Category: Kaiser Health News

They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users. But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself.

Sarah and Andy fell in love while working to keep drug users from overdosing. But when his own addiction reemerged, Andy’s fear of returning to prison kept him from the best treatment.

As The Coronavirus Spreads, Americans Lose Ground Against Other Health Threats

Health care experts thought the battle was won against heart disease, measles, smoking, STDs and other life-threatening conditions and behaviors. Better think again.

Trusting Injection Drug Users With IV Antibiotics At Home: It Can Work

When patients need long-term treatment with intravenous antibiotics, hospitals usually let them manage their treatment at home — but not if they have a history of injection drug use. A Boston program wants to change that.

Bernie Sanders Embraces A New Study That Lowers ‘Medicare For All’s’ Price Tag, But Skepticism Abounds

The research exaggerates potential savings, cherry-picks evidence and downplays some of the potential tradeoffs.

Past As Prologue: Questioning Buttigieg’s Claim About Keeping Your Health Care

It’s “déjà vu all over again.”

U.S. Medical Panel Thinks Twice About Pushing Cognitive Screening For Dementia

Because seniors are at higher risk of cognitive impairment, proponents say screening asymptomatic older adults is an important strategy to identify people who may be developing dementia and to improve their care. But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force cited insufficient evidence the tests are helpful.

Needy Patients ‘Caught In The Middle’ As Insurance Titan Drops Doctors

UnitedHealthcare is dropping hundreds of physicians from its New Jersey Medicaid network, separating patients from longtime doctors. Physicians charge the insurer is using its market power to shift business to practices it controls.

The Golden State’s Mixed Record On Lung Cancer

California has one of the lowest rates of new lung cancer cases in the country, attributed largely to its aggressive anti-tobacco policies. But gaps in the state’s health care system mean that people who are diagnosed with the disease, or at a high risk of getting it, often fall through the cracks.

The Golden State’s Mixed Record On Lung Cancer

California has one of the lowest rates of new lung cancer cases in the country, attributed largely to its aggressive anti-tobacco policies. But gaps in the state’s health care system mean that people who are diagnosed with the disease, or at a high risk of getting it, often fall through the cracks.

Congressional Candidates Go Head-To-Head On Health Care — Again

The California Democratic members of Congress who flipped seven Republican seats two years ago made health care a major campaign issue, criticizing their opponents for voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As the Democrats defend their seats in this year’s elections, they are coming back to health care — but the issues are different.