Category: Kaiser Health News

Montana Clinics That Provide Abortions Preemptively Restrict Pill Access for Out-of-State Patients

Montana is an island of legal abortion, but four of the state’s five clinics are limiting access to abortion pills for out-of-state patients in an effort to protect themselves and patients from legal attacks.

Gun Safety ‘Wrapped in a Mental Health Bill’: A Look at Health Provisions in the New Law

The bulk of the funds provided in the gun reform law known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act are for expanding mental health services. Will it help improve mental health outcomes and stem violence?

Feds Want a Policy That Advocates Say Would Let Hospitals Off the Hook for Covid-Era Lapses

The pandemic disrupted all sense of normalcy for U.S. hospitals, so federal officials are proposing to pause financial penalties against the facilities and to block public access to key hospital safety data — such as the frequency of falls and sepsis — because of concerns that the data isn’t accurate enough. But consumer advocates are furious about the proposal.

‘My Body, My Choice’: How Vaccine Foes Co-Opted the Abortion Rallying Cry

Anti-vaccine advocates discovered a catchy, succinct, and potent slogan. Its unlikely source: the abortion rights movement.

‘Free’ Screening? Know Your Rights to Get No-Cost Care

Even a decade in, the Affordable Care Act’s recommendations to simply cover preventive screening and care without cost sharing remain confusing and complex.

Widely Used Hospital Gowns Show Signs of Exposing Workers to Infection

Isolation gowns are supposed to protect health care workers from splattered bodily fluids. But new studies suggest that too much liquid seeps through some disposable gowns, creating a risk of infection.

Crowdsourced Data on Overdoses Pinpoints Where to Help

University of Texas researchers are testing a program that would allow harm reduction groups to crowdsource data on fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses statewide. While the data relies on word of mouth, they say, it is more comprehensive than anything that exists now and can be used immediately to prevent overdoses.

How Pfizer Won the Pandemic, Reaping Outsize Profit and Influence

The drugmaker has the best-selling vaccine to prevent covid and the most effective drug to treat it. Its success and might have overshadowed the government’s covid-fighting strategy.

How to Get Rid of Medical Debt — Or Avoid It in the First Place

Medical bills can add stress to the already stressful experience of dealing with a medical crisis. And if you can’t pay those bills, they can linger, wreaking havoc on your financial goals and credit. Here’s how to protect yourself.

Big Employers Are Offering Abortion Benefits. Will the Information Stay Safe?

Work-based benefits may expand access to abortion for people who live in areas where the service is unavailable, but experts warn that claiming benefits could create a paper trail for law enforcement officials to follow.