Category: Kaiser Health News

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Congress And Health Care. Again.

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner talk about the new push on health legislation by Republicans in the House, as well as developments on Medicaid work requirements, drug prices and the fate of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexican border. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists offer their favorite health stories of the week.

A Transgender Woman’s Quest For Surgery Caught In Political Crosswinds

Dramatic policy swings, from an unprecedented expansion of transgender rights under the Obama administration to the unpredictable reduction of trans rights under President Donald Trump, have left many trans Americans feeling the whiplash.

A Transgender Woman’s ‘Bait-And-Switch’ $92,000 Surgery Bill

After being promised a significant discount for paying cash upfront and forgoing insurance, a Wisconsin patient gets caught in the middle between hospital and insurer — and feels snookered by a last-minute surprise and billing snafu.

How Soon Is Soon Enough To Learn You Have Alzheimer’s?

Only about half of people with Alzheimer’s symptoms get a diagnosis, partly out of fear of an incurable decline, doctors suspect. But Jose Belardo says facing the future allows him to plan for it.

No Gaps In Understanding: Here’s Your Primer On Medigap Coverage

Seniors often don’t realize that private insurers are required to offer Medigap policies, or supplemental insurance, only when people first sign up for Medicare.

How To Save A Choking Senator: Heimlich Heirs, Red Cross Disagree On Technique

The Red Cross and some other organizations suggest that first aid for choking begin with five slaps on the back. The family of Dr. Henry Heimlich, who developed the abdominal thrusts to dislodge objects that prevent breathing, is launching a campaign to demand proof of why back slaps should come first.

Purdue Pharma Edits Public Service Ad In Washington Post

Did OxyContin maker admit opioids can be dangerous even when patients take them as prescribed — then walk it back?

Hospitals Gear Up For New Diagnosis: Human Trafficking

Many people forced into labor or the sex trade seek medical help at some point, and health care workers are being trained to identify them to offer assistance.

Profiles For Sale: How Bits Of Captured Data Paint A Valuable Picture Of Your Health

Consumers, beware: Data brokers compile health and frailty profiles that have wide-ranging applications for drug companies, advertisers, insurers and other buyers.

Can A Community Hospital Stay True To Its Mission After Sale To Large Corporation?

After 130 years as a nonprofit with deep roots in western North Carolina, Mission Health announced in March that it was seeking to be bought by HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain.