As Constituents Clamor for Ivermectin, Republican Politicians Embrace the Cause
When state senators in South Carolina held two hearings in September about covid-19 treatments, they got an earful on the benefits of ivermectin — which many of the lawmakers echoed, sharing experiences of their own loved ones. The demands for access to the drug were loud and insistent, despite federal regulators’ recent warning against using […]
Texas Providers See Increased Interest in Birth Control Since Near-Total Abortion Ban
In September, when Texas’ near-total abortion ban took effect, Planned Parenthood clinics in the Lone Star State started offering every patient who walked in information on Senate Bill 8, as well as emergency contraception, condoms and two pregnancy tests. The plan is to distribute 22,000 “empowerment kits” this year. “We felt it was very important […]
‘Drinking Through a Lead Straw’ — $15B Approved to Fix Dangerous Water Pipes
HOUSTON — No one knows exactly how many lead pipes deliver water to homes, schools and businesses throughout America — or even where they all are. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates at least 6 million lead service lines exist. Environmental groups say it’s probably many more. What is known is that with every pot of […]
Journalists Follow Leads on Curbing Violence, Improving Psych Care and Crowdsourcing Covid Safety
KHN’s Peggy Girshman fellow Amanda Michelle Gomez discussed how Washington, D.C., is adopting public health tools to help curb gun violence on Newsy’s “Morning Rush” on Wednesday. Click here to watch Gomez on “Morning Rush” Read Gomez’s “DC’s Harllee Harper Is Using Public Health Tools to Prevent Gun Violence. Will It Work?” KHN interim Southern […]
Demócratas proponen ampliar beneficios de Medicare para la audición. ¿Qué pueden esperar los consumidores?
El gigantesco proyecto de ley de gastos domésticos del presidente Joe Biden agregaría beneficios para servicios de audición al programa tradicional de Medicare, una de las tres principales prestaciones nuevas que los demócratas habían solicitado. La administración Biden parece haberse quedado corta en su ambición de ampliar las prestaciones dentales y oftalmológicas junto con las […]
Democrats Plan to Expand Medicare Hearing Benefits. What Can Consumers Expect?
President Joe Biden’s mammoth domestic spending bill would add hearing benefits to the traditional Medicare program — one of three major new benefits Democrats had sought. The Biden administration appears to have fallen short of its ambition to expand dental and vision along with hearing benefits. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and other progressives have long […]
‘Covid Hit Us Over the Head With a Two-by-Four’: Addressing Ageism With Urgency
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization announced a global campaign to combat ageism — discrimination against older adults that is pervasive and harmful but often unrecognized. “We must change the narrative around age and ageing” and “adopt strategies to counter” ageist attitudes and behaviors, WHO concluded in a major report accompanying the campaign. Several […]
New Health Plans Offer Twists on Existing Options, With a Dose of ‘Buyer Beware’
Trendy-looking websites promise convenience and freedom from networks, at far less than the cost of traditional health insurance. “Welcome to insurance that’s finally fair,” says one, in bold lettering. “Take care of your health with one easy app,” says another. It’s all part of shopping for health coverage in 2021. While they’re still niche products, […]
Few Acute Care Hospitals Escaped Readmissions Penalties
window.addEventListener(‘message’, function(event) { if (typeof event.data[‘datawrapper-height’] !== ‘undefined’) { var iframes = document.querySelectorAll(‘iframe’); for (var chartId in event.data[‘datawrapper-height’]) { for (var i=0; i<iframes.length; i++) { if (iframes[i].contentWindow === event.source) { iframes[i].style.height = event.data['datawrapper-height'][chartId] + 'px'; } } } } }); Preventable rehospitalization of the nation’s older adults has proved a persistent health and financial challenge […]
Uninsured in South Would Win Big in Democrats’ Plan, but Hospitals Fear Funding Loss
[UPDATED at 1 p.m. ET] At least 2.2 million low-income adults — nearly all in Texas and the Southeast — would be eligible for government-funded health insurance under the Democrats’ $1.75 trillion social spending and climate change plan. That’s the number of people who are eligible for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act but have […]