Be Aware: Someone Could Steal Your Medical Records and Bill You for Their Care
By Michelle Andrews
Consumers should know that this type of fraud can happen, whether from a large-scale breach or theft of an individual’s data. The result could be thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Blood Test That Screens for Cancer Raises Hopes, and Worries
By Mark Kreidler
The first of a new wave of cancer-detection blood tests likely saved Gilbert Milam Jr.’s life. But many cancer researchers, wary of overtesting, argue it’s premature to prescribe the Galleri test widely.
Daily Edition for Friday, July 28, 2023
Water supplies, a hospital’s lifeline, the extreme heat wave, covid, abortion, addiction, cancer research, and more are in the news.
Texan Activists Thirst for a National Heat Standard to Protect Outdoor Workers
By Colleen DeGuzman
As much of the U.S. faces extremely high summer temperatures, Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has taken steps that effectively eliminate mandated water breaks for construction workers. In response, protesters from the Lone Star State came to Washington, D.C., to press for federal protections for such outdoor workers.
His Anesthesia Provider Billed Medicare Late. He Got Sent to Collections for the $3,000 Tab.
By Phil Galewitz
Medicare was supposed to cover the entire cost of his procedure. But after the anesthesia provider failed to file its claims in a timely manner, it billed the patient instead.
In Wisconsin, Women’s Health Care Is Constricted by an 1849 Law. These Doctors Are Aghast.
By Sarah Varney
From the front lines of Wisconsin’s abortion battle, obstetricians describe patients who cannot comprehend having to carry nonviable pregnancies. And only one pharmacist in town can be found who will fill prescriptions for abortion pills.
As Water Reuse Expands, Proponents Battle the ‘Yuck’ Factor
By Jim Robbins
As drought and climate change threaten water supplies, municipalities around the country are ramping up water reuse efforts. But they have to overcome the “yuk” factor.
Bankrupt Madera Hospital Receives Lifeline From Adventist, Report Says
By Jonathan Weber
The Fresno Bee reports that Madera Community Hospital has reached an agreement with Adventist Health to take over the bankrupt facility and avoid liquidation.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Another Try for Mental Health ‘Parity’
President Joe Biden is kicking off his reelection campaign in part by trying to finish a decades-long effort to establish parity in insurance benefits between mental and physical health. Meanwhile, House Republicans are working to add abortion and other contentious amendments to must-pass spending bills. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Céline Gounder about her podcast “Epidemic.” The new season focuses on the successful public health effort to eradicate smallpox.
Daily Edition for Thursday, July 27, 2023
Health workers strike, Alzheimer’s, heat dangers, disability rules, hospital news, homelessness, opioids, and more are in the news.