Category: Kaiser Health News

Conservative Indiana Adopted Needle Exchanges But Still Faces Local Resistance

Indiana was ground zero for shifting ideas about needle exchanges after a small town had an HIV outbreak in 2015 brought on by needle-sharing. But even as other parts of the country start to embrace needle exchanges amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, the sites remain controversial in Indiana. Only nine of the state’s 92 counties have them, after a series of closures and reopenings.

When Your Doctor Is Also A Lobbyist: Inside The War Over Surprise Medical Bills

As lawmakers consider bills to protect patients against surprise medical bills, doctors have waged a stealth on-the-ground campaign to win over members of Congress. Here’s how they did it.

One Defensive Strategy Against Surprise Medical Bills: Set Your Own Terms

By writing in payment limits when signing hospital forms, patients might have leverage in negotiations over disputes that arise from surprise medical bills.

Newsom Touts California’s ‘Public Option.’ Wait — What Public Option?

Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state already has a public option: Covered California, the state health insurance exchange. While there is no single definition of a public option, some health care experts say that’s a stretch.

Better Than Other Plans Or Better Than Nothing? Trump’s Claim About ‘Affordable’ Options

Caveat emptor. Some of these health insurance plans might prove helpful for some people, but making that determination is not easy.

Better Than Other Plans Or Better Than Nothing? Trump’s Claim About ‘Affordable’ Options

Caveat emptor. Some of these health insurance plans might prove helpful for some people, but making that determination is not easy.

When It Comes To The New Coronavirus, Just Who Is A ‘Close Contact’?

Health officials stress that the new coronavirus devastating mainland China continues to pose minimal risk in the United States. The exception involves people who have had “close contact” with someone infected with the virus. So what exactly is close contact?

Finding Connections And Comfort At The Local Cafe

For Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, social and emotional isolation is a threat. But hundreds of “Memory Cafes” around the country offer them a chance to be with others who understand, and to receive social and cognitive stimulation in the process.

How Lifesaving Organs For Transplant Go Missing In Transit

Scores of organs — mostly kidneys — are trashed each year and many more become critically delayed while being shipped on commercial airliners, a new investigation finds.

In Fierce Debate, Democratic Candidates Expand Health Agenda Arguments

A sampling of health policy highlights from the eighth Democratic presidential primary debate in Manchester, N.H.