Category: Kaiser Health News

A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance

Deciding when, or whether, to buy long-term care insurance can be complex. Here’s what to know.

From Hospital to Hospitality: Spin Doctors Brand Getting Sick as an Adventure. It’s Not.

At $1,000 a night for a private room, medical centers are offering fancy food and casting health care as a “journey.” Instead of creature comforts, how about helping us feel better?

Anti-Abortion Groups Shrug Off Election Losses, Look to Courts, Statehouses for Path Forward

Anti-abortion groups have lost seven consecutive elections on state ballot measures about abortion. They say they’re unfazed and plan to keep focusing on lawmakers and courts to notch wins.

Why Long-Term Care Insurance Falls Short for So Many 

The private insurance market has proved wildly inadequate in providing financial security for millions of older Americans, in part by underestimating how many policyholders would use their coverage.

Out for Blood? For Routine Lab Work, the Hospital Billed Her $2,400

Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. The cost could be much higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it all.

Evolving Overdose Crisis Shakes Previously Effective Treatments

The prevalence of synthetic drugs is undercutting a previously effective and widely embraced opioid use disorder treatment tactic. Now, the model pioneered in Vermont a decade ago and adopted at sites nationwide, especially in hard-to-reach rural areas, is being forced to evolve.

Lost in the Mix of Medicaid ‘Unwinding’: Kentucky Cut Off Her Health Care Over a Clerical Error

The state canceled Beverly Likens’ coverage — days before surgery — without considering other ways she qualified for Medicaid, which experts say violated federal regulations.

Extra Fees Drive Assisted Living Profits

The add-ons pile up: $93 for medications, $50 for cable TV. Prices soar as the industry leaves no service unbilled, out of reach for many families.

What to Know About Assisted Living

The facilities can look like luxury apartments or modest group homes and can vary in pricing structures. Here’s a guide.

US Military Says National Security Depends on ‘Forever Chemicals’

PFAS chemicals are found in hundreds of products and weapons used by the U.S. military. Defense Department officials say a blanket ban on these man-made substances would threaten military readiness.