Category: Kaiser Health News

Nothing To Sneeze At: The $2,659 Bill To Pluck Doll’s Shoe From Child’s Nostril

A 3-year-old girl put matching doll shoes up her nose. One came out easily. The second required an emergency department visit ― and generated a bill that is not child’s play.

California’s Working Mothers Get Stronger Support For Workplace Lactation

A new state law that takes effect Jan. 1 requires employers to provide spaces where women can pump their breast milk comfortably and privately, with access to electricity, running water and refrigeration.

The Complex Realm Of Cloud Chasers, Coil Builders And Other Vape Moders

Vaping has produced a diverse community with all sorts of sub-specialties. Finding your tribe can be more complex than finding your Harry Potter house.

A Young Immigrant Has Mental Illness, And That’s Raising His Risk Of Deportation

Behavioral problems, criminal arrests and limited access to health care leave a father worried his 21-year-old son will be deported to Mexico.

Not Yesterday’s Cocaine: Death Toll Rising From Tainted Drug

While the U.S. continues to focus mainly on the opioid crisis, cocaine is quietly making a comeback and has become one of the biggest overdose killers of African Americans when tainted with fentanyl.

Last-Minute Loophole Could Undermine Texas Law Against Surprise Medical Bills

Texas passed a bipartisan law against surprise medical billing, but advocates warn that a proposed rule could severely weaken it, continuing to allow surprise bills outside of emergencies.

UVA Doctors Decry Aggressive Billing Practices By Their Own Hospital

In the wake of a Kaiser Health News investigation, doctors want the University of Virginia’s health system to stop suing its patients over unpaid bills.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.

This Story Contains A Warning That Might Cause Alarm — Or Apathy

Proposition 65 requires California businesses to label products and buildings with warnings about substances the state deems as toxic, ranging from aloe vera to asbestos. A state panel plans to debate whether to add acetaminophen, the active ingredient of common over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, to the toxics list, raising questions about the value of these ubiquitous warnings.

Drug Deals And Food Gone Bad Plague Corner Stores. How Neighbors Are Fighting Back.

Corner stores that provide groceries for those using the federal food stamp program have become magnets for violence just outside St. Louis. Gunshots ring out under the cover of darkness, windows are postered over, and the quality of food doesn’t make a trip to the corner store worth the risk. Now local residents are putting their feet down.