Category: Kaiser Health News

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.

It’s Obamacare Season. Here’s What You Need To Know.

Despite repeated repeal efforts, the ACA is still intact — and with this year’s open enrollment, consumers can get some meaningful savings on coverage.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: The Health Care Campaign

Health care is still a top issue in the Democratic primary debate for president, but the candidates’ complicated plans may be doing more to confuse than to educate voters. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Caitlin Owens of Axios and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more health news. Also, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week.

Klobuchar Leans In On Support For Roe V. Wade, Planned Parenthood

Some of the numbers cited by the Minnesota senator during Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate miss the mark.

‘An Arm And A Leg’: A Medical Bill Ninja Shares Her Secrets

On Season 3, Episode 2 of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” an Illinois woman harnesses a lifetime of experience — and frustration — with health care finances to help other people solve their medical bill problems.

No Safety Switch: How Lax Oversight Of Electronic Health Records Puts Patients At Risk

Special interests and congressional inaction blocked efforts to track the safety of electronic medical records, leaving patients at risk.