KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Abortion and SCOTUS, Together Again
The Supreme Court agreed this week to hear its first major case on abortion since overturning Roe v. Wade — one that could restrict the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone, even in states where abortion remains legal. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers in the House and Senate finally moved to renew health programs that expired in October — but it’s likely too late to finish the job in 2023. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Riley Griffin of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jen Golbeck, a University of Maryland professor and social media superstar, about her new book, “The Purest Bond,” which lays out the science of the human-canine relationship.
Daily Edition for Thursday, December 14, 2023
Masks, covid deaths, health worker strikes, AI transparency, weight-loss drug overdoses, hunger, opioids, housing, and more are in the news.
Rift Over When to Use N95s Puts Health Workers at Risk Again
By Amy Maxmen
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering fuzzy guidelines on infection control in hospitals, critics say, leaving employers free to cut corners on N95 masks and other protective measures.
An Arm and a Leg: When Hospitals Sue Patients (Part 1)
By Dan Weissmann
Some hospitals sue patients over unpaid medical bills. But is this even an effective way for hospitals to recoup lost revenue? On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with medical-debt experts to explore a different solution.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, December 13, 2023
‘Excited delirium,’ environmental health, abortion pills, hospital moves, covid, homelessness, drug use, and more are in the news.
As Foundation for ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis Cracks, Fallout Spreads
By Renuka Rayasam and Markian Hawryluk and Samantha Young
Major policy changes and disavowals have made this a watershed year for curbing the use of the discredited “excited delirium” diagnosis to explain deaths in police custody. Now the ripple effects are spreading across the country into court cases, state legislation, and police training classes.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, December 12, 2023
A hospital purchase, health strikes and layoffs, pharmacy privacy, covid cases, drug overdoses, gun violence, and more are in the news.
Gun Violence Is a Plague. Could Medicaid Help?
By Samantha Young
To tackle America’s gun problem, a growing number of states are allowing Medicaid dollars to fund community-based violence programs intended to stop shootings. The idea is to boost resources for violence prevention programs, which have been overwhelmed in some cities by a spike in violent crime since the covid-19 pandemic. An infusion of reliable funding, […]
People With Disabilities Hope Autonomous Vehicles Deliver Independence
By Tony Leys
A pilot project in northern Minnesota aims to pave the way for fully autonomous vehicles to offer independence for people who can’t drive.
Listen: What Our 2-Year-Long Investigation Into Medical Debt Reveals
By Noam N. Levey
An award-winning project by KFF Health News and NPR found that at least 100 million people in the United States are saddled with medical bills they cannot pay — and exposed a health care system that systematically pushes people into debt.
