With Medical Debt Burdening Millions, a Financial Regulator Steps In to Help
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created after the Great Recession of 2007-09, has increasingly started policing the health care system.
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created after the Great Recession of 2007-09, has increasingly started policing the health care system.
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.
Change Healthcare, a firm recently bought by insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, reportedly suffered a cyberattack. The company processes 14 billion transactions annually, including payments and requests for insurance authorizations.
吃瓜不打烊 gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
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 鈥 and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate's value.
A March 5 ballot initiative seeks $6.4 billion to build thousands of new housing units and provide mental health treatment for homeless people 鈥 on top of the billions already being spent to address the public health crisis. Despite significant support from health and law enforcement officials, many front-line workers are skeptical that more money is the answer.
For low-income people who are on Medicaid or whose employer health plan is skimpy, help for infertility seems unattainable.
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court has determined that embryos created for in vitro fertilization procedures are legally people. The decision has touched off massive confusion about potential ramifications, and the University of Alabama-Birmingham has paused its IVF program. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to endorse a national 16-week abortion ban, while his former administration officials are planning further reproductive health restrictions for a possible second term. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Rachana Pradhan of 吃瓜不打烊, and Victoria Knight of Axios join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for 鈥渆xtra credit,鈥 the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Montana may join about a dozen other states in creating 鈥渟afe havens鈥 that keep health care professionals from facing scrutiny from licensure boards for seeking mental health or addiction treatment.
Lawsuits allege that several children under 18 in South Carolina have undergone examinations of their private parts during child abuse investigations 鈥 even when there were no allegations of sexual abuse. There鈥檚 a growing consensus in medicine that genital exams can be embarrassing, uncomfortable, and even traumatic.
A report based on millions of urine drug tests found the United States is facing a rise in the use of multiple drugs at once, which not only is often more deadly but complicates treatment efforts.
The expansion of Catholic hospitals nationwide leaves patients at the mercy of the church鈥檚 religious directives, which are often at odds with accepted medical standards.
While many Republican state lawmakers remain firmly against Medicaid expansion, some key leaders in holdout states are showing a willingness to reconsider. Public opinion, financial incentives, and widening health care needs make resistance harder.
A restructuring of the Medicare drug benefit has wiped out big drug bills for people who need expensive medicines. But the legal battle over drug negotiations means uncertainty over long-term savings.
吃瓜不打烊' C茅line Gounder explains the "five-day rule" on covid safety, how guidelines and testing have evolved, and how best to protect yourself and others.
After a decade of work, a Kentucky program launched to diagnose lung cancer earlier is beginning to change the prognosis for residents by catching tumors when they鈥檙e more treatable.
Drug overdose deaths in California state prisons rebounded to near record levels last year, a big setback for corrections officials who thought they were on the right track with medication-assisted treatment efforts. Prison officials and attorneys representing prisoners blame fentanyl.
吃瓜不打烊 shares the cr猫me de la cr猫me of reader-submitted health policy valentines. Two of our favorites melted our hearts and inspired original illustrations.
Medicare pays hospitals about double what it pays other providers for the same services. The hospital lobby is fighting hard to make sure a switch to "site-neutral payments鈥 doesn't become law.
Resorting to crowdfunding to pay medical bills has become so routine, in some cases health professionals recommend it.
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