Category: Kaiser Health News

After Her Skiing Accident, An Uphill Battle Over Snowballing Bills

She took a bad fall on the slopes and her surgeon used a metal plate to put the splintered bones of her leg back together. When that device failed less than four months later, she and her insurer had to pay full price for the replacement plate.

Health Care Is Where The Jobs Are. But What Kind Of Jobs?

The health care industry adds thousands of jobs to the economy each month. While they aren’t all doctors and nurses, they aren’t all paper pushers either.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ What Just Happened To The ACA And What Happens Now? A Special Bonus Edition

A federal district judge in Texas ruled Friday that Congress’ 2017 elimination of the tax penalty for failing to have insurance rendered the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. What happens now? KHN’s Julie Rovner, along with panelists Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, discuss the bombshell decision and its potential fallout.

Assisted Living’s Breakneck Growth Leaves Patient Safety Behind

An analysis of inspection records in California, Florida and Texas shows significant numbers of violations related to assisted living residents with dementia.

Health Suffers Deep In The Troubled Heart Of Texas

The Lone Star State is an economic powerhouse, yet it fails to take care of its residents’ health and is home to some of the most extreme entrepreneurial medical practices.

Texas Judge Puts ACA in Legal Peril – Again

The case is not expected to have an immediate effect on coverage for people who buy plans on the federal health law marketplaces because the case is likely to go to the Supreme Court – the third time that the justices will decide the fate of the landmark health law.

Nurse Denied Life Insurance Because She Carries Naloxone

The U.S. surgeon general has called on “bystanders” to be equipped with the opioid reversal drug to save lives. But when a nurse answered that call, her application for life insurance was denied. Why?

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Insurance Enrollment Is Lagging — And There Are Lots Of Reasons Why

Sign-ups for insurance under the Affordable Care Act are still well behind last year’s mark with just a week until the end of open enrollment in most states. The Supreme Court declines a case that could have allowed states to defund Planned Parenthood. And the Trump administration gets hundreds of thousands of comments about its proposed changes to immigration rules that could penalize people who use government-funded health care and other social service programs. Alice Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and, for “extra credit,” provide their favorite health policy stories of the week.

For The Asking, A Check Is In The Mail To Help Pay For Costly Drugs

It’s a little-known secret that patients can get thousands of dollars directly from a drugmaker.

One Implant, Two Prices. It Depends On Who’s Paying.

Breast implants — used for both cancer and cosmetic surgeries — give a glimpse into how hospitals mark up prices of medical devices to increase their bottom lines.