How Rural Communities Are Losing Their Pharmacies
Batson’s Drug Store seems like a throwback to a simpler time. The independently owned pharmacy in Howard, Kansas, still runs an old-fashioned soda counter and hand-dips ice cream. But the drugstore, the only one in the entire county, teeters on the edge between nostalgia and extinction. Julie Perkins, pharmacist and owner of Batson’s, graduated from […]
Cómo las comunidades rurales están perdiendo sus farmacias
La droguería Batson parece haberse anclado en tiempos más simples. La farmacia independiente de Howard, Kansas, todavía tiene un mostrador de refrescos y sirve helado. Es la única en todo el condado, y oscila entre la nostalgia y la extinción. Julie Perkins, farmacéutica y propietaria de Batson’s, fue a la escuela secundaria local y regresó […]
Tu gasto de bolsillo en atención médica no debe ser un misterio
Si alguna vez has tenido una enfermedad grave o has cuidado a alguien que la padece, sabes lo rápido que pueden acumularse las facturas médicas: de laboratorios, radiólogos, farmacias, médicos, diferentes departamentos dentro del mismo hospital, algunos en la red de tu seguro de salud, otros no. Determinar qué facturas debes pagar puede resultar extremadamente […]
Live Performers Find Red State Rules a Tough Act to Follow
MISSOULA, Mont. — There was something a little different on stage at a recent performance of the musical “Sister Amnesia’s Country Western Nunsense Jamboree,” the first production for the Missoula Community Theatre since the beginning of the pandemic. All the actors wore clear face masks. That way, the audience could better see the actors’ expressions, […]
Journalists Offer Primers on Medicare Open Enrollment and Death Benefits Amid Covid
KHN contributing writer and former columnist Michelle Andrews discussed on Newsy on Tuesday how unvaccinated workers risk losing the death benefits they would have otherwise received if they die of covid-19. Click here to watch Andrews on Newsy Read Andrews’ “Unvaccinated? Don’t Count on Leaving Your Family Death Benefits” KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner […]
Readers and Tweeters Find Disadvantages in Medicare Advantage
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. I’m a clinician I have a PhD in policy Navigating this crazy maze for my mom annually leaves me feeling helpless/useless… Seems impossible for the average beneficiaryhttps://t.co/GJyvd1BmLo via @khnews — Atul […]
How Low Can They Go? Rural Hospitals Weigh Keeping Obstetric Units When Births Decline
As rural hospitals struggle to stay financially stable, their leaders watch other small facilities close obstetrics units to cut costs. They face a no-win dilemma: Can we continue operating delivery units safely if there are few births? But if we close, do we risk the health and lives of babies and mothers? The other question […]
Medicare’s Open Enrollment Is Open Season for Scammers
Finding the best private Medicare drug or medical insurance plan among dozens of choices is tough enough without throwing misleading sales tactics into the mix. Yet federal officials say complaints are rising from seniors tricked into buying policies — without their consent or lured by questionable information — that may not cover their drugs or […]
La inscripción de Medicare es temporada abierta para estafadores
Encontrar el mejor plan médico privado, o de medicamentos, de Medicare entre docenas de opciones es lo suficientemente difícil sin incluir estrategias de venta engañosas. Sin embargo, funcionarios federales dicen que están aumentando las quejas de personas mayores engañadas para que compren pólizas sin su consentimiento, o atraídas por información cuestionable, que pueden no cubrir […]
Researcher: Medicare Advantage Plans Costing Billions More Than They Should
Switching seniors to Medicare Advantage plans has cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more than keeping them in original Medicare, a cost that has exploded since 2018 and is likely to rise even higher, new research has found. Richard Kronick, a former federal health policy researcher and a professor at the University of California-San […]