Even Doctors Can鈥檛 Navigate Our 鈥楤roken Health Care System鈥
A physician鈥檚 frustration navigating a medical emergency with his elderly father reveals a complex, dysfunctional system.
The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
761 - 780 of 1,098 Results
A physician鈥檚 frustration navigating a medical emergency with his elderly father reveals a complex, dysfunctional system.
Doctors at the University of California鈥檚 flagship San Francisco hospital are sharply divided over a proposal to join forces with a Catholic-run system that restricts care on the basis of religious doctrine 鈥 part of a broader public debate as Catholic hospitals expand their reach.
Under the rule that took effect this year, Medicare will lower payments for clinic visits performed at hospital-owned facilities to a rate that is equivalent to what it pays an independent doctor. Federal officials expect the move will save the government $380 million this year.
A legal battle in Pennsylvania is testing the boundaries of health care competition and government action to oversee and regulate it.
Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss the latest news about women鈥檚 reproductive health policy and the latest skirmish in the debate over 鈥淢edicare-for-all鈥: how hospitals should be paid.
When an undocumented immigrant in a Texas border county gets a cancer diagnosis, it can be a death sentence because of a lack of public hospitals.
Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to answer listener questions about the fate of the Affordable Care Act, 鈥淢edicare-for-all鈥 and how to talk about health care costs. Also, for extra credit, the panelists offer their favorite 鈥渆xtra credit鈥 stories of the week.
Hospitals and nursing homes in California and Illinois hope that regional cooperation 鈥 and a special soap 鈥 will help them gain the upper hand against deadly antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
Older adults 鈥 and their families 鈥 often find it challenging and stressful to find the best facility. And they often end up in the wrong spot, new research shows.
Celina, Tenn., has long lured retirees, with its scenic hills and affordability. These newcomers help fuel the local economy. But a recent hospital closure makes the town a harder sell.
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
California hospitals must comply with a new state law that requires them to try to find a safe place for homeless patients upon discharge. But hospitals say doing so isn鈥檛 as easy as calling a shelter and securing a cot.
Critics are concerned about the explosion in controversial stem cell procedures offered by clinics 鈥 and, increasingly, respected hospitals.
Homeless patients accounted for about 100,000 visits to California hospitals in 2017, marking a 28% increase from just two years earlier. Health officials attribute the surge to the overall rise in California鈥檚 homeless numbers and the large proportion of people living on the streets with mental illness.
Colorado officials say hospitals are better off financially after the state expanded coverage to more low-income residents, but that hasn鈥檛 stopped them from shifting more costs to other insured patients.
With mental health beds in short supply, emergency rooms increasingly have become the care of first and last resort for people in the grips of a psychiatric episode. Now, hospitals around the country are opening emergency units that calmly cater to patients with mental health needs.
No one told a Washington state woman she was racking up massive out-of-pocket charges during a month-long emergency stay in an Oregon hospital. For six months, she and her husband were haunted by looming debt 鈥 and bill collectors.
Some plans are experimenting with the idea of closely tying hospital reimbursement rates to what Medicare pays. The approach could be a game changer in their effort to control health costs.
Most hospitals appear to be complying with the federal rule to post their prices online. Yet there is little follow-up by the government or industry and debate continues about whether the price lists are creating more confusion than clarity among consumers.
A proposed state law with bipartisan, bicameral support is on the move in Texas. It would force hospitals and insurers to settle surprise bills 鈥 instead of relying on patients to start the mediation process. The KHN/NPR "Bill of the Month" series is a catalyst for the effort.
漏 2026 KFF