Category: Health Industry

A Primary Care Physician for Every American, Science Panel Urges

It’s time to consider primary care a “common good” akin to public education and shore up the foundation of the pandemic-battered U.S. health system, report says.

Mental Health Services Wane as Insurers Appear to Skirt Parity Rules During Pandemic

A report from the Government Accountability Office paints a picture of an already strained behavioral health system struggling after the pandemic struck to meet the treatment needs of millions of Americans with conditions like alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Two Unmatched-Doctor Advocacy Groups Are Tied to Anti-Immigrant Organizations

The percentage of medical students who can’t find residencies is increasing every year. But as more graduates look for support, they might not realize that two organizations offering it are backed by anti-immigrant groups.

What a Difference a Year Makes in Colorado’s Case for a Public Option Plan

Before the pandemic, Colorado was building momentum to pass what’s known as a “public option” health plan that would lower insurance premiums and force hospitals to accept lower payments. But now with hospitals and health care providers enjoying support as front-line heroes in the pandemic, state legislators have stripped the option from their bill.

Watch: What Happens When Car and Health Insurance Collide

KHN Editor-in-Chief Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal helps accident victims avoid pitfalls in seeking medical care — a conundrum profiled in KHN-NPR’s most recent Bill of the Month installment.

Pandemic Imperiled Non-English Speakers More Than Others

Covid patients who did not speak English well were 35% more likely to die, data from one Boston hospital shows.

Big Investors Push Nursing Homes to Upgrade Care and Working Conditions

Responsible for 34% of the nation’s covid death toll, nursing homes and long-term care facilities get slammed by their investors and are told to change.

Virtual Care Spreads in Missouri Health System, Home to ‘Hospital Without Beds’

In 2015, St. Louis-based Mercy health system opened what officials called the world’s first “hospital without beds.” Since the pandemic, Mercy has incorporated telehealth throughout its system, part of a national acceleration in virtual care that proponents laud but critics say is happening too fast.

From Rotten Teeth to Advanced Cancer, Patients Feel the Effects of Treatment Delays

Health providers are seeing the consequences of pandemic-delayed preventive and emergency care, from longer hospital stays to more root canals.

UVA Health Will Wipe Out Tens of Thousands of Lawsuits Against Patients

The Virginia hospital giant had already stopped suing patients with less than $107,000 in household income.