Toxic Gas Adds to a Long History of Pollution in Southwest Memphis
By Andy Miller
People across the nation claim cancer-causing emissions from local sterilizing plants are making them sick. It’s an example of environmental racism, say residents of one predominantly Black area in southwest Memphis, Tennessee, where life expectancy is much shorter than county and state averages.
Sign Here? Financial Agreements May Leave Doctors in the Driver’s Seat
By Katheryn Houghton
Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor’s own financial policy — which generally protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing insurance and legal jargon — can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.
AC, Power Banks, Mini Fridges: Oregon Equips Medicaid Patients for Climate Change
By Samantha Young
Oregon is giving Medicaid patients air conditioners and other equipment to help them cope with soaring heat, smoky skies, and other dangers of climate change. Oregon health officials hope to show other states and the federal government that they can save lives and money.
An Arm and a Leg: The Hack
By Dan Weissmann
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann explores what the fallout from a cyberattack says about antitrust concerns in health care.
Daily Edition for Monday, April 29, 2024
Agent Orange, new hospital construction, ACA, insurance approvals, patient privacy, weight-loss medications, bird flu, and more are in the news.
Exposed to Agent Orange at US Bases, Veterans Face Cancer Without VA Compensation
By Hannah Norman and Patricia Kime
The Department of Veterans Affairs has long given vets who served in Vietnam disability compensation for illness connected to Agent Orange harm. But those exposed at U.S. bases are still waiting for the same benefits.
Millions Were Booted From Medicaid. The Insurers That Run It Gained Revenue Anyway.
By Phil Galewitz
Big health insurers that have contracts with state Medicaid programs find themselves making more money even as enrollment in Medicaid programs has dropped. Here’s why.
Daily Edition for Friday, April 26, 2024
Data breach, 911 system crash, single-payer health care, bird flu, HIV, suicide, school nutrition, miscarriages, and more are in the news.
Daily Edition for Thursday, April 25, 2024
Starting Next Year, California Will Cap Annual Health Care Cost Increases: Doctors, hospitals, and health insurance companies in California will soon be limited to annual price increases. The 3% cap, approved Wednesday by the Health Care Affordability Board, will be phased in over five years, starting with 3.5% in 2025. Providers who don’t comply could face fines. Read more from AP.
Genetics Studies Have a Diversity Problem That Researchers Struggle To Fix
By Lauren Sausser
Researchers in Charleston, South Carolina, are trying to build a DNA database of 100,000 people to better understand how genetics affects health risks. But they’re struggling to recruit enough Black participants.
