Category: Kaiser Health News

Government-Funded Day Care Helps Keep Seniors Out Of Nursing Homes And Hospitals

The aptly named Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly provides services funded by Medicaid and Medicare that range from medical and mental health care to hot lunches, recreation, transportation and haircuts. California’s newest PACE center opened recently in San Diego County.

For Her Head Cold, Insurer Coughed Up $25,865

A New York City woman, worried that her sore throat might be strep, got swabbed at her doctor’s office. The sample was sent to an out-of-network lab for sophisticated DNA tests ― with a price tag similar to a new SUV.

California AG Details ‘Historic’ Settlement Agreement In Sutter Health Antitrust Case

Sutter Health will pay $575 million to settle a high-profile antitrust case filed by California’s attorney general. In addition, it has agreed to end a host of practices that the state alleged unfairly stifled competition.

California Attempts To Revive Compassionate Cannabis Programs

After the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, new taxes and regulations decimated an ad hoc network that had donated cannabis for medical purposes to patients who could not afford it. A recent law seeks to revive the network, but hurdles remain.

A Veteran Started Vaping THC To Cope With Chronic Pain. Then He Got Very Sick.

A Navy veteran from Cleveland tried vaping marijuana to deal with his chronic pain. He landed in the hospital, becoming one of over 2,400 Americans who have suffered serious lung injury from vaping.

Yang And Sanders Use Maternal Mortality Stats To Talk About Race

These numbers are stark.

Warren’s Argument That Millions Can’t Afford Their Rx Drugs Holds Up

‘Medication insecurity’ is a thing.

Democrats Debate Whether Medicare for All Is ‘Realistic’

Candidates again sparred over “Medicare for All” and other approaches to health reform — but this time they waited more than two hours before wading into health policy issues.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: ACA Still Under A Cloud After Court Ruling

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has agreed with a lower court that a key piece of the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. But it is sending the case back to the lower-court judge to decide how much of the rest of the law can stand. Also, Congress is leaving town after finishing work on a major spending bill that includes many changes to health policy. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more.

Loophole Averted After Surprise-Bill Brouhaha In Texas

The Texas Medical Board bowed out of the rule-making process for a new law protecting consumers from surprise medical bills. Advocates hailed the new rules written by the state insurance regulators.