Helicopters Rescued Patients in ‘Apocalyptic’ Flood. Other Hospitals Are at Risk, Too.
By Lauren Sausser and Holly K. Hacker
The helicopter evacuation of 70 people from a Tennessee hospital during Hurricane Helene is considered a success story. The building was destroyed by floodwaters, but no one died. In hindsight, why was it built next to a river?
Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes
By Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts
Federal law says Native Americans aren’t liable for medical bills the Indian Health Service promises to pay. Some are billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the agency, financial middlemen, or health systems.
Daily Edition for Friday, December 13, 2024
More Than A Dozen California Democrats Voted For Anti-Trans Provision: Thirteen California Democrats voted to pass legislation that included a GOP provision to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Many of them said the defense bill was too important to vote against but that they opposed the piece targeting care for transgender youth. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
California’s ‘Care Courts’ Are Falling Short
By Christine Mai-Duc
California’s controversial experiment to order mental illness and drug treatment for some of its sickest residents is rolling out statewide, but the latest data shows the new initiative is falling far short of early objectives. The Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act — known as Care — recently expanded from 11 pilot counties to all […]
Removing a Splinter? Treating a Wart? If a Doctor Does It, It Can Be Billed as Surgery
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
Minor interventions are increasingly being rebranded and billed as surgery, for profit. This means a neurologist spending 40 minutes with a patient to tease out a diagnosis can be paid less for that time than a dermatologist spending a few seconds squirting a dollop of liquid nitrogen onto the skin.
Más californianos están muriendo por el frío. Gran parte son personas mayores sin techo
By Phillip Reese
La hipotermia causada por la exposición a bajas temperaturas fue la causa principal, o que contribuyó, a la muerte de 166 californianos el año pasado, más del doble que hace una década
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Killing Touches Off Backlash Against Health Insurers
The shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in Midtown Manhattan prompted a public outcry about the problems with the nation’s health care system, as stories of delayed and denied care filled social media. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump continues to avoid providing specifics about his plans for the Affordable Care Act and other health issues. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Francis Collins, who was the director of the National Institutes of Health and a science adviser to President Joe Biden.
Watch: ‘Going It Alone’ — A Conversation About Growing Old in America
Judith Graham, KFF Health News’ “Navigating Aging” columnist, talks with older adults who live alone by choice or circumstance. They share what it means to thrive in later years.
Daily Edition for Thursday, December 12, 2024
Marin County Child Tests Negative For Bird Flu: Bird flu was not likely what sickened a California child after drinking raw milk, according to initial tests by the CDC, a source close to the investigation said Wednesday. Read more from CBS News. Scroll down for more bird flu updates.
