Mountain States Bureau Archives - Page 31 of 44

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally, a Fix for the ‘Family Glitch’

President Joe Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama back to the White House this week to announce a new policy for the Affordable Care Act that would make subsidies available to more families with unaffordable employer coverage. Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise for continued federal funding of covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

April 7, 2022

Two paramedics are seen standing to the left and right of a medical dummy.

The Pandemic Exacerbates the ‘Paramedic Paradox’ in Rural America

Emergency medical services are a lifeline in regions with scarce medical care. But paramedics, trained to respond to patients with life-threatening injuries, are in short supply where they’re needed most.

By Katheryn Houghton

April 7, 2022

Stacy Whitford sits in her house on the right, facing a window. Her son sits on the floor in the corner on the left.

Patients’ Perilous Months-Long Waiting for Medicaid Coverage Is a Sign of What’s to Come

The pandemic crisis has overwhelmed understaffed state Medicaid agencies, already delaying access to the insurance program in Missouri. As the public health emergency ends, low-income people nationwide could find it even harder to have coverage.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Rachana Pradhan

April 4, 2022

A digital illustration in watercolor and pencil. Three figures are seen with their sleeves rolled up for vaccination. The first two are colored yellow, while the third (right) fades into the background. Overlayed over them, from left to right, are two green check marks and one red question mark.

COVID-19

‘The Danger Is Still There’ ― As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary of Boosters

Federal data shows that vaccination rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives were some of the highest in the nation, but tribes say resistance has slowed efforts to boost members.

By Rachana Pradhan

March 31, 2022

Two women are seen standing in front of a Planned Parenthood clinic wearing blue vests. The vests bear text that reads "Escort / Escorta."

Colorado Doubles Down on Abortion Rights as Other States — And the High Court — Reconsider

The Supreme Court is expected to overturn or weaken “Roe v. Wade.” If that happens, Colorado may become an abortion-access island, nearly surrounded by a sea of anti-abortion states. The state is bracing for impact, and advocates are trying to shore up its abortion defenses.

By Rae Ellen Bichell

March 29, 2022

A digital illustration in watercolor and pencil. Two hands are seen holding a right-facing water tank truck. Bright blue water drops radiate outward from it. A golden yellow fades to black in the background, symbolic of the hope the water truck brings.

Podcast

‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 6: ‘Water Warriors’ Tap Diné Resilience to Increase Access on Navajo Land

Over decades, federal and state policies have left many tribal communities without access to clean, running water. This episode explores what separates some Diné and other Native people in the western United States from this critical resource.

March 29, 2022

Digital illustration of a large white mosquito in front of a colorful globe with a glitch effect and a golden band around the middle.

Climate Change May Push the US Toward the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for West Nile Virus

Colorado recently recorded the most West Nile virus deaths and cases of neuroinvasive infections in nearly two decades. Scientists warn that climate change will make conditions ripe for more West Nile transmission.

By Melissa Bailey

March 28, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Recap Coverage of the Ongoing Pandemic and Lead Risks in Schools’ Drinking Water

KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

March 26, 2022

Paris Hilton leads a line of protesters dressed in all black. She holds a sign that reads, "Shut down Provo." Others hold signs that read, "Torture is not treatment," and "The kids you abuse today will be the ones that will take you down tomorrow."

Montana Is Sending Troubled Kids to Out-of-State Programs That Have Been Accused of Abuse

State health officials are using Medicaid funds to send children in their care to treatment programs in states with less stringent regulations, including programs accused of abuse and mistreatment.

By Cameron Evans

March 25, 2022

Sean Deines sits at a table in his home with his wife, Rebekah, standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders.

Bill of the Month

The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride

Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.

By Julie Appleby

March 25, 2022

COVID-19

Patients With Vulnerable Immune Systems Worry Vaccine Exemptions May Put Them in Peril

Montana’s governor pushed the state’s health workers to seek religious exemptions to a federal mandate to be vaccinated against covid, but the number who have done so is unknown.

By Aaron Bolton, MTPR

March 22, 2022

A photo of shadows on a wall shows the silhouette of a person sitting superimposed with the shadows of bars on a window behind them.

Long Waits for Montana State Hospital Leave Psychiatric Patients in Jail

A backlog at Montana’s psychiatric hospital for those facing criminal charges has left people with serious mental illness behind bars for months without adequate treatment. In some cases, judges have freed defendants over due-process violations.

By Katheryn Houghton

March 17, 2022

A photo illustration shows a parking lot displaying a covid-19 vaccine clinic parking spot. The image is tinted blue and purple and has a gritty texture overlaid on top.

Listen

Two Years In, Covid Leaves Montana Public Health Officials Feeling ‘Watched’

Montanans engage in plenty of spirited political disagreements. But debates about covid-19, public health, and personal liberties have reached a fever pitch, tugging at tightknit towns and making some residents wonder how their communities will survive.

By Katheryn Houghton

March 10, 2022

A dispenser pours a dose of methadone — a red liquid — into a plastic cup.

Calls to Overhaul Methadone Distribution Intensify, but Clinics Resist

The pandemic has shown that loosening the strict regulations on distributing methadone helps people recovering from addiction stay in treatment. But clinics with a financial stake in keeping the status quo don’t want to make permanent changes.

By Markian Hawryluk

March 3, 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 illustration shows school drinking fountains tinted a toxic green on a dark green background. A purple out of order sign is superimposed on top of the fountains.

Dangerous Levels of Lead Were Found in the Water of About Half the Schools Tested in Montana

Officials testing water found high lead levels in more than 100 of the state’s nearly 600 school buildings. But as of mid-February, half the state’s schools had yet to provide samples.

By Katheryn Houghton

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

Nikki Perri sits at the end of long metal restaurant table. Behind her are empty chairs and turned over glasses.

The Stress of Restaurant Work Is Reaching a Boiling Point. Could a Staff Therapist Help?

A Denver restaurant chain has a novel approach to address employees’ stress. It has hired a full-time mental health professional to help with group and one-on-one counseling.

By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio

Feb. 25, 2022

A stack of $100 bills are arranged on a table.

COVID-19

Covid Aid to Protect Montana Prisons and Jails Sits Unused

Montana has yet to start spending nearly $2.5 million in federal aid to boost covid detection and mitigation in the state’s prison and jails.

By Katheryn Houghton

Feb. 24, 2022

Bill of the Month

An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills

The insurance company said that the birth of the Bull family’s twins was not an emergency and that NICU care was “not medically necessary.” The family’s experience with a huge bill sent to collections happened in 2020, but it exposes a hole in the new No Surprises law that took effect Jan. 1.

By Jay Hancock

Feb. 23, 2022

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