Category: Public Health

Where Abortion Fights Will Play Out In 2019

Expect more aggressive regulatory action from the Trump administration while skirmishes continue in Congress and statehouses across the country. Many of these policies will ultimately be challenged in court.

To Get Mental Health Help For A Child, Desperate Parents Relinquish Custody

To get care for their 12-year-old son’s severe mental illness, Toni and Jim Hoy had to give up custody of him and allow the state of Illinois to care for him. It happens to hundreds, perhaps thousands of children each year. The exact number is unknown because two-thirds of states do not keep track.

Medicaid Plans Cover Doctors’ Visits, Hospital Care — And Now Your GED

These private insurers say improving education can help enrollees achieve a healthier lifestyle, so some pay for the tests and find ways to assist people studying for the exams.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.

Medicaid Patients In Puerto Rico Don’t Get Coverage For Drugs To Cure Hepatitis C

The program that provides health care for about half of the U.S. territory’s population cannot afford to cover the drugs.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Ask Us Anything!

From Medicare dental coverage to drug prices to fetal tissue research, the panelists answer listeners’ questions. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner.

How The Government Shutdown Affects Health Programs

Medicare and Medicaid are fine, but the food safety component of the Food and Drug Administration and bio-threat surveillance done by the Department of Homeland Security are among the public health functions feeling the pinch.

Up To A Third Of Knee Replacements Pack Pain And Regret

Many patients face lingering pain and disappointment after undergoing knee replacement surgery, which costs an average $31,000. And doctors are increasingly concerned that the procedure is overused and that its benefits have been oversold.

‘Don’t Wash That Bird!’ And Other (Often Unheeded) Food Safety Advice

Washing poultry or meat before cooking it can do more harm than good — spreading pathogens that can be killed only in the cooking process. But the practice persists. Here’s what you need to know this holiday season.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ More On That Texas Lawsuit, And The Best And Worst Health Policy Stories Of The Year

The fallout continues from that Texas court decision that ruled Congress’ 2017 elimination of the tax penalty for failing to have insurance rendered the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. Meanwhile, enrollment for 2019 at healthcare.gov was down, but far less than many predicted. KHN’s Julie Rovner, along with panelists Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner, discuss this, plus the best, most overhyped and nerdiest stories of 2018. Also, Rovner interviews GOP strategist and pollster Frank Luntz.