Category: Kaiser Health News

‘You’re Going to Release Him When He Was Hurting Himself?’

Daniel Prude’s family knew he needed psychiatric care and tried to get it for him. Instead, his encounter with police hours after he was released from Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, proved fatal.

‘No Mercy’ Explores the Fallout After a Small Town Loses Its Hospital

Listen to “Where It Hurts” on Tuesdays, Sept. 29 through Nov. 10. When Mercy Hospital Fort Scott shut its doors, locals lost care. Health workers lost jobs. The hole left behind is bigger than a hospital. Season One is “No Mercy.”

Trump’s Executive Order on Preexisting Conditions Lacks Teeth, Experts Say

President Donald Trump’s executive order says that people with preexisting conditions can get affordable insurance. But it doesn’t explain how.

Health on Wheels: Tricked-Out RVs Deliver Addiction Treatment to Rural Communities

Even when COVID-19 forced many addiction treatment clinics to scale back, Colorado continued to serve patients with addiction problems through an innovative program that married low-tech with high-tech. The state brought clinics on wheels to remote, underserved towns and used telehealth to connect patients with doctors.

Trump Approves Final Plan to Import Drugs From Canada ‘for a Fraction of the Price’

The announcement clears the way for Florida and other states to implement a program bringing medications across the border to save money. The effort is strongly opposed by drugmakers and the Canadian government.

Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance

With health insurance that can leave him on the hook for more than a quarter of his salary every year, a Kentucky essential worker who has heart disease is one of millions of Americans who are functionally uninsured. At only 31, he has already been through bankruptcy and being sued by his hospital. This year, he faced a bill for more than $10,000.

In Los Angeles, Latinos Hit Hard By Pandemic’s Economic Storm

A new poll finds 71% of Latino households in Los Angeles County experienced serious financial problems because of the coronavirus.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: ACA in Peril With Ginsburg’s Seat in Play

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is giving new life to the latest constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act. It also places anti-abortion activists on the cusp of a court majority large enough to ensure the rollback of the right to abortion and, possibly, some types of birth control. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar tries to centralize power at the sprawling department plagued by miscommunications and scandals. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Sarah Jane Tribble about her new podcast, “Where It Hurts,” debuting Sept. 29.

California Expands Privacy Protection to Public Health Workers Amid Threats

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded a confidential address program to public health officials in the wake of ongoing threats made against them tied to pandemic safety precautions such as masks and stay-at-home orders.

These Secret Safety Panels Will Pick the COVID Vaccine Winners

Data and safety monitoring boards work under a cloak of secrecy meant to prevent undue influence by stakeholders, such as companies or the government. In the Trump era, some worry the anonymity could actually invite it.