Category: Kaiser Health News

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Much Ado About (Vaccine) Mandates

The fight over covid vaccines continues to intensify, with Republicans on Capitol Hill pushing — with some success — to cancel President Joe Biden’s “test regularly or vaccinate” requirement for private employers. Meanwhile, abortion is not the only health issue before the Supreme Court this term. Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Rachel Cohrs of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Some Montana Nonprofit Hospitals Fall Short of Peers in Required Charitable Giving

Montana nonprofit hospitals receive millions of dollars in tax exemptions as charities each year in exchange for giving back to their communities. A KHN review found that some of Montana’s richest medical centers are falling behind most state and national hospitals.

Never Mind Toys, It’s Time to Ask Santa for Crutches and Catheters

As hospitals juggle holiday covid surges and all their other patients, the global supply chain crisis has left them short of critical supplies.

Health Experts Worry CDC’s Covid Vaccination Rates Appear Inflated

Accuracy issues raise red flags because the data is used to plan and direct resources in the nation’s continuing response to the covid-19 pandemic.

Oncology Doctors Say the Build Back Better Act Will Slash Cancer Care Funding — A Skewed Argument

The Community Oncology Alliance is targeting the prescription drug provisions of the Build Back Better Act, saying they will trigger deep cuts in oncologists’ pay, causing clinics to close and health care costs to rise. But it leaves out some important details.

From ‘Physician Assistant’ to Medicare, Readers and Tweeters Mince No Words

KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Post-Pandemic, What’s a Phone Call From Your Physician Worth?

Medicare billing codes for audio-only follow-up check-ins lead to new reimbursement battles.

When the Surges Just Keep Coming: A View From the Covid Vortex

Fresno County, one of California’s persistent covid-19 hot spots, is experiencing an autumn surge that once again has overwhelmed area hospitals. KHN spoke with Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra about leading the charge in a region where many people remain anti-mask and vaccine-wary.

Data Science Proved What Pittsburgh’s Black Leaders Knew: Racial Disparities Compound Covid Risk

Inside the Black Equity Coalition’s novel effort to share community health intel and scrape government data to understand — and document — the life-threatening differences between white and Black Pittsburgh.

Texas Toughens Ban on Medication-by-Mail Abortions With Jail Time and Hefty Fine

Last week, on the same day the Supreme Court heard a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling on abortion rights, Texas enacted a law that creates criminal penalties for anyone who prescribes medication abortions via telehealth or mail.