials and policymakers alike see rapid antigen tests as a strong tool to keep businesses open and parents working. But a look at Montana’s distribution of the tests shows a patchwork system with limited access for many.

Local Pharmacists Fill Rx Void as Big Brands Pull Out of Rural Areas

KFF Health News Original

Stores like Walmart and Shopko opened pharmacies in small towns, either buying out the local pharmacy or driving it out of business. What happens when those chains later withdraw, leaving communities with no pharmacy?

The Vaccine Rollout Was a Success. But Events Within and Beyond Biden’s Control Stymied Progress.

KFF Health News Original

There were variants, vaccine hesitancy and messaging mix-ups. And, despite campaign promises, Biden and his administration sometimes took actions or made statements without waiting for full scientific evidence to back them up.

As Hospitals Fill Up, Paramedics Spend More Time Moving Patients, Less on Emergencies

KFF Health News Original

Gunnison paramedics cover the largest response zone in Colorado. Because of covid and the lack of nearby hospital beds, patients increasingly are transported long distances, leaving few ambulances to respond to emergencies.

Seeking Refills: Aging Pharmacists Leave Drugstores Vacant in Rural America

KFF Health News Original

Independent pharmacists who want to retire often have trouble attracting new pharmacists to take over their practices, particularly in rural areas. That can cause smaller towns to lose their pharmacies. With many pharmacists near retirement, the problem may only get worse.

‘The Charges Seem Crazy’: Hospitals Impose a ‘Facility Fee’ — For a Video Visit

KFF Health News Original

Facility fees, designed to help hospitals cover the high cost of staying open 24/7, have long rankled consumers. Now, some patients are assessed the fees while sitting at home for a telehealth appointment.