Category: Cost and Quality

Medi-Cal Will Cover Doulas at More Than Twice California’s Initial Proposed Rate

Under a budget passed by California lawmakers, the state will pay nonmedical workers who assist in pregnancy and labor up to $1,154 per birth through Medi-Cal, which is up significantly from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s initial offer of $450. Though it’s more than what most other states pay, many doulas say it falls short of the $3,600 they sought.

Upended: How Medical Debt Changed Their Lives

People talk about the sacrifices they made when health care forced them into debt.

100 Million People in America Are Saddled With Health Care Debt 

The U.S. health system now produces debt on a mass scale, a new investigation shows. Patients face gut-wrenching sacrifices.

Five Quick Takeaways From a Yearlong Investigation of Medical Debt in America

Today, debt from medical and dental bills touches nearly every corner of American society.

Buy and Bust: When Private Equity Comes for Rural Hospitals

Noble Health swept into two small Missouri towns promising to save their hospitals. Instead, workers and vendors say it stopped paying bills and government inspectors found it put patients at risk. Within two years — after taking millions in federal covid relief and big administrative fees — it locked the doors.

Covid Funding Pries Open a Door to Improving Air Quality in Schools

Researchers say the billions in pandemic funding available for ventilation upgrades in U.S. schools provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to combat covid-19, as well as making air more breathable for students living with allergies, asthma, and chronic wildfire smoke.

Children’s Vision Problems Often Go Undetected, Despite Calls for Regular Screening

Eye exams for children are required under federal law to be covered by most private health plans and Medicaid, and many states mandate school vision screenings. But a federal survey finds that a quarter of children and teens are still not getting the recommended tests.

A Deep Dive Into the Widening Mortality Gap Across the Political Aisle

Research out this week examines how an area’s political environment can affect its mortality rate.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Good News for Your Credit Report

In July, credit reporting bureaus will start taking paid medical debt off people’s credit reports. Here’s what you need to know.

For Many Low-Income Families, Getting Formula Has Always Been a Strain

Finding formula for children with allergies and other dietary restrictions was challenging even before the current shortage for families who rely on the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance program.