States

Latest California Healthline Stories

Study: Arkansas Medicaid Work Requirement Hits Those Already Employed

More than 95% of the Arkansas residents targeted by the state’s Medicaid work requirement were already working or met the criteria to be exempted from the mandate, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Federal Grants ‘A Lifesaver’ In Opioid Fight, But States Still Struggle To Curb Meth

The federal government has doled out at least $2.4 billion in state grants since 2017 to address the opioid epidemic, which killed 47,600 people in the U.S. that year alone. But local officials note that drug abuse problems seldom involve only one substance.

KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Who Will Pay To Fix Problem Of Surprise Medical Bills?

Lawmakers and patients want to eliminate “surprise” out-of-network medical bills. Hospitals, doctors and insurers say they want to eliminate them, too, but their opposition to one another’s proposals could complicate legislative efforts. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the latest in news about reproductive health and health care sharing ministries.

Why Some CEOs Figure ‘Medicare For All’ Is Good For Business

While national business groups fight the single-payer concept, the founder and CEO of a large Pennsylvania picture frame manufacturer tries to convince other employers that it’s the only way to control costs and fix the U.S. health system.

Churches Wipe Out Millions In Medical Debt For Others

In a mission of forgiveness, churches around the country are buying up medical debt for pennies on the dollar then erasing the debts of strangers. Since the start of 2018, at least 18 churches nationwide have abolished more than $34 million burdening America’s most debt-ridden patients.

Mired In Medical Debt? Federal Plan Would Update Overdue-Bill Collection Methods

More than half of Americans contacted about an overdue bill said it related to medical debt. A federal agency has proposed new guidance for what debt collectors are allowed to do when pursuing many types of overdue consumer bills, including medical debt. But some consumer advocates have panned the effort.