Category: Kaiser Health News

‘American Diagnosis’: As Climate Crises Batter the Bayou, Houma People Are Being Displaced

Rising sea levels and severe hurricanes are displacing Indigenous people in Southern Louisiana and harming health. Episode 11 explores the United Houma Nation’s push for federal tribal recognition and the climate-change help that could come with it.

The $18,000 Breast Biopsy: When Having Insurance Costs You a Bundle

An online calculator told a young woman that a procedure to rule out cancer would cost an uninsured person about $1,400. Instead, the hospital initially charged almost $18,000 and, with her high-deductible health insurance, she owed more than $5,000.

California Wants to Snip Costs for Vasectomies and Condoms

Most women can already get free birth control. California lawmakers are debating whether to extend that perk to millions of men.

Grassroots Work Leads to Vaccination Success in Georgia Refugee Community

Public health officials and resettlement groups across the U.S. have used community organizers to encourage newly arrived refugees and other vulnerable people to get vaccinated against covid-19. In a Georgia city that is home to many refugees, the vaccination rate is higher than in the state, county, and surrounding communities of similar socioeconomic status.

Policies to Roll Back Abortion Rights Will Hit Incarcerated People Particularly Hard

People in jails and prisons are particularly vulnerable to the fallout from the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Journalists Dig Into Questions About the 988 Hotline and Inflation Reduction Act

KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Abortion Is Shaking Up Attorneys General Races and Exposing Limits to Their Powers

Abortion access is shaping races for legal office across the country, from local district attorneys to attorneys general. But it’s also highlighting the boundaries of their offices.

Indiana’s New Abortion Ban May Drive Some Young OB-GYNs to Leave a State Where They’re Needed

Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indiana OB-GYN, was publicly vilified for providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim. That treatment and new abortion restrictions in the state have left some medical residents reconsidering whether they will practice in Indiana.

More Communities Are Giving Flavored Tobacco the Boot. Will California Follow?

San Jose and Sacramento this summer joined scores of other California cities and counties that have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes and candy-flavored e-cigs. In November, California voters will decide whether to allow a statewide ban to take effect.

For Kids With Kidney Disease, Pediatric Expertise Is Key — But Not Always Close By

A study published in JAMA leads to questions about the uneven distribution of pediatric nephrologists nationwide. Children with end-stage kidney disease feel the impact.