Category: Health Industry

Squeezed by Temp Nurse Costs, Hospital Systems Create Their Own Staffing Agencies

Hospitals have depended on travel nurses to fill shifts, especially during covid surges. Now some larger systems, reeling from high contract labor costs, have created staffing units, aiming to lure nurses who want more work flexibility and better pay than staff RNs get.

What Germany’s Coal Miners Can Teach America About Medical Debt

Coal mining ended in Germany’s Saarland a decade ago, but the transition away from coal has been smoother than in West Virginia, which has more medical debt than any state in America.

KHN Investigation: The System Feds Rely On to Stop Repeat Health Fraud Is Broken

A months-long KHN examination of the system meant to bar fraudsters from Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health programs found gaping holes and expansive gray areas through which banned individuals slip to repeatedly bilk taxpayer-funded programs.

Hospital Financial Decisions Play a Role in the Critical Shortage of Pediatric Beds for RSV Patients

Yes, the U.S. is experiencing an unusual spate of childhood RSV infections. But the critical shortage of hospital beds to treat ailing children stems from structural problems in pediatric care that have been brewing for years.

To Attract In-Home Caregivers, California Offers Paid Training — And Self-Care

Turnover ails a program that allows low-income people who are older or disabled to age in place. To attract new workers and improve retention, the state is paying caregivers to develop new skills.

Paxlovid Has Been Free So Far. Next Year, Sticker Shock Awaits.

The government soon will stop paying for the covid drug that has proved to be the most effective at keeping patients alive and out of the hospital.

Florida Leaders Misrepresented Research Before Ban on Gender-Affirming Care

The Florida policy backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis relies on one key statistic that many experts question.

Employers Use Patient Assistance Programs to Offset Their Own Costs

Some insurers and employers are tapping into assistance programs meant for individual patients. The concern: Some costly drugs could be harder for patients to access.

Employers Use Patient Assistance Programs to Offset Their Own Costs

Some insurers and employers are tapping into assistance programs meant for individual patients. The concern: Some costly drugs could be harder for patients to access.

Much of the CDC Is Working Remotely. That Could Make Changing the Agency Difficult.

Like many U.S. workplaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went remote during the pandemic. Most of the agency’s staff members haven’t returned to the office full time, raising concerns about the CDC’s ability to reform itself after recent stumbles.