Midwest Bureau Archives - Page 19 of 47

Arizona Turns Back the Clock on Abortion Access

Episode 342

April 11, 2024

A week after the Florida Supreme Court said the state could enforce an abortion ban passed in 2023, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that state could enforce a near-total ban passed in 1864 — over a half-century before Arizona became a state. The move further scrambled the abortion issue for Republicans and posed an immediate quandary for former President Donald Trump, who has been seeking an elusive middle ground in the polarized debate. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews �Թϲ��’ Molly Castle Work, who reported and wrote the latest �Թϲ��-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about an air-ambulance ride for an infant with RSV that his insurer deemed not medically necessary.

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A close up photo of a person taking notes in a journal while on a telehealth call. Their laptop is on the couch beside them.

Congress Likely to Kick the Can on Covid-Era Telehealth Policies

With an end-of-year deadline and a presidential election approaching, payment rules that fueled rapid expansion of telehealth in the United States face a last-minute congressional decision.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

April 10, 2024

End of Internet Subsidies for Low-Income Households Threatens Telehealth Access

A federal program that helped pay for more than 23 million low-income households’ internet access runs out of money soon. The end of the subsidy launched earlier in the pandemic could have profound impacts on health care access.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

April 4, 2024

A photo of a female hospital receptionist talking on the phone. She is facing away from the camera.

Primary Care Disrupted

Hospitals Cash In on a Private Equity-Backed Trend: Concierge Physician Care

Hospitals are increasingly stretching a velvet rope, offering “concierge service” to an affluent clientele. Critics say the practice exacerbates primary care shortages.

By Phil Galewitz

April 1, 2024

A photo of the exterior of Grinnell Health Care Center.

For-Profit Companies Open Psychiatric Hospitals in Areas Clamoring for Care

State institutions and community hospitals have closed inpatient mental health units, often citing staffing and financial challenges. Now, for-profit companies are opening psychiatric hospitals to fill the void.

By Tony Leys

April 1, 2024

An unidentifiable patient is undergoing physical therapy while a health care professional takes notes behind them.

Navigating Aging

The Burden of Getting Medical Care Can Exhaust Older Patients

It’s estimated that an older patient can spend three weeks of the year getting care — and that doesn’t count the time it takes to arrange appointments or deal with insurance companies.

By Judith Graham

March 27, 2024

A woman in a blue shirt and mask stands in front of a car parked along a dirt road

Rapid Rise in Syphilis Hits Native Americans Hardest

With U.S. syphilis rates climbing to the worst level in seven decades, public health experts and the federal Indian Health Service are scrambling to detect and treat the disease in Native American communities, where babies are infected at a higher rate than in any other demographic.

By Cecilia Nowell

March 21, 2024

A woman is photographed from the chin down, with the focus on her sweatshirt. The shirt reads, "ABORTION IS ON THE BALLOT."

How National Political Ambition Could Fuel, or Fail, Initiatives to Protect Abortion Rights in States

As money flows to abortion rights initiatives in states, some donors focus on where anger over the "Dobbs" ruling could propel voter turnout and spur Democratic victories up and down the ballot, including in key Senate races and the White House.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Rachana Pradhan

March 19, 2024

William Haleck (right) sits on a couch beside his wife, Verdell (left) with his arm around her. They both hold a photo of their son, Sheldon, in their lap and look solemnly down towards the picture.

As More States Target Disavowed ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis, Police Groups Push Back

After California passed the first law in the nation to limit the disavowed term “excited delirium,” bills in other states are being introduced to help end use of the diagnosis. But momentum is being met with resistance from law enforcement and first responder groups, who cite free speech.

By Renuka Rayasam

March 18, 2024

The Injured

They Were Injured at the Super Bowl Parade. A Month Later, They Feel Forgotten.

In the first of our series “The Injured,” a Kansas family remembers Valentine’s Day as the beginning of panic attacks, life-altering trauma, and waking to nightmares of gunfire. Thrown into the spotlight by the shootings, they wonder how they will recover.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Peggy Lowe, KCUR

March 14, 2024

A photo of a female nurse helping an elderly man using a walker down a corridor.

Concerns Grow Over Quality of Care as Investor Groups Buy Not-for-Profit Nursing Homes

For-profit groups own more than 70% of U.S. nursing homes. Industry leaders and researchers wonder whether corporations and investors can succeed where not-for-profit organizations have struggled. Or, will quality of care suffer in the name of making money?

By Harris Meyer

March 13, 2024

A jar filled with coins is wrapped with a red stethoscope.

Operating in the Red: Half of Rural Hospitals Lose Money, as Many Cut Services

A recent report finds half of America’s rural hospitals are losing money, and many are struggling to stay open. Researchers and advocates worry the hospitals’ financial spiral will have immediate and long-term health effects on their communities.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

March 7, 2024

A photo of a woman seen from behind working in a medical setting on a laptop.

Whistleblower Accuses Aledade, Largest US Independent Primary Care Network, of Medicare Fraud

A recently unsealed lawsuit alleges Aledade Inc. developed billing software that boosted revenues by making patients appear sicker than they were.

By Fred Schulte

March 5, 2024

A stethoscope and voting pin rests on top of an American flag.

America Worries About Health Costs — And Voters Want to Hear From Biden and Republicans

The presidential election is likely to turn on the simple question of whether Americans want Donald Trump back in the White House. But health care tops the list of household financial worries for adults from both parties.

By Julie Appleby and Phil Galewitz

March 4, 2024

A photo of a sign that reads, "United States Environmental Protection Agency."

Toxic Gas That Sterilizes Medical Devices Prompts Safety Rule Update

The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening regulation of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic gas used to sterilize medical devices. The agency is trying to balance the interests of the health care industry supply chain with those of communities where the gas creates airborne health risks.

By Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead

Feb. 29, 2024

A photo of signage on a paneled building directing people to separate gendered bathrooms.

Bathroom Bills Are Back — Broader and Stricter — In Several States

State lawmakers are resurrecting and expanding efforts to prohibit transgender people from using public restrooms and other spaces that match their gender. Some have sought to ban trans people from “sex-designated spaces,” including domestic violence shelters and crisis centers, which experts say could violate anti-discrimination laws and jeopardize federal funding.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Feb. 29, 2024

A photo of a woman holding a picture of her mother indoors.

Bill of the Month

Without Medicare Part B’s Shield, Patient’s Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight

Sky-high bills from air-ambulance providers have sparked complaints and federal action in recent years. But a rural Tennessee resident fell through the cracks of billing protections — and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate's value.

By Tony Leys

Feb. 27, 2024

A street sign for South Dakota Right to Life.

A Government Video Would Explain When Abortion Is Legal in South Dakota

South Dakota allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy only if a patient’s life is in jeopardy. Lawmakers say a government-created video would clarify what that exception actually means.

By Arielle Zionts

Feb. 27, 2024

A woman with long dark hair and wearing a white doctor's coat stands in a hallway with arms by her side and looks at the camera.

The Powerful Constraints on Medical Care in Catholic Hospitals Across America

The expansion of Catholic hospitals nationwide leaves patients at the mercy of the church’s religious directives, which are often at odds with accepted medical standards.

By Rachana Pradhan and Hannah Recht

Feb. 17, 2024