Ohio Archives

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Looking Ahead to the Lame-Duck Session

Congress won’t be back in Washington until after Election Day, but lawmakers have left themselves a long list of items to finish up in November and December, including unfinished health care policies. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call; Jessie Hellmann, also of CQ Roll Call; and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Sam Whitehead, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a family who tried to use urgent care to save money, but ended up with a big emergency room bill anyway.

Oct. 6, 2022

A photo shows a judge's gavel resting on a surface surrounded by shadows.

Centene to Pay $166 Million to Texas in Medicaid Drug Pricing Settlement

Texas is at least the 12th state to settle with St. Louis-based Centene Corp. over allegations that it overcharged Medicaid prescription drug programs.

By Andy Miller and Samantha Young

Sept. 19, 2022

A traditional courtroom illustration, in watercolor and pencil, depicting attorney Lawrence Robbins arguing before the Supreme Court. He wears a black suit, glasses, and is bald.

Doctors Rush to Use Supreme Court Ruling to Escape Opioid Charges

After a unanimous ruling from the high court, doctors who are accused of writing irresponsible prescriptions can go to trial with a new defense: It wasn’t on purpose.

By Brett Kelman

Sept. 19, 2022

Christina Green looks down at a book she holds in her hands. She is wearing rectangular glasses with brown frames. Behind her is a bookshelf. She is in her home.

Patients for Profit: How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

Private Equity Sees the Billions in Eye Care as Firms Target High-Profit Procedures

As private equity groups are swarming into aging America’s eye care, the consolidation is costing the U.S. health care system and patients more money.

By Lauren Weber

Sept. 19, 2022

A photo shows the exterior of BeverlyCare.

Hospitals Divert Primary Care Patients to Health Center ‘Look-Alikes’ to Boost Finances

Medicare and Medicaid pay “look-alike” health centers significantly more than hospitals for treating patients, and converting or creating clinics can help hospitals reduce their expenses.

By Phil Galewitz

Sept. 9, 2022

A photo shows surgical instruments during a medical procedure.

Organ Transplants Are Up, but the Agency in Charge Is Under Fire

A two-year congressional investigation has identified troubling lapses in the nation’s organ transplant system. Blood types mismatched, diseased organs transplanted anyway, and — most often — organs lost or damaged before they can save a life.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Sept. 7, 2022

Music Festivals Embrace Overdose Reversal Drugs, but Fentanyl Testing Kits Remain Taboo

Music festival promoters are allowing distribution of overdose reversal medication as fentanyl deaths continue to surge. But nonprofits and volunteers are often left to do the work, and more controversial forms of harm reduction aren’t openly allowed.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Aug. 3, 2022

A woman sitting in a red armchair looks at the camera.

Diagnosis: Debt

Nursing Homes Are Suing the Friends and Family of Residents to Collect Debts

Debt lawsuits — long a byproduct of America’s medical debt crisis — can ensnare not only patients but also those who help sick and older people be admitted to nursing homes, a KHN-NPR investigation finds.

By Noam N. Levey

July 28, 2022

A closeup photo shows a child viewed from the front getting an eye exam with a phoropter. The large medical instrument obscures most of the child's face from view.

Children’s Vision Problems Often Go Undetected, Despite Calls for Regular Screening

Eye exams for children are required under federal law to be covered by most private health plans and Medicaid, and many states mandate school vision screenings. But a federal survey finds that a quarter of children and teens are still not getting the recommended tests.

By Colleen DeGuzman

June 9, 2022

Patients Seek Mental Health Care From Their Doctor but Find Health Plans Standing in the Way

Despite a consensus that patients should be able to get mental health care from primary care doctors, insurance policies and financial incentives may not support that.

By Aneri Pattani

June 8, 2022

Fletcher and Brenda Letner are seen sitting on their porch. Their dog, Hazzy, sits on Fletcher's lap.

This Rural, Red Southern County Was a Vaccine Success Story. Not Anymore.

Meigs County in Tennessee reported one of the highest covid-19 vaccination rates in the South for much of the past year. But those reports were wrong because of a data error that has surfaced in other states, such as West Virginia and Montana, as well.

By Brett Kelman

May 19, 2022

National Addiction Treatment Locator Has Outdated Data and Other Critical Flaws

Three years after a government site launched to connect Americans to treatment, finding addiction care is still a struggle.

By Aneri Pattani

May 9, 2022

As Overdoses Soar, More States Decriminalize Fentanyl Testing Strips

Georgia may soon join a growing list of states decriminalizing the use of fentanyl testing strips. Bans of the strips — on the books in about half of states, experts say — stem from laws criminalizing drug paraphernalia adopted decades ago. But the testing devices are now recommended to help prevent overdose deaths.

By Andy Miller

May 5, 2022

A vector illustration shows red tape holding back the arms and legs of a home health aid trying to hand a mug to a person in a wheelchair.

Desperate for Cash: Programs for People With Disabilities Still Not Seeing Federal Funds

Almost a year after the American Rescue Plan Act allocated what could amount to $25 billion to home and community-based services run by Medicaid, many states have yet to access much of the money due to delays and red tape.

By Lauren Weber and Andy Miller

March 2, 2022

A photo collage shows a gloved hand holding a syringe colored in red and a woman rolling up her sleeve colored in teal superimposed with a gap between them.

COVID-19

From Alabama to Utah, Efforts to Vaccinate Medicaid Enrollees Against Covid Run Into Obstacles

Inoculation rates remain low despite massive outreach efforts and incentives from federal and state programs and Medicaid plan operators, leaving many low-income people vulnerable to the virus.

By Phil Galewitz

Feb. 28, 2022

Jennifer Arnold sits on a bench with her arm extended as Great, a fluffy goldendoodle, approaches to tap her hand..

Demand for Service Dogs Unleashes a ‘Wild West’ Market

Service dogs can help people with ailments from autism to epilepsy, but a trained dog can cost up to $40,000 — and insurance won’t cover it.

By Markian Hawryluk

Feb. 16, 2022

Dr. Christian Ramers speaking with a colleague

COVID-19

Patient, Beware: Some States Still Pushing Ineffective Covid Antibody Treatments

The top 12 states using antibody therapies produced by Regeneron and Lilly — which research shows don’t work against the omicron variant — include several Southern states with some of the nation’s lowest vaccination rates, but also California, which ranks among the top 20 for fully vaccinated residents.

By JoNel Aleccia

Jan. 21, 2022

The Last Drugstore

How Rural Communities Are Losing Their Pharmacies

More than 1,000 independent rural pharmacies have closed since 2003, leaving 630 communities with no retail drugstore. As 41 million people stuck in pharmacy deserts make do, the remaining drugstores struggle to survive.

By Markian Hawryluk

Nov. 15, 2021

‘Drinking Through a Lead Straw’ — $15B Approved to Fix Dangerous Water Pipes

The infrastructure bill passed Friday funnels $15 billion into lead pipe remediation. Water quality experts say the cost of getting rid of all lead pipes could ultimately cost $60 billion. Still, some health advocates say the new funding will be transformative in allowing communities such as Houston’s Fifth Ward to fix its pipes.

By Sandy West

Nov. 8, 2021

COVID-19

Worn-Out Nurses Hit the Road for Better Pay, Stressing Hospital Budgets — And Morale

Managers are trapped in a pricey hiring cycle, competing for critical care nurses who can monitor covid patients on life support. Some hospitals are looking abroad to replace staffers who quit to become travel nurses or leave the profession.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Oct. 21, 2021

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