Category: Health Industry

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.

‘Contraception Deserts’ Likely To Widen Under New Trump Administration Policy

Federal family planning funds, known as Title X, will soon fund for-profit women’s clinics that bar condoms, hormonal birth control and IUDs and offer only “natural family planning.”

Buried In Congress’ Opioid Bill Is Protection For Personal Drug Imports

The protection is a win for people who get their needed, legitimate drugs from overseas.

Will Congress Bring Sky-High Air Ambulance Bills Down To Earth?

Medevac helicopter companies are on the radar of an FAA funding bill likely to pass the House and Senate this week.

Taken For A Ride: After ATV Crash, Doctor Gets $56,603 Bill For Air Ambulance Trip

After an accident in an all-terrain vehicle crushed a doctor’s left arm, he was whisked by air ambulance to the closest trauma center for specialized care. Soon he was fighting over the $56,603 bill.

Medicare Eases Readmission Penalties Against Safety-Net Hospitals

Penalties will total $566 million for all hospitals. But many that serve a large share of low-income patients will lose less money than they did in previous years.

Putting Oversized Health Care Costs Upfront — On T-Shirts

The Maryland Health Care Commission has created a consumer education campaign that puts the costs of common health care procedures on a place where people might see them – T-shirts.

‘Physicians Of The Mouth’? Dentists Absorb The Medical Billing Drill

Health insurance generally pays more than dental insurance, and newly minted experts say it’s legitimate to bill medical plans for services extending beyond tooth care. Medical insurers caution against inappropriate billing and fraud.

Blood, Sweat And Workplace Wellness: Where To Draw The Line On Incentives

Uncertainty over federal standards for these cost-saving programs could trigger different perks for employees and change what they must do to qualify.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Health On The Hill

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico talk about a spate of health-related legislative action on Capitol Hill, including Senate passage of a bill to address the opioid epidemic. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week.