This illustrated report has been adapted from a KFF Health News article, “Among Hurdles for Autoimmune Disease Patients: Diagnosis, Costs, Inattentive Care” by Andy Miller, with artwork by Oona Tempest.
Category: Multimedia
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.
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Congress Kicks the (Budget) Can Down the Road. Again.
Congress narrowly avoided a federal government shutdown for the second time in six weeks, as Democrats came to the rescue of divided House Republicans over annual spending bills that were supposed to be finished by Oct. 1. But the brinksmanship is likely to repeat itself early in 2024, when the next temporary spending patches expire. Meanwhile, a pair of investigations unveiled this week demonstrate how difficult it still is for seniors to get needed long-term and rehabilitation care. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: A Very Good Night for Abortion Rights Backers
Abortion rights backers won major victories in at least five states in the 2023 off-year elections Nov. 7, proving the staying power of abortion as a political issue in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health finally has a new director, after Democrats temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s nominee over a mostly unrelated fight about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
An Arm and a Leg: ‘Your Money or Your Life’: This Doctor Wrote the Book on Medical Debt
What happens when you can’t afford the health care you need? On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” hear from emergency medicine physician and historian Luke Messac about the history of medical debt collection in the United States.
Epidemic: The Scars of Smallpox
The series finale of “Epidemic: Eradicating Smallpox” is a visit to the home of Rahima Banu, the last person with a documented case of naturally occurring variola major smallpox. When the virus was declared eradicated, she became a symbol of one of the greatest victories in global public health. What happened to Rahima Banu afterward?
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: For ACA Plans, It’s Time to Shop Around
It’s Obamacare open enrollment season, which means that, for people who rely on these plans for coverage, it’s time to shop around. With enhanced premium subsidies and cost-sharing assistance, consumers may find savings by switching plans. It is especially important for people who lost their coverage because of the Medicaid unwinding to investigate their options. Many qualify for assistance. Meanwhile, the countdown to Election Day is on, and Ohio’s State Issue 1 is grabbing headlines. The closely watched ballot initiative has become a testing ground for abortion-related messaging, which has been rife with misinformation. This week’s panelists are Mary Agnes Carey of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News.
‘Worse Than People Can Imagine’: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Breeds Chaos in States
As Medicaid programs across the nation review enrollees’ status in the wake of the pandemic, patients struggle to navigate the upheaval.
An Arm and a Leg: John Green vs. Johnson & Johnson (Part 2)
The high price of lifesaving tuberculosis drugs makes them inaccessible to many who need them most. On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” hear how a decades-long global fight to reform drug patents is helping to lower the cost.
Medical Debt and Nurse Shortages Haunt Winning Halloween Haikus
Entries for our fifth annual Halloween haiku contest left us terrified. Based on a review by our panel of judges, here’s the winner and runners-up — plus the original artwork they inspired.
