Lauren Weber

Author's posts

Her Doctor’s Office Moved One Floor Up. Her Bill Was 10 Times Higher.

Same building. Same procedure. Same doctor. But now you’re charged a hospital facility fee. For one Ohio Medicare patient, the copay for a shot that used to cost her about $30 went up to more than $300.

University of Missouri Settles Lawsuits Over Knee Surgeries Involving Veterinarian

The University of Missouri settled a collection of 22 medical malpractice and false advertising lawsuits over knee surgeries for $16.2 million. One doctor involved in the cases is among Missouri’s highest-paid state employees; the other is a veterinarian.

Rural Hospital Remains Entrenched in Covid ‘War’ Even Amid Vaccine Rollout

Louisiana’s St. James Parish Hospital thought the vaccine would mean the end of its long covid fight. Then the ICU beds surrounding them ran out.

Why State Mask Stockpiling Orders Are Hurting Nursing Homes, Small Providers

More than eight months into the pandemic, stockpiling of masks and other protective equipment by wealthy hospital systems is straining nursing homes and smaller providers who also need precious protective gear to keep front-line workers safe from COVID-19.

COVID Takes Challenge of Tracking Infectious College Students to New Level

Amid a surge of college coronavirus cases, some local and state health departments have been scrambling to properly trace contacts and assign cases across state and county lines.

Stigma Against D.O.s Had Been Dissipating Until Trump’s Doctor Took the Spotlight

Two types of licensed physicians exist in this country — M.D.s and D.O.s. Here’s what you need to know about the differences.

Must-Reads of the Week

KHN’s Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber drills through the vital health care policy stories of the week, so you don’t have to.

The Elevator Arises As The Latest Logjam In Getting Back To Work

As more and more people drift back into their workplaces, they face a very small space that can create a large logjam: the elevator.

‘When It Starts Getting Into Your Local Hospital, It Becomes Real’

Located about 45 minutes from New Orleans in one of the hardest-hit counties nationally, the 25-bed rural St. James Parish Hospital has hunkered down as staffers became infected, patient intake numbers have doubled, and intubations have skyrocketed. This is what it looks like inside a rural hospital when COVID-19 hits.

Coronavirus Threatens The Lives Of Rural Hospitals Already Stretched To Breaking Point

Almost half of the nation’s rural hospitals operate in the red on a good day. But amid the coronavirus pandemic, rural hospital CEOs warn that soon some may be unable to pay their workers. And their doors may close when the community most needs them.